document: &#039; Westside Rapist &#039; admits strangling seven women to death , real number may be up to 30 Suspect admits killing seven women Cops think he murdered many more Suspected of being '' `` Westside Rapist '' '' THE man police have accused of being the '' `` Westside Rapist '' '' yesterday admitted to strangling seven women to death in sexually-motivated attacks . All of the killings took place in Southern California more than 25 years ago . Six of the slayings to which John Floyd Thomas Jr , 74 , pleaded guilty to took place in and around the west side of Los Angeles during the 1970s . The seventh killing was of a woman in Claremont , in San Bernardino County , who was found strangled in her home in 1986 . Thomas was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole . Though the former state insurance claims adjuster copped to seven murders , police believe he is responsible for many more , possibly as many as 30 . The first wave of murders ended in around 1978 when Thomas was sent to state prison on a rape charge . He was released in 1983 and moved to Chino , California around the time there were several rapes and killings of women in the area .
extractive_keyphrases: slayings admits strangling state prison death possibly murdered admitted sexuallymotivated responsible found strangled suspected rape charge prison parole possibility southern california murders accused cops sentenced strangling suspect admits killings women moved rapist county former state insurance claims adjuster copped pleaded guilty los angeles 1978 claremont john floyd thomas 1983 1970s san bernardino
abstractive_keyphrases: chino california 039westside rapist039 insurance