Naman Shrestha
Gloria Choi was a young, devoted mother of one, leading a balanced life in Lakewood, Washington. Her sudden and untimely passing in early 2022 sent shockwaves across the community as she had been killed, not far away from her workplace. The swift investigation uncovered a pattern of violence Gloria endured in the weeks prior to her death, allowing the detectives to apprehend the perpetrator within days of the gruesome crime. All the intricate details of the case and the investigation that ensued are explored in CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Love Bombing of Gloria Choi.’
Gloria Choi Was in a Call With 911 When She Was Killed in Her Car
Born on October 26, 1988, Gloria Goeun Choi was a devoted single mother and a passionate hospitality professional at a hotel in Lakewood, Washington. When she had a chance meeting with William “Billy” Rickman, she was showered with love and attention. They began dating as Gloria looked forward to making more memories with Billy and her young son. Unfortunately, fate intervened, abruptly shattering her dreams in early 2022.
On January 2, 2022, the Lakewood Police Department officers were called to the 6100 block of 112th Street West, where they found the 33-year-old woman in a critical condition inside a 2019 Ford Ranger. She was then rushed to Madigan Army Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead. The autopsy concluded that the cause of her death was multiple gunshot wounds in the back and the arm, about ten to be specific. While inspecting the crime scene, the detectives found a total of 14 bullet marks on the vehicle and 12 bullet casings lying around. According to reports, Gloria was on the phone with 911 while she was being shot at.
Gloria Choi’s Killer Stalked Her For More Than a Month Before Killing Her
During the investigation, several law enforcement officers recognized Gloria Choi because she had reported domestic violence instances against her former boyfriend, William “Billy” Lee Rickman. It turned out that about a month prior to her shooting death, she had broken up with him. According to one of her friends, she had met with Gloria in November 2021, and she told her that she planned to sever ties with Billy. However, Gloria was afraid to do so because he had allegedly threatened to kill her if she broke up with him. As the detectives dug deeper into Gloria’s relationship with Billy, they learned that after the breakup, Billy started stalking and harassing her to the point that she obtained a domestic-violence no-contact order against him.
In the past few weeks, Gloria had reported at least 11 incidents to the police, seeking help from authorities in Pierce, Thurston, and Lewis counties. Four of them were reported in Lakewood between December 30 and December 31, despite Billy being barred by court order from contacting Gloria since December 1, 2021. On December 30, while she was having dinner with a colleague at a Lakewood restaurant, her truck was broken into, and her two backpacks and laptops were stolen. Moreover, her colleague’s passenger-side tires were slashed in the hotel’s parking lot where they worked. Upon referring to the surveillance footage, the authorities spotted Billy in the parking lot. During the 911 call moments before her demise, she told dispatchers that she had been in a vehicle collision with Billy. Gloria also frantically told them that her ex-boyfriend was approaching her with a gun in his hand, before the sound of gunshots echoed on the call.
Gloria Choi’s Killer Was Ultimately Brought to Justice
Three days after Gloria’s murder, an arrest warrant was issued for Billy, who was taken into custody on January 7, 2022, in Humboldt County, California. The accused had a long criminal history in California, with records of him being convicted of four misdemeanors and two felonies between 1993 and 2009. For his arraignment, he was extradited from California to Washington, where he remained in custody without bail. Billy was charged with aggravated first-degree murder in connection with Gloria Choi’s killing. In September 2023, Gloria’s estate filed a formal lawsuit against the Lakewood Police Department, alleging that the police didn’t arrest Billy despite him being a constant threat to Gloria and violating a no-contact order numerous times.
In late November 2023, William “Billy” Lee Rickman’s homicide trial commenced. During the trial, the prosecution told the jury that for more than a month in late 2021, the defendant stalked and harassed Gloria, violating his no-contact court order. After eight days of testimonies, the jury deliberated for about two hours before reaching a verdict. Thus, on December 7, 2023, Billy was convicted of aggravated first-degree murder. About a week later, on December 15, the convict was sentenced to life in prison for the gruesome crime.
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