unsolved murders in sonoma county ca

Smiths disappearance was reported on March 28, 1971, and as of this writing, her body has never been found. PRESS DEMOCRAT STAFF. Jeannette Kamahele, a 20-year-old Santa Rosa Junior College student,[33] was last seen on April 25, 1972, hitchhiking near the Cotati on-ramp of Highway 101. February 4, 1972, proved to be a tragic day in Sonoma County, California. [19] Police reported in 1975 that it was a rectangle connected to a square, with bars running along side constructed of twigs or sticks. We uncover the best of the city and put it all in an email for you. In the kidnapping of Lori Kursa, the public was asked to look for a white man with an Afro-hair style driving a white van. [7] It could not be determined whether the poison had been administered to Davis by needle or by pill. [5] Their bodies were found on December 28, 1972, [6] 2.2 miles (3.5km) north of Porter Creek Road on Franz Valley Road, down a steep embankment approximately 66 feet (20m) off the east side of the roadway. They also found a distinctive hat on a turnout above the beach on Hwy 1. Most importantly I want to thank the Cutshall and Allen families, who have consistently been supportive and patient during this 13 year investigation. Sheriff Steve Freitas of Sonoma County said that Gallon made statements about the crime that only the killer would know (Gallon described where exactly in their bodies he shot the victims), and that his office had also found corroborating evidence tying Gallon to the murders. the deaths never accounted for or answered for, justice elusive. In 1975, the FBI issued an official report entitled Unsolved Female HomicidesAn Analysis of a Series of Related Murders in California and Western America. The report asserted that 14 unsolved homicides between 1972 and 1974 had been committed by one killer. Between 1972 and 1973, one of Resslers monsters traveled the roads of Santa Rosa, California, looking for unsuspecting victims. Similarly, nobody could say for sure whether either Sterling or Weber had been sexually assaulted. Seven years before and about 91 meters (300 ft) away had been the spot where the body of Lori Lee Kursa had been found.[9]. Neither caller was able to provide further details. Want to post on Patch? The Santa Rosa hitchhiker murders were a series of at least seven unsolved homicides involving female hitchhikers that took place in Sonoma County and Santa Rosa of the North Bay area of California in 1972 and 1973. The city of Santa Rosa, in Sonoma County, California, was once the location for just one series of horrific murders, which would go on to shock this . Yvonne Quilantang, 15, was found strangled in a vacant, Nancy Feusi, 22, disappeared after going dancing at a club in the, Brenda Kaye Merchant, 19, was found stabbed to death at her home on February 1, 1974, in, Donna Maria Braun, 14, whose strangled body was found at 7 p.m. on September 29, 1974 in the, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 10:39. Following Manallis death, police discovered several sadomasochistic drawings that Manalli had made featuring Allen, a former student. The VCI unit is responsible for the investigation of a wide variety of serious incidents including assaults, robberies, kidnapping, weapons violations, missing persons and hate crimes. It was proven early on that Kursa had deliberately run away from home. [5], Both Cutshall and Allen were counselors at Rock-N-Water, a Christian summer camp in El Dorado County, California. A little later, at around 9:00 PM, both girls were seen hitchhiking on Guerneville Road. Rosa Vasquez, 20, last seen May 26; her body was found on May 29, 1973. 2019. [3], Jack Alexander Bokin, a violent, serial rapist who died in prison in December 2021 at age 78, has been suggested as another possible suspect by law enforcement. On that day, two middle school students, Maureen Sterling (left above) and Yvonne Weber (right above), went missing. Public assistance is vital to law enforcement, and rewards may encourage the public cooperation needed to . It's a pretty accurate portrayal of events and was shot locally. Under California law, law enforcement agencies may ask the Governor to issue rewards in certain unsolved cases where they have exhausted all investigative leads, to encourage individuals with information about the crimes to come forward. In fact, a suspect was identified, but three key witnesses refused to come forward for fear of outing themselves as gay. Lisa Michele Smith, 17, was last seen hitchhiking on Hearn Avenue in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California and her disappearance was never solved. We are especially grateful to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office for their tireless pursuit of Jason's and Lindsay's killer. unsolved murders in california. Her body was found, nude, posed, mutilated, and sliced in half at the . Like so many of us, Kristin Modaferirelocated to the Bay Area from across the country. week. Theresa Diane Smith Walsh, 23, of Miranda,[21] was last seen on December 22, 1973, at Zuma Beach in Malibu, intent on hitchhiking to Garberville and joining her family for Christmas. Individuals wishing to remain anonymous may submit their tip via the anonymous tip form. Thanks for subscribing! Type: Murder Victim Date: 5/18/2002 Name: Carol Guillen Sex: F Eyes: Brown Hair: Black Race: Hispanic Vehicle: Black, 1999 Honda Civic, 4-door, CA License # 4FSG574 Reward: $5,000. [27] One expert consulted by