On the morning of February 8, 2001, SDPD Communications received an anonymous 911 call from a restaurant on Adams Avenue. The male caller reported finding his friend dead and the apartment door open at 2930 Broadway. Officers responded to the apartment on Broadway, and upon their arrival they found Bill Stormo dead on the living room floor. There appeared to have been a struggle and some ransacking, and many items were missing from the apartment.

Stormo was a very friendly individual who entertained many visitors at his apartment. Based on information from witnesses, Stormo was probably killed either earlier that morning or late the night before. An autopsy revealed that Stormo had been strangled.