The Love Bombing of Gloria Choi

Summary

48 Hours — "The Love Bombing of Gloria Choi"

Podcast: 48 Hours | Host: CBS News | Date: May 4, 2026

Brief Overview

This episode examines the tragic case of Gloria Choi, a hardworking single mother in Washington state who was stalked and ultimately murdered by her ex-boyfriend, Billy Rickman, in early 2022. Through detailed interviews with Gloria's friends and family, prosecutors, and a survivor of Rickman’s past abuse, the episode explores systemic failures in law enforcement's response to domestic violence, the psychological manipulation known as "love bombing," and the journey for accountability and justice in the aftermath of the crime.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Gloria Choi's Life and Character

• Gloria is portrayed as a dedicated, kind, and family-oriented woman.

  "She was a hardworking mom, a good role model ... kind of their angel." —Gloria’s parent (02:24)

• She worked in the family hotel business and was fiercely devoted to her young son.

  "It's all about her kid. She was very fierce when it came to her son." —Brianna Eberly, friend (14:35)

2. The Relationship: Love Bombing and Escalation

• Billy Rickman met Gloria at her family’s hotel in May 2021 and quickly began "love bombing" her with gifts, affection, and persistent attention.

  "He really came across as this nice guy. Love bombed her, meaning he's giving her gifts and kind of showering her with kindness." —Choi family lawyer (15:33)

• Despite initial romance, the relationship quickly soured—Rickman became emotionally and physically abusive, controlling, and financially exploitative.

  "Within weeks, Gloria saw a different side of Rickman ... mean, angry, and insecure." —Narrator (18:01)

• Rickman used technology to track Gloria, planting Apple AirTags in her vehicle, further heightening her sense of being hunted.

  "She found a tag in her car, an airtag." —Brianna Eberly (19:04)

3. Attempted Escape and Systemic Barriers

• With support from friends and her parents, Gloria left Rickman and pursued a domestic violence no-contact order after repeated harassment and theft.

  "The officer actually tells Gloria and tells the court to issue a domestic violence no contact order." —Choi family lawyer (20:43)

• Despite the no-contact order and Rickman's arrest for vehicle theft, Rickman flagrantly violated restrictions and police failed to act decisively.

  "He didn't care. He was like, so I'm still gonna talk to her." —Brianna Eberly (21:46)

• Multiple calls (four in the final 48 hours) to police for help with stalking, property damage, and direct threats went largely unaddressed.

  "She called for help and she was deprived of help that she's entitled to under the law, time and time again." —Gloria’s parent (02:51)

4. The Murder

• The culmination of Rickman’s stalking was Gloria's murder on January 2, 2022.
  • Rickman ran her car off the road, shot her 14 times at close range, and then fled (03:24–09:17).

  "He just unloaded... And I was just in shock and saw him disappear." —Prosecutor Greer (04:00) "He is there to kill her, he is there to kill her." —Prosecutor Greer (08:13)

• Gloria’s tragic 911 call is central to the case and reveals the terror she experienced.

  "I don't know where I am. I'm scared to get out of my car." —Gloria (Recorded 911 call, 04:59–06:00)

5. Investigation and Arrest

• Key evidence included surveillance footage, phone records, and Rickman’s attempts to disguise his tracks.

  "He appears in a hurry. He gets out of his vehicle and he immediately starts wiping down the side... You can see him on the phone. He's contacting people." —Prosecutor Corrine Schneff (10:47)

• Rickman evaded capture for several days, eventually arrested in Northern California after a dramatic chase (30:32–31:38).

6. Rickman's Violent History and Missed Warnings

• The episode connects with Aja, a survivor of Rickman's prior abuse, who describes years of trafficking and violence at his hands in Oakland.

  “I’m a survivor of human trafficking and Billy Rickman was my trafficker.” –Aja (32:21)

  • Aja had filed a criminal complaint in California, but the warrant did not reach authorities in Washington.

  “I was angry and upset because he could have been stopped beforehand.” –Aja (34:01)

7. Trial, Aftermath, and Calls for Justice

• At Rickman’s trial, the prosecution’s evidence—including the chilling 911 call—led to a swift conviction. The defense claimed insufficient investigation, citing the lack of direct naming of Rickman during the call.

  "The defense tried to make a case that somebody else did it." –Prosecutor Greer (39:25)

• Rickman was sentenced to life in prison without parole (39:31).
• Gloria’s family, devastated and relocated, is pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit against the city and police for their repeated inaction.

  "They wanted accountability... and they believed that it was mismanaged and mishandled by law enforcement." —Megan Driscoll, Choi family attorney (40:25)

• Domestic violence expert and former police trainer Russ Hicks criticizes the police response.