authorities determined that the victim was likely killed between 1972 and 1974 and was about 19-years-old. 1976: Alvin Maddux and Faye Maddux; Elaine Lehtinen, 1980: Charles Slack; Ruben Huijon; Douglas Hancock, 1981: Ian Dallas; Lloyd Johnson; Henry Villanueva, 1991: Kin Po-Ko; Peggy Swarts; Marty Davis, 2007-2009: Johnethel McGehee (McGhee's remains were found in the Berryessa area in 2009; detectives determined she died in 2007. She told her grandmother that she planned to hitch hike to Modesto, California and stay there with friends. One tipster reported seeing two men with a girl on Calistoga Road. He had information about the killings that no other person could have known and we have located evidence that corroborates his information. She was carrying the barrel, which had red Chinese characters on it, when she was last seen hitchhiking near a ramp to northbound Highway 101 in San Rafael. One of the killers oldest victims, Theresa Walsh, died at the age of 23. [7] They last saw her at approximately 5:20 p.m. hitchhiking to school near the Bell Avenue entrance to Highway 101, northbound,[4] carrying a large wooden soy barrel with red Chinese characters on it. She is believed to have been between 16 and 21 when she was killed, had red, auburn or brown hair, was 5-foot-3 and wore hard contact lenses. Police had believed the girls were runaways. Although ballistics determined the gun type, police declined to publicly disclose it, in order "to eliminate false leads." UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: From the mysterious disappearance of two teens in Forestville to answers in the killing of a Napa beauty queen, here are 11 cold cases we won't soon forget. On their last day alive, the girls had gone to Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa in order to buy Christmas gifts for their friends and family. [55][57], After his capture for similar crimes in Washington, Colorado, Utah and Idaho,[63] Ted Bundy was suspected in the murders. I'd like to read a statement from Bob and Delores Allen and Chris and Kathy Cutshall: "We are extremely pleased that our children's murderer is in custody where he belongs. On July 8, 1979, skeletal remains were found in a shallow embankment inside the Jackson State Forest in Mendocino County, California. Gallon made statements to the detectives with new information (he spontaneously confessed) and additional investigative leads into the case. [16] A friend witnessed her likely abduction and reported that she entered a faded brown Chevrolet pickup truck fitted with a homemade wooden camper and driven by a 20- to 30-year-old Caucasian male with an Afro hairstyle. Most Popular. The following cold cases remain unanswered, and they continue to haunt locals to this day: Our most famous and perhaps scariest unsolved crime, the Zodiac Killermurdered throughout the Bay Area in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone. But the M.O. No additional information was provided until the press conference. [20] The symbol was located on the roadway above the site where Davis was found. Another possible victim of the Santa Rosa killer, 17-year-old Lisa Smith of Petaluma, had been abducted not long after hitchhiking on Hearn Avenue in Santa Rosa. [4] An autopsy found that Davis had an injury to her right earlobe that appeared to be an attempted ear piercing. When the Jane Doe was discovered in 1979, it was believed to be Jeannette. [1] Resslers in-depth penetration into the minds of sexual sociopaths lead him to become the worlds foremost expert on murder. Kim went missing on March 4, 1972. I'd like to make a brief statement and then I will take some questions. Walshs corpse was found six days later on December 28. One of the most challenging sections of the old road, the 500-foot drop along. She was a 19-year-old art student, described by friends as a "pure spirit," "innocent" and possessing a "child-like acceptance of people." At that time, eyewitnesses saw Davis hitchhiking southbound on Highway 101. Prosecutors allege he drowned Priscilla Lewis in 1996 in an attempted rape and burglary at a restaurant in the city of Crockett. This is a list of notable male murderers who committed their murders in California, USA. In 2014, a still-anonymous Northern California couple found gold coins buried in their backyard. [1] An acquaintance who had spoken with them earlier that evening recalled in 2019 that Sterling and Weber had told her that a tall, slender man in his late-teens or early-twenties with black hair had asked them to smoke marijuana. (sic)[54], Arthur Leigh Allen, of Vallejo,[55] owned a mobile home at Sunset Trailer Park in Santa Rosa[56] at the time of the murders. Lori Lee Kursa, Carolyn Davis, Maureen Sterling, Therese Walsh, Kim Wendy Allen and Yvonne Weber, the victims of the Santa Rosa hitchhiker murderer. The crime remains unsolved, and the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office recently asked for the publics help identifying a suspect in the case. Panic rose in their parents throats as they searched the skating rink for Maureen and Yvonne. Cold Case Unit Investigates Unsolved Deaths, Source: Napa County Cold Case Investigation Unit, Viva Mariachi! Only seven victims can officially be tied to the mysterious killer, five of whom actually died. She, like so many other victims, was last seen hitchhiking on Highway 101 near the town of Cotati. Authorities later said she had traveled to Illinois and New Mexico. On Sunday, March 5, two high school students, 17-year-olds John Bly and Scott Bunting, found Allens nude body in a creek bed near Santa Rosa. The bodies of Lindsay Cutshall, 22, and her fianc Jason S. Allen, 26, were found on Fish Head Beach, between Russian Gulch and the mouth of the Russian River, in the small coastal hamlet of Jenner, California. Dont worry too much about me, the only thing I'm gonna be doing is keeping myself alive. It was signed, Love, Carolyn.. She appeared to be heading north carrying two bags. According to Robert Graysmith in his book Zodiac Unmasked, Manallis belongings had included pictures of himself as Freda, a lock of hair in his wallet, and letters outlining his interests in sex slavery and large-breasted women.