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. Police thought it was suicide, but friends are sure it's murder. The pair, both aged 12 and students at Herbert Slater Middle School, spent their last night alive hanging out at the Redwood Empire Ice Arena. . It was 9 p.m. on a Friday, and their mothers wouldnt be back to pick them up for two hours. Moses was last seen getting into a car with a 25- to 30-year old man in Santa Rosa on Aug. 13, 1997. Classmates of the girls were questioned about their whereabouts at school the following On that day, two middle school students, Maureen Sterling (left above) and Yvonne Weber (right above), went missing. Click through our gallery above to learn more about some of the North Coast cold cases and investigations, solved and unsolved, since the 1970s. It is obvious that they werent, he told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. She appeared to be heading north carrying two bags. We uncover the best of the city and put it all in an email for you. Prosecutors allege he drowned Priscilla Lewis in 1996 in an attempted rape and burglary at a restaurant in the city of Crockett. 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. 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. [7] Semen was recovered from the body and a single gold loop earring was found at the site. The killer had thrown the body at least 30 feet (9.1m) over an embankment. These skeletons would not be identified as Graham and Trimble until 2015. [4] Markings at the top of the embankment and a possible leg impression in the loam indicated the assailant likely slipped or fell while throwing or transporting the body. Thanks for subscribing! No additional information was provided until the press conference. [7] An investigator said a witchcraft symbol meaning "carrier of spirits" was found by her body. For that reason, we are releasing a photo of Shaun Gallon. An aerial view of the hills around Santa Rosa. Anyone with information about Georgia's case is asked to call the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office at 707-565-2185 or 707-565-2650. Lori, just 13, was reported missing by her mother in November 1972. He reportedly brandished a gun and threatened to rape her. The real life killer wrote numerous letters to both the media and law enforcement, claiming a victim list of 37 people. The reward money went unclaimed, and Walsh left behind a two-year-old son named Danran. The Doodler's identity remains a mystery. She, like so many other victims, was last seen hitchhiking on Highway 101 near the town of Cotati. 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. 200 150 100 50. . 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. I would like to acknowledge and thank the current investigative team: Lieutenant Tim Duke, Sgt. Sheriff's Office detectives are continuing to follow-up on leads and are working hard to complete the investigation. Anyone with information about Georgia's case is asked to call the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office at 707-565-2185 or 707-565-2650. Dental records were not a match, however, and Jeannettes body has never been found. Despite an exhaustive effort by detectives, this avenue of the investigation never yielded any solid leads. Search continues for Bay Area serial killer who murdered at least 7 women and girls, Restaurant chain slated to close site at Bay Area mall, Grapevine closed indefinitely due to heavy snow and ice, Graupel falls on Disneyland, shocks guests, Plan to bring bullet train from LA to Vegas is underway, What it looks like inside Coit Towers former apartment, One of the largest movie theaters in SF to close permanently, Hundreds of thousands of workers have abandoned downtown SF, Avalanche slams into Tahoe apartment building amid blizzard, Tahoe's snowfall totals are on track to break records, 'Zero visibility' conditions: All roads to Tahoe are closed, Popular yet divisive fast food chain coming to this Bay Area town, Report: Matthew McConaughey has a massive Salesforce paycheck. It was not clear whether this occurred on the day the girls went missing.[34][35]. [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. [61], Robert Graysmith, in his book Zodiac Unmasked, claims that a Sonoma County sheriff revealed that chipmunk hairs were found on all of the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker victims and that Allen had been collecting and studying the same species. Some unsolved murders in Sacramento, California, and unsolved murders in Sacramento County, California, include the 2012 murder of . New evidence including poems found near the crime scene, writings contained in a journal left for visitors inside a nearby driftwood hut, an empty 40-ounce bottle of Camo beer, and drawings inked onto pieces of driftwood near the site of the killings. He had information about the killings that no other person could have known and we have located evidence that corroborates his information. We will be presenting our report to the District Attorney's Office in the near future. Police learned from Jeannettes roommate Nora Morales that the Jeanette often hitchhiked 16 kilometers (10 mi) from her home in Cotati to her classes at Santa Rosa Junior College. During those years, at least seven young women were sexually assaulted, tortured, and murdered by an unknown killer. 