Retired deputy Leon Boyer says that Chili Bob finally radioed in on Jan. 10, five days after the Bermans were last seen in camp, to report an abandoned Datsun truck at the Palm Spring campground. [6], Mary Ann Sarris It is mind-boggling that he committed so many crimes without a slip-up, Biondi said, adding that he still believes the killer can be brought to justice. It has yet to be approved by the Senate, however, and no voteas yethas been scheduled. When something comes up, I always want to help.. Camper Brian Casey tells the Weekly that a small pickup pulled up that evening, its headlights shining into the hot tub, and soon Barry and Louise, conspicuous because they wore swimsuits, climbed in. Santa Barbara, CA 93102 Noozhawk is a founding member of the Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers . Jennie, whom Neely remembers as vivacious like Emily, waitressed for two years at Saigon Noodle House about six years ago, said the restaurants manager, who preferred to be identified as David. Peter Cacavas . But Tramel asked: Have you ever killed a deer with your bare hands? Though more than a half-century-old, the mystery of the Zodiac lingers, and police believe he could still be at large. The paperunder a previous editorhad described Gray as a blatherskite and brazen-faced demagogue and hoodlum. In 1876, Gray beat up William Russell, editor of The Index, another publication, leaving his head a bloody mess. On July 11, 1979, Preston spotted Christiansen at a bar in Hollywood. Tramel and Kurtzman were tried as adults, found guilty, and sent away for a long time. His redemption was the stuff of much media coverage. LAWeekly Instagram: Featuring the culture of LA since 1978 , Relationship with the Victim* He wasnt passionate about the case, but it upset him that they didnt get back to him.. Her ex-husband, former L.A. firefighter Wes Westerman, now retired in the San Juan Islands, remains bitter about her radical awakening, complaining, She met people who brought in drugs. District Attorney David Minier blocked Yanikians efforts to call Armenian survivors and historians to testify. In 1991, he bought out Yu, who moved to San Luis Obispo. BLM ranger Albert, now retired, calls it the largest search effort in Inyo County history., Lucas, who rose to Inyo County sheriff before retiring in Arkansas, today says: I kept calling in more and more people. KEYT. While the Domingos-Edwards murders continue to drive speculation, the case remains unsolved. Zodiackiller.com, however, points to another manRichard Gaikowski, a former Bay Area newspaper reporterwho died in 2004. Days after they went missing, the bodies of Domingos and Edwards were found hidden in a ramshackle shed near a remote stretch of Gaviota Beach. She was working as a secretary and living with her teenage daughter, Laura, in Goleta. In our heart of hearts, we know he had not committed an act of murder, one speaker proclaimed. Dust-covered and sweaty, she recalls, He was super nervous. Their excursion to Saline Valley was meant as a make-up trip: They'd visit Death Valley and tour Scotty's Castle to see its exquisite ironwork. But when the two got back to their dorm, Tramel bragged to other students: We bagged a Mexican. When no one believed him, Tramel led them to the scene. Glancey stumbled into the Morris Hotel at State and Haley and collapsed in the reading room. Han had grown concerned Chinas intense pollution could prove deleterious to his plants and herbs. Zemaitis told the Sun that he recalls his father telling him that Short was a frequent customer of the long-gone Snappy Lunch Diner, which was located on the corner of Broadway and Cook streets in Santa Maria. He pleaded guilty to 13 murders, including those of four Santa Barbara County residents, and dozens of sexual assaults and burglaries in the 1970s and 1980s Thursday, November 10 , 2022, 2:55 pm . This put him sideways with Chinese authorities. Then Kurtzman attacked. The suspect was identified as Gabriel Jose Zepeda, a 46-year-old transient that was arrested without incident. On July 27, 1979, after interviewing over 115 persons over the previous two years, Christiansen was arrested for the murders of Patricia Laney, Jacqueline Rook, and Mary Sarris. During his trial, Yanikian sought to represent himself as a philosopher king. His mother was a talented ob-gyn, and his father was a dermatologist; medical practitioners went back in the Han family for many generations. Eventually, they worked things out. When they left their school on West Mission Street dressed in ninja black, they were on the hunt for