Douglas Gretzler

Douglas Edward Gretzler was born on May 21, 1951, in the Bronx, New York, the second of four children born to Norton Tillotson Gretzler and his wife, Janet (née Bassett).^[7] His father served as President of the Tuckahoe School District, and his mother was a homemaker.^[8] In the early 1950s, the Gretzlers moved to the working class suburb of Tuckahoe, where they were regarded as upstanding residents.

The childhood of the younger Gretzler children was marred with friction. Although their father provided for his family, he was a strict disciplinarian who commanded obedience and academic achievement from his children, often subjecting them to physical and mental punishment for any failure or disobedience. Gretzler himself later recollected that although all four siblings endured harsh treatment from their father, the oldest child, Mark, was by far his father's favorite. He and his younger sisters, Joanne and Dianne, were frequently compared unfavorably with Mark; an academically achieving and popular student and often in his presence. By contrast, Gretzler was an unmotivated student who typically achieved C or D grades and performed only moderately as a Boy Scout.^[9] On one occasion when Gretzler was ten, he received a good grade at school and ran home to show his father his report card. In response, his father tossed the report card aside, telling his son he expected him to do better.^[10]

Although Gretzler repeatedly attempted to please his father as a young child, by the time he was eleven, he had stopped attempting to appease his father; instead seeking avenues to spite him and frequently pursuing leisure activities outside the home or playing his drums in the family basement. By 1966, Gretzler had begun smoking marijuana. His father soon discovered his recreational usage of the drug and attributed his usage of marijuana to his lackadaisical attitude toward his studies. A heated argument ensued which culminated Gretzler's father grabbing him by the collar and pushing him against a bedroom partition, causing the two to fall onto the bathroom floor. According to Gretzler, following his father's discovery of his usage of marijuana, he never failed to remind him of his "utter disappointment" in him, and although his parents arranged weekly family counseling sessions in efforts to improve family relations, the sessions yielded little progress.^{[11][n 1]}

On August 16, 1966, the oldest of the Gretzler children, Mark, committed suicide by shooting himself in the head in his bedroom at the age of 17. His suicide came just days after his father discovered he had stolen upcoming examination papers and handed copies of the answers to other students as a prank, resulting in the school banning him from all senior year activities. His suicide note offered no explanation for choosing to end his life, but simply thanked an aunt for lending him the gun.^[13] Several months later, Gretzler's father—intoxicated at the time—emerged from the family basement with a bottle of liquor. He approached his younger son to lament why it had to be Mark who had killed himself and not him.

Willie Steelman

Willie Luther "Bill" Steelman was born on March 21, 1945, in San Joaquin County, California, the youngest of three children born to Lester Steelman and his wife, Ethel (née Hogan).^[16]

The Steelman family had emigrated to California from Oklahoma in 1935, where Lester initially obtained work as a foreman at a San Joaquin farm. The family had little money, but were close-knit. As both parents worked to provide for their children, the responsibility for raising Steelman was largely delegated to his 14-year-old sister, Frances.^[17]

Steelman spent his childhood and adolescence in Lodi, where he attended the Lodi High School. During his school years, Steelman was not particularly popular with his peers and was considered a social outcast, but was not bullied by other students. When Steelman was 13, his father died. Shortly thereafter, Steelman dropped out of school and began committing petty crime. Despite his mother's efforts, he refused to either recommit to his studies or find employment—frequently threatening his mother if she attempted to persuade him to commit to either. One year later, his mother remarried. She remained close to her youngest son, but frequently lamented his lackadaisical and recidivistic lifestyle, often comparing him unfavorably with his brother, Gary.^[14]

Marriages

Following his release, Steelman obtained employment as a field hand. Shortly thereafter, he encountered a 15-year-old girl, whom he later married, with the ceremony conducted in Reno, Nevada. He soon quit his job, and the couple moved into his mother's home. In December 1965, a warrant was issued for Steelman's arrest pertaining to cashing stolen checks; he was arrested in early January the following year and remanded in custody at Stockton County Jail, where he attempted suicide. Days later, his wife's parents annulled their marriage.

