The murder of Cheri Jo Bates is an unsolved murder that occurred in Riverside, California on October 30, 1966. Her killer had disabled her car and lay in wait for her to return from the library to her car, where he attacked. According to Detective Jim Simons, these armchair sleuths aren’t hurting the police investigation and in fact, he believed that they are a form of support for victims of horrific crimes. She was beaten and stabbed with such force she was almost decapitated. In addition to the unidentified set of fingerprints, there were fingernail scrapings and hair strands found in Cheri’s hand. [11], Following her graduation from Ramona High School, Bates enrolled at the Riverside City College (RCC) and found part-time employment at the Riverside National Bank. That poor family never getting any closure and just being taunted. The friend turned down the invitation and Cheri decided she would go alone, driving there in her lime green Volkswagen bug. Cheri Jo Bates was slashed and hacked to death on a campus driveway. Just one of Zodiac's victims. Below: The updated story of Zodiac victim Cheri Jo Bates -- an original, full-length podcast: Details: Bates had visited her college library and police believe that was when her Volkswagen Beetle was disabled by her eventual killer. Cheri Jo Bates— 10-30-1966 Art inspires so much in real life and is itself inspired by real life. Cheri Jo Bates was an 18 year old college student murdered on Oct 30 1966 in Riverside California. 4 min read. She was the younger of two children born to Joseph and Irene Bates. She was a graduate of Ramona High School, formerly a varsity cheerleader, and an honor student there. Rocky25. She had been attacked between two old houses off Terracina Drive. July 1967. who killed cheri jo bates and why? I would like to emphasize that there is a real possibility that he can become homicidal again. The murder of Cheri Jo Bates is an unsolved murder that occurred in Riverside, California, on October 30, 1966. [28], At the initiative of Detective Sergeant David Bonine, a staged re-enactment of Bates's final hours studying within the RCC library was conducted nine days after her funeral in the hope of producing vital eyewitnesses. 833 884. She had been brutally beaten and then stabbed to death. Taft was in jail when Bates was killed, so it was not possible that Taft was the murderer. Do you think she was really a Zodiac victim, or is it just a hell of a coincedence? 861 905. Despite extensive appeals by both investigators and the local press, the owner of this vehicle was never traced. [16][25] Investigators also received testimony from two separate individuals who had heard brief female screams emanating from the direction of Terracina Drive on the evening of the murder. In 1978, five mentally disabled men abandoned their car in the Yuba County wilderness &... Jan 13, 2019 She is not the first and she will not be the last.” However, according to investigators, these were hoaxes. [7] Bates lived alone with her father at 4195 Via San Jose (her parents having divorced in 1965). [20] Numerous fragments of skin and brown hair[21][22] were also recovered from beneath the fingernails of her right hand; this evidence having evidently been collected beneath her nails as she clawed at her assailant in a desperate effort to defend herself. She died on October 30, 1966 in Riverside, California, USA. It raises the idea that Cheri Jo Bates' mother may have been killed. [53][n 7] Investigators who conducted DNA profiling were, however, able to determine that her murderer was a Caucasian male. [29] Present at this re-enactment were 62 students, two librarians, and one custodian who had actually been in the library on the evening of October 30;[30] all of whom sat or stood where they had actually been on the evening in question. [39] In addition, Riverside police have also noted similarities between Bates's slaying and the general modus operandi of a fatal attack upon a young couple committed at Lake Berryessa in September 1969—an attack conclusively ascribed to the Zodiac Killer. Project MK-ZODIAC has theorized that this crime may have inspired the murderer of Cheri Jo Bates. Cheri Jo Bates' liver temperature was recorded as 26C and 28C at 9:31 am on October 31st 1966 at autopsy. tt Uncategorized July 11, 2019 July 12, 2019 3 Minutes. [n 1], Bates's Beetle was parked just 75 yards east of the location where her body was discovered. [31], One month after Bates's murder, two identical type-written letters arrived at Riverside police headquarters and the editorial offices of The Press-Enterprise. [34], Furthermore, the fact the perpetrator subsequently sent correspondence to the police and press, including details of the murder withheld from the public, is reminiscent of the Zodiac Killer. Cheri Josephine Bates (February 4, 1948 - October 30, 1966) was a freshman student at Riverside Community College who was murdered on the campus of the educational institution, on the day before Halloween, October 30, 1966. [14], On the morning of October 30, 1966, Bates and her father attended Mass at the St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church before the two shared breakfast at a local restaurant. The mysterious death of the still-unidentified “Isdal Woman” has haunted Norway for almost 50 years.... Mar 9, 2018 Rocky25. Police determined the assailant had disabled the ignition coil wire and distributor of Bates's Volkswagen Beetle[4] as a method to lure her from her car as she studied in the college library. There had been a huge debate on whether or not she was a victim of the Zodiac Killer. [35][36], On April 30, 1967, The Press-Enterprise printed a further update on Bates's murder. He had more motive than anybody else. [23] The ground surrounding her body was described in her official autopsy report as "looking like a freshly plowed field. 