Between January 29 and June 20, 1960, Los Angeles was gripped by fear as a serial killer stalked and murdered elderly women in their homes. Dubbed the Bouncing Ball Killer—after a toy ball allegedly spotted at one of the crime scenes—the unidentified man is believed to have raped and strangled at least five women during his spree.
The confirmed victims were:
- Amanda Rockefellow (73)
- Ann Cotter (60)
- Bessie Green (60)
- Grace Moore (83)
- Mercedes Langdon (72)
Each was found either in her home or nearby, sexually assaulted and strangled. The brutality and consistency of the attacks alarmed police and the public, as all the women were older, lived alone, and were killed in a similar manner.
A sixth victim, 74-year-old Elmyra Miller, was initially thought to be connected to the same killer. However, police later concluded she was murdered by Henry Busch, an unrelated suspect.
An additional case, the fatal beating of 84-year-old Lena Bensusen on September 1, 1960, was also considered possibly linked to the Bouncing Ball Killer due to similarities in victim profile and location. Yet no definitive connection was ever established, and no arrests were made in that case.
Despite intense investigations and media attention, the Bouncing Ball Killer was never identified, and the case remains unsolved over six decades later.