Stockton State Hospital. Steelman was incarcerated at this facility in February 1966

In February 1966, Steelman was transferred to the Stockton State Hospital.^[19] Classified as mentally ill, he was later transferred to the Atascadero State Hospital, where his "remarkable progress" saw him returned to Stockton State Hospital after several months. He was later sentenced to 14 months' imprisonment for his second forgery conviction, to be served at the California Men's Colony (CMC), where he proved to be a model inmate.^[20]

Steelman was granted parole after serving just two months' imprisonment at the CMC; he was released on September 16, 1968, and returned to Lodi, obtaining employment as a shipping clerk and, according to his sister, informed many individuals he had "turned [his] life around". Three months later, he was arrested for supplying LSD to two 16-year-old girls. For this, he was sentenced to 43 days' imprisonment and fined $625. While incarcerated, he became acquainted with a young woman named Kathy Stone. He moved into Stone's house shortly after his release in the spring of 1969. Via Stone, Steelman became acquainted to a young woman named Denise Machell. The two wed in June 1969, relocating to Sacramento and, later, Mountain View.^[14]

Throughout 1970 and 1971, Steelman was frequently arrested for a variety of offenses, although on each occasion, the charges were either dropped, or he was given a small fine. By 1972, his drug dependency had increased. He became an orderly at the Vista Ray Convalescent Hospital in Lodi, earning $320 a month, but lost this job for forging prescriptions. Disgusted with Steelman's refusal to improve his lifestyle,^[21] his wife left him on New Year's Day 1973—informing him she was no longer prepared to excuse and forgive his behavior and of her frustration with their constantly being broke and evicted in addition to her paychecks consistently financing his heroin addiction.^[22]

Relocation to Arizona

Within days of Frances and her children leaving her home, Steelman announced to Gretzler and Renslow his decision to relocate from Denver to "someplace warmer, maybe Phoenix". Gretzler agreed to accompany him. Upon hearing this, Renslow asked if she could accompany the two, hoping to become reacquainted with a 21-year-old acquaintance named Katherine Mestites, with whom she was infatuated.^{[n 3]} The two agreed to her request, and the trio drove from Denver to Phoenix on October 9. En route, they stopped for one night in a motel; the following evening, Gretzler accidentally discharged a firearm through a window of the motel, resulting in the three spending the night of October 10 in Gretzler's car at a nearby roadside.^[26]

By October 13, the trio had driven to the town of Globe, where Steelman robbed a nude sunbathing couple of $5 at gunpoint. Hours later, close to Tempe, the trio picked up a hitchhiker, whom they drove to a secluded orange grove, stripped, pistol-whipped, and robbed.^[27] The ring stolen from this hitchhiker netted the trio $60 at a Phoenix pawnshop when they arrived in the city that evening.^[14]

The trio spent the night of October 13 at the Stone Motel, resolving to drive the following morning to the address of the man whom Mestites had relocated to Phoenix with: Kenneth Unrein (21), whom Renslow knew through maintaining correspondence with Mestites lived on 18th Street.^[28]

Phoenix, Arizona

On the morning of October 14, the trio arrived at Unrein's address, only to learn Mestites and Unrein had recently separated. At Renslow's request, Unrein provided the trio with the Apache Junction trailer park residence of Katherine Mestites, adding she now lived with a 19-year-old named Robert Robbins.^{[14][n 4]}

Intentionally or otherwise, Unrein provided the incorrect address. Two days later—again out of cash and furious at being lied to—Steelman decided to return to Unrein's address. On this occasion, Unrein was in the presence of 19-year-old Michael Adshade. At gunpoint, the two men were forced to drive to Mestites' apartment, where all consumed alcohol and drugs before Unrein and Adshade discreetly exited the residence and returned to their home. In their absence, Mestites divulged to her guests the details of the physical assault she had endured at Unrein's hands two months previous. Robbins then drove Gretzler and Steelman back to their motel. Mestites and Renslow remained in each other's company at Apache Junction for several days, although Renslow never mustered the courage to inform Mestites of her love for her. On October 22—having neither seen or heard from either Steelman or Gretzler for six days—Mestites purchased a plane ticket for Renslow to return to Denver.^[30]

Unrein and Adshade

On October 17, 1973, Gretzler and Steelman returned to Unrein's address. Both Unrein and Adshade were forced at gunpoint into Unrein's Volkswagen van. Upon Steelman's instructions, the four drove to California.^[31] Neither Unrein or Adshade were bound, although Gretzler and Steelman alternated between driving and sitting in the passenger seat pointing a gun at the two.^{[n 5]} By the following morning, they had reached Oakdale, where Steelman purchased beverages for all.^[32]

