Guardians in the Gloom Reflecting on Charlotte's Darkest Days

When the shadows of a serial killer darkened the streets of Charlotte, the heartbeat of our community skipped in terror. Join me, Harriet West-Moore, as I revisit the mid-90s, a time when the very air we breathed was thick with fear and suspicion. As a records clerk in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, I bore witness to the unfolding nightmare that ensnared our city—a tale I share with you in stark, harrowing detail. Experience the story of Henry Louis Wallace through the eyes of someone who lived in its dreadful grip, and feel the chilling connection when one of his victims revealed a personal link that I could never have anticipated.

In the spirit of honoring our unsung heroes, this episode also casts a spotlight on the silent warriors of public safety. Hear the powerful, untold accounts of those who serve, often overlooked yet steadfast in their commitment to protect and aid. As these anonymous narrators step forward, their voices resonate with the nuances of courage and sacrifice that define their daily lives. Your story, too, can join this tapestry of service; by sharing your trials and victories, you help us all to recognize and value the guardians who walk among us, holding the thin line that safeguards our sleep.

Email: publicsafetybywomen@gmail.com
Website: https://womeninpublicsafety.com
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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:10

Welcome to Women in Public Safety, where real-life events meets raw truth. I'm Harriet, your host, and I'm also a state parole officer dedicated to unraveling human complexities through true-life cases that we will call Case Chronicles. So join me weekly as we explore gripping narratives from the front lines of law enforcement and social services. From triumph to despair, we will uncover resilience, vulnerability and, of course, justice. Don't forget to subscribe and follow us on social media for the latest episodes and join the movement for change. Hello everybody, this is Harriet Westmore with the Women in Public Safety podcast. This is the podcast where we discuss topics relating to challenges and triumphs for women who work in the public safety and human services field. I'm your host today, harriet Westmore. I want to say welcome and, if you have not already, I would like for you to hit that share and subscribe to the YouTube channel so that we can get the algorithm up and get more content out there to you.

Speaker 1: 1:18

So today I wanted to do a case chronicle. It's not going to be very long and it's not going to be very in detail. It's just a generalization of the things I can remember and wanted to kind of share with you. Before we do that, I want to remind everybody, this is a no drama free platform. Welcome all types of comments, but please be respectful in your comments and in your feedback. I really appreciate it. We are all adults and we can have an open conversation and we can look at things at different perspective, but I just ask that everybody would be respectful of the podcast and the platform. So let's talk about first of three case chronicles for the month of April. So let's talk about verse of three case chronicles for the month of April. I was thinking about what am I going to talk about? I don't have a specific case that I'm working on now or or have worked on. That was really interesting to talk about.

Speaker 1: 2:17

So I was thinking about the time when I was a records clerk and I worked for the Charlotte Mecklenburg police. I used to live in Charlotte back in the late 80s and into the mid 90s, so it was during that time. I would say it was about, let's see, maybe between 94 and 95, before I relocated to Ohio, where I'm originally from and where my family is. It was during I remember distinctly it was during the Final Four. That was one of the times when the Final Four came to Charlotte and it was also the time when the city of Charlotte was under siege. And why I said that? Because they were experiencing at the time, didn't understand and didn't know at the time, but found, you know, or will be found in various areas of the city, and the profile would be young Black women that were showing up were found either missing and, if they were found, they were already found deceased. And so at first one or two there wasn't a connection there.

Speaker 1: 3:49

But as the investigation started going on and the police investigators were doing more investigation of these homicides, they came to grips that it was actually a serial killer. Was actually a serial killer. And how does that affect me? Well, like I said, I was working at the department at the time and I just remember the atmosphere of, you know, going into work, into the department and even the city itself. The city was like. It was like this tense, thickness of tensity and of fear among the city of Charlotte. And I was a single mom. I, uh, my daughter was young at the time and she was going into daycare and so I would, you know, I worked the 3 to 11 shift. That was my permanent second shift. So it was kind of like, it was kind of frightening because you didn't know it could have been this person. This jump out, you know, out of random and just pick you as a female. You're kind of, you know, you're afraid.

Speaker 1: 4:56

The investigation went on. They finally had a suspect and the suspect he was an actual. There was a connection to these women, to the suspect, because he was a manager. If you are listening on here, you remember who I'm talking about, which I will talk about in a minute. We say who it was in a minute. Correct me if I'm wrong. We say who it was in a minute. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he was a manager at Bojangles Fast Food Restaurant, chicken and restaurant. I miss Bojangles, by the way, because I just love their sweet tea, but anyway. But we have something equivalent which is Popeye's chicken, but I kind of like Bojangles. I don't know, but anyway, I digress and I think the connection was he knew these. They were either his coworkers or female friends that he knew or he would befriend and came out to be his. I mean, he was not the first, but one of the. It was unusual because he was a black male and his name was Henry Lewis Wallace and this guy was I.