  "Those officers failed Gloria. One example... says he left a voicemail for Rickman, which Hicks considers a mistake." —Russ Hicks (42:10)

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• "She came off very shy and quiet, but she was nothing of those. She was passionate about her family and her son—had hopes and dreams for herself."
  —Brianna Eberly (02:37)
• "He drained her. She bought everything."
  —Brianna Eberly on Rickman’s financial abuse (17:54)
• "She looked at me dead in the face and said, I'm leaving."
  —Brianna Eberly (19:32)
• "It's not clear if police were ever called. Three days later…Rickman confronted her in the Capitol Mall while she was shopping with her son."
  —Narrator (23:50)
• "He was surveilling, he was stalking. He was hunting that night."
  —Prosecutor Greer (37:39)
• "This death was incredibly foreseeable... It was as foreseeable as it was preventable."
  —Choi family (41:06)
• "Plain and simple, Lakewood PD should have found Rickman and arrested him to protect Gloria."
  —Choi family attorney (41:33)
• "Those officers failed Gloria... I taught the three officers that were involved in this case."
  —Russ Hicks (42:05)
• "It's uma—oma—and she's just frantically, in desperation, calling for her mother. Tells you a lot about human nature. Yeah, it's one of the saddest things you'll ever hear."
  —Prosecutor Greer on Gloria's last words (45:52)

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Important Segments & Timestamps

| Time | Segment / Key Content | |------------|-------------------------------------------------| | 02:24 | Gloria Choi's background and character | | 03:15–09:17| Surveillance, stalking, murder details | | 14:21 | Gloria’s life as a mother and hotel manager | | 15:33 | "Love bombing" dynamic explained | | 17:54 | Rickman’s controlling, abusive behavior | | 19:32–20:43| Detailed documentation of Rickman's threats | | 23:17–24:13| Relentless stalking, police response | | 30:32 | Rickman's arrest in California | | 32:00–34:01| Aja's testimony and prior abuse by Rickman | | 34:46–36:54| Trial, evidence, Gloria’s lasting impact | | 39:25–40:07| Defense arguments, conviction, sentencing | | 41:06–44:00| Lawsuit, police failures, accountability | | 45:43–45:52| Gloria’s last words captured in 911 call |

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The Episode’s Tone and Impact

The episode maintains a respectful, somber tone, emphasizing not only Gloria’s humanity and the irreparable loss experienced by her family and friends, but also the systemic failures in protecting victims of escalating domestic violence. It is both a remembrance of Gloria and a pointed critique of institutional shortcomings.

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Final Reflections

• The case is a poignant example of how love bombing can mask abusive intent—and how warning signs are too often overlooked by authorities.
• The episode calls for broader accountability and reform in responding to domestic violence, emphasizing the need for urgency, thoroughness, and empathy from law enforcement.
• It underscores the vital importance of listening to—and acting upon—the pleas of those trapped in dangerous, abusive relationships.

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For listeners seeking deeper insight into the case's complexities, the episode provides a raw, evidence-driven narrative rooted in interviews, first-person accounts, and a focus on justice for Gloria Choi.

Transcript

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[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

I was with the Prosecutor's office for 30 years and this was my last trial in my career. Being a prosecutor has a lifelong effect on you. There has to be some way to come back to humanity and put the violence aside. This was an aggravated murder case. The victim's name is Gloria Choi.

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

She was a hard working mom, a good role model. And Gloria's parents talk about how she was kind of their angel. She spent most of her life working in the family business of running hotels.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

She came off very shy and quiet, but she was nothing of those. She was passionate about her family and her son had hopes and dreams for herself.

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

What we know is there were four calls placed to law enforcement in the final 48 hours before she was killed. This person continues to stalk her, has slashed her tires, has stolen thousands of dollars worth of property. She called for help and she was deprived of help that she's entitled to under the law time and time again.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

The evening that she was murdered, she was going home, actually just taking a break to eat dinner. He was right behind her when she left.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

He knew everywhere she went.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Nylon, what's the location? Right in. Sir, I don't know where I am, but I'm scared to get out of my car.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

He forced her vehicle off the road. She doesn't know at that point who this is, and she's not able to drive anymore.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Let me get police online with us. Okay? You see a street sign,

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

And he approaches her vehicle, and she notices he has a gun.

[Narrator/Reporter]

He's got a collar. Hello? Can you hear me?

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

All of a sudden, we heard a

[Narrator/Reporter]

rapid fire, about seven or eight shots.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

And he just unloaded. And I was just in shock and saw him disappear. And I then ran over and called the police.

[Narrator/Reporter]

There's a pickup there against the telephone pole with its lights on, motor running. I don't see anybody in it.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

So you heard three pops? No, we heard a lot more than that.

[Narrator/Reporter]

So in all, 14 shots, just riddles her car with bullets, right?

