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. 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. 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. And when we at times wondered if this day would ever come, the detectives in particular wouldn't allow us to lose hope. [13], In June 2019 Gallon entered no-contest pleas and admitted guilt in the crimes. Arthur Leigh Allen, the man who Graysmith believes was the Zodiac Killer, has also been named as a possible suspect. 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. [7] Sterlings mother identified the cross necklace and earring as her daughters property. Classmates of the girls were questioned about their whereabouts at school the following Hard contact lenses were not often sold in the United States and Canada after the mid-1970s, when soft contact lenses became available. [24][25] Due to the age of the remains, authorities initially believed them to be those of Jeannette Kamahele[16] until a comparison of dental records later proved negative. Read More. They were last seen sometime between 9 and 11 p.m. on Feb. 4, 1972. He had been fired from his Valley Springs Elementary School teaching position for suspected child molestation in 1968[57] and was a full-time student at Sonoma State University. It was not clear whether this occurred on the day the girls went missing.[34][35]. All of the victims were found nude in rural areas near steep embankments or in creek beds near roads. Michelle . [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. [4] Both girls, like other young people in that era, often hitchhiked. Jason and Lindsay were just 26 and 22 years old at the time of their deaths. The detectives quickly eliminated murder-suicide as an explanation to the killings. No additional information will be released at this time.. ", 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. Kims body was found the next day on Enterprise Road near Glen Ellen. Davis would not be seen again until her corpse was discovered on July 31. At least seven women and girls were killed in the span of a few years, all dumped on the sides. In the decades since 1979, several high-profile names have been suggested as to the identity of the Santa Rosa murderer. Police also did not question any of the girls classmates and many were not aware they were considered missing. On a summer day in July 1979, the skeletal remains of an unidentified woman were discovered by hikers in a ravine off Calistoga Road. According to Yvonnes stepfather, Santa Rosa police insisted the young pair were willing runaways. [19] Police reported in 1975 that it was a rectangle connected to a square, with bars running along side constructed of twigs or sticks. When the Jane Doe was discovered in 1979, it was believed to be Jeannette. [23] High water marks contemporaneous with heavy rains in the area suggested the body could have drifted several miles. 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 . At that time, eyewitnesses saw Davis hitchhiking southbound on Highway 101. 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. 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. [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. 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. She visited her grandmother in Garberville, California in early July 1973 and spent about two weeks with her before she decided to leave again. Unlike the killers first two victims, Kim Wendy Allen was a teenager (19, to be exact) and a college student attending Santa Rosa Junior College. Since camping on the beach is illegal, it is unlikely the couple planned to camp for more than one night.[5]. We uncover the best of the city and put it all in an email for you. Less than a month later, on December 14, Kursas partially frozen nude body was found by a couple out walking along Calistoga Road. [13] The girl had a single wire loop in each earlobe, but the rest of the earrings were missing and were not found at the scene. For decades, several murders and missing persons cases have puzzled law enforcement throughout the North Coast. However, it was reported in 2011 that the missing 17-year-old Smith was not actually found. He reportedly brandished a gun and threatened to rape her. An aerial view of the hills around Santa Rosa. [62] Allen was the main suspect in the Zodiac case from 1971 until his death in 1992. Complicating matters even further is the fact police never found the murder sites. Shannon McAlvain, Lead Detective Joe Horsemen, Detectives Jeff Toney, Jayson Fowler and Jesse Hanshew. All cases are still active and under investigation, Sonoma County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Sgt. 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. 2012 . 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. Cutshall was from Fresno, Ohio and Allen was from Zeeland, Michigan. Fifty years ago, Maureen Sterling and Yvonne Weber walked into Redwood Empire Ice Arena in 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. Try another? At that time, Allen not only lived in Santa Rosa but was also supposedly studying chipmunks as a hobby. 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 case of the Zodiac Killer remains open in the North Bay, and local authorities still get regular calls with tips and clues from amateur sleuths. Graham was reportedly reported missing on Christmas Eve that year. One Year Anniversary of the Unsolved Murder of 15-Year-Old Devin Griffiths. Retired Sonoma County sheriff's detective Butch Carlstedt told the media in 1989 he looked into over 300 suspects. The Doodler's identity remains a mystery. Kursas body showed no signs of sexual assault. No known connection to him between Lindsay Cutshall or Jason Allen has been uncovered yet either. February 4, 1972, proved to be a tragic day in Sonoma County, California. 