Morris Solomon Jr.

Solomon was born on March 15, 1944. Relatives and friends described Solomon's upbringing in rural Georgia as abusive. He was raised primarily by his grandmother, Bertha, who beat him and his brother daily for infractions such as bed wetting, mispronouncing words, or crying during a beating. Sometimes, she hit them for no apparent reason. == The victims ==

• Yolanda Johnson (22) – found June 18, 1986. • Angela Polidore (25) – found July 20, 1986. • Maria Apodaca (18) – found March 19, 1987. • Cherie Washington (26) – found April 20, 1987. • Linda Vitela (24) – found April 22, 1987. She had been dead for about a year. • Sheila Jacox (17) – also found April 22, 1987, and had likewise been dead for about a year. • Sharon Massey (29) – found April 29, 1987, and had been dead for around 6 months. ==Investigation==

The investigation began with a report to police of the discovery of Yolanda Johnson's body. The report was made by Solomon. Johnson, a drug user and a prostitute, had been bound and was found partially nude. Apodaca, also a drug user and a prostitute, was bound and buried wrapped up in bedding. Polidore was bound and partially nude. Washington, a prostitute and possibly a drug user, may have been bound and wrapped up in bedding. Vitela, a drug user and prostitute, was nude and wrapped in bedding. This was also true of Jacox. Massey, possibly a drug user and prostitute, was bound, nude, and wrapped in bedding. These common factors were interpreted by police to mean they were dealing with only one killer. Solomon possibly took the initiative to report Johnson's body in order to appear innocent. Police questioned him after this discovery and he gave fingerprints and a blood sample, but he gave several inconsistent statements and he failed to properly identify himself. He was questioned a second time after Apodaca's body was discovered and gave false statements to police but later explained that he was concerned about outstanding misdemeanor warrants. On April 20, 1987, he gave police permission to search his (abandoned) car on a lot where he lived. When they were at the premises, police noted a depression in the soil, borrowed a shovel, excavated and discovered Washington's body. On April 22, 1987, police discovered Vitela's and Jacox's bodies buried at a residence associated with Solomon. He was arrested. Police found Massey's body on the same lot where Apodaca's had been found. In the course of their investigation police had discovered that Solomon had said to a third party that he would kill Johnson over the theft of some stereo equipment and that Apodaca had visited him at his residence several times. It was also indicated that the sheet in which Apodaca's body was wrapped came from his bed, and that Washington had been seen following him into his bedroom. ==Trial and sentencing==

The prosecution case was largely circumstantial, because there was no evidence directly connecting Solomon with the crimes. Witness testimony connected him as an acquaintance of some of the victims. Tellingly, in all but one case the victims were found at locations where Solomon had either lived or had worked as a handyman. Although police had a blood sample, DNA testing was in its infancy and no connection was made by means of that technology. However, a semen sample had been collected from Johnson's body and it was determined to be consistent with Solomon's blood. ==Media==

A documentary of Solomon's serial crimes appeared on the criminal documentary, Crime Stories on Discovery Channel and Biography Channel, featuring Antonio Harvey, a journalist/author, retired Sacramento police detective John Cabrera and former Sacramento Bee photographer Tom Parker. In 2018 another documentary series "35 Serial Killers the World Wants To Forget" has also covered this case in their fourth episode featuring Antonio Harvey and John Cabrera. Harvey, a northern California political/sports reporter and journalism graduate from Sacramento State University, completed a detailed true crime novel on Solomon's case. Harvey's book is titled, The Homicidal Handyman of Oak Park. As of 2016, Harvey announced that he was working on a screenplay based on Solomon's case and hopes to release an updated version of the book since acquiring additional information. == See also ==