Kriti Mehrotra
While Lakewood, Washington, is a relatively peaceful city in the South Puget Sound region, it was left shaken to the core on January 2, 2022, when Gloria Choi was heinously killed. The single young mother was targeted while she was on her way home from work for a brief dinner break, only for her last few moments to have been documented in a 911 call she made. All these details, along with the authorities’ subsequent efforts to ensure justice is served, have since been carefully profiled in CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Love Bombing of Gloria Choi.’
Gloria Choi Was Killed Inside Her Vehicle While on the Phone With Emergency Services
Born on October 26, 1988, Gloria “Glo” Goeun Choi was a bright light in the lives of her family and friends, owing not only to her deep loyalty but also to her unwavering kindness. In fact, per the aforementioned original, her parents often even described her as a passionate “angel” because she never hesitated to step into the long-standing family business of running hotels. She thus led by example for her young son as a single mother, teaching him the significance of balance and perseverance, all the while also focusing on her own individual growth.
It was sometime in 2021 when Gloria first came across a man named William “Billy” Lee Rickman, just for them to begin dating not long after. He was allegedly quick to shower her with attention and appreciation, yet things changed within a few months, leading to them parting ways in November. The 33-year-old hospitality professional then focused solely on her career as well as her son, unaware that the rug would be pulled from right under her feet on January 2, 2022. According to records, she left work that fateful evening in her 2019 Ford Ranger to go home for dinner, only to be followed and suddenly run off course.
Gloria was terrified in those moments, but she still managed to dial 911 and tell the dispatcher, in part, “I don’t know where I am, but I’m scared to get out of my car.” She then relayed her location upon noticing a street sign, after which she saw a man approaching with a gun in hand. She screamed, “He’s got a gun! Please come!” What was heard next was several shots ringing out, with officials later uncovering that her assailant had pulled the trigger through her driver’s side window at close range a total of 14 times. She was rushed to Madigan Army Medical Center within minutes, but to no avail — she had already passed from the multiple gunshot wounds across her arm, back, and neck. As per her autopsy report, she had been hit 10 times.
Gloria Choi Was Murdered by Her Ex-Boyfriend After Months of Stalking
Since Gloria’s death was an undeniable homicide, authorities immediately began investigating the matter as such and delved into her life in the hopes of getting some answers. They quickly learned she had called the emergency number at least 4 times in the 48 hours leading to her untimely demise, claiming she was being harassed and stalked. According to records, she had broken up with William “Billy” Rickman in November 2021 after he allegedly became controlling, and he didn’t take it well. Instead of maintaining his distance, he reportedly began following her around to such an extent that she got a domestic violence no-contact order against him. After all, he had previously allegedly also threatened to kill her if she broke up with him.
As inquiries continued, detectives learned Gloria had made at least 7 more complaints against William across Lewis, Pierce, and Thurston counties in the last few weeks of 2021. While some related to just him allegedly trying to contact her despite the court order, others were serious claims, reportedly indicating a pattern of stalking and harassment. She made one such call on December 30 to allege she was having dinner with a co-worker at a local restaurant when he broke into her truck to steal two backpacks and 2 laptops.
That cold late December night, Gloria also claimed her ex-boyfriend had slashed the same colleague’s passenger-side tires while the vehicle was parked at their workplace. With surveillance footage from the hotel backing the latter allegation and the 33-year-old herself identifying William on the January 2, 2022, 911 call, a warrant was put out for his arrest. It turns out he had fled the state immediately after the shooting, but fortunately, he was soon located in Humboldt County, California, and taken into custody on January 7.
William “Billy” Rickman is Serving a Life Term Today
William was extradited to Washington within days of his arrest, following which he was remanded into custody without bail pending trial. He was considered a danger to society and a flight risk because he had a history in California as well as a long rap sheet dating back to 1993. It took over 2 years, but his trial finally commenced in November 2023, during which he tried maintaining his innocence despite the mountain of evidence against him. In the end, after 2 hours of deliberations, he was found guilty of aggravated first-degree murder.
William was convicted on December 7, 2023, and just over a week later, on December 15, 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Therefore, today, at age 51, he is incarcerated at the mixed-security Monroe Correctional Complex in Snohomish County, Washington, where he is expected to remain for the rest of his natural life. We should also mention that in September 2023, Gloria’s estate filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Lakewood Police Department, alleging it failed to do its duty and protect her. They claim that if they had acted on any of her 11 complaints in the weeks leading to her demise, she would likely still be alive.
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