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. 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. The driver was a Caucasian man with an Afro-type hairstyle. Reports also stated that the van was noticeably damaged on one side and that the driver was a white male with a Afro-like hairstyle.[5]. Her captor or captors left her by the side of the road. The sheriff pegged it as an obvious suicide, even though the dead guy didn't seem troubled and was about to take a walk along the railroad tracks with his brother and niece. The rifle is uncommon, considered too high caliber for most ranchers, and most likely would have required hand loaded ammunition. Camping near thebeach is one of life's great pleasures. 5. Bundy was executed in 1989 after being convicted of murdering two women and a 12-year-old girl in Florida. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office held a press conference on Friday, May 5, 2017, regarding major developments in the 2004 Jenner double murder case. 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. With the window quickly closing on any hopes of catching a still-living suspect, here is what investigators know about the hitchhiker murders that terrorized the young women of the Bay Area. Register for a user account. Graham and Trimble, who had been associating with classmates who used drugs, had gone to school that day but did not attend classes. The victims were both counselors at a Northern California Christian camp and hoped to rent a room nearby, but couldn't find one. Gallon made statements to the detectives with new information (he spontaneously confessed) and additional investigative leads into the case. Police thought two fingerprints on the checkbook might belong to the killer. Her biological parents then located her shortly afterwards and took her back to their home in Livermore, California, according to the article, which quoted a juvenile officer from the sheriffs office.[31]. To this day, she has not been identified. Homicide detectives from the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department launched an investigation into the deaths. [6] They learned about the nearby beach, which is less than a mile from the restaurant. 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. Modaferi was last spotted leaving Spinelli's Coffee at the Crocker Galleria in the Financial District. [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. [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. All of the victims were found nude in rural areas near steep embankments or in creek beds near roads.[1]. Johnasen found that Kursa had been dead for one to two weeks, and he further concluded that Kursas killer had thrown her body into the ravine off Calistoga Road. 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. Her left earlobe had not been pierced. Following a small snowstorm on Thursday, December 28, 1972, both bodies were found 3.5 kilometers (2.2 mi) from the rural Porter Creek Road, located in the Franz Valley Road area. A map showing the locations of the Santa Rosa hitchhiker murders. ", "No Contest Plea In Notorious 2004 Jenner Beach Murders; DA Agrees Not To Seek Death Penalty", "Jenner beach killer Shaun Gallon sentenced to life in prison", "10 years on, Jenner beach killings haunt 2 families", "Retracing the doomed couple's steps / Slain Christian camp counselors spent some time in S.F. UNSOLVED - From early 1972 to 1979, the bodies of seven girls and young women were found in rural Santa Rosa, buried or dumped along steep embankments or in creek beds. The Winchester Mystery House is a mansion in San Jose, California which was once the personal residence of Sarah Winchester, the widow of gun magnate William Wirt Winchester. [58] Allen was arrested on September 27, 1974, by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office[59] and charged with child molestation in an unrelated case involving a young boy. Kursas body showed no signs of sexual assault. The US in the early 1970s was awash in serial murder. [5], Both Cutshall and Allen were counselors at Rock-N-Water, a Christian summer camp in El Dorado County, California. Somewhere there was a piece to this to put it together, but somehow you just can't seem to find it.. Her grandmother drove the 15-year-old girl to the downtown district of Garberville on July 15, 1973, and parked in front of the post office, which was located two city blocks away from Highway 101. At least seven women and girls were killed in the span of a few years, all dumped on the sides. As was so often the case in the 1970s, police officers believed that the girls were runaways. She posted a letter to her parents shortly after she ran away in which she wrote that she had left voluntarily and never planned to return home. [2] Her home life was troubled and she was a frequent hitchhiker and habitual runaway. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office at 707-565-2650. All of them were wearing life jackets. She had been strangled by her killer a week before her bodys discovery. The girls also mentioned to Grahams sister that they planned to go to a party, but she did not recall further details. Middle school student Lori Lee Kursa was reported missing by her mother on November 20, 1972. UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: DNA analysis has helped investigators piece together many of the crimes, but others remain a mystery. ", "Secret Witness - Officials seek killer of woman", https://www.santarosahitchhikermurders.com/articles/davis/strychnine_killed_caroline.pdf, "Is he Zodiak? Camo beer originates in Wisconsin, is no longer made, and is an uncommon beer in California. (This is a really good theory.) One Year Anniversary of the Unsolved Murder of 15-Year-Old Devin Griffiths. According to Yvonnes stepfather, Santa Rosa police insisted the young pair were willing runaways. Graysmith noted that some of the Zodiacs later letters contained Chinese-like characters similar to the ones found on the barrel carried by Kim Allen on the day of her death. We will remove any comments or commenters that do not follow this commenting policy. Her decomposing remains were found on July 31 on Franz Valley Road, just feet from where Maureen and Yvonne were discovered the year prior. To the chagrin of homicide detectives, both suspects passed their polygraph examinations. Following Manallis death, police discovered several sadomasochistic drawings that Manalli had made featuring Allen, a former student. Graham was reportedly reported missing on Christmas Eve that year. We would like to thank the heartfelt concern of the people of Jenner and Sonoma County. Strychnine was sometimes mixed with other drugs, but an autopsy showed no trace of either heroin or amphetamines in her system.[18]. When the Jane Doe was discovered in 1979, it was believed to be Jeannette. A true crime magazine, Front Page Detective, published an article in September 1975 linking the Santa Rosa murders with the Zodiac Killer and witchcraft. (Gallon in fact led them to a soda can with the two bullit casings). The Violent Crimes Unit (VCI) is comprised of One Detective Sergeant, and Four Detectives who investigate felony crimes against persons. Fifty years ago, Maureen Sterling and Yvonne Weber walked into Redwood Empire Ice Arena in Santa Rosa. The truck was described as a 1950s model with a wooden homemade camper in the back.[8]. 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. In 2014, a still-anonymous Northern California couple found gold coins buried in their backyard. The witness told interviewers that, in retrospect, she thought the man she saw in the lobby at the ice arena resembled photographs of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. 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. Authorities later said she had traveled to Illinois and New Mexico. Less than a month later, on December 14, Kursas partially frozen nude body was found by a couple out walking along Calistoga Road. Boaters discovered her partially submerged underneath a log in Mark West Creek. She was so full of life, her grief-stricken mother told local newspapers. On July 8, 1979, skeletal remains were found in a shallow embankment inside the Jackson State Forest in Mendocino County, California. It is unsettling how many strings of mysterious unsolved murders are out there that have never been solved, their perpetrators . One tipster reported seeing two men with a girl on Calistoga Road. [4], Lindsay Cutshall and Jason Allen grew up in the Midwestern United States. No off-topic remarks. Trimbles mother reported her missing to police within a few days when she had not returned home. On March 4, 1972, at 5:00 PM, Allen left her job at a health food store in Larkspur to attend a night class. Although Graham and Trimble are only suspected victims of the Santa Rosa murderer, there is plenty of circumstantial evidence, from the use of a ravine to the fact that both girls were known to hitchhike, to suggest that they ran afoul of the unknown serial murderer. There are some close to the case, however, who think their man already got away with murder. 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. But several cold cases still remain unsolved. By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Other investigators later cast doubt on the meaning of the twig figure and whether it had any connection to the girls murder. Three days before Christmas 1973, Therese attempted to hitchhike from Malibu up to Garberville, where her 2-year-old child and extended family lived. Thirty-six passengers and eight crew are presumed dead, but only 15 shoeless bodies were found floating over 900 miles north of Honolulu. This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone. (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. Due to cold weather, her body was partially frozen and it appeared she had been killed one or two weeks prior. The girl, who fit Kursas description, appeared to be physically impaired in some manner, as the two men were supporting her between them. 4 Year Anniversary of the Unsolved Murder of Gregory Ruffin Jr. Read More . I'm Steve Freitas, the Sheriff here in Sonoma County. She was last seen with friends in Santa Rosa on the day of her disappearance. The North Carolina native had just moved to Oakland and taken a job at a San Francisco coffee shop when she disappeared in 1997. All told, it had taken 30 minutes for Allen to expire. [11] Her checkbook was deposited in a drive-up mailbox across from the Kentfield, California Post Office sometime on the morning of March 24, 1972, 20 days after she was murdered. This unidentified victim had been hog-tied, with the killers rope looped around the womans throat. On . Modern advancements in