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Oct 5, 2006 1:51 am US/Pacific
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Oakland Man Suspected Of Running Torture Chamber
Even Veteran Cops Were Frightened
OAKLAND (CBS 5 / BCN) ―
Authorities arrested a man Tuesday night who they believe brutally tortured and killed a woman and may have tortured at least two other women in his east Oakland home, Oakland homicide Detective Tony Jones said during a press conference Wednesday.
On Aug. 26, Earl Stefanson, 41, drove a woman suffering from severe trauma over her entire body to Highland Hospital, Jones said. The woman was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Authorities later identified the woman as Leslie Lamb, 36, of San Leandro, who worked as an administrative assistant for Coldwell Banker in Berkeley.
Stefanson, who was employed as a roofer, told police he found Lamb in a car. Police, however, were quickly able to determine that Lamb had not been inside the car where Stefanson claimed to have found her.
Police then obtained a search warrant for Stefanson's residence at 3458 Coolidge Avenue. They found Lamb's blood and blood belonging to two other women in the basement of the residence, Jones said.
Jones would not elaborate on what the basement looked like, except to say that "it was a 'Silence of the Lambs' type of setting down there." He also said that the room was "very dark and frightening" even for the experienced police officers working the case.
"There was four police officers, and we were all kind of sticking close to each other," Jones said. "It was very frightening, even for us."
It appeared as if Stefanson made an attempt to clean up the blood and conceal evidence of Lamb having been at the residence, Jones said. Investigators were unsure Wednesday who the other two victims are or even whether they are dead or alive.
When police attempted to arrest Stefanson Tuesday night, he led them on a lengthy chase through Oakland and Hayward, Jones said.
Oakland police, with assistance from Hayward police, were eventually able to capture Stefanson and take him into custody.
Jones said that Stefanson was uncooperative during questioning following his arrest. However, from talking to acquaintances of Stefanson and Lamb, police were able to determine that the two had been dating since early this year and that Stefanson had a history of being extremely violent toward Lamb.
Jones attended Lamb's autopsy and said her body had fractured bones from head to toe and strange marks all over.
"I can tell you (Lamb) was tortured. She was tortured in a very sadistic manner," Jones said.
Family members said they were horrified to learn the details of Lamb's death and alleged torture.
In an interview with CBS 5 at the family home in San Leandro, Ann Lamb said police informed her that there was evidence on her daughter's body indicating she was tortured with various objects but that police did not know what those objects were.
According to Jones, Stefanson did not have a significant criminal past but did have a history of abusing women.
"It's important that we locate every woman he has ever attacked in his life," Jones said.
Police are looking at other unsolved murders in Oakland to see if any show signs of torture similar to what Lamb suffered. They are also asking anyone who has been a victim of Stefanson to contact the Oakland Police Department.
Lamb leaves behind a 9-year-old son.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)