[4]. More recently, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office announced it was looking into Jack Alexander Bokin; Bokin was linked to a cold case murder in 1996 with new DNA technology. Juan Valencia told SFGATE in a statement. During those years, at least seven young women were sexually assaulted, tortured, and murdered by an unknown killer. In the decades since 1979, several high-profile names have been suggested as to the identity of the Santa Rosa murderer. The case has received considerable national attention, but the crime remained unsolved, until news given at a press conference on May 5, 2017, suggesting that authorities had solved the crime. Initially, it was postulated that a drifter had murdered the young couple and then left the area. The case remained unsolved at that time. [2] Investigators postulated that her body had been thrown from the road as the hillside brush appeared undisturbed. Examinations of the remains found that both victims had been bound with duct tape and buried in plastic bags. Author Robert Graysmith put forward the idea that the Santa Rosa killer was really San Franciscos Zodiac Killer. and Bundys locations didnt match, and he was ruled out. Camping near thebeach is one of life's great pleasures. Daviss cause of death proved to be unusual, for she had died of a strychnine overdose approximately ten to 14 days before her bodys discovery. You are true heroes to us and we thank God for you. Specifically, Trimbles mother filed a missing child report with the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office in mid-December, while the Graham family did not report their daughter missing until Christmas Eve. [2] Her home life was troubled and she was a frequent hitchhiker and habitual runaway. At around 5:20, Allen was seen hitchhiking at the Bell Avenue Freeway entrance. No official missing person report was filed for Graham until decades later, when Grahams sister suspected the victims found were Graham and Trimble and urged police to conduct DNA testing. Graham and Trimble, who had been associating with classmates who used drugs, had gone to school that day but did not attend classes. Three days after Christmas 1972, their bones were found by two teenage hikers near Franz Valley Road. Nicknamed "the Doodler"because his modus operandi was to sketch victims, have sex with them and then stab them, this unknown San Francisco serial killerhunted the Castro District in 1974 and 1975. But when their parents returned at 11 p.m., the girls werent waiting as theyd promised. Three days before Christmas 1973, Therese attempted to hitchhike from Malibu up to Garberville, where her 2-year-old child and extended family lived. Other investigators later cast doubt on the meaning of the twig figure and whether it had any connection to the girls murder. This unidentified victim had been hog-tied, with the killers rope looped around the womans throat. Cutshall was from Fresno, Ohio and Allen was from Zeeland, Michigan. Our prayers continue to be for the Sheriff's Office as they build their case, for the families of the deputies, who have given them their undying support, for all the dear folks of Sonoma County who have prayed for us, and even for Shaun Gallon who heartlessly committed this senseless and wicked crime. Trimbles mother had seen the girls at her home sometime on December 15, 1978 and Grahams sister recalled seeing them at her parents home either on December 15 or 16, 1978. 5. To the chagrin of homicide detectives, both suspects passed their polygraph examinations. Officially, however, the mystery remains unsolved. Amazingly, friends and schoolmates of both girls had lived for over 30 years without ever knowing that the girls were even missing, let alone dead.[10]. [26][27] The victim had been hogtied[28] and her arm fractured around the time of her murder,[25][29] and her corpse had been stuffed into a laundry or duffel bag before being dumped in the ravine,[27] but there was no other evidence to establish a cause of death. Fiften-year-old Kerry Graham (left above) and 14-year-old Francine Trimble (right above), both of Forestville, California, went missing sometime in December 1978. She was last seen with friends in Santa Rosa on the day of her disappearance. Earlier that day, shed made a trip to San Franciscos Chinatown to buy a wooden soy sauce barrel. We will remove any comments or commenters that do not follow this commenting policy. But there wasn't enough evidence to close the case." She jumped out of the pickup, which was going about 55 miles per hour south of Novato, California. [7] Semen was recovered from the body and a single gold loop earring was found at the site. All were . This story was originally published Feb. 1, 2021. 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