The Unsolved Murder of Diana Moffitt in El Cajon, CA

by Jessica

In the 1980's a series of murders occurred in the area of San Diego along Interstate-8 that, at the time, police believed could be committed by one or more serial killers. The victims were mainly sex workers who worked along El Cajon Blvd, in San Diego. Their bodies were found in rural areas and culverts on the side of the roads in the area. 

The Sacramento Bee, 8/15/1988 via newspapers.com

According to a 1988 article, titled "Green River Killer in San Diego?" in the Sacramento Bee, the police were looking at 25 unsolved murders of women in the area and even considered the possibility that the Green River Killer, a serial killer named Gary Ridgway, may have been responsible. The murders took place between 1985-1988 and many of those murders remain unsolved today. To add to their suspicion was the fact that the victims were all women who police believe were sex workers or transients. 

A task force was created to aid in solving the cases in San Diego and 8 cases in particular were put together as victims possibly murdered by the same person. The victims in these cases were all women found murdered very near Interstate 8 in East San Diego County and all on the side of the road. There doesn't seem to be hard evidence connecting all of the murders to a single perpetrator but they remain unsolved. It's important to note that several of the victims were found some time after they went missing so finding physical evidence may have been more difficult. One of those victims was a 20 year old named Diana Gail Moffitt. 

Diana Moffitt

Unfortunately, there is very little information on Diana Moffitt. She lived in Oregon and had only been in California a short time. During that time she was working as a sex worker and may have had connections with a man who was arrested in Oregon a few years after her murder. This man was convicted of "running a prostitution ring" that may have stretched from California to New Jersey. According to the Albany Democrat-Herald, a newspaper in Oregon, this man plead no contest in 1988 to "compelling prostitution" in a case involving Diana Moffitt in California, a year after her body was found.

The details of Diana Moffitt's murder come from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department website as there isn't a newspaper article covering the crime. In 1987, Diana Moffitt went missing in San Diego. The dates are unclear, but according to an article in the Sacramento Bee, a "male companion" had reported her missing. Then on October 9, 1987, her body was found near 9688 Blossom Valley Road, about 8 miles north-west of El Cajon, CA and only 2.8 miles from Interstate 8. 

Map of area where Diana Moffitt was found via Google Maps

This area of Southern California is only about 40 miles from the California-Mexico border and only 20 miles from a road in the North Park area of San Diego known as El Cajon Boulevard; and nicknamed the "Boulevard of Bad Dreams." This area in the 1980's was considered dangerous and crime-ridden. Among it's more common crimes is sex work and it's where the majority of arrests for prostitution in San Diego have taken place. Interestingly, anyone in this area would be close to both Interstate 15 and Interstate 8, where Diana's body was found, and where the other victims were found. 

Map from North Park to Blossom Valley Rd via Google Maps

The day Diana was found a road crew had been using a back hoe to clear a ditch of weeds when the men found her body covered by underbrush. She was decomposed and only partially clothed. Other details of her death are unknown. San Diego County Sheriff's need people to come forward and hope that with the passage of time anyone who has any information will be compelled to come forward. We've talked at length about how fear can keep witnesses from coming forward and time can prove to be the one thing someone needs to feel safe enough to speak out. Victims like Diana Moffitt, and all of those who loved her, deserve answers and those who carry that information with them have the ability to help answer questions, bring justice and lift the burdens of grief and confusion for those still waiting. 

In 1988, Diana's mother, Gayle Moffitt, became vice-president of a group in Portland called, Parents of Murdered Children. This group's goal was to provide support to those who had lost children and to help "...police, courts, and mental health professionals better understand the frustrations and struggles suffered by murdered victim's families." When Gayle first considered joining the organization she was concerned that they wouldn't understand or judge her because her daughter was a sex worker, a stigma long attached to ideas about pure victims. The organization not only embraced her but she would go on to become one of it's leaders.

According to her, "I felt there was a stigma attached to the prostitution. I kept thinking 'How would they understand?' Penny reassured me that it didn't matter. The thing that mattered was that I loved her."

It does not appear that there is a task force that has continued to look into the cases of murder along Interstate 8 or that anyone has been arrested for those crimes. Without more evidence it is difficult to narrow down who and how these women were murdered. It's entirely possible that each of the victims was murdered by a different person, a possible serial killer, or were even victims of a trafficking ring.

In 1988, Diana's mother told the newspaper she believed she knew who had hurt her child but did not use his name. What is known is that police need people to come forward with any information they have so they can finally find answers in Moffitt's case. If you have any information on this case please call the San Diego Sheriff's Department during business hours at 858-285-6330 or  it's Communication Center at 858-565-5200. You can also contact crime stoppers at 888-580-8477 or fill out their online tip form here: https://www.sdsheriff.net/coldcase/8768903/index.html

For anyone interested there is also a TV movie from 1993 called Moment of Truth: Why My Daughter? starring Linda Gray and Antonio Sabato Jr. that is about the murder of Diana Gail Moffitt. 

More Information:

Diana Gail Moffitt Cold Case, San Diego County Sheriff's Department Website: https://www.sdsheriff.net/coldcase/8768903/index.html

Cavanaugh, Maureen and Pat Finn. (Host). (2009, Oct 12) "El Cajon Boulevard: Boulevard of Bad Dreams."  KPBS News [Radio Report]. https://www.kpbs.org/news/2009/oct/12/el-cajon-boulevard-boulevard-bad-dreams/

"Parents of Murdered Children Gather." Albany Democrat Herald, 10 Aug 1992, via newspapers.com.

"Prison Inmate Linked to Prostitution Ring." Albany Democrat Herald, 08 Jan 1992, via newspapers.com.

Hecht, Peter. "Green River Killer in San Diego?" The Sacramento Bee, 15 Aug 1988, via newspapers.com.

"Prisoner Goes On Trial for Part in Prostitution." Albany Democrat Herald, 13 Feb 1992, via newspapers.com.

