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Oakland police arrested a man suspected of torturing and killing his ex-girlfriend, and they believe he may have killed two other people whose bloodstains were found in a torture chamber set up in his home that police likened to the film "The Silence of the Lambs."
Earl Stefanson, a 41-year-old roofer from Oakland, was arrested Tuesday night after police determined he was responsible for the slaying of Leslie Lamb, 36, of San Leandro, said homicide Sgt. Tony Jones.
Stefanson dropped off a severely beaten Lamb at Highland Hospital on the night of Aug. 26. She later died.
Stefanson initially told investigators he found her in a car, police said. But Jones found discrepancies in his account and obtained a search warrant of his home in the 3400 block of Coolidge Avenue in the Dimond District of East Oakland.
There, police found a "very dark and frightening" room that Jones compared to scenes in "The Silence of the Lambs." Jones declined to describe the room or disclose all that was found inside.
Police not only found Lamb's blood in the room but blood from two other apparent victims whom police have not been able to identify.
"We're seeking the public's help in trying to determine who else may be a victim of this man," said Lt. Ersie Joyner. "There may be women who have been assaulted by this man who are still alive. We want to speak to them."
Joyner would not say the exact cause of Lamb's death but said, "She was badly beaten and tortured."
When police attempted to arrest Stefanson on Tuesday night, he led them on a lengthy chase through Oakland and into Hayward where he was captured with the help of local police, Jones said.
Jones said that Stefanson would not answer questions after his arrest. Stefanson and Lamb had been dating for several months and he had a history of violence with her, police said. Stefanson, police added, does not have "lengthy criminal history."
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