1974 Cold Case Breakthrough: Serial Killer Connection Unearthed in SoCal Desert

A tragic incident happened early on October 1, 1974, on the desolate section of Interstate 40, 62 miles west of Needles in San Bernardino County. Daniel Ashton Walker, 21, rested on the roadside. He had no clue this routine would kill him.

Infamous Serial Killer Tied To 1974 Cold Case Killing In SoCal Desert (Photo: Google)

Reviving a 50-Year Cold Case

An unknown assailant shot Walker in the morning. His friend survived the terrible encounter and sought help from a driver. When first responders brought Walker to a nearby hospital, he died days before his 22nd birthday.

The killer of Walker eluded San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies for 50 years. By November 15, 2023, the Cold Case Team had resumed efforts. The suspect was Idaho’s longest-serving death row inmate and serial murderer, Thomas Eugene Creech.

Creech’s cold case role is unclear. Officials haven’t revealed Walker’s murder motive or investigative breakthrough. However, Creech, 73, revealed new information. Creech confessed to the murder to Idaho’s Ada County District Attorney and Cold Case Detectives.

TE Creech has a tainted background. During his 1975 Idaho double murder trial, he suddenly confessed to 42 countrywide crimes, but investigators disputed many of his claims. Despite confessions, Creech denied killing Bradford and Arnold in November 1974.

READ ALSO: Chicago Police Officer And His Sister Avoided Jail Time After U.S. Capitol Breach Convictions

Creech’s Unsettling Criminal Past

Creech was convicted of five murders, including those of William Joseph Dean, Vivian Grant Robinson, and David Dale Jensen. The Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole‘s recent clemency hearing placed Creech in danger of death at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution.

Questions arose when Creech was accused days after the clemency hearing. Deborah A. Czuba, Creech’s public defender, disputes the current accusations, stating that Creech’s details are making him a suspect in a crime unrelated to him.

Accusing Creech of remorseless murder, Ada County prosecutors say he apologized to escape execution. Deputy Prosecutor Jill Longhurst describes Creech as a “charming, likable sociopath” who is cold-blooded.

San Bernardino County and Ada County are working together to settle Daniel Ashton Walker’s long-unresolved case and hold Thomas Eugene Creech responsible for another horrible crime from his past.

READ ALSO: Manhunt Initiated As 8 Fatalities Uncovered In Joliet: Authorities On Alert