"Portland Man Convicted in N.J. Prostitution Case." Albany Democrat Herald, 27 Mar 1992, via newspapers.com.

The Murder of Cara Knott

by Sean

This case was very interesting to research from start to finish.  Out of the cases I have researched, it is interesting how much I learned from it.  Whenever we do the research for these cases, I always find out something new.  It could be related to the case, related to the area, or just something random that I am glad I found.  This case, I feel, was a treasure trove of new knowledge. 

Another thing about this case was how shocking everything was each day almost.  There was so many things to make you question if this case was actually in the 1980's and not the 1880's.  I think I had so many wow moments throughout the research just being baffled that this was how it was.  Then Jessica found even more stuff that shocked me even more.  So many things were changed as we know it now in California because of this case and because of Cara's father, Sam Knott.  

It is hard to say that I am glad that I researched this case, because I wish this case did not exist in the first place.  I wish none of these cases we have covered ever happened in the first place.  But when I do look over these terrible events in our past, I learn so much from the people that share this land with me.  I learn about people like Joyce and San Knott who fought for justice for their daughter, but also future daughters for everyone.  These are the people that get overlooked a lot of the times, but their actions made the importances of these cases still be heard. 

More on the murder of Cara Knott: https://www.spreaker.com/user/11851014/the-murder-of-cara-knott

Cold Case: The Disappearance of Pamela Pedro in Atwater, CA

by Jessica

There are many cases of missing people throughout the United States, the majority of which don't garner headlines or feature on the evening news. Worse, many of these cases don't have a wealth of information to aid law enforcement. In these cases, the smallest morsel of information could make a huge difference to loved ones and investigators. 

Pamela Pedro 

One of these cases happened in Atwater, CA when 17 year old Pamela Pedro went missing the morning of September 13, 1982. That Monday, Pamela, or Pam as her friends called her, was last seen before school outside of Atwater High School on the pay phone near the front office. It is unknown who she was speaking with and unclear what happened to Pamela afterwards. 

In 1982, Atwater High School was the only High School in the Central Valley town and Pamela was a senior and an advanced student who had plans to graduate early. Not only was she a good student but that dedication carried over to other talents. She had a black belt in karate and was a classical pianist.  

Atwater was a town of just over 17,000 people in the 1980's but was bordered by many smaller towns and rural areas. At the time it only had a single High School, Atwater High School, and it was about 3 miles from where Pamela lived with her family on Rainbow Lane. 

Map of Pedro home to Atwater High School via google maps

According to the Charley Project, on that Monday, her mother went to the school to pick her up at 1:30pm. When she arrived, Pamela was not waiting for her. She waited and then contacted the office asking them to make announcement looking for Pamela. She did not respond. At 4:30pm on this Monday, her family attempted to report their daughter missing to police. They were told that they needed to wait 24 hours before they could make a report. During that time Pamela was not found and evidence about what happened to her has not surfaced. 

Due to a lack of evidence, it's unclear how to classify Pamela Pedro's case. It's unknown if she decided to run away or if she met with foul play. What is known is that her family and loved ones miss her terribly and want to either find Pamela or information in her case. 

When Pamela went missing she was described as an Asian female of Filipino descent. She was 5 feet 1 inches in height and about 110 pounds. She was wearing blue corduroy pants, a pair of blue Nike sneakers and a blue and pink checkered shirt. Pamela wore glasses and at the time had braces. Some of her defining features included her black hair, dark brown eyes, a dimple on her left cheek and a small mole under her right eye. 

Pamela Pedro w/glasses via Charley Project

Since 1982, Pamela has not applied for a driver's license or used her social security card. 

Pamela Pedro Age Progression to Age 48

In 2012, a candlelight vigil was held at Atwater High School by students and family for Pamela Pedro. 

In September it will have been 38 years since Pamela Pedro was last seen in Atwater. Without evidence police have no way to continue searching for answers in her disappearance. In the ensuing years her father passed away never having answers. Her family and police continue to search for her. If you have any information about this case please call the Merced County Sheriff's Major Crime Unit at 209-385-7472. 

More Information:

Pamela Ann Pedro, The Charley Project: http://charleyproject.org/case/pamela-ann-pedro

"Candlelight Vigil for Missing Atwater High Teen Scheduled for Saturday." (2012 Sept 12). Merced Sun-Star: https://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/article3270430.html.

Carol Panzica

by Jessica

On Sunday, August 12, 1984, Carol Panzica checked into the Dream Inn Hotel in Santa Cruz, California. Panzica had come from San Jose and brought her two sons, aged 11 and 13, with her.

Map of area around Dream Inn in Santa Cruz, via google maps

The Dream Inn Hotel was built in 1963 in Santa Cruz and billed as the only "beachfront motel" in the area. With it's beautiful structure, beach access out the back door of rooms, and beautiful pool, this is a place that continues to lure travelers. Changing ownership through the years brought different name changes, but locals always referred to the hotel as the Dream Inn.

Back Side of Dream Inn in Santa Cruz

After checking in at 3:00 pm, Carol and her two sons went to the room. Once there the two boys went outside to play and use the hotel swimming pool. Carol stayed behind to take either a shower or a bath. At 6:00 pm, the boys went back to the room and found the tub filled with water and their mother unresponsive and face down inside.

The two boys screamed for help and hearing their pleas another hotel guest responded. This person pulled Carol out of the tub. A beach patrol officer also responded to the scene and began CPR until the fire department and ambulance arrived. Sadly, Carol was pronounced deceased on arrival at the hospital.

Initially, wounds on the body led investigators to believe that Carol had slipped while in the shower and fallen, causing her body to block the drain of the tub. The tub then filled with water and Carol, unconscious, drowned. But when a pathologist looked at the body, they saw other wounds that were inconsistent with an accidental drowning. These wounds included bruises on the body that were unexplained. As a result, Carol's death was ruled a homicide.