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

He's close range. He's shooting right through her driver's side window.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

She should have been protected, and she wasn't.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Do you blame the police for not taking better care of your friend?

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

I do blame the police for not taking it seriously.

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

You have a perpetrator who's escalating. Any law enforcement officer who's following the training would know this woman was in incredible danger.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Natalie Morales reports the love bombing of Gloria Choi. On January 2, 2022, Gloria Choi placed that anguished call to 911. I don't know where I am. I'm scared to get out of my car. Yeah, he's got collared. Seconds later. Can you hear me? Multiple shots are fired. The audio is too graphic to play in full. It lasts about two minutes, and dispatchers are trying to make sense of what they just heard. Hello? Can anybody hear me? Hello? Officers from the Lakewood Police Department in Washington arrive within minutes.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

One of the officers that approached, you can see him trying to get to her quickly, and the doors are locked.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Former Pierce county prosecutor Greg Grier describes what first responders did. We either bust that window after I took pictures already, or we bust that.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

They bust out a rear window smartly, wisely, so they can preserve the evidence, and they're able to extricate her pretty quickly.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And did you see them pull out the victim at all?

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

I did, yeah.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Terry Estevold gave police a detailed description of what he witnessed.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

And I was probably 30ft away. And they put her on the ground and worked on her hard for several minutes.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Had to be hard for you to witness that. It's terrible.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

And it still bothers me a lot to this day just thinking about it.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Gloria was pronounced dead a short time later at a nearby hospital. Brianna Eberly soon heard the news that her best friend had been killed. But she couldn't quite accept it.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

And I repeatedly, repeatedly called Gloria's phone over and over again. No answer, no answer, no answer. And then I called her dad. And then he finally answered. And I remember asking him, is it true? Is she gone? Is it true? He said, yeah, she's gone.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Greer took us to the scene and walked us through what he learned from investigators.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

This would have been gravel shoulder. And somewhere in here, he pinches her vehicle off and she's no longer able to move forward. He's blocking her.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I think my boyfriend's following me. He just hit my car. Gloria says the man is her boyfriend, but does not give a name.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

He gets out of the vehicle, and if you've heard the 911 call, she describes exactly what he's doing.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Please call. Greer says the shooter was standing next to Gloria's driver's side window. The door was locked. He's not trying to talk to her. He immediately starts.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

He's there to kill her. He is there to kill her.

[Narrator/Reporter]

After firing nine.40 caliber bullets through the door and window of Gloria's truck, Greer says the shooter begins to drive away. As he does, Gloria's truck moves forward, forward until it hits a utility pole, as shown in this police animation. Greer believes the truck moved because Gloria's foot was no longer applying pressure to the brake.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

He doesn't know whether she's alive or not is what we believe is going through his mind because the vehicle's no longer where it was. That's 60 yards west of where it was when he first shot her.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The shooter makes a U turn and comes back around to Gloria's truck. He pulls his truck alongside so that his driver side window is now next to hers. And this time he does not bother to get out of his car, Greer says.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

And he rolls his window down five more shots just to make sure nine wasn't enough. Five more. Then after he's finished that, he immediately takes off.

[Narrator/Reporter]

After firing 14 shots and hitting Gloria at least 10 times, prosecutors say the shooter disappears into the night. The first big break in the case came from one of the first officers at the crime scene.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

One of the officers, she notices this lanyard that's on Gloria and she sees her name and that hits her hard.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Gloria's lanyard was from a nearby Holiday Inn where she was the manager. Just days earlier, that officer took a report from Gloria after she called 911. Gloria said her ex boyfriend had been following and harassing her and now they had a name, Billy Rickman.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

And that becomes a lead to understanding what happened.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Greer says a detective subpoenaed Rickman's phone records. Even without having his phone, police were able to read his text messages.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

At one point he says where he is and it's the Home Motel.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The detective rushed to the motel, which is a six minute drive from the murder scene. Greer says the desk clerk told the detective that days earlier Rickman attempted to sign in with a fake name, but the clerk insisted on proof of identity.

[Prosecutor Corrine Schneff]

We have him on surveillance video getting back to the motel.

[Narrator/Reporter]

That was after the shooting, says prosecutor Corrine Schneff.

[Prosecutor Corrine Schneff]

He appears in a hurry. He gets out of his vehicle and he immediately starts wiping down the side of the vehicle that might have any kind of evidence of gunpowder residue. You can see him on the phone. He's contacting people.

[Narrator/Reporter]

She says investigators began checking surveillance from several businesses in the area and got another break at a nearby car rental business. This picture is very clear.

[Prosecutor Corrine Schneff]

Enterprise had great video here.

