In 1994, black women were becoming victims of violent crimes, including murder, in Charlotte, N.C. There were 11 victims, in total, of Henry Louis Wallace, who eventually earned the nickname “The Taco Bell Strangler.”
Henry Louis Wallace was born in Barnwell, South Carolina, on November 4, 1965. Wallace excelled academically and was a member of the student council at Barnwell High School. His mother wouldn’t allow him to play football, so he became the only male cheerleader at the school. People remarked that he was friendly, funny, and charismatic. He eventually married his high school girlfriend, Maretta Brabham.
Wallace later became a DJ at a radio station, went to several colleges, joined the Navy, got discharged from the Navy, and was in and out of jail for various offenses before committing murder. But something more sinister lurked deep inside of Henry Louis Wallace…
He committed his first murder in Barnwell, S.C., and later dumped her body in a lake. Her name was Tashonda Bethea. He was questioned about her murder, but was never formally charged and eventually moved to Charlotte, N.C., the following year. He got various fast-food jobs and became good friends with many women and their families during this time.
Wallace, like many serial killers, was so friendly and charismatic that no one would ever suspect he would be a murderer, much less a serial killer. He used that to his advantage, sneaking up on his victims since they were unsuspecting.
After the 9 Charlotte murders, the authorities decided to compare people who had access to the victims’ houses and the close inner circle. Henry Louis Wallace’s name graced all the family’s lists, and that’s how he was eventually caught. Unfortunately, he was able to commit yet another murder, bringing his body count to 11, even while the police were hot on his trail. At one point in 1994, he killed three women in 3 days and two women from the same apartment complex in one night. That night, he also strangled a toddler, but his father found him in the nick of time, and he was able to survive after being taken to the hospital. Sadly, his mother was not so lucky.
Luckily, he was caught, and he confessed in depth about all the murders, down to the most minor details, in his police interrogation. In January 1997, he was found guilty of 9 murders and received nine death sentences. He is currently housed and awaiting execution at Central Prison in Raleigh. He has appealed his death sentence, saying that his confession was coerced, but his appeals have been denied.