David Esco Welch

David Esco Welch (born ) is an American mass murderer who shot and killed six people during a home invasion of his girlfriend's house in Oakland, California on December 8, 1986.

Welch was sentenced to death and remains on death row awaiting execution. A female accomplice, Rita Lewis, was given a sentence of 51 years to life imprisonment. The mass murder was considered the worst to occur in Oakland until it was surpassed by the 2012 Oikos University shooting.

Early life Welch and his siblings grew up in a socially disadvantaged environment, as his father was a violent alcoholic who took his anger out on his children and his wife. On numerous occasions between the ages of 6 and 12, Welch was whipped with an extension cord by his father.

Upon entering the home, Welch demanded the return of his pet. From there, Welch began ransacking the place and shooting his gun at the sleeping people, killing Dellane, Valencia, Sean Orlando, Darnell, Kathy, and Dwayne. He also wounded Leslie and Dexter, but both survived their wounds. After the killings, Welch and Rita fled the home. They were both arrested by a police assault team nine hours later. Rita Lewis was separately convicted for her participation in the murders, for which she was sentenced to 51-years to life imprisonment.

In May 2015, after spending 26 years on death row, Welch filed an appeal, in which he alleged that there were improper communications between trial court jurors and bailiffs. His attorneys also brought up the abuse that Welch had received as a child. The appeal was rejected. Capital punishment in California remains inactive after an imposed moratorium by governor Gavin Newsom, and executions have not been fulfilled in California since 2006. As of 2022, Welch remains on death row.