[Narrator/Reporter]

There's no denying who that is. Looking at that. Yeah, Rickman rented a Chevy Colorado using his real name. It is the same vehicle in the motel video and the same vehicle police believe Rickman used to run Gloria off the road. The Lakewood police put out an alert for Billy Rickman, but in the days that followed, he was nowhere to be found. Instacart is more than a grocery technology platform. It's really about making your life easier in those everyday moments that can start to feel overwhelming. It connects you to thousands of stores across the country so you can get what you need without adding another stop to your day. For me, it's been especially helpful during

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

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[Narrator/Reporter]

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[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

She was a part of my family. My whole family knew her and they loved her.

[Narrator/Reporter]

With Billy Rickman on the run, police questioned Gloria's friend Brianna Eberle about Rickman's relationship with Gloria. Brianna had known Gloria since 2018 when she hired her to help out at the Oyo Hotel, which was owned by Gloria's parents.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

She wanted to please her parents to the best of her ability. She was their lifeline. She did it all and she did it all with grace. Absolute grace.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Gloria was the single mother of a seven year old.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

It's all about her kid. She was very fierce when it came to her son.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And in May 2021, Billy Rickman checked into the hotel from California. A mystery man with a larger than life personality, Brianna says it didn't take long for Rickman to notice Gloria.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

Gloria was coming into the office. He walked up and introduced himself and he's like, you're very pretty. And she goes, well, thank you. She walked away and he's like, who's that? And I'm like, her name's Gloria. Stay away.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But Rickman did not stay away and before long the two were texting a lot.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

She liked the way he talked to her and the things that he Said to her all she wanted to do is be loved by somebody.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And Rickman made it seem like he could be that guy, says Megan Driscoll, the Choi family's lawyer.

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

He really came across as this nice guy. Love bombed her, meaning he's giving her gifts and kind of showering her with kindness.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Weeks after meeting her, Rickman sent Gloria this text. You're the light to my day every day. You make me feel so sexy and special, and I thank you for that. I want you. I want to be with you. Gloria Choi. I can't wait to see what life has in store for us. My heart is yours. How was he with her son? Gloria's friend Jacob Blue?

[Jacob Blue (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

What she liked about Rickman is that he had a lot of masculine energy that he was showing him.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

Billy and her son had a very instant connection because he was like a kid himself, you know?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Within weeks, Gloria and Rickman became a couple, and he began staying in her apartment at the Oyo Hotel. Brianna says Gloria's father did not approve

[Jacob Blue (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

of the relationship, and her parents basically drew a red line and said, he can't be staying here at the hotel anymore.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Gloria's father wanted him to move out,

[Jacob Blue (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

and Rickman went and approached her parents and told them he's not going anywhere and that Gloria is now his, and if they don't like it, they can leave.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

Wow. Her dad basically gave her an ultimatum. She could stay on as the manager, or she could leave, and she chose to leave.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Gloria, her son, and Rickman moved to an apartment in the town of Tumwater in September 2021, and her heartbroken parents chose to sell their hotel. That's when Gloria took a new job as manager of the Holiday Inn Express in Lakewood, right next to Tacoma.

[Jacob Blue (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

She was still very happy with what she had, but it didn't last long, that happiness.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Gloria told Brianna that Rickman had big dreams but no way of making them come true.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

And Gloria's like, well, who's gonna fund all of this? You're not. You don't have a job. Get a job, you know? And he refused.

[Narrator/Reporter]

So was he asking her for money?

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

Oh, yeah. He drained her. She bought everything.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Within weeks, Gloria saw a different side of Rickman. She told Brianna he was often mean, angry, and insecure. Gloria also told Briana that Rickman was drinking to excess and using cocaine and marijuana. What did you tell her?

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

Leave. Run away.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Gloria chose to stay with Rickman. But two months later, in November, Jacob says he got a troubling call.

[Jacob Blue (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

She did express that he would become physical with her, push her around, throw her around, and that she didn't feel safe just breaking things off with him.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Jacob told Gloria she needed to leave him immediately. But Gloria said she was afraid that might trigger something inside Rickman.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

She didn't know how she was going to leave Billy. She was scared to leave him.

[Narrator/Reporter]

What scared?

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

Her possessiveness. He knew everywhere she went, she felt

[Narrator/Reporter]

that he was tracking her every move.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

She found a tag in her car, an airtag. Mm. She's the one that told me about it later on.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And Gloria suspected there were other hidden Apple airtags in her truck. Are you concerned for your friend at this point?

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

Absolutely.

