Offender Record · OFF-2026-017
Warren James Bland (photo from the Radford University biography)
Warren James Bland
Also known as James Thaddeus Sterling, Charles St. Germain
Sex
Male
Race
White
Height
6'0"
Born
1937
Custody
Deceased
States
CA, NV
Distinguishing featuresDagger tattoo on forearm
Custody
Deceased at San Quentin State Prison
Custody record at the facility
Died August 30, 2001 from natural causes on death row
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Warren James Bland was convicted in 1993 of the kidnapping, torture, and murder of a 7-year-old girl in Riverside County, California. He had a decades-long history of violent sexual crimes beginning in 1960, including rape, kidnapping, child molestation, and torture. Bland was sentenced to death in 1993 and died in San Quentin State Prison in 2001 from natural causes before his execution.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Apr 1959, California, State
Assault with a deadly weapon, lessened to assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury
California · Arrested Apr 1959 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: $250 fine, medical expenses paid, 5 years probation
Bland sliced a man in the abdomen with a bayonet for trying to talk to his pregnant wife Dorothy.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Bland, Warren James
Offense date Dec 21, 1959, California, State
Forcible rape, robbery, kidnapping, kidnapping for the purpose of robbery, 3 counts of attempted rape
California · Arrested Jan 11, 1960 · Charged (pending) Charged (pending) · Sentence: Pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity; committed to Atascadero State Hospital for indeterminate period
Three rapes occurred in December 1959 and January 1960; Bland pleaded NGRI and was hospitalized rather than convicted; released on probation in September 1967.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Bland, Warren James
Offense date Aug 1968, California, State
Rape, kidnapping, robbery, burglary
California · Arrested Nov 21, 1968 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 3 years to life for rape, 1 to 25 years for kidnapping, 5 years to life for burglary, all concurrent; officially first prison commitment
Between August and November 1968, Bland raped two women, two fought off attacker, and a 15-year-old girl's throat was slit; she was left for dead.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Bland, Warren James
Offense date Aug 1976, California, State
Assaultive sexual conduct
California · Arrested Aug 22, 1976 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Incarcerated for this offense; released 04/06/1980
Arrested one year after parole in August 1975 for assaultive sexual conduct; victim was a young girl.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Bland, Warren James
Offense date Dec 30, 1980, California, State
Child molestation with use of a deadly weapon (2 counts)
California · Arrested Jan 17, 1981 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 9 years in prison; sent to California Men's Institution in Chino
Bland attacked, tortured, and raped an 11-year-old boy on 12/30/1980 with pliers and surgical tools.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Bland, Warren James
Offense date Dec 11, 1986, Riverside County, California
Kidnapping, torture, and murder of a seven-year-old girl
Riverside County, California · California Superior Court · Arrested Feb 09, 1987 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death sentence
Phoebe Ho, a 7-year-old girl, was abducted while walking to school in South Pasadena on 12/11/1986; strangled and sexually assaulted; body found in Riverside County field on 12/18/1986; fiber and paint chips from Bland's vehicle matched evidence on victim; Bland was on parole at time of offense; sentenced to death in 1993.