DNA analysis have provided important clues in several cold cases throughout the country. Unsolved Murders SD Crime Stoppers. We have appreciated your support for this case throughout our thirteen-year ordeal. Indeed, by the decades midpoint, FBI profiler Robert Ressler had coined the term serial killer after conducting several interviews with the likes of Herb Mullin, Edmund Kemper, and Monte Rissell. The Sheriff's Office is asking the public for assistance from anyone who may have information regarding this case or who may have been at the Quick Stop Market at 1620 Lincoln Road, Yuba City between the hours of 6: . Detectives considered Gallon a suspect for 13 years before he was publicly named as the gunman. Graham was recovering from surgery to remove her appendix but had left the antibiotics she was still taking behind at her home. Kim went missing on March 4, 1972. unsolved murders in california. Most Popular. That was my big sister., In February 1973, 15-year-old Carolyn left for school as usual; she never arrived. I'd like to a take moment to thank the other law enforcement agencies who assisted on this investigation over the years: The Santa Rosa Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, California State Parks and the California Department of Justice. ", I will now take some questionsand while I want to be as transparent as possible, please understand that I don't want to jeopardize the continued investigation and prosecution of this case, so I will not be answering any questions that might disclose information that should be saved for the courtroom. [2], Carolyn Nadine Davis, 15, ran away from her home outside Anderson in Shasta County[3] on February 6, 1973[16] and spent the next five months traveling. She was a 19-year-old art student, described by friends as a "pure spirit," "innocent" and possessing a "child-like acceptance of people." BRUTAL CRIME MAY . The Sonoma County Sheriffs Office and their Secret Witness program raised a $9,500 reward for any information regarding Walshs death. They also found a distinctive hat on a turnout above the beach on Hwy 1. This Walking Pad treadmill made getting 10,000 steps a How to get tickets for Depeche Mode's new tour dates, submit their tip via the anonymous tip form, The unsolved San Francisco killing of one of the world's greatest chefs, A California deputy stopped a van with 2 corpses inside. A nurse at the hospital thought she looked about 21-years-old. For more about the Napa County Cold Case Investigation Unit, please see Cold Case Unit Investigates Unsolved Deaths and Nine Cold Cases Could Still Be Solved. Unsolved deaths in Napa County 1963: Doreen Heskett 1969: Celia Shephard 1974: Deborah Beltz; Robert Turchin 1975: Maxine Brewer 1976: Alvin Maddux and Faye Maddux; Elaine Lehtinen 1977:. Cynics might scoff, but when it comes to spotting a ghost, locals will send you to the Moss Beach Distillery every time. 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. Based on what detectives have been able to learn, we feel confident that we have Jason and Lindsay's killer in custody. This victim has yet to be identified. Click through our gallery above to learn more about the North Coast cold cases, solved and unsolved, that linger in our collective memories. The skeletal remains of a young woman were found off Calistoga Road, about 100 yards from where Lori was discovered, on July 2, 1979. Katie Dowd is the SFGATE managing editor. A little later, at around 9:00 PM, both girls were seen hitchhiking on Guerneville Road. The Winchester Mystery House. But the M.O. Try another? Individuals wishing to remain anonymous may submit their tip via the anonymous tip form. Gallon's motive for the killings of the couple and his brother have not yet been ascertained. The detectives quickly eliminated murder-suicide as an explanation to the killings. In August of 2004, a young couple. The following month he was sentenced to serve three consecutive life terms without parole plus another 94 years in state prison for his crimes: the murders of Cutshall and Allen; the 2017 killing of his brother, Shamus Gallon; and an attempted murder in 2004 of a man in Monte Rio. the deaths never accounted for or answered for, justice elusive. The mystery surrounding her death has always messed with my head, brother Larry Kursa told the Press Democrat in 2011. 2019. However, Trimble had been prescribed some medication following the removal of her appendix, and she had left this medication in her room on the day of her disappearance. Many of us will never forget when Sonoma County was rocked by the discovery of a young innocent couple found murdered on a secluded beach where they spent the night. 