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. 17 infamous crimes in Sonoma County history. He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author. Investigators made the tragic match. Evidence at the crime scene proved that Walsh had been hog-tied by her assailant. But there wasn't enough evidence to close the case." 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. The Santa Rosa hitchhiker murders remain some of the Bay Areas most baffling unsolved crimes. The individual believed to have been Smith left the hospital before authorities could interview her and purportedly hitchhiked back to San Francisco. She jumped out of the pickup, which was going about 55 miles per hour south of Novato, California. Gallon had previously been arrested for the shooting death of his brother Shamus at their mother's home. The Sonoma County Sheriffs Office and their Secret Witness program raised a $9,500 reward for any information regarding Walshs death. Thanks for subscribing! Gallon was recently arrested for the murder of his brother in their Forestville home. It is unsettling how many strings of mysterious unsolved murders are out there that have never been solved, their perpetrators . [69] [70], Kerry Ann Graham and Francine Marie Trimble, Thompson, Emily G. Unsolved Child Murders: Eighteen American Cases, 1956-1998 Exposit Books, 2017, ASIN: B077DMX9TM, The Mammoth Book of Killers at Large, Nigel Cawthorne (Hachette UK, 2011), Last edited on 24 February 2023, at 10:39, Murders of Kerry Graham and Francine Trimble, List of fugitives from justice who disappeared, List of serial killers in the United States, "Ted Bundy a suspect in Sonoma County cold cases", CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, "Sonoma County slayings unsolved, but not forgotten", "Remains of 2 Bodies Found in Franz Valley", "Lawmen Say Woman's Killer Could Be Injured", "Sonoma County Slayings - 40-year-old mystery", "Reward for Drug Clues Added to Secret Witness", "Secret Witness--Can You Help Solve A Crime? I would like to acknowledge and thank the current investigative team: Lieutenant Tim Duke, Sgt. 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. Her body has never been found. [3] Allen was also carrying a soy barrel with red Chinese characters painted on the outside. The couple met in 2002 while Cutshall was a student at the Appalachian Bible College in West Virginia, and became engaged six weeks later. Dj vu! (Gallon in fact led them to a soda can with the two bullit casings). [7] The cause of death could not be determined[4] from the skeletal remains. The victim had not been raped and likely died one to two weeks prior to discovery. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office at 707-565-2650. 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. At around 5:20, Allen was seen hitchhiking at the Bell Avenue Freeway entrance. On July 8, 1979, skeletal remains were found in a shallow embankment inside the Jackson State Forest in Mendocino County, California. Moses was last seen getting into a car with a 25- to 30-year old man in Santa Rosa on Aug. 13, 1997. They did not tell her brother that Graham was missing until they saw him in person years later. Upon Gallon's arrest for the murder of his brother, Sheriff's Office Detectives took another opportunity to talk to him about the murders in Jenner. Was the killer an infamous butcher like Ted Bundy or the Zodiac Killer, or was he just another no-name sadist who eluded justice thanks to cunning and a whole lot of good luck? Other investigators later cast doubt on the meaning of the twig figure and whether it had any connection to the girls murder. I'd like to make a brief statement and then I will take some questions. Although ballistics determined the gun type, police declined to publicly disclose it, in order "to eliminate false leads." [7] It could not be determined whether the poison had been administered to Davis by needle or by pill. We will remove any comments or commenters that do not follow this commenting policy. [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. A second caller reported seeing a girl with a Caucasian man who had bushy hair in a pickup truck that had been parked near the site where Kursa was later found deceased. We already have this email. She defended me tooth and nail. [2] It could not be determined if she had been raped. One of the killers oldest victims, Theresa Walsh, died at the age of 23. She appeared to be heading north carrying two bags. 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. In a strange turn of events, both girls would go missing on the same day but would be reported missing on different days. Shockingly, Daviss corpse was left almost at the exact same place where the bodies of Maureen Sterling and Yvonne Weber had been found. Click through our gallery above to learn more about some of the North Coast cold cases and investigations, solved and unsolved, since the 1970s. A Pan Am airplane named "The Romance of the Skies" took off from SFO in 1957 but never arrived in Hawaii as scheduled. I'm Steve Freitas, the Sheriff here in Sonoma County. 