SourcesWarren James Bland; Sex offender suspected in two child deaths captured; Evidence links sex offender to child killings; Radford University serial killer biography: Bland, Warren James
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
1
Victims convicted
0
Victims confessed
2
Victims suspected
Active years
1955–1987
Stated motive
Sexual
Range from home
regional
Education
high school
Marital history
Married, Divorced
Children
1
Military discharge
bad conduct
Died
2001-08-30 · natural
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
CA
Culver City, California
1937 – 1949 · Birthplace; raised by both parents until father's death
California
1949 – 1955 · Raised by mother after father died
San Diego, California
Sep 30, 1955 – Jul 12, 1957 · Marine Corps basic training; went AWOL twice; discharged for bad conduct; 6 months hard labor in brig for first desertion; 6 months hard labor for second desertion and court-martial · marines
California
1957 – 1958 · Released from Marines; arrested September 1957 for grand theft auto
California
1958 – Sep 1959 · Lived with second wife Dorothy
Atascadero, California
Feb 1960 – Sep 19, 1967 · Atascadero State Hospital for mentally disordered sex offenders; 90-day observation committed to indeterminate period; released to 5 years probation
California
Sep 19, 1967 – Nov 21, 1968 · On probation; committed offenses August-November 1968
California
Nov 21, 1968 – Aug 22, 1975 · Prison incarceration for 1968 rapes and kidnappings
California
Aug 22, 1975 – Aug 22, 1976 · Paroled; lived in community with woman and her three daughters, molested stepdaughters
California
Aug 22, 1976 – Apr 06, 1980 · Prison for assaultive sexual conduct on young girl
California
Apr 06, 1980 – Dec 30, 1980 · Released from prison; committed child molestation offense 12/30/1980
Chino, California
Jul 24, 1981 – Jan 20, 1986 · California Men's Institution in Chino for child molestation
Southern Oaks, California
Jan 20, 1986 – Dec 11, 1986 · Paroled; worked as handyman for painter; living in vehicle (Toyota); committed Phoebe Ho murder 12/11/1986
Pacific Beach, California
Jan 1987 – Feb 09, 1987 · Fugitive; changed names to James Thaddeus Sterling and Charles St. Germain; arrested 02/09/1987
San Quentin, California
Feb 24, 1993 – Aug 30, 2001 · Death row inmate; sentenced to death for murder of Phoebe Ho; died of natural causes
NV
Las Vegas, Nevada
May 1958 – May 1958 · Married Dorothy Cobb
Known Vehicles
Vehicles and approximate dates of ownership or use, as reported in the cited records. A photo next to a vehicle is the vehicle itself as published.
1987 blue Toyota unknown – Blue Toyota automobile
approx. 1987 – Feb 1987
Living in vehicle behind Winchell's donut shop at time of arrest; had .22-caliber handgun in it; Bland was shot in hip during capture attempt at parking lot
1956 Ford Thunderbird
approx. Sep 1957 – Sep 1957
Stolen and kept in 1957; led to grand theft auto arrest
Timeline
Jan 21, 1937
Warren James Bland born in Culver City, California
1949
Bland's father dies of heart attack when Bland is 12 years old
Jul 01, 1955
Bland marries Sue Ellen Sweeney at age 18
Sep 11, 1955
Sue Ellen files for annulment citing extreme cruelty and grievous mental suffering
Sep 30, 1955
Bland enlists in Marine Corps, immediately shipped to San Diego for basic training
Apr 19, 1956
Bland goes AWOL from Marine Corps second time, classified as deserter
Aug 07, 1956
Bland arrested, court-martialed, sentenced to 6 months hard labor, discharged for bad conduct from Marine Corps
Jul 12, 1957
Bland released from U.S. Marines
Sep 1957
Bland arrested for taking a 1956 Thunderbird for test drive and keeping it
Oct 18, 1957
Bland pleads guilty to grand theft auto, sentenced to 30 days county jail and 3 years probation
May 1958
Bland marries Dorothy Cobb in Las Vegas after raping her months earlier
Apr 14, 1959
Bland convicted of assault with deadly weapon lessened to assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury; sentenced to $250 fine, medical expenses, 5 years probation
Dec 21, 1959
Bland rapes a woman
Jan 04, 1960
Bland rapes a 46-year-old secretary
Jan 09, 1960
Bland rapes a 40-year-old woman
Jan 11, 1960
Bland charged with forcible rape, robbery, kidnapping, kidnapping for purpose of robbery, 3 counts attempted rape
Feb 1960
Bland committed to Atascadero State Hospital for 90-day observation; in June 1960 determined for commitment to hospital for indeterminate period
Feb 08, 1960
Bland pleads not guilty by reason of insanity and denies prior offenses
Sep 19, 1967
Bland released from Atascadero State Hospital, put on 5 years probation
