Arrest Made In 1994 Concord Killing Of Transgender Woman

CONCORD, CA — An arrest has been made in the killing nearly 30 years ago of a transgender woman in her Concord apartment, police announced Monday.

James William Grimsley, 55, was arrested Thursday in Utah in connection with the Dec. 2, 1994, death of 28-year-old Terrie Ladwig in her Concord apartment, a Concord Police Department lieutenant said in a statement.

"Concord PD has kept this 'cold case' open and under investigation since that time," Lt. Sean Donnelly said. "Recent developments led to the identification of Grimsley, a truck driver who was living in Utah at the time of his arrest."

Concord PD worked closely with the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office and the Contra Costa County FBI Safe Streets Task Force to secure a warrant for Grimsley's arrest and locate him, Donnelly said.

On Thursday, Concord police detectives arrested Grimsley with the help of the Salt Lake City Utah Safe Streets Task Force.

Grimsley was being held in a Salt Lake City jail on a $1 million fugitive warrant on suspicion of strangling Ladwig to death and was expected to be extradited this week to Contra Costa County, The Mercury News reported.

Grimsley would have been 26 years old at the time of Ladwig's death.

Police told the newspaper there was "forensic evidence" from the scene but said they were still investigating a motive in the slaying.

According to the Gay History Wiki page, which quoted the Contra Costa Times from 1994 stories, Ladwig identified as a woman and was married to Steven Ladwig, who was away in a submarine, then on duty at a Navy base in Bangor, Washington when the murder took place. He was later cleared by police.

The two were married in July 1994. Her husband knew his Terrie was born Larry Earl Thompson, Jr. and was preparing to have gender reassignment surgery at the time of her death.

Ladwig said Terrie called him Nov. 28 and said someone was trying to break down the door of their Adelaide Street apartment. He came home shortly afterward to find his wife beaten and strangled with an electrical cord. According to the report, there was no sign of forced entry.

Police said anyone with information in the case can contact Detective James Cartwright at 925-603-5829.

— Bay City News Service contributed to this report.