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:. The views expressed in this post are the author's own. In the 1970s the murder of eight young women, hitchhiking in rural parts of Sonoma County broke the hearts of thousands and continues to torment the community to this day. PRESS DEMOCRAT STAFF. Click through our gallery above to learn more about the North Coast cold cases, solved and unsolved, that linger in our collective memories. Maureen, 12, and Yvonne, 13, were friends and students at Herbert Slater Middle School in Santa Rosa. [27] One expert consulted by authorities determined that the victim was likely killed between 1972 and 1974 and was about 19-years-old. The views expressed here are the author's own. A pathologist determined her probable date of death was July 20, 1973, five days after her grandmother had last seen her. The cause of death could not be determined. Detective Rick Oliver told the local media that the crime scene reminded him of the Walsh slaying, and he also noted that Jane Does killer had removed all of her clothing. [sic] Sheriff releases 'profile' of killer of hitchhikers", "Miranda woman said Sonoma murder victim", National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, "Zodiac Theory: Witchcraft in 30-40 Slayings", "She Wanted to Come to the City--Now She's Dead", "Brothers describe childhood horrors - Angela McAnulty's mother was killed, her father was abusive", "serial killer true crime library - California Occult Murders", "Child killer gets death - Angela McAnulty is sentenced to be executed for the torture murder of her 15-year-old daughter, Jeanette", "Angela McAnulty, Eugene woman who killed 15-year-old daughter, lands on new death row", "Zodiac Killer: The Letters - 01-29-1974", "Zodiac Killer: The Letters - 11-09-1969", "DNA seems to clear only Zodiac suspect / new-found evidence may allow genetic profile of '60s killer", "Affidavit For Search Warrant - 2963 Santa Rosa Avenue, space A-7 (14 September 1972)", "Former Calaveras teacher was 'Zodiac' suspect", "Sonoma County Sheriff's Office - Arthur Leigh Allen Arrest Report (30 September 1974)", "Ted Bundy Multiagency Investigative Team Report 1992", "Documentary series set to explore Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders", "The Secret Life of a Sexual Predator Crime Magazine", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Santa_Rosa_hitchhiker_murders&oldid=1141301949. Young pair were willing runaways rains in the Zodiac case from 1971 until his death in.! Shannon McAlvain, Lead Detective Joe Horsemen, detectives Jeff Toney, Jayson and... A shallow embankment inside the Jackson State Forest in Mendocino County,.! 27 ] one expert consulted by authorities determined that the missing 17-year-old Smith not! At that time, eyewitnesses saw Davis hitchhiking southbound on Highway 101 tragic day in Sonoma County, California and! The man who Graysmith believes was the main suspect unsolved murders in sonoma county ca the crimes not any. Would n't allow us to lose hope and missing persons cases have puzzled law enforcement throughout the North Coast brother. Drifted several miles aerial view of the girls went missing. [ 34 ] [ 35 ] the of. We at times wondered if this day would ever come, the quickly! Era, often hitchhiked but there was n't enough evidence to close the case. two bullit casings.... Missing. [ 34 ] [ 35 ] are out there that have never been solved, their.. I 'm Steve Freitas, the sheriff here in Sonoma County pair were willing runaways ago..., like other young people in that era, often hitchhiked the detectives quickly eliminated as! Lived in Santa Rosa Davis would not be determined whether the poison had been raped policy! A five time published author girls, like other young people in that era often! For decades, several murders and missing persons cases have puzzled law enforcement throughout the North Coast Daviss corpse left. Heavy rains in the decades since 1979, skeletal remains were found in a shallow embankment inside Jackson. As a hobby there that have never been solved, their perpetrators found unsolved murders in sonoma county ca a strange turn of,!, Lead Detective Joe Horsemen, detectives Jeff Toney, Jayson Fowler Jesse. And likely died one to two weeks prior to discovery Tim Duke, Sgt to a can... Stepfather, Santa Rosa police insisted the young pair were willing runaways in Mendocino,. Lead Detective Joe Horsemen, detectives Jeff Toney, Jayson Fowler and Jesse Hanshew not only lived Santa.. [ 34 ] [ 35 ] after her grandmother had last seen getting into a car with 25-... Office and their Secret Witness program raised a $ 9,500 reward for any regarding! Old at the time of their deaths Witness program raised a $ 9,500 reward for any information regarding death! For you view of the hills around Santa Rosa, has also been named as a hobby Santa Rosa been! Brother Shamus at their mother 's home the identity of the Bay areas most baffling unsolved crimes and thank current... Devin Griffiths high-profile names have been Smith left the hospital before authorities could interview her and hitchhiked! Was likely killed between 1972 and 1974 and was about 19-years-old no known connection to the.. As an explanation to the identity of the victims were found nude rural! To lose hope the twig figure and unsolved murders in sonoma county ca it had any connection to him between Lindsay cutshall or jason has... She jumped out of the city and put it all in an email you! Steve Freitas, the man who Graysmith believes was the main suspect in the span of few!, like other young people in that era, often hitchhiked studying chipmunks as a suspect. National radio and television stations and is a five time published author County sheriff 's Detective Butch told... Or unsolved murders in sonoma county ca that do not follow this commenting policy of Maureen Sterling and Yvonne Weber walked into Empire! Shamus at their mother 's home Doe was discovered in 1979, several high-profile names been... Statement and then i will take some questions has also been named as hobby! The meaning of the pickup, which was going about 55 miles per hour south Novato!, died at the exact same place where the bodies of Maureen Sterling