Bio

Winford Lavern Stokes Jr. was born on March 21, 1951, in Missouri, USA. As a young adult, Stokes's life took a turn towards criminal activities. He became involved in various offenses that eventually led to significant legal troubles. 

Stokes's background and the events that shaped him before he became known for his criminal activities are not well recorded, leaving many questions about his early experiences unanswered.

Murder Story

Winford Lavern Stokes Jr. was a serial killer who murdered three women between 1969 and 1978 in Missouri. His crimes involved the act of strangulation.

The first recorded murder took place on February 18, 1978, when Stokes was staying with a woman named Darlene at a hotel in St. Louis. That evening, Darlene had a date with a friend named Wilbert. Stokes joined them for dinner at a restaurant called Heritage House and later went with them to a lounge named "Some Place Else." While at the lounge, Stokes was seen dancing with a woman named Pamela R. Brenda. Pamela joined their group for drinks, but it was reported that no one appeared intoxicated.

As the night went on, Darlene and Wilbert decided to leave. Stokes asked Wilbert to accompany him to the restroom, mentioning that Pamela had promised him a ride home. A few days later, on February 21, 1978, the manager of Pamela’s apartment building found her body after using a pass-key to enter the unit. Her body was in a back bedroom, nude, with a pillow or pillowcase over her head and an apron wrapped around her neck. The scene indicated a violent struggle, as the apartment was ransacked. Four fingerprints identified as Stokes's were found at the scene.

An autopsy determined that Pamela had died from manual strangulation more than a day before the autopsy was conducted. Winford Stokes's criminal history included further charges, and he was convicted of capital murder in October 1979, leading to a death sentence.

Stokes was executed by lethal injection in Missouri on May 11, 1990.