Looking through newspapers, both in Santa Cruz and San Jose, only led to a single article on the case. Not even a picture of the victim could be found despite this terrible unsolved crime and the toll it must have taken on her children. The police are still looking for whoever committed this crime and need anyone with information to come forward and tell them what they know.

Article about Carol Panzica, Santa Cruz Sentinel, Aug 15, 1984
via newspapers.com

If you have any information about the murder of Carol Panzica please call the Santa Cruz Police Department at 831-420-5820 or their tip line at 831-420-5995.

More Information:

City of Santa Cruz Cold Cases: https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/government/city-departments/police/cold-cases

"Questions Remain in Death of Hotel Guest." (1984 Aug 15). Santa Cruz Sentinel, A2, via newspapers.com.

Chandler, Jenna. "California's Best Midcentury Motels, Mapped." (2020 Feb 4). Curbed LA, https://la.curbed.com/maps/midcentury-retro-hotels-motels-madonna-inn-california

Oscar Garcia

by Sean

On April 23rd, 2017, 18 year old Oscar Andrew Garcia, was killed in the 100 block of Cypress Avenue in Monrovia, CA. At about 11:36 pm on this date, Oscar was at a female friend's house with one other male friend, and were hanging out in the garage. At this time, a Latino man in his early 20's walked in through a door of the garage. The man was light skinned, about 6 feet tall with black short hair, brown eyes, a goatee and a black baseball hat. After a brief verbal exchange, the suspect began to shoot. Both Oscar and his friend were hit and while they survived, Oscar was pronounced dead in the garage at 12:07am.

Oscar Garcia via LA Times

Detectives are seeking any information that you might have since they are not sure what the possible motive was in the shooting. They do not believe the three friends were actually targeted.

Oscar was a Senior in High School at Canyon Oaks High School, and was striving to be a photographer. He also played soccer for the school, loved skateboarding, and after high school planned on going to Pasadena City College to study photography.

If you have any information about the murder of Oscar Garcia, please call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau and ask for Sgt. Ken Perry or Detective Scott Matlock at 323-890-5500. If you wish to remain anonymous you can call crime stoppers at 800-222-8477.

The Puente Hills Mall Murders, Part 1

by Sean

So, while I was looking for a case to cover for the new season, I went through a giant list that I found a "most famous" cases out there. I don't really know how this list was made because there were some odd ones at the top when notorious cases were down on the list. Being the podcast that we were, I just had to scroll until I found something that said California. Once I finally found this case, the name alone of "The Puente Hills Mall Murders" intrigued with my infatuation with malls and mall culture. I had to look further into this one. Also being the year of 1991 in Southern California is always interesting to me. This is the buildup time to the time of unrest of '92, As I have researched through the years about the unrest, I know that it wasn't just because of Rodney King and the build of years between the Los Angeles Police Department and the communities that have been targeted.

Once I started digging deeper into this case, it floored me that I had not one scrap of memory of it. Five murders in a short amount of time and two of them so brazen with kidnappings, in broad daylight, in the middle of a bustling mall parking lot. It is very interesting how sometimes, by whatever reason, cases become so popular with the media, people watching, even internationally. This case might have been very intense and well known in the area, or maybe even out of the area during the time, but it seems to slip through the cracks with future coverage. As we go through this episode, we learn about the victims that are different in age, race and gender. The people the suspects picked didn't care seem to have a style, an area, but more of an opportunity which might have been why it was hard to link the murders and catch them after the first couple.

For more information on these kidnapping and murders listen to Part 1: The Puente Hills Mall Murders.

Nicole & Arianna Fitts, San Francisco

by Jessica

A lot of the stories we cover in our episodes are ones that have been already covered in depth by the media. There are far more cases every year that do not receive a lot of attention. To remedy this every episode we include information on a cold case that deserves the sort of attention that can cause witnesses to come forward and keep victim's names in the news. In our last episode, we included a terrible case that is less cold than it is pressing.

Nicole Fitts with daughter Arianna
People Magazine

In 2016, the police in San Francisco came to the realization after finding a murder victim named Nicole Fitts, that they also had a missing child to find. That little girl's name was Arianna Fitts and she was the daughter of Nicole. While the SFPD and the FBI continue to search for Arianna, three years have gone by, and it's more important than ever to share their story in the hopes of bringing both a murderer and a kidnapper to justice.

On April 1, 2016, 32 year old Nicole Fitts went missing from San Francisco, CA. At the time, Nicole was living in the Mission Neighborhood and working at Best Buy on Harrison Street. Nicole had been through a lot, including at one point suffering homelessness but she worked very hard and was able, against all the odds, to create a home for her child.

Nicole Fitts, via SFPD

On the day she went missing she worked her shift at Best Buy, then went to the mall with a friend, stopped at a 7-11 to take cash out of an ATM and picked up a pizza at Pizza Hut. After going home she settled in for a movie when she received a phone call around 9:00 pm. After the call she told her roommate that the person on the other end of the line was "the babysitter" who wanted to meet about getting her 2 year old daughter back. Nicole, who had moved into the Mission, had told the sitter that they wouldn't need to watch Arianna after April 2nd. Nicole left her home to meet the caller at a  BJ's Restaurant. She was last seen wearing her blue Best Buy shirt when she boarded a San Francisco City bus, which locals call the Muni, and never returned.

Example of a Best Buy Shirt

Two pieces of evidence in her disappearance have been shared with the public. The first is that at 1:13 am the night Nicole went missing a Facebook post coming from her account was posted. It read, "Spending time with my 3 year old need this brake." The work brake was spelled incorrectly. Nicole's family have serious doubts about Nicole writing this post because her daughter was 2 years old at the time, not 3; and because the word "brake" was misspelled. Nicole's family reports she was fastidious about spelling and grammar.

The second piece happened this same night. Nicole's roommate received a strange text message from her stating that she was going to Fresno with a friend named Sean. Neither her roommate or her family knew of a friend Nicole had that used the name Sean; nor did she have a car.

