Police Say Woman’s Killer May Be Linked to Rapes

Homicide investigators asked for the public’s help on Thursday in tracking down a man suspected of killing a 78-year-old Ladera Heights woman who detectives said may have been the victim of a serial rapist who preys on older women.

Pearl Boucher’s body was found in her ransacked home at 6742 Bedford Ave. by her husband when he returned home from work Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Wahla.

An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of her death and whether she had been raped, he said.

Los Angeles Police Department homicide detectives are also seeking to determine if this case could be related to a serial rapist who has targeted older women in Hollywood and West Los Angeles, the deputy said.

The description of the suspect in the killing matched that of the man wanted in at least nine residential rapes and robberies between April 20 and Sept. 26, Wahla said. Investigators would not disclose who had provided the suspect’s description.

The suspect sought in Boucher’s death--like the serial rapist--was described as a black man in his early 30s with a medium complexion, between 5 feet 10 and 6 feet tall, weighing 170 pounds. His hair was neat and treated with a curl permanent, he was clean shaven and he wore a light T-shirt and blue jeans.

Sheriff’s department and police homicide investigators are comparing physical evidence and other information gathered at the crime scene, deputies said.

The attacker in the Hollywood and West Los Angeles incidents gained entry to his victims’ homes often by asking for work or saying he was searching for someone.

The man, often described as “clean cut,” forced his way into homes and raped and robbed the women.

Los Angeles Police Cmdr. William Booth said while nine rapes by one man is “not an everyday occurrence,” rapists often attack more than once.

A Los Angeles Police Department report released this week showed a 4% increase in the number of rapes reported in the first nine months of this year over last year, from 1,476 to 1,533.