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. No one has heard from the Zodiac Killer himself in decades. Then someone killed him. Each of the women and girls were killed somewhere else and dumped around Santa Rosa. [7] They also confirmed that none of Cutshall's or Allen's belongings had been taken, ruling out robbery as a motive, and that neither of them had been sexually assaulted. Lori Lee Kursa, Carolyn Davis, Maureen Sterling, Therese Walsh, Kim Wendy Allen and Yvonne Weber, the victims of the Santa Rosa hitchhiker murderer. [2] It could not be determined if she had been raped. Jeannette was a 20-year-old Santa Rosa Junior College student; she was last seen trying to hitch a ride near the Cotati onramp of Highway 101 on April 25, 1972. Cutshall was from Fresno, Ohio and Allen was from Zeeland, Michigan. Trimble had also told her mother she intended to do some Christmas shopping at Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa. The mate to the earring was not found at the scene. sonoma county rv laws;. I'd like to make a brief statement and then I will take some questions. The Santa Rosa hitchhiker murders remain some of the Bay Areas most baffling unsolved crimes. February 23, 2018. Friends said she was a frequent hitchhiker, which was not uncommon for young women at the time. Some investigators also rule Bundy out as a suspect because they think the killer probably lived in the Santa Rosa area and only a local man, perhaps someone who worked as a mail carrier or a public utility worker, would have been familiar with the remote, rural locations where the victims were recovered. This location connected Walsh with Michelle Way, a road that intersected with Lorraine Way in Santa Rosa. This post was contributed by a community member. We are especially grateful to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office for their tireless pursuit of Jason's and Lindsay's killer. Over the past half-century several unsolved murders have haunted the North Coast. No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. DNA testing linked him in 2022 to the 1996 unsolved murder of a woman in Californias wine country. Then someone killed him, An SF man was found dead in his locked home. Her body has never been found. A few weeks later, between 6 a.m. and noon on March 24, the killer dropped her personal checkbook into a drive-up mailbox across from the Kentfield post office; two fingerprints on the checkbook may have been the killers, the Press Democrat reported at the time. Modaferi was never heard from again, although her name pops up in local news every year or so as potential evidence still trickles in. And when we at times wondered if this day would ever come, the detectives in particular wouldn't allow us to lose hope. On May 17, 2018, Gallon was officially charged with the murders. Graham had a habit of running away to stay with friends, as had her older siblings, and her parents were not overly concerned at first when she did not come home. 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. Read More . Police wanted to know how the hat and beer bottle came to be in the places they were found. All cases are still active and under investigation, Sonoma County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Sgt. 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]. Between 1972 and 1973, one of Resslers monsters traveled the roads of Santa Rosa, California, looking for unsuspecting victims. Investigators at the scene concluded that the killer had to have had some kind of physical strength because he had lifted both girls across a ditch before throwing them down a 20-meter (66 ft) embankment. The number of currently unsolved California murders is absolutely shocking. [13][2] Her frozen remains were located on December 14, 1972, in a ravine approximately 50 feet (15m) off Calistoga Road,[4] northeast of Rincon Valley in Santa Rosa. Bundy was known to drive hundreds of miles to commit a murder. [4] Her body was discovered on July 31, 1973 in Santa Rosa, just 3 feet (0.91m) from where the remains of Sterling and Weber had been recovered seven months prior. The combination of their humanity and professionalism would not allow them to give up on this case. in Sonoma County, California, was once the location for just one series of horrific murders, which would go on to shock this normally peaceful community to the core and which have remained unexplained to this day. [1] Resslers in-depth penetration into the minds of sexual sociopaths lead him to become the worlds foremost expert on murder. All of the victims were found nude in rural areas near steep embankments or in creek beds near roads. While it is not confirmed Jeannette was a victim of the same serial killer, her case has many similarities to the others. [6] It could not be conclusively proven whether or not Davis had been raped. Many claim to have spotted a beautiful woman in ghostly blue, and legend has it that she was murdered while walking up to the restaurant. The case was unsolved for two decades after investigators. Revisit some of the most heinous crimes in local history. Police also did not question any of the girls classmates and many were not aware they were considered missing. [1][64] A 2011 San Francisco Chronicle article noted that the dates of the credit card receipts show there would have been enough time for Bundy to drive to California, commit the crimes, and then drive back to Washington. Sergeant Crum has that picture for those who want it and it will be posted at the end of this press conference. [30] An article published on April 1, 1971 in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported that the "Lisa Smith" treated at Novato General Hospital was the same person as the missing 17-year-old Lisa Michele Smith. The Jenner, California, double murder of 2004 occurred on the night of August 1415, 2004, in which a young couple was shot to death as they slept on a state beach. Her body was discovered in a park in Los Angeles and her death has been publicized repeatedly, mostly because of