What happened next was also out of character for Nicole who was known as hard worker who often took extra shifts at Best Buy. On April 2nd and April 3rd she didn't show up for work. Nicole's family came to San Francisco and reported her missing to police. While investigating police also realized that Nicole's daughter, Arianna Fitts had not been seen by anyone in the family since February 2016.

 Arianna Fitts, via SF Weekly

Arianna had been staying with a person the newspaper describes as a "babysitter," while Nicole worked and found a place for them both to live. Nicole had entrusted her daughter with this person and for 6 weeks had been working to get her daughter back. During these weeks she was not allowed to see her daughter and her family posits that she would've done anything to get her back including meeting someone late at night. The names of the people who were watching the child, according to the SF Weekly and The Charley Project are Siolo Hearne, Helena Martin and Devin Martin. On the day Nicole went missing she had planned to move her daughter in with her in the Mission.

In light of this new information, police realized that both Nicole and her daughter were missing. Then on April 8, 2016, Nicole was found in McLaren Park in San Francisco, murdered. Her body had been put in a hole and covered with a piece of plywood. Police believe the plywood was not found in the park but brought by the murderer and hope that a unique painting on it will look familiar to someone. Arianna was not found with her mother and is considered still missing.

Plywood found over Nicole's body, vis CBS San Francisco

The San Francisco Police Department are offering a $100,000 reward for information about Nicole Fitts' murder and for information about her missing daughter Arianna Fitts. There is also a $10,000 reward put for forth by Nicole's employer Best Buy.

When she went missing Arianna Fitts was 2 years old. According to the Charley Project she is african-american, was born on September 6, 2013. was 2 feet tall and 45 pounds. She had black hair and brown eyes. As of today she would be 6 years old and 7 in September. An aged progression photo of what she might look like now is below.

Arianna Fitts age progression, SFPD

Nicole's family is desperately hoping to find Arianna and find answers in Nicole's death. If you have any information on Arianna or Nicole Fitts please contact the San Francisco Police Department at 415-553-0123 or the FBi at 415-553-7400.

More information:

The Charley Project, Arianna Fitts: http://charleyproject.org/case/arianna-fitts

San Francisco Police Department, Nicole and Arianna Fitts: https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/news/san-francisco-police-announce-100000-reward-homicide

Backer, K.C. (2020 Mar 30). "Calif. Toddler Went Missing and Mom was Found in Shallow Grave--as Police Offer $100,000 Reward." People Magazine, https://people.com/crime/arianna-fitts-missing-california-girl-mom-found-slain/

Bay City News. (2020 Mar 29). "Mother murdered, little girl missing: San Francisco police offer $100,000 reward." The Mercury News, https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/03/29/mother-murdered-little-girl-missing-san-francisco-police-offer-100000-reward/

Toren, Michael. (2020 Mar 27). "Police Offer $100K Reward for Info on Missing Girl." SF Weekly, https://www.sfweekly.com/news/police-offer-100k-reward-for-info-on-missing-girl/

Sawyer Bishari, Nuala. (2018 July 26). "Where is Arianna Fitts?" SF Weekly, https://www.sfweekly.com/topstories/where-is-arianna-fitts/

The Murder of Evelyn & Alex Hernandez in San Francisco

by Jessica

A "perfect victim" is someone who is the victim of a crime who doesn't have something "wrong" with them. A victim, the news, the police and communities don't view as being responsible for their crimes. These victims are often called "innocent" and society easily identifies with them.

One of the consequences of not being a "perfect victim" is less attention is paid to your case by the media and by communities and when you do get attention a lot of effort is put into finding ways the victim could have done better. Perhaps if they hadn't hitchhiked, or dressed a certain way they may not have become prey to a person who holds less responsibility for their murder. We've all heard phrases like, "they asked for it" far too many times.

In each of our upcoming episodes the idea of "perfect" and "imperfect" victims will come into play. It plays a big part in our bonus episode this week. In it we cover the murders of Evelyn and Alex Hernandez. This is a case that received little attention and is when does receive attention its usually connected with a more famous case. When we put together the episode we considered trying to rectify that issue by only giving details in the Hernandez case but the more we researched and saw first hand how little information was given in the case, and how much of it was reported as part of another case, we decided we'd tackle the subject head on.

You can find our episode on this case anywhere you listen to podcasts, on our home page and on Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/28000626

Evelyn & Alex Hernandez

Evelyn Hernandez was years old and pregnant with her second child in April of 2002 when her and her five year old son, Alex, were last seen. In the days leading up to her disappearance, Evelyn spent time preparing for her baby's arrival on what doctors believed would be May 7th. She attended a doctors appointment, helped get her son set up with a new bed and talked with her sister about an upcoming baby shower. During that call her sister talked to her about how she would get to a baby shower in Richmond, CA from her San Francisco Amazon-Crocker neighborhood. Evelyn didn't have a car and had been experiencing pain with her pregnancy. She was on disability from her job at the The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel on Geary Street in downtown San Francisco.

May 1, 2002 was the last time anyone saw or heard from Evelyn and her son Alex. The next day Alex was absent from school and people who tried to get in touch with Evelyn couldn't find her. On May 7, 2002, the two were reported missing by Herman Aguilar and Evelyn's sister. Aguilar was the father of Evelyn's child due on May 7th.

When police go to Evelyn's home they believe it may be possible she's left town to have her baby elsewhere. Family and friends believed this wasn't possible. Evelyn was a legal immigrant from El Salvador and just a week out from giving birth. Traveling would be difficult and her passports were still in her house. Police could not find her wallet.

Sometime after Evelyn went missing a person in South San Francisco found her wallet in a ditch near Colma Creek. The person who finds the wallet has no reason to think they've found anything other than a missing wallet and hoping to get it back to it's owner they try to get in touch with Evelyn. On May 30, 2002, they take the wallet to the police station hoping they might have more luck getting in  touch with Evelyn. To police this is important and telling evidence that something more has happened to Evelyn.

