BAD HENRY: The Murderous Rampage of ‘The Taco Bell Strangler’
Henry Louis Wallace terrorized Charlotte, North Carolina, from May 1992 to March 1994.
Book Description:
Henry Louis Wallace terrorized Charlotte, North Carolina, from May 1992 to March 1994.
Wallace preyed on lower economic-class Black women between 17 and 35 years old. He knew most of his victims, some through his job at Taco Bell, and gained their trust with his friendly demeanor and gentle nature—concealing a monster fueled by drug abuse and rage against women.
A rarity in that he was an African American serial killer, his murderous rampage spurred controversy throughout the city. Community members accused local police of ignoring the murders because of the victims’ race. Wallace attended the funerals of many of his victims and offered condolences to families. The ensuing investigation became the largest in North Carolina’s history.
Wallace was eventually found guilty and convicted of nine counts of murder, but he admitted to more killings while incarcerated; he is potentially responsible for anywhere from 20 to 90 deaths of Black women. Wallace continues to appeal and awaits his execution at Central Prison in Raleigh.
BAD HENRY: The Murderous Rampage of ‘The Taco Bell Strangler’ by Ron Chepesiuk offers valuable insight into the psychology of serial killers and sheds light on issues surrounding race and policing.
Reviews for the Book
Ron Chepesiuk is one of the nation's great true crime writers. He brings the ghastly to life with deep research and brilliant storytelling. Bad Henry: The Murderous Rampage of 'The Taco Bell Strangler’ uncovers new information and exposes deep-rooted challenges in the American criminal justice system that are still being confronted today. Chepesiuk's ability to bring the story to life is utterly chilling. Readers are going to love this book! - Bob Batchelor
About the Author: Ron Chepesiuk
Ron was a university professor before getting the writing bug. Now he is an award-winning author, two-time Fulbright Scholar recipient to Indonesia and Bangladesh, an adjunct instructor in UCLA’s Extension Journalism program and a consultant to the History Channel’s “Gangland” documentary series. Ron is the author of twenty-four books and more than 4,000 magazine, newspaper and Internet articles on a wide range of topics, from science to entertainment. His celebrity interviews include Yasser Arafat, Jimmy Carter, Abbie Hoffman, Noam Chomsky, Evander Holyfield, Andy McDowall, and many others. He has been interviewed by the History Channel, Biography Channel, Investigative Discovery, Black Entertainment Television and NBC Dateline and other media.
Among other awards, two of his books, Drugs Lords and Gangsters of Harlem, were selected finalists for Foreword magazine’s 2007 True Crime Book of the Year. Gangsters Harlem won honorable mention. A third book, Black Gangsters of Chicago won a silver medal in the Independent Book Publishers Association’s 2007 True Crime Book of the Year. Black Gangsters of Chicago also won first place in the African American nonfiction category of the U.S. Book News “Best Books 2007” award. Both “Black Gangsters of Chicago and Gangsters of Harlem were finalists for the award in the true crime category and Drug Lords won honorable mention in the general nonfiction category of the 2008 London Book Festival, while Black Gangsters of Chicago won honorable mention in the 2008 New England Book Festival. Black Gangsters of Chicago also won first place in African American nonfiction category of the 2009 National Indie Excellence Award. Gangsters of Harlem won the award in the True Crime category.
A native of Thunder Bay, Canada, Ron resides in South Carolina when not on assignment around the world. He hopes someday to write an award-winning screenplay based on one of his books.
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