After driving aimlessly for several hours, Steelman ordered Gretzler to park the van close to Littlejohn Creek in Knights Ferry, where both captives were ordered out of the van and told to walk down a creek bed.^[33] At this point, one of the two captives asked, "What's gonna happen, man?" Both were then bound with microphone cord and rope before Steelman informed them that he and Gretzler were to abandon them, adding both should wait one hour before attempting to free themselves.^[34] Minutes later, the two returned to the creek. Steelman then partially strangled Unrein before stabbing him to death, then walked toward Gretzler to assist him in strangling and stabbing Adshade. The victims were then stripped naked before their bodies were concealed beneath bushes.^[35]

Loughran

Concerned both that Robbins and Mestites could ultimately link them to the disappearances of Unrein and Adshade, and aware the two teenagers they had released would soon inform police of their ordeal, Gretzler and Steelman decided to return to Phoenix.^[39] En route to Arizona, on October 21, the two picked up an 18-year-old hitchhiker named Steven Allan Loughran close to Monterey Bay. Loughran agreed to accompany the two to Arizona, also purchasing gasoline en route.^[40]

Upon their arrival at Mestites' address, Steelman was informed Renslow had returned to Denver; he also introduced Loughran as a friend from California.^[41] The five spent the evening and early hours drinking, smoking, and taking drugs. By the early hours of October 23, Steelman had become resentful of Mestites' discussions relating to topics such as white magic, astrology and the concept of reincarnation. He had also begun to resent Loughran's discussion of sports-related topics.^[42]

On the afternoon of October 23, Robbins drove Mestites to work at the Playful Kitten massage parlor. In their absence, Steelman initiated a fight with Loughran, although Loughran—approximately 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighing 180 pounds—easily won this confrontation. In response, Steelman retrieved his shotgun and a sleeping bag, ordering the teenager out of the apartment as Gretzler followed, carrying the sleeping bag. The trio drove to a deserted gully close to the Superstition Mountains, where Steelman ordered Loughran out of the car, to hand over his wallet and then crawl inside the sleeping bag. Steelman then shot the teenager in the head; the two then returned to the trailer. Neither Robbins or Mestites inquired as to Loughran's whereabouts.^[43]

Mestites and Robbins

On the afternoon of October 24, Steelman convinced Gretzler the two should murder Robbins. This decision was partly due to fear the teenager suspected their involvement in the disappearances of Unrein and Adshade and also his subservient lifestyle with Mestites. The two devised a plan to murder the teenager while Mestites was at work later that day. According to Gretzler, "after sundown" that evening, he strangled Robbins from behind with an electrical cord as the teenager entered the living room of his apartment. The two then shot him once in the head to ensure his death, then hid his corpse beneath a mattress in his bedroom. Hours later, Steelman drove Mestites back to the trailer from her place of work, explaining he had driven Robbins "out of town for a few days".

The following morning, the trio drove to a local store in Robbins' Chevrolet convertible as Mestites remarked of her relief "Ken and Bob" were "out of [her] life", and her need to "do some coke" that afternoon prior to conducting a reading to direct her future. Although Steelman attempted to persuade Mestites to go to work at the massage parlor that evening in order that he and Gretzler could dispose of Robbins' body, she refused.^[44] Shortly after dusk, Steelman shot Mestites once in the head from behind as she kneeled and conducted a séance at a private altar she had constructed. Their bodies were discovered on October 28.^[14]

Sierra

Within hours of Mestites' murder, Steelman persuaded Gretzler to accompany him to Tucson. The two left Apache Junction in Robbins' Chevrolet in the early hours of October 26, but abandoned the vehicle on Van Buren Street hours later.^{[n 6]} The two then traveled to Tucson via bus, purchasing the tickets with money stolen from Mestites. They arrived in the city on October 27, residing in a cheap boarding house on 4th Avenue. The two remained at this boarding house until November 1, having by this date become acquainted with a young woman named Joanne McPeek—the younger sister of their landlady, Susan Harlan.^[48]