Inside the wallet the police find cash and Evelyn's disability check. They go to the area where the wallet was found and search thoroughly, even using dogs, hoping to find any other evidence. They don't find anything else. Police move Evelyn's case from missing persons to homicide and a press conference is held in the case.

Then on July 24, 2002, someone walking on the Embarcadero, near the Bay Bridge, in San Francisco sees a body in the ocean about 16 feet away from the sea wall. Police pull the body from the bay and find that it is only the lower half of a torso and legs. Maternity clothes is attached or nearby the body. The police check the DNA of the body with DNA from Evelyn's toothbrush. It was a match. Evelyn's unborn child and Alex are nowhere to be found. Police believe that both have also been murdered by the same person who murdered Evelyn.

Information in this case goes cold pretty fast and it's only later in 2002, when Laci Peterson goes missing in Modesto, CA and is found murdered in the San Francisco Bay that attention is paid by the press to Evelyn's case. During the Scott Peterson trial part of his defense was that his wife was killed by another person, the same person who killed Evelyn Hernandez.

While there are some similarities in the two cases, both women were pregnant and found in the bay, the police do not believe there is any evidence to connect the two cases. Scott Peterson was found guilty of murdering his wife Laci Peterson in a very high profile case.

While the two murders are not connected, there is one major difference. The news coverage of first the missing, and then murdered Laci Peterson was heavily covered around the world while the coverage for Evelyn was considerably less. In the local paper, the Hernandez case only garnered a handful of articles and none of them on the front page.

In the episode we talk at length about the reasons why some cases get more attention while others get very little, and sometimes none at all. In fact, most cases never receive the kind of attention famous cases we can all think of do. There doesn't seem to be one reason why a case would garner more attention than another but in Evelyn's case there were several factors that came into play. She was not, as the media would say, a "perfect victim," But no one really is.

Evelyn was a single mother who the papers repeatedly reminded the reader had become pregnant by a man who was married. The fact that she didn't know he was married when she dated him or became pregnant was mentioned once. Most of Evelyn's family lived overseas in El Salvador and though her sisters and friends advocate for her, including holding memorials and keeping hope that Alex is still alive, this hasn't seemed to bring a lot of attention. She wasn't rich, she didn't have a victim's organization advocating on her behalf, and information in the case did not continue to flow as it had in other cases.

But like every victim of murder, Evelyn mattered as much as anyone. Her and her child had a life ahead of them. She was only days away from having her second child who she planned to name Fernando. Lack of attention from the public did not mean that police weren't working hard to find the answers in this case. It also did not meant that the people who loved her didn't grieve and miss the family terribly. Everything that people in larger cases went through this family suffered. And while press may be a blessing for people looking for answers we've seen plenty of cases where it was a double edged sword when it wouldn't die down after answers were had, or when it assumed things about victims instead of treating them as the real people they were.

In this case the police are still investigating. What they need is someone who knows something or saw something to come forward. Over time someone might feel less scared about coming forward, or start to feel guilty about their role in the crime. Keeping Evelyn and Alex in the news means reminding people everyday that they were real, they deserved better and that three lives were taken.

If you have any information in this case please call police in San Francisco at 415-553-1071. If you wish to stay anonymous please call 415-575-4444.

You can find more information and a full list of our works cited for this episode here: https://sites.google.com/view/californiatruecrime/episodes-page/season-2/evelyn-alex-hernandez?authuser=0

We Recorded! It's harder than it sounds!

by Jessica

We did it! We recorded an episode this last Saturday. *crickets* I know it doesn't sound like a milestone but it really was for us. Since we haven't edited the episode it's hard to say how successful it was but each step forward feels big. Just two weeks ago we attempted to record our first remote episode and boy, did things go sideways fast. At the end of that night I really felt that we might not be able to pull this off. After a night of googling (rather than sleeping) and mining audacity's many question and answer threads we went back to the beginning, started over and figured it out.

We've all been here

On Saturday we started over with only a minor setback that might've gotten me to tear just a little bit of hair out. But we made it through. One episode down! Now comes the editing and fingers crossed you'll be able hear us clearly. Just like when we recorded our very first episodes there will be a learning curve to getting this Zoom thing down.

Let's just say we are cautiously optimistic this will work and we'll have episodes out to you soon. I'll be even happier when this episode is edited and we have, on our computers and ready to load up, a full episode with the three of us talking about things we care about, in this case a cold case that we know you'll be interested in and want to help get attention. That day we'll have a party! Hey, we should do it on a platform where we can do it together. You are, after all, a big reason we are doing this. Thank you for being the best listeners out there!

Of course, this small thing which feels so big to us, isn't as important as a lot of what's happening around the world. However, pieces of normalcy keep us all sane and talking with Sean and Charles, finding these two people who are interested in similar things while still challenging my own ideas and beliefs, well its become one of the most "normal" parts of my life this past two years. I guess I'm saying that I'm lucky, both to have them and all of you.

We hope that you are all staying safe and we're excited to be very close to starting our second season. Hopefully, you'll enjoy it as much as we've enjoyed putting it together. We can't wait to be able to talk to you about these cases and find out what you think. Thank you for being patient and being a part of the CaliTrueCrime community!

Murder of Mary London, Cold Case in Sacramento, Solved

by Jessica

Mary London
pic from Newsweek

Mary London was 17 years and a 10th grader when she went to school at Sacramento High School on January 14, 1981.  She attended all her classes that day and when school ended at 2:00 pm she stayed behind to help a teacher clean up their classroom from a lesson. Sometime after this a hall monitor would be the last person to see her alive. No one on campus saw her leave and when her stepmom came to pick her up at 2:30 pm she couldn't be found.

