Cold Case Arrest of Billy Ray Richardson in Fort Worth, Texas NR22201ah

Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Police Department has been investigating three murders from 1980 and the Inglewood Police Department has been investigating a murder from 1995. Investigative and forensic work over decades connected these murders through DNA and linked them to suspect Billy Ray Richardson.

On July 14, 2022, detectives from The Los Angeles Police Department and Inglewood Police Department’s Cold Case Unit traveled to Texas and with the support of the Fort Worth Police Department, Ghost Unit, arrested 76-year-old Billy Ray Richardson for the 1980 murders of Beverly Cruse, Debra Cruse, and Kari Lenander in Los Angeles and the 1995 murder of Trina Wilson in Inglewood. Richardson is in custody in Texas and is awaiting extradition to Los Angeles to stand trial.

On July 14, 2022, the case against Richardson was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Major Crimes Division, Cold Case Unit, and four counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of multiple murders and murder in the commission of rape were filed.

The identification and arrest of Billy Ray Richardson in these cases was the result of a collaboration by Robbery-Homicide Division’s Cold Case Homicide Unit, Inglewood Police Department’s Cold Case Unit, Los Angeles County DA’s office, Fort Worth Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Robbery Homicide Division, Detective Roberts at (213)486-6810. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may also visit www.lapdonline.org, and click on “Anonymous Web Tips” under the “Get Involved-Crime Stoppers” menu to submit an online tip. Lastly, tipsters may also download the “P3 Tips” mobile application and select the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.