Latino gang members whod roughed up a schoolmate the previous night. Not much is known about Frederick, but online searches show he founded the now-defunct oil company Cal Tech International Inc. and was an ex-CIA agent of Jordanian descent. She had been a community volunteer with organizations that advocated against violence to women. The NCIS, the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney's Office and Inyo County Sheriff's Office all knew and shared with one another the fact that Pepe had been the key suspect in an old double murder, but they never went public with it. Kathy Neely, who taught Emily for two years during preschool at the Waldorf School of Santa Barbara, remembers her as strong-willed, courageous, and having a joyful personality. She loved to play, Neely said. We know that our guy took items, Knutson said on the FBI website. An Eagle Scout, he had told Tramel earlier that night that he knew about gutting a deer. He came alone, hung around, ogled at girls with no clothes on and had a sexual motivation.. He was always an elected delegate at Republican Party conventions. The first trial ended with a hung jury. Barry and Louise came together in Santa Barbara in the 1980s through the same guru master. [10], On December 26, 1979, Christiansen entered a plea of "not guilty by reason of insanity," in addition to his previous "not guilty" plea. Barry and Louise came together in Santa Barbara in the 1980s through the same guru master. Since Han set up shop in Santa Barbara in the 1980s, there was never anything the least bit woo-woo or New Age about the medicine he practiced. [21][22], Last edited on 10 February 2023, at 06:57, List of serial killers in the United States, "Christiansen confesses to three SB murders", "Christiansen gets life imprisonment (1/2)", "Thor Christiansen receives 27 year prison sentence", "New Plea Entered in Murder, Assault Case", "Suspect Held in Killings of Three Women Hitchhikers", "Murder defendant Thor Christiansen enters additional plea of insanity (1/2)", "Murder defendant Thor Christiansen enters additional plea of insanity (2/2)", "Christiansen trial delayed, may not occur at all", "Judge rejects diminished capacity in murder trial", "Accused Murderer Had Diminished Capacity", "Christiansen gets 25 years to life (1/2)", "Christiansen gets life imprisonment (2/2)". In recent years, Han started branching out into new medical and business opportunities. Unlike some herbalists and acupuncture practitioners who saw themselves as distinct from traditional Western medicine, he practiced an East-West blend of practices. [7][8][6], Lydia Preston Like many familiar with herbal cures, Han understood hemp plants contain psychoactively inert chemicals known as cannabidiols, or CBDs. Soon De la Guerra Plaza was packed morning, noon, and night with homeless people and their supporters. The Domingos and Edwards murders are just two of the 26 cold cases in Santa Barbara County, some of which are believed to have been committed by infamous serial killers. More than two months later, in late December, the Santa Maria Times reported that 35-year-old Santa Maria psychologist Alexandria Manning and 44-year-old Dr. Robert Offerman were found murdered, shot multiple times, in a residence located on Avenida Pequena in Goleta. Life was good, with Barry focusing on his ironworking business, Valley Forgeworks, and hosting satsang meetings with Louise. Lyman and Charlene Smith were murdered in their Ventura home in March 1980. Until his arrest, American-born Pierre Haobsh lived with his French-born father, Frederick Smith, or Frederick Haobsh, in rented rooms of an Oceanside house. When asked whether he could hear from his position behind protective glass, he said, Yes, I can. When asked if, at prosecutors request, he agreed to postpone his arraignment by two weeks, he said, Yes, I do.. State and federal authorities interviewed hundreds of people, but no evidence has ever conclusively linked any suspects. Trailers housed permanent residents, including Chili Bob, the campground host, and Major Tom Ganner, now a glacier guide and photographer in Alaska. But before he became known as the Zodiac Killer, he may have honed his proficiency with the 1963 killings of Domingos and Edwards in Santa Barbara County. A kindergartener at Foothill Elementary School, Emily would have turned 6 on March 26. I recall Emilys love of serving me delicious sand cupcakes she had prepared during outdoor play. Neely recommended grieving families light a candle to honor Emily and her parents. Did the Zodiac Killer strike in Santa