E265: Tidings of Violence

The holidays are supposed to bring comfort. In Oakland, they brought terror. This week, Wendy & Beth revisit a dark chapter from November 1984 to January 1985, when a man’s escalating violent spree rocked Oakland during the 1984-85 holiday season, leaving three women dead and an entire community on edge.

This episode was researched & scripted by Wendy & Beth Williams and edited by Minnie Williams.

Thanks for listening! This is a weekly podcast and new episodes drop on Thursdays, so until next time… look alive guys, it’s crazy out there!

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Footnotes

Articles/Websites

City of Oakland. (n.d.). Oakland’s History of Resistance to Racism. Retrieved 12/07/25 from https://www.oaklandca.gov/Community/Race-Equity-in-Oakland/Social-Equity-and-the-City-of-Oakland/Oaklands-History-of-Resistance-to-Racism

Caselaw. (04/20/1992). PEOPLE v. WIMBERLY (1992). Retrieved 12/07/25 from https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ca-court-of-appeal/1760329.html

Oakland Chinatown. (n.d.). Oakland Chinatown History. Retrieved 12/08/25 from https://www.oaklandchinatownchamber.org/our-mission-history

Wikipedia. (03/07/2025). Anthony Wimberly. Retrieved 12/09/25 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Wimberly

Beitiks, Edvins. (02/07/1985). A “quiet” car thief turns violent as a parolee. The San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved 12/09/25 from https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/460834573/

The San Francisco Examiner. (01/25/1985). Frustrated Bandit Executes Woman in Beauty Parlor. Retrieved 12/10/2025 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/460928936/

Serial Dispatches. (n.d.). WIMBERLY, Anthony Rene. Retrieved 12/10/2025 from https://serialdispatches.com/anthony-rene-wimberly/

They Will Kill You. (n.d.). Anthony Rene Wimberly. Retrieved 12/10/2025 from https://theywillkillyou.com/profile/anthony-rene-wimberly

Oakland Tribune. (05/03/1989). Rape Victim Faked Death to Survive Attack. Retrieved 12/10/2025 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/779398623/

Oakland Tribune. (02/08/1985). Suspect. Retrieved 12/10/2025 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/758599915/

Oakland Tribune. (02/06/1985). Suspect. Retrieved 12/11/2025 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/758599152/

Oakland Tribune. (07/25/1989). Killer May Get Death Penalty. Retrieved 12/11/2025 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/779416442/

Oakland Tribune. (01/28/1994). Three Time Killer Gets Life Term. Retrieved 12/11/2025 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/822148995/

Oakland Tribune. (04/02/1994). Three-Time Murderer Receives Life Sentence. Retrieved 12/11/2025 from https://www.newspapers.com/image/822414170/

Wikipedia. (12/08/2025). African Americans in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area). Retrieved 12/11/2025 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Americans_in_the_East_Bay_%28San_Francisco_Bay_Area%29#

Music

“Abyss” by Alasen: ●https://soundcloud.com/alasen●https://twitter.com/icemantrap ●https://instagram.com/icemanbass/●https://soundcloud.com/therealfrozenguy●
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

“Christmas Hip-Hop” by Blake http://ccmixter.org/files/blakeht/29357 Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

“Crystalline” by Yung Kartz https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Yung_Kartz Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

“Jingle Bells Dark Remix” by Chris Hayes Music. Available at: https://youtu.be/-B1n1B9jX0g Beat by https://chrishayesmusic.co.uk
“Furious Freak” by Kevin MacLeod
https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/full_list.php
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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