Late in the evening of November 1, Gretzler and Steelman decided to steal a car to flee the city. Shortly after they began hitchhiking close to the University of Arizona, the two approached a Dodge Charger driven by 19-year-old Gilbert Rodriguez Sierra as he slowed the vehicle close to a stoplight, with Steelman thanking him for stopping before stating, "We need a ride. Need a car—your car!" Sierra was then ordered into the back seat at gunpoint as Gretzler began to drive. As had been the case with the two teenagers they had held hostage at gunpoint, then released, on October 20, Steelman claimed to be a notorious hitman on the run, having "just wasted a cop". It is unknown if Sierra believed these boasts as according to Gretzler, he simply stared blankly at Steelman, muttering a brief sentence in Spanish as opposed to English for the first time.^[49]

Steelman then forced Sierra into the trunk of his car before the two returned to the Tucson apartment of Joanne McPeek and her partner, Michael Marsh, which they had left hours earlier; McPeek and Marsh were persuaded to accompany the two to purchase hard drugs, with Steelman adding, "We got a dude in the trunk, a narc." When McPeek stated she didn't believe him, Steelman rummaged through the glove box for identification, before shouting to the rear, "Hey! Your name Gilbert?" to which Sierra replied, "Yeah!" Steelman then asked Marsh for directions to the desert, adding "I'm gonna kill this sonofabitch!"^[50]

Shortly thereafter, in the presence of these individuals at a deserted canyon close to Gates Pass,^[51] Steelman dragged Sierra from the trunk at gunpoint, forced him to hand over his T-shirt, then ordered him to his knees as he accused him of being a "pig" and a "narc".^[52] Steelman twice attempted to shoot Sierra, although on each occasion, the pistol misfired as he had covered the firearm with Sierra's T-shirt. As Sierra desperately tried to run, Steelman removed the T-shirt and shot him once in the back, causing him to collapse to his knees and fall into an opuntia cactus, then down a small ravine. Steelman then ran down the ravine and shot Sierra in the face and temple at close range as Gretzler laughed. The four then returned to Tucson and purchased amphetamines from a local drug dealer before spending the remainder of the night at a Mabel Street drug den with a teenager named Donald Scott, whom they first encountered at this address.^[53]

After wiping all fingerprints from Sierra's car the following day, Gretzler and Steelman abandoned the vehicle in a parking lot. Sierra's body was discovered approximately twelve hours after his murder. He was formally identified on November 5.^[14]

Michael and Patricia Sandberg

After Armstrong had jumped from his vehicle, Gretzler and Steelman drove in an aimless manner around Tucson until they drove by a condominium in the Villa Paraiso complex close to Vine Street.^[55] Outside this address, they observed a 28-year-old former Marine captain and student teacher named Michael Sandberg washing his Datsun car.^[56] Steelman threatened Sandberg with his gun before the pair forced him to take them to his condominium, where his 32-year-old wife, Patricia, encountered the trio as she prepared food in the kitchen. Gretzler pressed a knife to her neck as Steelman informed the couple they were to remain hostages until after dusk, after which they would be left unharmed.^[57]

At Michael's request, Patricia was given Valium to help ease her nerves. She then prepared a sandwich for Gretzler before Steelman decided the two should adjust their appearances. Gretzler then dyed his blond hair brown before Steelman shaved off his mustache and attempted to disguise a black eye he had recently received with Patricia's cosmetics. Both then changed into clean clothing from Michael's closet before Gretzler bound Patricia's arms behind her back with twine and ordered her sit on the floor of the bathroom.^[58] Michael was then forced to lie face-down on the couple's bed before his ankles and neck were bound in a manner which ensured he could not move his ankles without choking himself.^[59]

Minutes later, Patricia was dragged from the bathroom to the couch where she was further bound before Gretzler walked into the bedroom and shot Michael in the head; he then shot Patricia once in the head through a cushion Steelman had placed over her skull to muffle the sound of the discharge.^[60] Steelman then fired four further rounds into her head. Noting Patricia was still alive, Steelman repeatedly bludgeoned her about the head with a golf club until her twitching ceased.^[11] After destroying any potential incriminating evidence at the crime scene, Gretzler and Steelman packed some of Michael's clothes into a suitcase before stealing the Sandbergs' credit cards, a camera and other items of material value from the house. The two then fled the scene in the Sandbergs' Datsun, leaving Armstrong's Firebird parked beneath a canopy close to the condominium.^[61]