Nov 21, 1968
Bland arrested for raping two women, two women fought off attacker, and 15-year-old girl left for dead after throat slit; attacks occurred August to November 1968
Apr 03, 1969
Bland sentenced to 3 years to life for rape, 1 to 25 years for kidnapping, 5 years to life for burglary, all sentences concurrent; officially first-time penal system commitment
Aug 22, 1975
Bland paroled from prison
Aug 22, 1976
Bland arrested for assaultive sexual conduct one year after parole; victim was young girl
Apr 06, 1980
Bland released from prison after incarceration for assaultive sexual conduct
Dec 30, 1980
Bland attacks, tortures, and rapes an 11-year-old boy
Jan 17, 1981
Bland arrested for suspected child molestation, released on $35,000 bail
Jul 24, 1981
Bland pleads guilty to 2 counts child molestation with use of deadly weapon; sentenced to 9 years in prison; sent to California Men's Institution in Chino
Jan 20, 1986
Bland paroled from prison again
Dec 11, 1986
Phoebe Ho, a 7-year-old girl, abducted in South Pasadena while walking to school
Dec 18, 1986
Phoebe Ho's body found in Riverside County field
Jan 03, 1987
Search warrant obtained for Bland's residence; fiber from Bland's vehicle and hair found match evidence on victim
Feb 01, 1987
Body of Wendy Osborn, 14-year-old girl, found in San Bernardino County; Bland suspected of her murder but never charged
Feb 03, 1987
Charges filed for murder of Phoebe Ho in Riverside County
Feb 09, 1987
Bland arrested in Pacific Beach, California after attempting to flee police; shot in hip/buttocks during arrest
Mar 1987
Bland tried and convicted of being felon in knowing and willful possession of firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)
Mar 1989
Bland retried on felon in possession of firearm charge after first trial conviction reversed
Nov 1990
Bland tried before jury and convicted of felon in possession of firearm; sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole
Jan 1993
Trial set for murder of Phoebe Ho
Feb 24, 1993
Bland found guilty of murder of Phoebe Ho and sentenced to death
Aug 30, 2001
Bland dies in San Quentin State Prison from natural causes before execution
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
Other government record · California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation ·
Condemned Inmates Who Have Died Since 1978“James Warren Bland died 08/30/2001 from natural causes”
News report · Murderpedia (compiled from court records) ·
Warren James Bland“Bland was arrested on February 9, 1987, pursuant to a warrant which related to the torture, molestation, and murder of a seven-year-old girl; he has been convicted of thirteen violent felonies, including assault, rape, kidnapping, burglary, assault with intent to commit rape, forcible lewd act on a child, and forcible oral copulation.”
Other · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Bland, Warren James“Warren James Bland was born in Culver City, California on 1/21/1937; committed to Atascadero State Hospital for rape charges in early 1960; sentenced to 3 to life for rape, 1 to 25 years for kidnapping in 1969; charged with murder of Phoebe Ho on 02/3/1987; found guilty and sentenced to death 02/24/1993; died in prison 08/30/2001.”
Court record · U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit ·
United States v. Bland, 961 F.2d 123“Bland was tried before a jury in November 1990 and convicted of being a felon in knowing and willful possession of a firearm; The district court sentenced him to life imprisonment without possibility of parole pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 924(e).”
Court record · U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit ·
United States v. Bland, 908 F.2d 471“Bland was arrested on February 9, 1987, pursuant to a warrant which related to the torture, molestation, and murder of a seven-year-old girl; his conviction was reversed and a new trial ordered.”
News report · UPI ·
Evidence links sex offender to child killings“Carpet fibers and paint chips found on her body matched those found in a van Bland drove; Bland had been a fugitive since early January when detectives questioned him about Ho's death but released him because they could not produce enough evidence to charge him.”
News report · UPI ·
Sex offender suspected in two child deaths captured“A paroled sex offender suspected in the kidnap, sex and torture death of two girls abducted separately as they walked to school was shot and captured as he tried to flee from an officer.”
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