Sacramento Charter High School via Google Maps

In 1981, Mary London was living with her father and stepmom in Sacramento on U Street. Her father owned a shoe shine parlor at 9th Street and J Street in the heart of downtown Sacramento. In December 1980, Mary had moved in with her father and transferred from McClatchy High School to Sacramento High School. Though she had yet to make new friends she was described by people as a "nice kid" and "bubbly." In the Sacramento Bee article titled, "Foul Play: High School Girl Found Murdered," a friend of the family said of Mary, "She was just beginning to live. Her father was so proud of her. If I was her father, I'd have been proud, too. She was a pretty girl."

When Mary went missing she was described as 4 feet 11 inches tall, 110 pounds and wearing rust colored corduroy pants and a sweater that was maroon. No one at the school came forward to say they saw her leave campus, or get a ride from someone else. To them she simply disappeared from the face of the earth. The only possible clue released to the public was that an eye witness came forward to say they thought they saw her get into a vehicle near 8th and K Streets in Sacramento. The possible witness believed there were three men in the vehicle and that they saw this happen between 4:00 and 5:00 pm that day. This area is almost 3 miles north-west of the school. According to google maps it would have taken her an hour walking to reach this distance. If she was seen in this area she would have been only a mile away from her house and just a few minutes from her father's business on 9th Street and J Street. Police shared the witness information with the public but did not say whether it was considered accurate or if anyone else saw what this witness saw.

Map Showing Mary's possible path walking home via google maps
U Street is her house, 8th & K Street where a witness may have seen her

The next day, Thursday, January 15, 1981 at 7:00 am, a Pacific Telephone Employee was out checking phone lines on San Juan Rd in Sacramento when they found the body of Mary London. The area she was found was rural and on a stretch of road with I-5 to the East and I-880 to the South. Mary London's body was found nude except for socks and one brown shoe. On her right wrist she had a piece of twine tied. Police did not know if she had at one point after she went missing been tied up but the piece of twine indicated that may have been possible. Mary was stabbed several times in the chest. Police didn't know at the time if she was sexually assaulted and if that changed that information was never printed in the newspaper.

Approximate area Mary London was found via google maps

Investigators began to put together a timeline of Mary's last day but with little information and DNA testing yet to come, her case quickly became cold. The Sacramento Bee, the newspaper of record for the area, added the murder of Mary London to their Secret Witness Program and offered $2,500 dollars to anyone with information that would lead to answers in this case. Under the Secret Witness program, tipsters are allowed to remain anonymous and it doesn't impact whether or not they receive the money.

In April of 2020, 39 years after Mary was murdered, Sacramento police announced that they had found the sole suspect in Mary London's murder. Using genetic genealogy, the police were able to match DNA found on the victim with a man named Vernon Parker.

Parker was 17 in 1981, when Mary went missing and was murdered. While finding this connection meant Mary's case was now solved and closed it was announced that Vernon Parker would not face a courtroom. Unfortunately, Parker was murdered only a year after it's believed he murdered Mary.

In August of 1982, one of Parker's friends got into a fight with another man at the Hof Brau Bar near 7th and L Street in Sacramento. Two hours after the fight took place, Vernon Parker walked back into the bar, told the people inside he had been stabbed and collapsed. The man who stabbed Parker, was also the man involved in the earlier fights, told police that Parker and his friend had attacked him on 10th and L Streets. He said that he stabbed Parker in self defense.

Vernon Parker was killed in the stabbing and his murderer was sentenced to five years in state prison.

The Sacramento Bee, December 18, 1982

While Vernon Parker won't be handed a jail sentence for the crime of murdering Mary London the hard work by investigators does provide answers for those who loved her. Nothing can repair the crime Parker committed in 1981 and the loss for everyone who knew Mary.

A younger Mary London
pic from Newsweek

On January 21, 1981, a funeral was held for Mary Cathy London at Thompson Funeral Home.


For More Information:

Maharidge, Dale & Alex Miller. (1981 Jan 16). "Foul Play, High School Girl Found Murdered." The Sacramento Bee, B1.

"Capital Teen's Slaying Joins Secret Witness List." (1981 Jan 29). The Sacramento Bee, B3.

Mary C. London Funeral Notice. (1981 Jan 21). The Sacramento Bee, A21.

Mary London Secret Witness Information. (1981 Apr 23). The Sacramento Bee, AA6.

"Stabbing Victim." (1982 Aug 25). The Sacramento Bee, B2.

"Killer Draws Prison." (1982 Aug 18). The Sacramento Bee, E5.

McGough, Michael. (2020 Apr 23). "DNA links suspect to 1981 cold case murder of disabled Sacramento teen, police say." The Sacramento Bee; available at: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article242230826.html

Murdock, Jason. (2020 Apr 24). "DNA Breakthrough Identifies Suspect In Cold Case Murder of California Teen Unsolved For Nearly 40 Years." Newsweek; available at https://www.newsweek.com/california-sacramento-police-cold-case-mary-london-dna-genetic-genealogy-testing-1499951

Unsolved Murder of Veronica Martinez (1992)

Written by: Jessica

About halfway through our first season we realized that the cases we had covered had also been cases that were, for the most part, covered in depth by the media. While researching we came across thousands of cases that we had never heard of, and also had received far less media attention. Many of these cases were unsolved and in most loved ones or police were asking the public for help. This is when we decided to end our episodes with a cold case to highlight in some small way the victims of these unsolved crimes.

One of the first cases we came across while researching the murders perpetrated by Cary Stayner was the murder of Veronica Martinez near Cool, CA in 1992. After Stayner was captured police around the state looked through their cold case files to see if the possibility that these unsolved cases might involve Stayner. Several cases popped out as possibilities. They tended to be cases where the victim was murdered, or found murdered in the wilderness, and in the general vicinity of places that Stayner was known to have been or traveled. While none of these cases have ever been linked to Stayner through any direct evidence they do highlight how little attention the victims received, especially in contrast to the murders of Carole Sund, Juli Sund, Silvina Pelosso and Joie Armstrong. 