Parkin-Earl-Lang massacre

By the afternoon of November 6, 1973, the pair had returned to Steelman's hometown of Lodi,^[67] where they slept at the home of an acquaintance until shortly after 5:00 p.m. before Steelman persuaded a friend named Duff Nunley to telephone his 17-year-old nephew, Gary Steelman Jr.; Nunley convinced Gary his uncle's life was in danger and persuaded him to hand Steelman his father's Derringer handgun without his father's knowledge. The two thanked Steelman's acquaintance and nephew for the firearm, then informed them they were leaving the state.^{[n 8]} Gretzler and Steelman then drove to the United Market at closing time, expecting to find Walter Parkin alone at the premises, only to discover the building already closed; they then drove two miles toward Orchard Road.^[14]

At the time of their arrival, the Parkins were not home; the couple's two children, 9-year-old Robert and his 11-year-old sister, Lisa, were being babysat by 18-year-old Debra Earl and her 15-year-old brother, Richard. The two entered the property by Steelman briefly deceiving Debra into believing they owed the Parkins money to lower her guard before pushing past her and immediately threatening the teenagers at gunpoint, with Steelman shouting: "Now listen! We're only here for [Walter], so both of you stay cool and nobody is gonna get hurt! That understood?" As Richard stood in shock, Debra comforted the Parkin children as she wept, explaining Walter and Joanne were bowling and wouldn't return for "a couple of hours." All four were then forced to sit on the sofa.^[69]

Prior to the two entering the house, Debra had phoned her father, Richard Sr., in distress; he sped to the Parkin residence, where he too was held at gunpoint as Debra again burst into tears, shouting "Oh Daddy!"^[70] Upon learning Richard Sr. had told his wife, Wanda, to contact police if he was "not back [home] in fifteen minutes", Steelman ordered Gretzler to watch the child and teenage hostages at gunpoint as he ordered Richard Sr. at gunpoint to retrieve Wanda from their home, adding he should "dust [the hostages]" if he, Richard Sr. and Wanda were not back at the Parkin residence in twenty minutes. Minutes later, Steelman returned to the Parkin residence with Richard Sr. and Wanda Earl.^{[71][n 9]}

At approximately 9:25 p.m. Debra's fiancée, 20-year-old Mark Lang, arrived at the Parkin residence by prearrangement to drive Debra and her brother home. He was also taken hostage at gunpoint, and allowed to comfort his weeping girlfriend.^[72]

Walter and Joanne Parkin returned to their home at approximately 10:45 p.m. All adult hostages were then forced to hand over all the money and jewelry in their possession before, at Joanne's pleading, she was allowed to put her two children to bed in the master bedroom—pleading with the two to go to sleep in order that they become oblivious to the ongoing ordeal.^[72] Steelman then ordered the adult and teenage hostages, except Walter, into the bathroom, where Gretzler bound the hostages with nylon cord he had retrieved from the Sandbergs' vehicle. The male hostages were bound first, before Wanda, then Debra, and finally Joanne. All were ordered to sit in a semi-circle inside a large walk-in closet in the master bedroom with Gretzler observing the hostages as Steelman forced Walter to drive to the United Market to retrieve money from a floor safe he knew the Parkins kept at the supermarket.^[73] This robbery netted approximately $4,000 (the equivalent of about $27,660 as of 2024). The two then returned to the Parkin residence, where Walter was also bound and placed in the walk-in closet.^[74] All adult hostages were then bound together by their ankles, then gagged.^[14]

According to Gretzler, once the two had wiped their fingerprints from surfaces they had touched, he exclaimed to Steelman, "Listen, why don't we split? We got what we came here for. Let's just get outta here!" Steelman refused, stating: "I said all along, no witnesses. I know you remember me sayin' it."^[75]

Gretzler then shot and killed the two Parkin children in the master bedroom. Each was shot once between the eyes as they slept. The two then opened the walk-in closet, where the remaining seven hostages had begun desperately screaming, writhing, and contorting. Richard Earl Sr. was then shot and wounded in the temple; Gretzler then shot Walter Parkin, Richard Earl Jr., Wanda Earl, Debra Earl, and Joanne Parkin.^[76] After reloading his gun, Gretzler then shot Mark Lang to death before Steelman fatally shot Richard Sr. before repeatedly firing into the bodies of all deceased and dying hostages inside the walk-in closet.^[77]