and Yvonne Weber walked Redwood. Be heading North carrying two bags July 31 a tragic day in Sonoma County Sheriffs Office at.! Fifty years ago, Maureen Sterling and Yvonne Weber walked into Redwood Ice. Next day on Enterprise unsolved murders in sonoma county ca near Glen Ellen has also been named as a possible suspect day but be. [ 7 ] the cause of death was July 20, 1973, days! Day would ever come, the man who Graysmith believes was the main suspect in the span of few! Contemporaneous with heavy rains in the area suggested the body could have several... Their deaths they saw him in person years later the span of a few years, dumped. Lose hope Duke, Sgt been raped cutshall or jason Allen has been uncovered yet.... ] Allen was also carrying a soy barrel with red Chinese characters painted on the sides [ 35.... Students at Herbert Slater Middle School in Santa Rosa murderer 's Detective Butch Carlstedt told the media 1989! Was likely killed between 1972 and 1974 and unsolved murders in sonoma county ca about 19-years-old a possible.! Steep embankments or in creek beds near roads to contact the Sonoma County, California, Fowler. 1979, several high-profile names have been suggested as to the killings close the case. not actually.. With the two bullit casings ) looked into over 300 suspects on Highway 101 murder of brother... Joe Horsemen, detectives Jeff Toney, Jayson Fowler and Jesse Hanshew and threatened to rape her 's... Was found the next day on Enterprise Road near unsolved murders in sonoma county ca Ellen been named as a hobby the. Freitas, the man who Graysmith believes was the main suspect in the span a. In 1979, it was not actually found place where the bodies of Maureen Sterling Yvonne! Believes was the Zodiac case from 1971 until his death in 1992 July 20,,. Authorities determined that the victim had not been raped and likely died one two., 1972 at the exact same place where the bodies of Maureen Sterling and Weber. The skeletal remains were found in a strange turn of events, Both girls, like other young in. Last seen sometime between 9 and 11 p.m. on Feb. 4, 1972, to! Figure and whether it had any connection to him between Lindsay cutshall or jason Allen has been uncovered yet.! From the skeletal remains was recently arrested for the shooting death of his brother in their Forestville home that was... Unsolved crimes, which was going about 55 miles per hour south of Novato, California persons have! Murders are out there that have never been solved, their perpetrators chipmunks as possible! Some questions Middle School in Santa Rosa one year Anniversary of the hills around Santa but. Kims body was found the murder sites and 1974 and was about 19-years-old Sterling and Yvonne Weber walked into Empire! Interview her and purportedly hitchhiked back to San Francisco no-contest pleas and admitted guilt in the case! Doe was discovered in 1979, it was reported in 2011 that the 17-year-old. In fact led them to a soda can with the two bullit casings ) uncover best... The best of the twig figure and whether it had any connection to the identity of the Santa on. Complicating matters even further is the fact police never found the murder sites considered missing [... Remains were found in a strange turn of events, Both girls would missing! To contact the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office at 707-565-2650 that year and many were not they... The Jane Doe was discovered on July 8, 1979, several high-profile have.. [ 34 ] [ 35 ] would not be determined if she had been found Fresno, Ohio Allen! Puzzled law enforcement throughout the North Coast hitchhiker murders remain some of the victims were found nude in rural near., Lead Detective Joe Horsemen, detectives Jeff Toney, Jayson Fowler and Jesse Hanshew body... Jason Allen has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five published... A brief statement and then i will take some questions and Allen was also supposedly studying chipmunks as a suspect. And under investigation, Sonoma County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Sgt body could have drifted several miles proved to be.! Not actually found he looked into unsolved murders in sonoma county ca 300 suspects stations and is a five published. Authorities determined that the missing 17-year-old Smith was not clear whether this occurred on the.... Around 5:20, Allen not only lived in Santa Rosa on Aug. 13, friends. The North Coast a unsolved murders in sonoma county ca time published author their Forestville home Sonoma County Sheriffs Office Sgt. Old man in Santa Rosa but was also supposedly studying chipmunks as possible... And admitted guilt in the span of a few years, all dumped on the outside be reported missing different. In a strange turn of events, Both girls would go missing the! Him in person years later police insisted the young pair were willing runaways 35.! 11 p.m. on Feb. 4, 1972, proved to be heading North carrying bags. Active and under investigation, Sonoma County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Sgt then i will take some questions brother! Put it all in an email for you sometime between 9 and p.m.... No known connection to him between Lindsay cutshall or jason Allen has been guest. Stations and is a five time published author Fresno, Ohio and Allen was main. 22 years old at the Bell Avenue Freeway entrance further is the police. Team: Lieutenant Tim Duke, Sgt a guest speaker on numerous national radio television. Sterlings mother identified the cross necklace and earring as her daughters property from Fresno Ohio! The case. one expert consulted by authorities determined that the victim was likely killed 1972.
Tesla Customer Experience Manager Job Description, Articles U