[Narrator/Reporter]

In November 2021, just six months after they met, Briana says Gloria made up her mind to leave Rickman.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

She looked at me dead in the face and said, I'm leaving. And I asked her, you know, what's your plan? She goes, I'm going to go to my parents.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Her parents welcomed Gloria and her son into their home. But it was not so easy to get rid of Rickman. He had borrowed Gloria's truck and refused to give it back. So on November 28, Gloria went to the Tumwater police to file a report about the truck. And while she was there, she told the officer taking the report about Rickman. When Billy is sober, he is calm, but when he drinks, he has a short fuse and is very angry. I wish him well, but choosing to not be a part of his life anymore for the safety and stability for my son and I. Attorney Megan Driscoll, who represents the Choi family, said it was clear the Tumwater officer believed Gloria was at risk. The officer reported that Rickman was potentially tracking Gloria with Apple airtags, owned numerous firearms, and appeared to be extremely manipulative.

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

He actually becomes really concerned for her and her safety. So the officer actually tells Gloria and tells the court to issue a domestic violence no contact order.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Almost immediately, Rickman was arrested for taking Gloria's truck, and he agreed to this recorded interview. It's both of our cars. Like, we live together. It's not like I'm a neighbor or something. What do you think her opinion is of you? When you drink, she doesn't like you. Do you think, like, maybe she might feel, like, uncomfortable or scared? I'll tell you, if I had a shot with my girl again, man, I would never drink another trip of alcohol. And that's the honest to God truth. Rickman was jailed for three days for taking Gloria's truck. And on December 1, 2021, he was brought before a judge who slapped him with a strict no contact order. But Brianna says the order did not faze Rickman. The day he got out of jail, he told Brianna he was unconcerned with the legalities.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

He didn't care. He was like, so I'm still gonna talk to her.

[Narrator/Reporter]

In early December 2021, Gloria Choi was back living with her parents, hoping she had rid herself of Billy Rickman once and for all. But Brianna said Rickman had other ideas. As he told her the day he got out of jail for taking Gloria's truck, which had been returned to her,

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

Billy showed up at my place, and he's like, I need your help. And he begged me to talk to her about getting back together. He said that he would change. He, you know, would stop drinking, he'd be a better person to her. And in the back of my mind, I'm like, no.

[Narrator/Reporter]

You didn't believe him then?

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

I didn't.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And what's your understanding of a no contact order?

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

No contact order means you can't come in, contact that person, text, phone calls, physical location, anything of that sort.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And if you do, what happens?

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

You go to jail.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Brianna told Rickman that he'd be arrested if he broke any of those conditions. But two weeks later, she got a call from a friend telling her Gloria was hiding from Rickman in the bathroom of this coffee shop. Brianna wasted no time getting there.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

As I was pulling in, I saw Billy Rickman's car was parked over there.

[Narrator/Reporter]

We made eye contact.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

I went to the bathroom and knocked on the door, and she opened it. She knew that Billy was here.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It was another reminder to Gloria that Rickman seemed to be tracking her every move. And you said she was very emotional to the bathroom.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

She was petrified. She was crying. She was shaking. She refused to come out until she knew he was gone.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It's not clear if police were ever called. Three days later, Brianna said that Gloria told her that Rickman confronted her in the Capitol Mall while she was shopping with her son. Brianna said Gloria told her that Rickman pleaded with her to drop the no contact order, but she refused.

[Prosecutor Corrine Schneff]

He was putting himself in her path so that he could rekindle the lost relationship.

[Narrator/Reporter]

That lost relationship, says prosecutor Corrine Schneff, was on Rickman's mind when he made these cell phone videos directed at Gloria.

[Prosecutor Corrine Schneff]

You can see the videos that he created to try and make her feel bad about leaving him.

[Narrator/Reporter]

This is what Christmas alone looks like. The parking lot Hotel. Cause you ain't got nowhere to go. Cause you know your girl Put you out in the street. Prosecutors say everything came to a head on the last two days of 2021. It started on December 30th when Rickman sent Gloria an email after he spotted her with Jacob Blue at a coffee shop. And I guess Rickman did write an email to Gloria that read, you left me for another guy. Wow.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

Correct.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The email was sent in real time, and Gloria began getting calls from a block number. When she answered, Rickman was on the line yelling at her. According to Jacob, he believed that this

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

Jacob Blue was a potential boyfriend.

[Narrator/Reporter]

They moved on to a sushi restaurant. But Gloria was becoming increasingly bothered by the headlights of a car which were pointed at the restaurant. And Jacob says Gloria believed Rickman was behind the wheel.

[Jacob Blue (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

She says, I know that car and I know that it's watching us right now. And she got really uncomfortable.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Jacob says they left the restaurant and discovered someone had stolen their computers from Gloria's truck. They also discovered one of her truck's tires was slashed. Gloria called the police and asked for their help. It was the first of four calls about Rickman over a 48 hour period. And what did he damage by front driver's side tire. And he went through all the stuff in the truck and stole my backpack with my laptop and my friend's laptop bag as well.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

Okay, okay, I'll have an officer call you.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And did Gloria express that she thought it was Rickman?