Gretzler then consumed a slice of chocolate birthday cake and a bottle of wine found in the family kitchen as Steelman drank from a bottle of Seagrams as he searched for further money and valuables within the residence. The two then left the Parkin household at approximately 1:20 a.m.^[78][79] One hour later, they checked into a Holiday Inn under the alias of W. J. Siems.^[80]

Investigation

While investigating the murders of the Parkin and Earl families and Mark Lang, police found several witnesses who gave a description of the two criminals, including the owners of the motel in which the two had spent the night of November 5, and who had paid for the room with a dud check in the name of one Michael B. Sandberg. The license plate of the cream Datsun vehicle had been an Arizona plate, number RWS 563. From this, the California State Department contacted their colleagues in Arizona, who determined that the car was registered to one Michael Bruce Sandberg, who resided in the Villa Paraiso apartment complex in Tucson.^{[84][n 11]}

Just hours after the discovery of the nine victims at Orchard Road, a Tucson investigator named David Arrelanes secured updated arrest warrants for Gretzler and Steelman in relation to the Mestites and Robbins murders, with bail for the fugitives set at $220,000 each. Arrelanes returned to his office to receive a teletype notifying his department of the nine homicides in San Joaquin County. He immediately contacted his California counterparts, whom he updated on his department's manhunt for Gretzler and Steelman in relation to two recent murders in Phoenix, and who he stated his department had "every reason to believe" may have returned to Steelman's home turf in Lodi. Arrelanes provided his counterparts with a recent booking photo of Steelman and copies of the existing arrest warrants.^[85] At a press conference held late in the evening of November 7, San Joaquin County Sheriff Michael Canlis informed the media the chief suspect in the Victor murders was one Willie Steelman, adding his department had reason to believe he was also responsible for "two recent killings in Phoenix." All media personnel were provided with copies of the photograph provided by Arrelanes.^[40]

On November 8, California investigators were also contacted by an individual who had been in their company for a brief period of time the previous afternoon—confirming Gretzler and Steelman had been in Lodi immediately prior to the murders at Orchard Road.^[86] The same day, Donald Scott also contacted authorities to state that Gretzler and Steelman could be involved in the killings, having discussed the imminent robbery of a Victor supermarket belonging to a "Wally Parkin" as he had traveled with the two just days previous. Arrest warrants were also issued for the two men in California, and their names—accompanied by a recent mug shot of Steelman—were published in the Sacramento Union on the morning November 8, and the Sacramento Bee that afternoon.^[79]

Gretzler

Gretzler was observed entering the hotel and entering an elevator bound for his room on the third floor. Police sealed the second floor of the premises and positioned sharpshooters to cover every escape serving the third floor.^[81]

As he attempted to enter his room, Gretzler overheard an officer talking in hushed tones on the telephone behind the door. He fled to the fourth floor in a vain attempt to escape from the building—concealing the Derringer in a small portal above a doorway—before descending to the second floor, raising his arms and waiting for his inevitable arrest.^[89]

The time of Gretzler's arrest was 10:04 a.m. As Gretzler was searched for weapons, he informed police, "Man, I'm glad this is over. I've seen enough killing, and man, I don't wanna see any more." He then provided police with the address where Steelman could be located, adding Steelman was in the company of a young woman, that he was armed, and had sworn never to be "taken alive" if arrest was impending.^[79][81]

Steelman

At 10:50 a.m., the first of over 70 armed police officers arrived outside Kashula's apartment. Their presence was quickly noticed by Kashula, who became hysterical as a police chief shouted through a bullhorn: "Willie Steelman, this is going to be your last chance to give yourself up peacefully." Although Steelman heard this message, he initially refused to surrender; first claiming to Kashula he was the victim of mistaken identity as he threatened to commit suicide before Kashula dissuaded him from doing so, then agreeing to surrender but only if the media were present outside the apartment to record his arrest and after the police chief persuaded a disc jockey to announce live on a local rock radio station that he and Kashula would not be harmed if they exited the apartment separately, with their hands aloft. The chief negotiator agreed to these requests.^[65]

Steelman is arrested outside Kashula's apartment. November 8, 1973^[90]

Two minutes after the terms of Steelman's surrender were broadcast across the airwaves of KZAP, police fired a single tear gas canister into the apartment as Kashula argued with Steelman to honor his promise to surrender.^[65] In response, Steelman shouted his intentions to surrender, but only after Kashula had been allowed to safely exit her apartment. The two exited the apartment separately after Kashula tossed Steelman's firearm onto the lawn. Steelman was then manacled and placed in a police car as he shouted, "Guess I'm going back to Stockton!"^[79]