Conversely, there were only a handful of articles on the murder of Veronica Martinez and we were unable to find a photo of her. She hasn't been forgotten by the people who love and miss her and police need information from the public to help solve this awful crime.

Veronica Martinez was only 19 years old when she was last seen in Sacramento, CA on January 27, 1992. On that day, Veronica had her friend drop her off at a Pak N'Save grocery store on Florin Rd and told them she would have her brother pick her up when she was done. Martinez never returned. Her family filed a missing persons report on January 30, 1992 in Cool, CA, a small town 40 miles outside Sacramento.

At the time Veronica Martinez was a mother of two, with one on the way. In 1992 her children were 2 and 4 years old and were not with her when she disappeared. When she was last seen she was wearing a white sweater and red pants. She is of Hispanic descent, 5 feet 4 inches tall and 130 pounds.

On March 7, 1992, 11 days after disappearing, Veronica Martinez' body was found off Hwy 49 between Auburn and Placerville in El Dorado County. Depending on where the body was found this was anywhere from 35-60 minutes away from where she was last seen. Her body was found by a man who was collecting bottles on the side of Hwy 49, a mainly rural road throughout the area. Martinez was placed near "Cool Cave" and at the bottom of a steep ravine in heavy brush. She was nude, except for a bra, wrapped in plastic and her head had been decapitated.

Veronica Martinez was found along Hwy 49 between Placerville & Auburn
via Google Maps

Police believe that Veronica Martinez may have been alive and held for a period of time before being found. Her autopsy showed she had been deceased for 7-10 days and her body was badly decomposed. It is not believed she was sexually assaulted. Police do not know what Veronica Martinez' cause of death was.

The search for whomever murdered Veronica Martinez is ongoing. As this case wasn't widely covered, we know very little about Martinez. She was a mother of two and was pregnant with her third child. She worked as a waitress in Sacramento to provide for her family. She and her loved ones deserve answers and justice.

If you have any information about the murder of Veronica Martinez please contact the El Dorado County Cold Case Task Force by phone at 530-621-4590 or by email at coldcasetaskforce@ecdgov.us

For more information:

"Sheriff Looking into Link in Women's Murders." (1992 Mar 15). The Press Tribune, A-2.

"Autopsy on Headless Body Inconclusive (Police Digest)." (1992 June 16). The Press Tribune, A-2.

KXTV Staff. (2017 Sept 27). "Cold Case Homicides that Haunt the Greater Sacramento Area." ABC 10; available at: https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/cold-case-homicides-that-haunt-the-greater-sacramento-area/477359931

The Murder of Rhoda Harris in Monterey, CA in 1967

As more and more cases are solved, thanks in part to genealogical DNA, we're also reminded of the thousands and thousands of cases that are unsolved all around California. Many of the them may see renewed hope by investigators who worked diligently at the time they happened to preserve evidence but many more will never be able to take advantage of those leaps in technology. In each of those cases there remain friends, family and communities who recall the terrible acts of murder and still have hope that some resolution can be found but as time moves forward and witnesses and even possible suspects age and pass on, time will run out. Police continue to work on these cases and in the case of Monterey, CA, continue to ask the public for any information they have. One of the first steps of finding such information is continuing to get the details of these crimes out to the public. 

Rhoda Harris from Monterey PD Unsolved Homicde

Rhoda Harris was a 61 year old Monterey, CA woman who had been divorced for 29 years in 1967. Like many people in the area she had raised a family and was enjoying her older years and in particular, the sport of bowling. As a member of a bowling league she even had her own personal bowling ball complete with a bag and her name etched into the ball.

Her life came to an end in 1967 in a case that is still unsolved by Monterey detectives.

In the afternoon of November 29, 1967, Rhoda Harris' daughter Evelyn was trying to get in touch with her mother. Evelyn lived in Carmel, only a little over 4 miles from her mother's house on McNear Street in Monterey. After calling her on the telephone and receiving no answer she decided to drive to Monterey to check if her mother was okay.

When Evelyn arrived at the house she found that her mother's front door was unlocked and open. Inside she found her mother, Rhoda Harris, on the floor of her living room in a position the newspaper, The Californian, described as "sprawled." She had been beaten and stabbed 10-25 times in the upper chest, hands and face.

Map of McNear Street where Rhoda Harris lived via Google Maps

It isn’t clear who committed this crime but the scene was gruesome. Rhoda Harris had her feet and hands bound with lamp cord and her numerous stab wounds appear to have been committed by a knife, scissors and a fireplace poker. Later police find an ice pick that may also have been used. The coroner believes she had been murdered the day before on Wednesday, November 28, 1967.

Harris’ car is also missing from her garage and police send out an alert on the vehicle in the hopes of finding her car, and any clues to this horrible crime. The car was described as a 4 door Dodge Dart Sedan with the license plate RKW 496 and of a light blue color. 

Example of a Dodge Dart during 1967, Rhoda Harris' was light blue
via Old Car Brochures

The Deputy District Attorney at the time tells the newspaper that finding the car is very important, "We have little to go on at this time, and are hoping that a checkout of her car will give us some sort of lead."

On November 30, 1967, 14 miles north of Monterey in the town of Marina, CA. The car was in a church parking lot and had been sitting in the rain for two days. Police tow the car to a garage and begin searching the vehicle, checking for clues and fingerprints. On the dash of the car they find an ice pick that may have been used to murder Rhoda Harris.

The Californian notes that 1967 was an especially gruesome year for murders in Monterey County. The article below notes that more than “a dozen” gruesome deaths happened that year and while the majority of those cases have some resolution, the death of Rhoda Harris remains unsolved. 

The Californian, Dec 30, 1967
via Newspapers.com

Two months later, in January of 1968, a man operating a bulldozer in Marina, CA on a lot near the intersection of Reservation Road and California Ave, finds a bowling ball when machinery pushes a bag about 40 feet, causing the ball to roll out. The man turned that ball over to police who recognized the name etched on the ball as the same as a murder victim in Monterey: Rhoda Harris. This is the last clue in this murder case that either exists or is shared with the public.  