[Jacob Blue (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

She was confident it was Rickman.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Gloria told police that only Rickman knew the truck's keypad code. To gain entry, she gave them a description of his black BMW and told the officer about the no contact order. The officer said he left Rickman a voicemail message letting him know the police wanted to speak with him. Gloria and Jacob then drove to the Holiday Inn to retrieve Jacob's Jeep. And that's when Jacob discovered that two of his tires had been slashed.

[Jacob Blue (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

This is a snowy night. There's snow on the ground.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Gloria took this cell phone video following the floor footsteps she thought were Rickman's.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

Here is his footsteps.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Because Gloria managed that Holiday Inn, she was able to get the surveillance footage. These videos have never been seen by the public before.

[Jacob Blue (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

Now we see a man come in and sneak in through the shadows. He comes up to my Jeep and he punctures both of my tires and. And walks off.

[Narrator/Reporter]

They called police a second time and gave them the video. Both Jacob and Gloria identified the man as Billy Rickman by his distinctive walk. But officers said the video was not clear enough to make an arrest.

[Jacob Blue (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

And the police were like, I'm sorry. Without us being able to see his face, there's really not a whole lot to go off of. Not much we can do.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The next day was December 31st, New Year's Eve. Jacob returned to his Jeep with two new tires. That's when he and Gloria discovered the other two tires were now slashed. That prompted a third call to 911.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

What are you reporting?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Vandalism on my vehicle by a stalker. Once again, the surveillance footage showed the man Jacob and Gloria believed was Rickman slashing the tires. But police again said the video was not clear enough for them to make an identification. Then on New Year's Eve, there was a fourth call to 91 1. This time by the desk clerk at the Holiday Inn. He spotted the tire slasher again, puncturing the tires on Jacob's Jeep. The desk clerk chased after him, recording this video at the same time he was calling 911. He took all of his license plates off. He's driving a Chevy Colorado. He's got one right now. Police say Rickman was driving that same Chevy Colorado when he ran Gloria off the road, murdered her, then escaped into the night. There's never been a better time to get outside and experience the benefits of nature, discover nearby trails and explore the outdoors with alltrails.

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[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

Hi, my name is Lloyd Lockridge and I'm the host of a new podcast from Odyssey called Family Lore. In this podcast I'm going to have people on to tell unusual and sometimes far fetched stories about their families.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I've heard my whole life that she invented Margarita.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

And then we're going to investigate those stories and find out how much of it is true. He gets a patent one month before the Wright brothers. Oh my God. Please follow and listen to Family Lore, an Odyssey podcast available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your shows. You're a pro at running your life, at committing to your workout, at showing up every day. At Bombas, we're pros too. Pros at making socks. Our sport assortment has specialized socks for whatever sport you you're committed to. Running, hiking, golf, Pilates and so much more. Made with sweat, wicking yarns, blister fighting details and targeted arch support. Bombas sport is pro level socks from the Pros of Socks. For another pro, you go to bombas.com audio and use code audio for 20 off your first purchase. That's bombus.com and use code audio.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Billy Rickman was able to elude police for four days until January 6, 2022. That's when prosecutor Greg Greer says law enforcement tracked his phone to Humboldt county in Northern California where Rickman turned up drunk at a relative's house.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

This relative did not want Mr. Rickman staying with him. This relative offered to take Mr. Rickman to a nearby casino and put him up at the casino in a hotel.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Rickman's relative, driving his black BMW, was stopped by tribal police and they contacted the California Highway Patrol who rushed to the scene. Police say Rickman, as seen in this dash cam video, shoved his relative out of the driver's seat and onto the pavement, gunned the engine and. And took off.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

He's got enough of a head start and they actually don't find him, they lose him.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Rickman wandered around in the darkness for about five hours on the wet, cold night before being found and taken into custody.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

Mr. Rickman is soaking wet, freezing cold, hypothermic.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Rickman was charged with aggravated first degree murder and pleaded not guilty. Some 250 miles south, a woman who says she knew firsthand just how dangerous Rickman was received a phone call.

[Aja (Survivor and Witness)]

The officer from the Oakland Police Department called me and when I answered the phone she told me, Billy has been arrested.

[Narrator/Reporter]

This is Ajahul, who had filed a police report about Rickman. She says Rickman forced her into prostitution and sexually assaulted her when she was a 14 year old runaway living in Oakland in 2005.

[Aja (Survivor and Witness)]

I'm a survivor of human trafficking and Billy Rickman was my trafficker.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Aja says she endured years of abuse before she nearly was killed after Rickman choked her with a strand of Christmas tree lights.

[Aja (Survivor and Witness)]

Like I could not breathe, like it was very scary. I was terrified.

[Narrator/Reporter]

She escaped to San Francisco.