Speaker 1: 6:09

It was just, I just recall the atmosphere of this whole city, of the city, and it was during the I think it was. I may have it mixed up, I'm not sure if it was during the final four. I know the final four was there there. I don't know if it was in 93, 94 or 94, 95, but I just remember the intensity of how the city was and I remember that, you know, coming to work and getting out of work because it's dark, and you know, I'm just, you know, thinking oh my god, what if this person don't just grab me or whatever, and I'm trying to get home.

Speaker 1: 6:50

But also, what really was, uh, baffling to me was one of his victims was a young lady that went to the church that I attend, and so that was very sad. I don't know, I can't recall the connection, I don't know if they were coworkers or he was just a friend, he befriended her, or they knew each other or whatever, but he was strangling and kill him, and one of the things I can say that it was a quick turnaround by the time they found out who it was and he was charged and prosecuted. It was sentenced, you know, I think if it wasn't, life without possibility of parole. I think he was sentenced to death. I think North Carolina is a capital state. I can recall if anybody can you know, confirm or or correct me if I'm wrong but that I I thought that was the quickest turn around and do justice for this person.

Speaker 1: 7:53

But I just remember that it was just a eerie. You just felt no, the whole city and it's like this, like the city under siege, and the weather. I remember because, as a matter of fact, it's been around about this time of year, into the spring, into the summer, and I just remember it was just very warm, it was very hot for springtime down there in North Carolina, that's for the things that I was just thinking about. I was like, wow, but the parallel he was kind of sort of like another killer that we had in the Cleveland area, which was Anthony Sowell. Only difference were the victims. They weren't, I mean what we call off the streets or anything like that. I believe these were with him and Wallace, wallace and him connected to the victims that he chose were people that he actually knew and were friends with or worked with. Sowell was just, you know, he was just a monster in terms of you know, he would think that the women choice of women that he picked nobody would really care about it. I mean not thinking that these women did have families, whether they were on the streets or you know, or addicts or whatever. They still have families that were looking for them, but as did the you know women and victims of Wallace. So that's my case chronicles.

Speaker 1: 9:24

If anybody knows any more about this case or lived in Charlotte at that time, I really would like to hear your feedback, especially if you were in Charlotte or you know and remember that time, that era, and how did you feel about it and what was your feedback? As far as with the police, how did the police handle it? I know there were a lot of. You know there's always going to be a lot of criticism about the and how it was handled and all of that. But you know, I just want to hear your feedback and you know your perspective of during that time, because I remember it very well. It was just, it was a scary time and it was, you know, once they had him in custody and going, you know, off the streets. I think it was like a whole collective side of the city had the whole collective side of relief and you know, people were starting to feel a little more comfortable, especially women, of going back out and being out, because during the time before they caught him it was very tense and very, you know, scary, to be honest. So, all right.

Speaker 1: 10:25

So, like I said, this was a short podcast this week for Case Chronicles. I hope everybody stays safe and please I know tomorrow is the big solar day of looking at the total eclipse Please be safe. I can't stress it enough A lot of people, especially if we're having an influx of people that are coming from all over here in our state to try, you know, to witness this event. So it's been advised that you know, know, do not go out unless you absolutely have to so and get your safety glasses. Do not look at the sun, try to look at the sun or the x without any type of eye protection, because you know that would be detrimental to your eyesight. So please hit again, hit that like, share and subscribe to the YouTube channel. Also, if you have a story, a case chronicle, I am pleading, I am asking, I ask every week do not be shy If you have a story or an experience that you would like to share with the audience in social service work, in your work in healthcare, community service corrections.

Speaker 1: 11:37

I know there's I mean we got there's plenty of stories. I know you guys have stories out here on your jobs of stuff that you just cannot make up. This stuff I mean you think it's on, you think this is TV, but it's not, it's reality. Please hit me up by email at publicsafetybywomen at gmailcom. Just tell me that you're interested. I will send you a link for us to meet and talk about what you you know about your story, and if you would like to be a guest and tell your own story, or if you would like me to talk to you about your story and it was, you know I would keep everything.

Speaker 1: 12:17

We ask that everything is kind of on a general term. We don't want a particular or you know co-workers names or anything like that, but just, you know, keep it in a general term. But we want to get the story out there and get the case chronicle up there so that people would be interested in and understanding exactly what we do as servants, what we have to go through, you know, on a daily. So don't be scared, don't be shy please. I'm sure there are plenty, plenty stories out there that or or experiences that you have that people would be interested in hearing about. So, again, email me at publicsafetybywomen at gmailcom and we will get together and we'll talk about what you have to share, all right. With that being said, thank you once again, and I will talk to you soon. Bye.