Map showing the approximate area the bowling ball was found near Reservation Rd & California Ave, Marina
via Google Maps

The Californian, Jan 11, 1968
via Newspapers.com

Rhoda Harris’ case has been unsolved for over 50 years. She and her family deserve answers about her murder. If you have any information about her case please call Monterey Police Investigations Division at 831-646-3814.

For more information on this case:

"Monterey Woman Murdered." (1967, Nov 30). The Californian, pg. 1. via newspapers.com
"Slaying Clues Sought." (1967. Dec 1). The Californian, pg. 1. via newspapers.com
"Texas Boy Questioned In Slaying." (1967, Dec 7). The Californian, pg. 4. via newspapers.com
"1967 Was Extraordinary Year for Violent Death." (1967, Dec 30). The Californian, pg. 2. via newspapers.com
"Murder Victim's Bowling Ball Found in Lot." (1968, Jan 11). The Californian, pg. 5. via newspapers.com
Baldwin, Doug. (1968, Jan 15). "192 Die Violent Deaths In County During 1967." The Californian, pg. 13. via newspapers.com

Naomi Sanders Murder Solved In Vallejo

It was announced last month that the police in Vallejo, CA had finally solved a murder that dated back to 1973. Many of the people who were friends or loved ones of the victim had already passed on but detectives continued to try to bring answers and justice to the case.

As we work on our second season, we've already discussed the idea of a "pure victim," or someone law enforcement, the media and often citizens feel deserves justice more than others, several times. As we continue to think about this moniker and the cases that sit on shelves for decades and receive little attention it's important to note the incredible work done by those who pick up where other detectives have left off and continue to find answers for families. This is one of those cases:

On February 26, 1973, Naomi Sanders was 57 years old and last talked to a friend on the phone. This friend said that Sanders was in the process of cooking her dinner. It was the last time anyone would hear from her. On February 27, 1973, a tenant in the Oakwood Garden Apartments near the corner of Oakwood Ave and Springs Road in Vallejo, heard a whimpering noise coming from Sanders apartment. Sanders not only lived at the complex but she also managed it as well.

Pic via Fox News Article

When the tenant reached Sanders apartment what they found was a door ajar and the noises of a poodle inside whining. When the tenant opened the door and went inside they found Sanders body in her bed, fully clothed, deceased and her poodle Cindy guarding the body. The tenant called the police. 

Pic via Fox News Article

When the police arrive they found Naomi Sanders deceased from strangulation. The motive of the crime was initially unclear as there was no robbery of any of Sanders' jewelry. On the stove were two partially cooked steaks, one of which a friend believed was for her beloved poodle, as she hadn't said anything about a guest when she was last on the phone.

Naomi Sanders' body was bruised and her clothing was disheveled. An autopsy told police that she had been sexually assaulted. Tenants in the building did not see or hear anything strange coming from the apartment on the day of the murder. After several years and a lack of information the case went cold.

Naomi Sanders was a divorcee who lived alone. One of ten kids, she spend her life managing motels and apartments in and around Fairfield. At one time she was also a technician at Napa State Hospital.

Over the years, detectives continue to look through the case hoping to find something that had been overlooked. It would take new technology to finally solve this case. In 2014, detectives were able to pull a sample of semen off the carefully collected clothes Sanders' was wearing during her murder. A DNA profile was created using the sample and sent through the FBI National Database of offenders. Unfortunately, it did not bring a match. In 2016, investigators once again uploaded the sample through all California state databases, made mostly up of offenders. The goal this time was to find a possible familial match. Again, this did not bring a positive result. Refusing to give up, detectives in 2018, loaded the profile up to GEDMatch and this time they received a positive match. In fact, they received two positive matches. One of them was for a man in Louisiana, and the other for a man in California.

Investigators looked into the man in Louisiana and took a genetic sample. His DNA did not match the sample they had from the crime scene. In California, detectives ran into a road block when they found their suspect had passed away and his body cremated. They received permission from the man's son to take a DNA sample and were able to conclude that it was a match.

In 1973, Robert Dale Edwards was 22 years old and knew Naomi Sanders because she had worked with his father. Aside from knowing the victim, Edwards also had a criminal history that included domestic violence, theft, attempted murder and assault. The sample provided by his son conclusively proved that Edwards was the man who had raped and then strangled Sanders. The work done by detectives over the last 47 years would not mean handcuffs for Edwards as he passed away in 1993 of a drug overdose. But that work would not be a waste. Detectives could now finally close a case that was horrifically opened in 1973 and provide answers to family who still tell the stories of the woman they never had a chance to know.

In a Times Herald article titled, "Vallejo police solve 1973 Oakwood Avenue homicide using DNA genealogy" from February 27, 2020, Sanders' family issued this statement:

"The Kadinger Family is immensely grateful to the Vallejo Police Department and to everyone who worked this case for the past 46 years. As you can imagine, over the 46 years, many family members directly affected by the loss of Naomi have also passed, and, unfortunately, they cannot be afforded the truth as to what happened. Those of us who do remember the stories of Naomi's life and untimely death can now fell closure thanks to the determination and teamwork of the Vallejo Police Department and partnering law enforcement agencies. May Naomi now rest in peace."

For more information on this case:

Gearty, Robert. (2020, Feb 28). "California police solve 47-year-old cold case murder using DNA, genetic genealogy." Fox News, retrieved from URL.

Glidden, John. (2020, Feb 27). "Vallejo police solve 1973 Oakwood Avenue homicide using DNA genealogy." Times Herald, retrieved from URL.

"She was found strangled with dinner still on the stove. 47 years on, Bay Area police find a killer." SF Gate, retrieved from URL.

"Woman, 57, Is Strangled In Own Vallejo Apartment." (1973, Feb 28). The Sacramento Bee, pg. 12.

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