[Aja (Survivor and Witness)]

It was one of the best, best moments in my life, but also one of the most terrifying because I felt free, but I also felt so much fear because I had crossed him and I knew what he was capable of.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Shortly after leaving, Aja called a girlfriend who was living with Rickman.

[Aja (Survivor and Witness)]

He took the phone out of her hand when I called her to check on her once and said, bitch, if I ever find you, I will kill you. And I knew that he meant it. I never ever saw that as a threat, like I saw that as a promise because he would, he would kill me. He was livid.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Aja says she always wanted justice. But it was only while completing her education and pursuing a master's degree in public affairs from the University of California at Berkeley that she found the courage to file that report with the Oakland police. It detailed multiple Alleged incidents of Rickman's abuse, including hitting her with closed fists on the face and body and causing her to sustain a black eye, bruises and cuts to the face.

[Aja (Survivor and Witness)]

I wanted him held accountable for what he did.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Oakland police put out an arrest warrant for Rickman in 2021 in Alameda county, but by that time he had left California. Washington state prosecutors say they never saw the warrant.

[Aja (Survivor and Witness)]

I was angry and upset because he could have been stopped beforehand. I blame myself in some kind of way.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But Aja still wanted to help. She emailed the prosecutors working on the Gloria Choi murder and offered to give them information about Rickman. But prosecutors demurred, saying they wanted to keep their case focused on Gloria's murder.

[Prosecutor Corrine Schneff]

That wasn't really part of our case, so we didn't follow up on that particular element.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Rickman's trial for the murder of Gloria choi began in November 2023, before a jury of nine men and three women. Gloria's family were too devastated to attend the trial.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

They moved out of town without a word and we didn't get to say goodbye. But I understood why.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Prosecutor Greer wanted the jury to understand why as well. So he played Gloria's 911 call in its entirety right after the opening statements. 911. What's the location? Room, sir. Hi, Mom. I don't know where I am, but I think my boyfriend's following me.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

You could tell the whole courtroom was, you know, different. While that was being played,

[Narrator/Reporter]

the prosecution methodically laid out its case to the jury with all the audio and video evidence they'd collected.

[Prosecutor Corrine Schneff]

What you're about to see is a compilation of information from the defendant's cell phone, as well as surveillance videos that we have at the various locations. What you're going to see first is some GPS coordinates.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Schnepf says Rickman could no longer follow Gloria after he slashed Gloria's tires and put her truck with those airtags out of commission.

[Prosecutor Corrine Schneff]

As soon as he slashed the tires on Gloria's vehicle, he could no longer track her.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Rickman was forced to more or less guess where Gloria was. And in the days that followed, Schnepf says he spent a lot of time sitting outside her parents house where she was living. So all of this is breaking this no contact order, right?

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

Yeah, he probably every letter of the no contact order he violated, he's just

[Prosecutor Corrine Schneff]

constantly going back to her house. Is she there? Is she at her house?

[Narrator/Reporter]

It's crazy to see this like this. Sometime around 6pm on January 2, the night of Gloria's murder, Schneff says Rickman turned off his cell phone and didn't turn it back on until he was at the Home Motel immediately after the murder.

[Prosecutor Corrine Schneff]

The fact that he doesn't turn his phone off, except for at the time point of the murder, helps us to show that it was him.

[Narrator/Reporter]

To buttress their case, prosecutors put Brianna Eberle on the stand.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

I remember looking over at him, seeing him look at her picture. He started to cry. And I remember it made me so angry. I had never felt so furious in my life. Billy didn't just take Gloria's physical life. Billy took everything. Took a daughter, a mother, a friend, a sister, a cousin. He took it all in a blink of an eye, with no, no regard.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The loss of Gloria Choi weighed heavily on grand as the prosecution ended. He knew this was going to be the last case of his career. He was surveilling, he was stalking. He was hunting that night.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

Absolutely.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And Greg Grier was confident he'd proven that to the jury. Mom, can you tell me a story?

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

Sure.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Once upon a time, a mom needed a new car.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

Was she brave?

[Narrator/Reporter]

She was tired mostly.

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

But she went to Carvana.com and found

[Narrator/Reporter]

a great car at a great price. No secret treasure map required. Did you have to fight a dragon?

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

Nope.

[Narrator/Reporter]

She bought it 100% online from her bed, actually. Was it scary?

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

Honey, it was as unscary as car buying could be.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Did the car have a sunroof? It did, actually. Okay, good story.

