Susan Lynn Knoll, a 30-year-old white woman, was found murdered in San Diego in April 1984. Her death occurred during a three-week crime spree that targeted several women across California and included other victims such as Jillette Mills and Bonnie Guthrie.

A man named Dean Phillip Carter was later identified as the suspect in the series of killings; legal proceedings in the connected cases were complex and involved multiple jurisdictions, which delayed trials for years. In January 1990 a jury recommended the death penalty after convicting Carter for the murders of three Los Angeles County women, including Susan Lynn Knoll.

The case links Knoll’s killing to a wider pattern of brutal, calculated attacks that affected families across the state. If anyone knew Susan Lynn Knoll or has information about her movements in April 1984, please share what you remember.