Initial statements

Both Gretzler and Steelman were extensively questioned by Sacramento County investigators in relation to the Orchard Road murders before they were transferred to the custody of San Joaquin authorities on the evening of November 8.^[92] The two were separately escorted to French Camp under armed guard to formally face charges pertaining to the nine murders committed in Victor. Both were held in solitary confinement at Deuel Vocational Institution, and prohibited from contact with each other.^[93]

Although Steelman refused to divulge much information pertaining to the murders prior to being assigned an attorney, at which point he refused to talk with any investigators, Gretzler consented to interview requests from both Arizona and California investigators. He was initially cooperative but evasive—falsely claiming all the abductions and robberies the pair had committed in both Arizona and California over the previous three weeks had been at Steelman's behest and that Steelman had committed all the murders—but gradually revealed his culpability in several of the murders.^[93][94]

Formal confessions

Gretzler provided investigators with a full confession on the afternoon of November 10. He began by recounting the events at Orchard Road before outlining the previous eight murders. Gretzler claimed he had become desensitized to committing murder by gunshot in part due to the psychological trauma he had experienced in witnessing Steelman strangle and stab Unrein as he attempted to strangle Adshade, stating: "[The two] were garotted. That's the dirtiest way I know to kill somebody; that's probably why I could take so many deaths as that, because after [those two], I was steeled ... I couldn't kill mine completely dead because it made me sick and he was kicking and shuddering and blood came out of his eyes and I'm sure he was half dead, brain damage or something, so I let up and Bill came over and helped me finish it."^[96]

Hours later, Steelman also provided investigators with a full confession. His account of the murders contained only minor discrepancies with Gretzler's. Steelman also described two further killings he claimed to have committed to investigators. According to Steelman's testimony, on October 13, 1973, after he, Gretzler and Renslow had arrived in Phoenix, he had met with a renowned drug dealer friend nicknamed "Preacher" as Gretzler and Renslow remained in their motel room.^{[n 13]} He had returned to their motel room disheveled approximately 25 minutes later, claiming Preacher had been killed by his own brother before he and another individual named Larry had killed Preacher's brother and another man. Steelman then claimed "Larry" had taken the three bodies "to the Arizona desert" to be buried.^[14] No reports of gunshots within the vicinity of the motel were reported on October 13, nor were any missing person reports on three men ever filed in the city around this date. Ultimately, investigators disregarded this account as unreliable.^[98]

Indictments

On November 28, a grand jury convened to hear the evidence against Gretzler and Steelman. They deliberated for scarcely five minutes before deciding sufficient evidence existed to indict both upon nine counts of murder and one count of kidnapping in the commission of robbery. These indictments were presented to Superior Court Judge Christopher Papas.^[101] Following several legal maneuvers from both defense counsels, Papas agreed to a joint requested motion for a change of venue, ruling on May 21, 1974, that the trial was to be held in Santa Rosa.^[102]

Shortly prior to the commencement of their trial, on June 4, Gretzler agreed to his lawyer's advice to plead guilty to all charges; however, Steelman refused to do so.^{[103][n 14]}

California

Gretzler and Steelman were tried jointly for the Orchard Road murders in June 1974.^[105] Gretzler formally pleaded guilty to nine counts on June 4; Steelman—upon advice from his attorney—pleaded no contest to all charges in exchange for the prosecution agreeing not to pursue the charge of kidnapping against him. Sentencing was postponed until the following month.^[106]

On July 8, both were sentenced to life imprisonment—Gretzler for nine counts of murder, and Steelman for nine counts of murder and five counts of robbery. Upon passing sentence, Papas described Steelman as "the architect and engineer" of the murders, and Gretzler as "a willing follower" in the commission of the crime, and recommended neither ever be freed from prison.^{[107][n 15]} Neither showed any emotion as the verdict was announced.^[106]

Two weeks after their convictions for the Orchard Road murders, then-Governor of California Ronald Reagan authorized the extradition of Gretzler and Steelman to Arizona for the murders of Michael and Patricia Sandberg and Gilbert Sierra. The prisoners were escorted to Tucson on September 17, and a gag order subsequently issued, prohibiting any pretrial publicity.^[110]

