In March 1985, Bruce Allen Smith became subject of the BPD’s investigation and they obtained blood and hair samples from him for testing. Erroneously, however a technician ruled out that Bruce Allen smith appeared to be a “secretor” and that he therefore could not be involved in the Wilson homicide. In 1989, 4 years later, Thomas Winslow, who was in jail for an unrelated incident, was approached about the murder of Wilson. Officers said if he helped solve the 1985 murder (learn about why he would know this) then he would be released early. However, he later learned that the officers had already spoken with an informant who had directed them towards Winslow and 5 others in the crime.
Burdette Searcey, a former investigator for the BPD became involved involved with case after learning about it from Wilson’s daughter. Interviewing people who frequented the area near the crime scene, Searcey was able to identify a number of
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A blood test showed that Kathy Gonzalez had type B-blood. Gonzalez claimed that she was in her apartment on the night of the murder “doing laundry and watching a movie”. When asked about White, Taylor, and Winslow, Gonzalez stated that she did not even know who Winslow was. The officer claimed that her mind was blocking it out because she was having repressed memories. In an interview with Cliff Shelden in the fall of 1898, Shelden states that he had never heard of Kathy Gonzalez and he had never heard about any plan to rob Helen Wilson. A few months later, however, Cliff told Defendants that Gonzalez “was supposed to be a lookout and give [the others a signal].” White was convicted by the jury and was sentenced to life in prison. Winslow pleaded no contest in exchange for 50 years, Taylor was sentenced to 10-40 years while Gonzalez, Dean and Shelden were sentenced to 10 years in