Fernando Cota, Convicted Rapist and Alleged Serial Killer

[Richard]

Fernando Cota (1946-1984)

Fernando Cota was drafted into the U.S. Army and fought in the Vietnam War. After returning to the United States, Cota faced multiple sexual assault allegations and was the prime suspect in the murders of six women in San Jose, California.

Cota was convicted of attacking a nurse by binding and raping her in 1975. He was imprisoned and later released on parole in 1983.

Cota was stopped by police while driving erratically one year later, which resulted in Cota dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police found a wooden box in his van with the body of a woman, later identified as 21-year-old Kim Marie Dunham, who had gone missing the day before.

Police obtained a search warrant for the home, where they found a closet Cota allegedly used to torture victims. Detectives collected fingerprints from the closet walls and sent them for examination to identify other potential victims.

Investigators also found fake ID cards, a false police badge, numerous women’s blouses and six pairs of women’s shoes. Over the course of the investigation, officials identified six alleged victims who were strangled, stabbed or beaten to death.

LINKS:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/527039/fernando_velazco-cota

MSN

 

[Richard]

I posted this thread in the Serial Killer topic area, not in this one. I don't know how it ended up in the Texas Killing Fields threads.

Nothing in my original post addresses the Texas Killing Fields, and the name Fernando Cota isn't mentioned in other posts.

Cota was in prison from 1975 to 1983 when he was released on parole. Between 1983 and his suicide in 1984 he murdered six women.