Barbara County? She was working as a secretary and living with her teenage daughter, Laura, in Goleta. In them, hed take credit for murders and taunt police. Any number of people could be a suspect, Zemaitis said. Retired Inyo County Sheriff's deputy Leon Boyer, who has lived with the baffling case for three decades, today says, You can't commit a homicide and get away with it.. The third trial proved the charm; Gray was flat-out acquitted. He was held in a Santa Barbara County jail on $500,000 bond. He and his wife, Ruth, were so desperate that they enlisted psychic Char Margolis, known for her appearances on Regis Philbin's TV show AM Los Angeles. It was devastating. Bringing together non-profits with an audience of affluent donors. Yet it wasn't until eight days after their disappearance that a search-and-rescue team headed by Sgt. Years later, after Louise found her soul mate in Barry, a fellow spiritual seeker, the couple received a generous wedding gift: In May 1981, Jules Berman bought property for Barry high above the ocean on exclusive Refugio Road near Santa Barbara. They were the nicest young people you could ever meet in your life, Gnesa said. Lucas' team jimmied open the Datsun and found two cameras with undeveloped film inside. Grays role in community life, however, was more complicated than his rap sheet might suggest. We have found that there appears to be a high degree of probability that this subject is responsible for the double murder in our county., The police never said how they came to this conclusion. It screwed me up. The California historical newspaper archives are great for people whose families settled in the west, especially during the gold rush. Last Wednesday, Hahn had an appointment to meet his partners in one of these ventures. His friend Pat Brown, governor of California, appointed him to the state athletic commission. He was held in a Santa Barbara County jail on $500,000 bond. On the 35th anniversary of Morgan's disappearance, the FBI Most Wanted Twitter page posted an alert seeking information with a $25,000 reward for this unsolved murder. Similar to some of the attacks on the couples in Vallejo and Napa, the killer forced one of his victims to bind the hands of the other with pre-cut lengths of narrow rope. The group who claimed responsibility for the murders called themselves the Yanikian Commandos.. Henry Han originally opened his clinic in the Lobero Building in downtown Santa Barbara and subsequently at its current location behind Chucks steak house on upper State Street. His bail is set at $1,000,000. His killer was not identified. [16] On May 14, 1980, Christiansen was sentenced to 25 years to life for the murder of Laura Benjamin, and 9 years for the attempted murder of Lydia Preston. Even though it wasnt Hans discipline, he crammed nonstop for two solid weeks, took the tests, and qualified for one of the openings. News: Los Padres National Forest controlled burns, The following article was posted on October 27th, 2016, in the Santa Maria Sun - Volume 17, Issue 34, The following articles were printed from Santa Maria Sun [santamariasun.com] - Volume 17, Issue 34. Theres significant evidence to suggest CBDs have healing powers when it comes to tumors, seizures, psychosis, anxiety, and inflammation. Now, spurred by L.A. Weekly's three-month investigation into the double murders, and 17 years after family patriarch Jules Berman died, Inyo County Sheriff Bill Lutze has reactivated the troubling cold case. His student visa expired. The Marine captain seemed an unlikely suspect. Ann Louise Bardach, noted global journalist, said she visited Han in the 1990s to deal with intestinal issues born of her high-stress work. Senior Skip Day is an event not officially sanctioned by local schools, but it's a day anticipated by many high school seniors. There were people coming and going at all hours of the night.. In life, Stephenson had made it past his 29th birthday. Louise was concerned that they were falling apart, recalls her son Michael Westerman. Index includes name, sex, date and place of birth, date and county of death, father's last name, and mother's maiden name. Powered by WordPress VIP. The man known as Mike the Marine also went off and, upon his return to the springs later that day, gave one female camper the creeps by asking if she was interested in threesomes. Higher education no longer denoted a member of a parasitic class. Once, he beat a priest senseless. Police found the murdered couple's grave nearby they were buried atop one another. Instead, he sought out Henry Han. Wilson, and