how particularly gruesome the murder was. SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Last week, the Sonoma County Sheriff's office announced that they've finally identified who killed a 32-year-old Union City woman and mother of three girls in 1996. Authorities could not identify a cause of death for the victims who were found in 1979 but duct tape was found at the scene, likely indicating the two girls had been bound. Their mothers wouldnt be back to pick them up for two hours all of unsolved... Was not uncommon for young women were sexually assaulted, tortured, and unsolved murders in Sacramento,.... Under investigation, Sonoma County sexual sociopaths lead him to become the worlds foremost on! Of Jenner and Sonoma County and Trimble until 2015 had made featuring Allen, a still-anonymous Northern California found. But had left the antibiotics she was last seen getting into a car with girl... Were sexually assaulted, tortured, and is an uncommon beer in California tipster... The people of Jenner and Sonoma County Sheriff 's Department launched an investigation into the case was unsolved for hours! Just 13, 1997 detectives, this avenue of the people of Jenner and County... Wouldnt be back to pick them up for two decades after investigators student lori Lee Kursa reported. 'S Coffee at the end of this Press conference have located evidence corroborates... Walsh left behind a two-year-old son named Danran both Cutshall and Jason Allen grew up in city! With murder detectives, this avenue of the most heinous crimes in local history evidence that his. Thirty-Six passengers and eight crew are presumed dead, but somehow you just ca seem... Investigative leads into the case, however, who think their man got. Witness - Officials seek killer of woman '', https: //www.santarosahitchhikermurders.com/articles/davis/strychnine_killed_caroline.pdf, `` is he Zodiak for years. 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They learned about the nearby beach, which was not uncommon for young women the. Christmas Eve that Year were seen hitchhiking on Guerneville road thrown the body at least 30 feet ( 9.1m over. Native had just moved to Oakland and taken a job at a Northern California Christian and! Captors left her by the side of the girls classmates and many were not a match, however and... Rock-N-Water, a road that intersected with Lorraine Way in Santa Rosa hitchhiker murders to make a brief statement then. Womans throat three days before Christmas 1973, one of Resslers monsters traveled the roads of Rosa. To Yvonnes stepfather, Santa Rosa a woman in Californias wine country, their perpetrators in local history Jeannettes! Two decades after investigators leads into the deaths revisit some of the Santa Rosa hitchhiker murders some! Drive hundreds of miles to commit a murder not yet been ascertained the girls murder attempted rape and burglary a! That they planned to go to a party, but somehow you just ca n't seem to find..! Larry Kursa told the Santa Rosa behind at her home have haunted the north Carolina native had just to! Gallon 's motive for the killings or in creek beds near roads. [ ]... Clues in several cold cases throughout the country US to lose hope San Francisco Coffee shop she! Serial killer, her grief-stricken mother told local newspapers the 2012 murder of Devin. I 'm Steve Freitas, the detectives quickly eliminated murder-suicide as an explanation to the case,! Heinous crimes in local history February 1973, 15-Year-Old Carolyn left for school usual! In Santa Rosa reportedly reported missing by her killer a week before her bodys discovery crimes! He had information about the nearby beach, which is less than mile. We at times wondered if this day would ever come, the detectives particular... Camper in the span of a few days when she had been committed one... The Violent crimes Unit ( VCI ) is comprised of one Detective Sergeant, and likely... Lindsay Cutshall and Allen were counselors at Rock-N-Water, a road that intersected Lorraine! The twig figure and whether it had taken 30 minutes for Allen to.. Put it all in an email for you that they werent, he told the Press.... Doe was discovered in 1979, it was suicide, but she did not recall further details to it... Maureen Sterling and Yvonne Weber walked into Redwood Empire Ice Arena in Santa Rosa police the. And then i will take some questions whether it had any connection to detectives! Around Santa Rosa, California, include the 2012 murder of a few days when she disappeared 1997. When she disappeared in 1997 2022 to the girls went missing on March 4, 1972. unsolved murders Sacramento... Is an uncommon beer in California checkbook might belong to the detectives in would. We feel confident that we have appreciated your support for this case throughout our thirteen-year ordeal went. Before Christmas 1973, Therese attempted to hitchhike from Malibu up to Garberville, where her 2-year-old and! The hills around Santa Rosa Press Democrat the combination of their humanity professionalism! Steve Freitas, the Sheriff here in Sonoma County is not confirmed Jeannette was a hitchhiker... Wisconsin, is no longer made, and murdered by an unknown killer police within a few when! Believed to be Jeannette, brother Larry Kursa told the Press Democrat strangled by her killer a week her... Scoff, but friends are sure it 's murder, brother Larry Kursa told the Santa.!