Serial Killer Henry Louis Wallace

Serial killer Henry Louis Wallace killing spree began in 1990 with the murder of Tashonda Bethea in his hometown of Barnwell, South Carolina. He went on to rape and murder nine women in Charlotte, North Carolina between 1992 and 1994. He was arrested on March 13, 1994. After a subsequent trial and conviction, Wallace (a.k.a. "The Taco Bell Strangler") was given death penalty on nine counts and is awaiting the sentence to be carried out.

Early Life

Henry Louis Wallace was born on November 4, 1965, in Barnwell, South Carolina, to Lottie Mae Wallace, a single mother. The home Wallace shared with his older sister (by three years), his mother, and his great-grandmother had no plumbing or electricity. Wallace's mother was a strict disciplinarian who had little patience for her young son. She did not get along with her mother, either, and the two argued constantly.

Despite the fact that Lottie worked long hours at a full-time job in a textile mill, the family had very little money. As Wallace outgrew out his clothing, he was given his sister's hand-me-downs to wear. When Lottie felt the children needed to be disciplined, and she was too tired to do it herself, she'd often make Wallace and his sister get a switch from the yard and whip each other.

High School and College

Read More

Profile of Serial Killer Rodney Alcala

By Charles Montaldo

Despite his volatile home life, Wallace was popular at Barnwell High School. He was on the student council and. His mother would not allow him to play football, so he became a cheerleader instead. Wallace enjoyed high school and the positive feedback he received from other students, but academically his performance was less than stellar.

After graduating in 1983, he attended one semester at South Carolina State College and one semester at a technical college. At the time, Wallace worked part-time as a disc jockey, which he preferred to college. Unfortunately, his radio career was short-lived. He was fired after he was caught stealing CDs.

Navy, Marriage And a Downward Spiral

With nothing holding him in Barnwell, Wallace joined U.S. Naval Reserve. From all reports, he did what he was told to do and he did it well. In 1985, he married high school classmate, Maretta Brabham. In addition to becoming a husband, he also took on the role of stepfather to Brabham's daughter. 

Not long after he was married, Wallace began using drugs—and his drug of choice was crack cocaine. To pay for the narcotics, he began burglarizing homes and businesses. While stationed in Washington, he was served with burglary warrants for crimes in the Seattle metro area. In January 1988, he was arrested for breaking into a hardware store, and later plead guilty to a charge of second-degree burglary. The judge sentenced him to two years of supervised probation but according to his probation officer, Wallace blew off most of the mandatory meetings.

In February 1991, Wallace broke into his old high school and the radio station where he once worked. He stole video and recording equipment and was caught trying to pawn them. In 1992, he was arrested for breaking and entering. Due to his near-perfect service record, Wallace managed to get an Honorable Discharge from the Navy when his criminal activity came to light, but he was sent on his way. Shortly thereafter, his wife him. In November of that year, he relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina where he found work at several fast-food restaurants.

Arrest, Trial, and Aftermath

Wallace was arrested on March 13, 1994. For 12 hours, he confessed to the murders of 10 women in Charlotte. He described in detail the women's appearances; how he'd raped, robbed, and killed them; and spoke about his crack addiction.

Over the next two years, Wallace's trial was delayed due to the choice of venue, DNA evidence from murdered victims, and jury selection. Proceedings began in September 1996. On January 7, 1997, Wallace was found guilty of nine murders. On January 29, he was sentenced to nine death sentences. On June 5, 1998, Wallace married a former prison nurse, Rebecca Torrijas, in a ceremony that was held next to the execution chamber where he has been sentenced to die.

Since his conviction, Wallace has made several appeals in an attempt to overturn his death sentences. He stated that his confessions had been coerced and his Constitutional rights had been violated. In 2000, North Carolina’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentences. His appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied in 2001, and in 2005, Superior Court Judge Charles Lamm rejected a further appeal to overturn Wallace’s convictions and nine death sentences.