Arizona

Prior to their Arizona trials, Gretzler was assigned David Hoffman as his legal representative; Steelman was assigned John Neis (later replaced by Robert Norgren). Gretzler was tried before Judge William Druke; Steelman before Judge Richard Greer.^[111] Both defense attorneys filed numerous pretrial motions delaying the commencement of their clients' respective trials by several months.^[112]

Although Arizona had initially planned on trying both defendants together, Druke ruled on February 10 that the defendants be tried separately.^{[n 16]} On March 3, prosecutor David Dingeldine offered a stipulation that if he obtained a first degree murder conviction for the Sandberg murders, he would not try either defendant for the Sierra murder. This offer was accepted by both defense counsels.^{[61][n 17]}

Steelman

Steelman was a troublesome inmate. Prison records indicate repeated conflicts with guards and fellow inmates alike, resulting in numerous spells in solitary confinement, although he and Gretzler remained on affable terms, and never fought each other. He corresponded with numerous individuals, many of whom he deceived into believing his claims of innocence; that he was a Jewish child raised by a Japanese family; that he had only committed his crimes due to despair at having been abandoned throughout his "whole life"; that he was a Vietnam Veteran; that both the Sandberg and Parkin families were murdered solely due to their involvement in narcotics trafficking; and that he was studying to be a church minister, having repented for his crimes. Some of these individuals were duped into sending Steelman gifts or money.^[132]

By the early 1980s, Steelman had developed serious health issues, including cirrhosis of the liver, which he was diagnosed with in 1983.^[133] By early 1986, Steelman was informed he had less than three years to live. Reportedly, upon being informed of his terminal illness, Steelman stated his impending death was the sole way he would ultimately "beat the state." His health deteriorated rapidly throughout the summer, and he was discovered collapsed in his cell on the morning of August 7, 1986, and rushed to the Maricopa County Hospital, where he died that afternoon. Steelman was later buried at the Temple Beth Israel cemetery in Phoenix.^[41][134]

Upon hearing of Steelman's death, the father of Patricia Sandberg, Roderick Mays, stated: "It annoys me that he died of natural causes before he could be executed. He had been condemned to death at every level ... I regret it's such a long, drawn-out process, with so many chances of appeal, that he died of natural causes before he could be executed."^[133]

Gretzler

Following his conviction, Gretzler shunned all contact from his family and the public alike for many years. Although initially viewed as a disciplinary problem, he gradually became a model inmate. Gretzler initially expressed neither remorse for his actions or concern for his own predicament in the years immediately following his arrest, but by the early 1980s, he claimed to have repented for his past deeds. He severed all contact with Steelman, re-instigated contact with his family—apologizing to them for the shame and stigma he had brought upon them—and wrote letters to his victims' relatives in which he expressed remorse for his actions and asked for forgiveness.^[34]

In 1992, Gretzler was visited in prison by Jack Earl, a close relative of the Earl family.^[135] The two would meet frequently over the course of several years, with Gretzler disclosing to Earl his accounts of his life, his acquaintance with Steelman, and their subsequent actions in October and November 1973. Gretzler expressed remorse to Earl for what he had done and insisted that he felt extreme shame and regret and his belief his impending execution was justified.^[136]

By 1998, Gretzler had informed both his family and his attorney, Cary Sandman,^[137] of his wish to cease any further efforts to postpone his impending execution. He spent his final days writing dozens of letters to his family, friends, attorney, legal personnel, and relatives of his victims.^[138] Neither he or his attorney were present at a June 2, 1998, obligatory reprieve hearing to plead against the scheduled June 3 execution date ordered by Justice Thomas Zlaket.^[139]

Bibliography

• Earl, Jack (2013). Where Sadness Breathes: The True Story of Willie Steelman and Douglas Gretzler and the 17 People they Murdered in the Autumn of 1973. Oregon: Jack Earl Publishing. ASIN B07MX4VW4K.
• Ramsland, Katherine M. (2005). Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers: Why They Kill. Connecticut: Praeger Publishers. pp. 53–55. ISBN 978-0-313-36054-1.

Television

• The Greatest Murder Story Never Told. Commissioned by First Watershed Pictures and directed by Mark Stanoch, this 67-minute documentary contains recorded interviews with Gretzler as he discusses his crimes and was initially broadcast on November 26, 2000. Author Richard Earl is among those interviewed for this documentary.^[144]