left in a state of insensibility., Originally from Illinois, Glancey had the personality and physique of an ax handle. The Sun researched three of the most notorious unsolved cases for this story. His crimes motivated large demonstrations opposed to violence against women, and in favor of better transportation for the young people residing in Isla Vista. The charges drew global attention for the shocking crimes against little girls at his home in Phnom Penh. Domingos was 18 and Edwards was 17. Both were seeking admission to the national military academies West Point and the Air Force Academy. Santa Barbara . But their happiness was soon shattered. Christiansen also said he killed his victims, took them to a secluded place, unclothed them, and sexually explored their bodies. Gray was tried three times on murder chargesbut each time, he got off. In 2018, Joseph DeAngelo was arrested. Barry, who had chosen ironworking as his craft, settled into one of three weathered cottages on the El Capitan land overlooking the ocean. Today, the cliffside cottages are owned by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but long ago the land was home to Chumash Indians. Santa Barbara prosecutors Hilary Dozer and Ben Ladinig, public defenders Christine Voss and Mindi Boulet, and Deputy County Counsel Michelle Montezwho represents the Sheriffs Officewill return to court April 12. When funding for the movie deal collapseddone in, it would turn out, by actions of the State Department and the Shah of IranYanikian began searching for a Plan B. Two million words I have written, and nobody pays attention, Yanikian testified during his trial. Jennie worked at a number of other Asian food eateries around town. Yanikian was found guilty of murder and received a life sentence. They were bound for the hot springs in Saline Valley, 50 miles from the nearest pavement and long a popular Mojave Desert draw for nudists and eccentrics. One of his first patients was Steve Carlson, then an administrator at UCSB, who was struggling with hepatitis A. Copyright 2023 Santa Barbara Independent, Inc. Reproduction of material from any Independent.com pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. I quickly took care of that, he says. Over time, Hans practice grew. At his Forest Lawn funeral, 350 Armenian rights activists gathered to honor his crime. She went from house to house, staying on friends couches. It was a very short interview, Williams says. Deputy Boyer tells the Weekly that thinking like a deviant led him to conclude that a perpetrator had hobbled the Bermans in the desert by removing their shoes. Three years before he died, Berman told UCLA's oral history program that, because of the brutal killings of his son and daughter-in-law, My philosophy is, if there's a God, he's not for me; he's for someone else.. [11][12] He was scheduled to go to trial in Los Angeles on February 4, 1980, for the 1977 murder of Laura Benjamin, and in Santa Barbara on March 17, 1980, for the Isla Vista murders. There is no chance for parole. 1980 in Ventura, when Charlene Smith, 33, and her husband Lyman . Barry spent time in India at a sprawling ashram known as the Dera, home to the spiritual society Radha Soami Satsang Beas, attending a daily satsang, or truth group, led by a guru master. When Gray moved to Santa Barbara in 1870, he was described as reckless, unscrupulous, audacious, brilliant, enterprising, and witty. An attorney by profession, Gray represented clients who were described as gamblers, members of the sporting set, and habitus of saloons. In less than 10 years, Gray himself was arrested more than 20 times, mostly for fighting. He looked for signers named Mike and found one who'd written down his address at a Marine Corps base. Former sheriff's deputy Boyer says, Pepe has skated and skated and skated. A 2006 film about the murderappropriately titled The Black Dahliastarring Josh Hartnett and Scarlett Johansson was nominated for an Academy Award. The photos provided a clue: Barry and Louise were wearing Nike sneakers. The three recounted here, however, hit us with their loud and obvious resonance with whats happening today on the world stage and right here in Santa Barbara. The Weekly has learned what three law enforcement agencies have kept to themselves for years: that the former Marine officer, now serving 210 years in federal prison, is Mike the Marine, a desert camper who was extensively questioned in the 1980s and viewed by local police as the prime suspect after Barry and Louise Berman were killed. 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