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

Car buying you'll want to tell stories about.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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[Gloria Choi's Parent]

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[Gloria Choi's Parent]

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[Gloria Choi's Parent]

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[Narrator/Reporter]

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[Gloria Choi's Parent]

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[Narrator/Reporter]

When it was time to present Billy Rickman's defense, his lawyer did not call any witnesses and did not put Rickman on the stand. He argued in his closing that investigators failed to look at any other possible suspects, said prosecutor Greg Greer.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

The defense tried to make a case that somebody else did it.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Rickman's defense attorney told jurors that the police investigation was incomplete because Gloria never named rickman on her 911 and instead described the person who hit her car only as her boyfriend. I think my boyfriend's following me. He just hit my car. The trial lasted Two weeks. It only took the jury about two hours to reach their verdict. Guilty of aggravated murder. Rickman was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

Law enforcement didn't take any steps to locate or arrest Rickman in the days before Gloria's death.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Gloria's parents believe Gloria should still be alive, says Megan Driscoll. She has filed a wrongful death suit on behalf of Gloria's son against the city of Lakewood and its police department.

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

They wanted accountability for what happened to their daughter and their sister and their loved ones, and they believed that it was mismanaged and mishandled by law enforcement. This woman was deprived of justice and should not have been killed.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Driscoll says one of the ironies of the case is that the prosecution used Rickman's egregious stalking as evidence to help them secure the homicide conviction. So that very same evidence that was presented in the homicide trial, you're now using your wrongful death lawsuit to show what you believe. Is the Lakewood police not doing their jobs right.

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

I mean, this death was incredibly foreseeable. And we know that from the prosecution. We know that the jury convicted him. This wasn't a mystery of who did this or why. It was as foreseeable as it was preventable.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Your focus doesn't on Lakewood police and what they did and did not do. So outline for us what should they have done, plain and simple?

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

Plain and simple, Lakewood PD should have found Rickman and arrested him to protect Gloria.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

My name is Russ Hicks.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I'm a retired law enforcement officer.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

I was a lead instructor for domestic

[Narrator/Reporter]

violence for many years. Russ Hicks was hired by Driscoll as an expert witness, in part because he has a special connection to the case. So I know they received the proper training because I was their instructor at

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

the police academy, and I taught the three officers that were involved in this case.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And Hicks says those officers failed. Gloria. One example. One of the Lakewood officers says he left a voicemail for Rickman, which Hicks considers a mistake. I think it conveys a message that we're not taking this seriously and we're not looking for you, just saying that we'd like to talk to you.

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

And the sad irony of it is when you call a domestic violence perpetrator like Rickman, that actually just escalates the danger to the victim even more.

[Narrator/Reporter]

That officer says he drove around looking for Rickman's BMW, but Driscoll says there is no police record of that. Driscoll also says Gloria told the officer she believed Rickman was staying at a nearby motel. And as it turned out, the Home motel is only a six minute walk from the Holiday Inn.

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

It would have been so easy to find him because he was there to be found.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Driscoll also says officers failed Gloria by not finding. Following up on the detailed description of the truck Rickman was driving given to them by the desk clerk at the Holiday Inn. He's driving a Chevy Colorado. He's got one line out.

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

In normal law enforcement practice, they should send out a BOLO or be on the lookout saying this is a bay Chevy Colorado, broken tail lights. Look for this guy. They didn't do that. He was half a block away.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Some 48 hours before her murder, Driscoll says Gloria gave one of the officers an a comprehensive seven page document. In it, Gloria details the many times she said Rickman violated the no contact order, his emails, his calls, and a still frame from one of the Holiday Inn videos. Even without report in hand, Driscoll says police took no action.

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

They had everything they needed and more to arrest him.

[Narrator/Reporter]

In addressing the Choi family's wrongful death lawsuit, a city lawyer told a judge in January 2025, the police have no obligation to go and arrest someone like Rickman if he is not at the scene. At that hearing, the judge asked the city's lawyer, a police officer could still sit back and do nothing in response to a complaint by a domestic violence victim because there's no duty to look for the abuser. The city's lawyer answered that's correct. John justice, the attorney representing the city and the Lakewood Police Department, said he could not comment on pending litigation. Tell me a little bit about how she changed your life.

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

She always reminded me that I was a good person no matter what and that I was because I doubted myself a lot and she reminded me every day that I was good.

[Narrator/Reporter]

How much did that change you and your self worth?

[Brianna Eberly (Friend of Gloria Choi)]

So much more than I could probably describe. It gave me hope.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Prosecutor Greg Greer retired in 2024. He's still trying to to, in his words, find his way back to humanity and forget the violence that surrounded him for so many years. But he's still haunted by Gloria's last words on that 911 call.

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

I did learn the Korean language while I was in the Air Force and I could hear very clearly Gloria calling for her mother.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And what is the word that you hear?

[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

It's uma oma and she's just frantically desperation. Calling for her mother tells you a lot about human nature. And yeah, it's one of the saddest things you'll ever hear. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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[Aja (Survivor and Witness)]

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[Narrator/Reporter]

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[Prosecutor Greg Greer]

I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail]

[Gloria Choi's Parent]

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