Case overview
Between 1980 and 1981, seven women were found murdered along Interstate 5 between California and Washington, their bodies dumped near the highway in what became one of the first multi-state serial investigations coordinated across jurisdictions. Randall Woodfield, a former Green Bay Packers draft pick, was arrested in March 1981 and convicted for one murder, though investigators linked him to a broader pattern of assaults and killings that matched the I-5 Strangler profile. The case established early frameworks for tracking serial offenders across state lines, but several deaths remain officially unsolved.
The pattern emerges
The first body was discovered in January 1980. Cherie Ayers, 23, was found near Redding, California, sexually assaulted and strangled. She had been working at a local restaurant and was last seen leaving after her shift. Her death appeared isolated until similarities emerged in other cases along the same corridor.
By June 1980, three more victims had been identified. Julie Reitz, 18, was found near Beaverton, Oregon. Darci Fix, also 18, was discovered in a wooded area outside Salem. Beth Wilmot survived an attack in the same region and provided the first detailed description of the suspect. She described a man in his late twenties with brown hair who entered the clothing store where she worked, bound her and a coworker, then shot them both. Her coworker, Shari Hull, died. Wilmot’s survival became the turning point.
Investigators across California, Oregon, and Washington began comparing case files. The victims shared demographic traits: young women, many working in retail or service jobs, often alone or in vulnerable positions. The attacks occurred near highway exits or rest stops. Cause of death varied between strangulation, gunshot wounds, and blunt force trauma, but sexual assault was consistent. The suspect appeared mobile, disciplined, and targeting victims along a predictable route.
Building the profile
Law enforcement formed a multi-agency task force in late 1980. The Federal Bureau of Investigation contributed behavioral analysis support, one of the early applications of criminal profiling in active serial investigations. Analysts described the suspect as a white male in his twenties or thirties, likely employed in a job requiring travel, with a history of sexual offenses or assaults. The profile suggested someone familiar with the region and capable of moving between jurisdictions without detection.
Survivors and witnesses provided physical descriptions. Beth Wilmot’s account was the most detailed. She recalled the suspect wore a false beard during the attack, spoke calmly, and appeared practiced in controlling victims. Other witnesses from unrelated robberies and assaults along the I-5 corridor described a similar individual. In several cases, the suspect used a gun. In others, he relied on physical force and ligatures.
Investigators noted the geographic clustering. Most attacks occurred within a narrow band along Interstate 5, stretching from Northern California through Oregon into Washington. The suspect appeared to strike opportunistically, entering businesses or approaching women in parking lots. There was no indication of extended surveillance or stalking. The attacks were quick, violent, and followed by rapid departure.
The arrest
In March 1981, police in Springfield, Oregon, arrested Randall Woodfield during a traffic stop. Woodfield had been under surveillance following tips that linked him to the shooting at the TransAmerica Building in Salem, where Beth Wilmot was attacked. A witness had noted his vehicle near the scene. When police searched his car, they found a fake beard, adhesive tape, and a handgun.
Woodfield was 30 years old with a documented criminal history. He had been drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1974 but was released before the season began. Court records showed multiple arrests for indecent exposure in the years that followed. He had served time in Oregon and was on parole at the time of his arrest. His employment history included sales jobs that required travel throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Beth Wilmot identified Woodfield in a lineup. Ballistics testing matched the gun found in his car to the weapon used in the TransAmerica attack. Investigators began building connections between Woodfield’s known travel routes and the locations of unsolved murders along I-5.
The trial and conviction
Woodfield was charged with the murder of Shari Hull and the attempted murder of Beth Wilmot. His trial began in June 1981 in Marion County, Oregon. Prosecutors presented testimony from Wilmot, ballistics evidence, and records placing Woodfield in the area at the time of the attack. The defense argued misidentification and challenged the reliability of the physical evidence.
The jury convicted Woodfield on all counts. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 90 years. Prosecutors in California and Washington reviewed their unsolved cases to determine whether additional charges could be filed. Several investigations produced circumstantial links, but prosecutors concluded that evidence in those cases did not meet the threshold for conviction.
The unsolved cases
Woodfield was never charged in the deaths of Cherie Ayers, Julie Reitz, Darci Fix, or several other women found along the I-5 corridor during the same period. Investigators believed the cases were connected based on victimology, method, and geography, but forensic evidence was insufficient to secure convictions. DNA analysis was not widely available in 1981, and much of the physical evidence collected at crime scenes was either degraded or inconclusive.
Some jurisdictions have revisited the cases in recent years using updated forensic methods. In 2012, Oregon State Police announced they were reexamining evidence from several 1980s homicides, including cases potentially linked to Woodfield. No new charges have been filed.
Woodfield has consistently denied involvement in murders other than the one for which he was convicted. He has given interviews over the years but has not provided information that resolved outstanding cases. Investigators who worked the original task force have stated publicly that they believe Woodfield was responsible for more deaths than he was charged with, but the legal standard required for prosecution was never met.
Impact on serial investigation methods
The I-5 Strangler case influenced the development of multi-jurisdictional coordination in serial crime investigations. It was one of the first instances where state and federal agencies shared case files in real time, compared victim profiles, and used behavioral analysis to guide investigative strategy. The task force model established during the investigation became a template for later cases involving mobile offenders.
The case also highlighted gaps in forensic technology and evidence preservation. Several victims were found in remote locations where environmental conditions degraded physical evidence. The lack of centralized databases for tracking similar crimes across state lines delayed recognition of the pattern. Those limitations informed later policy changes, including the creation of the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program, which standardized reporting and analysis of violent crimes nationwide.
Where to look next
- Documentary: “Randall Woodfield: The I-5 Killer” (Born to Kill?)
- Book: “The I-5 Killer” by Ann Rule
- Podcast: “The I-5 Killer” (Casefile True Crime)
