Slaying tied to basement torture room

Oakland Tribune ^ | 10/5/6 | Harry Harris

[SmithL]

Police: Oaklander arrested in chase after blood of fatally beaten woman found in home

-- OAKLAND — By all appearances, it was an ordinary looking house.

But police said Wednesday that its resident, roofer Earl Stefanson, 41, turned the basement into a torture chamber reminiscent of the movie thriller "Silence of the Lambs," where he killed at least one woman and beat others.

In announcing Stefanson's arrest, homicide Sgt. Tony Jones said when he combed the dark and dank basement of the house on the 3400 block of Coolidge Avenue with four other officers, "it was frightening even to us."

Stefanson, who is suspected of beating Leslie Lamb to death Aug. 26 and then dropping off her body at a hospital, was arrested Tuesday night after a high-speed car chase from Hayward to Castro Valley.

"It is hard to believe what (Lamb) went through," Jones said. "They were despicable and sadistic acts that left her bruised from head to toe."

Stefanson declined to talk to police after being treated at Eden Medical Center for injuries suffered in the chase. He was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Jones and Lt. Ersie Joyner III said they believe there are other victims. Besides Lamb's blood, forensics personnelfound blood traces from at least two other women in other parts of the house.

Jones said Stefanson and Lamb, 36, the mother of a 9-year-old boy, had been dating for several months and Lamb frequently visited his home.

But it apparently was an abusive relationship, because friends of Lamb who came forward after her death said she was frequently beaten by him, Jones said.

Police believe she was beaten with a board the day she died.

Stefanson drove her to Highland Hospital about 12:30 p.m., but she was already dead, authorities said.

Though he did not talk to police then, he did tell hospital workers he had found her unconscious inside a truck near his home. But Jones said police determined the woman had never been in the truck.

Police obtained a search warrant for the house, which is where they made their grisly discoveries in the basement.

Jones said the basement reminded him of the movie "Silence of the Lambs," a crime thriller about a serial killer who tortured and killed women in his basement.

Jones said Stefanson "had made attempts to clean up and hide the fact she had been there." But forensics personnel found the blood and other physical evidence that confirmed that Lamb had been beaten in the house.

Neighbors on Coolidge Avenue were shocked to hear of the arrest, but said Wednesday they never saw or heard anything from the gray house. While Stefanson apparently had lived in the house at least five years, neighbors said they did not know him very well. They said Stefanson kept to himself and never spoke or waved in greeting.

One neighbor said Stefanson often woke him up when he came and went in his loud truck in the middle of the night.

Police began looking for Stefanson and learned Tuesday night he was at a relative's house on D Street in Hayward. Oakland Gang Unit officers Gino Guerrero and Doug Keely staked out the house and saw Stefanson leave in a car about 10 p.m.

Hayward police began chasing Stefanson. The pursuit went onto Castro Valley Boulevard in Castro Valley, where his car was rammed to a stop by Hayward officers.

Jones said police need any woman who may have been assaulted before by Stefanson, or anyone who knows of any victims, to contact them at 238-3821.

[stm]

I can already see this play unfolding. He will be tried, convicted and sentenced to death. After which he will spend the rest of his life on death row because Kalifornia hardly ever executes death row prisoners any more.

SSDD

[conservativehusker]

We have a case in Omaha. Yes little o'l Omaha..where a *&^$ killed a girl in his basement room and is being tried without a body...how can that be??? They found enough blood evidence that no one can live without that amount...Imagine his attorney trying to get the case dismissed because the prosecutor won't provide his client a copy of the autopsy report!!

[lesser_satan]

Imagine his attorney trying to get the case dismissed because the prosecutor won't provide his client a copy of the autopsy report!!

His sick-ass "client" would probably masturbate while reading it.

The fact that the woman's name is Lamb makes the whole thing a bit freakier.

It rubs the lotion on it's skin or else it gets the hose again!