Vanessa Williams, a 45-year-old Black woman, was found dead on August 11, 2000, in Pomona, California. The cause of death was ruled strangulation. Investigators treated the case as a homicide and sought to identify suspects and any links to other killings.

Years later investigators tied the case to a man known as Larry D. Hubbard, who also used the name Larry Barnes and had a history of criminal activity including an escape from a Florida prison after a robbery conviction. Hubbard’s DNA matched evidence from multiple unsolved murder cases, and detectives suspected his involvement in at least four Southern California homicides. Another Riverside County victim found strangled in a vacant field showed similarities to Williams’ death, suggesting a possible pattern.

Hubbard died by suicide in custody in 2008 and never faced trial for these murders, leaving unanswered questions about the full extent of his crimes. Anyone with information about Vanessa Williams or these connected cases is urged to come forward.