Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Fugitive From Lancaster Is Shot to Death in Louisiana

A Lancaster fugitive who vowed not be taken alive has been shot to death by a Louisiana state trooper after he pointed a gun at the officer during a routine traffic stop, authorities said Friday.

William E. Flory, 44, a convicted child molester and a fugitive since Jan. 4, was shot five times by Louisiana State Police Trooper Neal Harwell after Harwell stopped him for driving a car with expired registration tags, said Louisiana state police spokeswoman Barbara Gibson.

The shooting occurred Wednesday, north of the small town of St. Joseph, La., on U.S. 65. After Flory was stopped on the highway, he walked up to the state trooper, who was sitting in his squad car writing a ticket, and pointed a small handgun at him, Gibson said.

Flory fired one shot, which ricocheted inside the patrol car but did not hit Harwell. The state trooper then fired 11 shots at Flory, authorities said. A shotgun was found in Flory’s car, police said.

Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. John Portillo said Flory missed his trial date in January at Lancaster Superior Court for the kidnaping and rape of a 13-year-old Lake Elizabeth girl. He was convicted of molesting his 11-year-old daughter in 1984 and spent a year in County Jail, Portillo said.

“He knew he was going to go to jail for a long time because of his previous conviction,” said Detective Ron Schram of the Antelope Valley Sheriff’s Station.

Authorities said that Flory left Lancaster in a rented car on Dec. 20. The car was found in Las Vegas a few days later.

Police later learned that Flory had mailed a letter to a former girlfriend from New Orleans. In the letter, he stated that he would not be taken alive, investigators said.

“In view of what he did, I think he wanted to end it all,” Portillo said.

After he left California, authorities said Flory was charged with theft for stealing $24,000 in cash from his former girlfriend.

“He knew how to manipulate women,” said Schram. “He considered himself a romantic.”