18. She was still dressed in a long-sleeve pale yellow print blouse and faded red capri pants and her woven straw bag—containing both her identification and 56 cents—lay alongside her body. This poem was discovered by a custodian six months after Bates's murder, and contains graphic references to repeated assaults upon young women with a bladed weapon. The following day, both the police and Bates's father received handwritten letters from an unknown individual, who had scrawled the message "Bates had to die. This author described in detail how he had first disabled Bates's car before allegedly watching her repeatedly attempt to switch on the ignition until the vehicle battery had drained of power. This is footage of a parade in Riverside circa 1966. Rocky25. She had then been stabbed in the chest, back and abdomen. Perhaps Cheri was allowed to study in a room like this? The author of these letters described in detail a likely scenario as to how Bates had been lured from her vehicle and subsequently murdered. Bates, an 18-year-old college freshman, was stabbed and slashed to death on the grounds of Riverside City College. [7] Despite several suspects having been investigated and eliminated from the inquiry since 1966, the current investigator assigned to the case, Detective Jim Simons, has stated one individual still remains of interest to the investigation, although because tests conducted upon the mitochondrial DNA of the hair and blood samples found at the crime scene did not match those of this suspect,[52] insufficient physical evidence exists to link this individual to the crime. This initiative did bring forward numerous eyewitnesses, although no fruitful leads were gained. As one investigator said: “We had heard that our suspect admitted doing it, that he had bragged about it… This case was solved, as far as I can tell, years ago.”5. Re: Ross Sullivan's alibi for Cheri Jo Bates murder by Dag MacLugh » Wed Jan 30, 2019 7:54 pm QT: the presence of hair, skin and blood under Cheri's fingernails implies she scratched her killer's face which, assuming Ross was her assailant, might have explained his absence from the RCC campus. [25], Evaluation of the mindset of the murderer of Cheri Jo Bates, written by the Chief Psychologist of Patton State Hospital. Bates had replied, "About time for what?" But I will say it made me consider it. [41] Although Riverside police remained unconvinced of his conclusions, both Avery and a handwriting expert named Sherwood Morrill[42] stated on November 16 that the handwriting scratched on the desk at RCC and the letters sent to The Press-Enterprise and Bates's father in 1967 were "unquestionably" written by the same individual who had later written the Zodiac letters. Both an examination of the crime scene and Bates's subsequent autopsy revealed ample evidence of a ferocious physical struggle between Bates and her murderer; she having evidently scratched her assailant's arms,[5] face and head and torn off his wristwatch. It was Sunday night on the 30th of October, 1966, and 18-year-old Cheri Jo Bates needed to pick up a few books from the Riverside City College library, where she was a freshman. She was linked to the Zodiac due to the brutal nature of her murder. In November 1970, Avery received a letter from an anonymous source informing him of the similarities between the murders committed by the Zodiac Killer and the murder of Bates four years previously. "[2][n 3], On November 4, 1966, Bates was laid to rest at the Crestlawn Memorial Park in Riverside. [15] In the early afternoon, Bates opted to visit the college library to both study and to work on a research paper. October 30, 1966 - Cheri Jo Bates is murdered near the Riverside City College library; November 29, 1966 - A letter is mailed to the Riverside Police Department that details the Cheri Jo Bates murders and warns the police that they will murder again 861 905. I will never understand the way people write fake letters to “confess”. [44][n 5], In a letter dated March 13, 1971, the Zodiac Killer penned a letter to the Los Angeles Times in which he claimed to be responsible for the murder of Bates, stating: "I do have to give [the police] credit for stumbling across my Riverside activity, but they are only finding the easy ones. Cheri Josephine Bates was a freshman student at Riverside Community College who was murdered on the campus of the educational institution, on the day before Halloween, October 30, 1966. She had put up a tremendous struggle but ultimately, her attempt to survive was futile. [2] Although only 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) in height, Bates had been an athletic girl. This eyewitness also claimed her vehicle was closely followed by a bronze 1965 or 1966 model Oldsmobile. Forty three years ago, Cheri Jo Bates was a beautiful, vibrant, friendly, out-going young woman who sought to better herself through education. [7], Following the murder, Bates's family established a memorial scholarship at RCC. [n 4] All participants who owned a vehicle were asked to park their car in precisely the same spot it had been on the evening of the murder, and all participants wore the same clothing they had on the evening in question. While Riverside police don’t believe that Cheri was the victim of the Zodiac Killer, there are a number of armchair sleuths who believe that she is. Cheri Jo Bates stabbed to death and nearly decapitated on October 30, 1966 at Riverside City college. This expert came to the conclusion that the Zodiac Killer did not author any of this material, Although the Zodiac Killer would claim responsibility for the murder of Bates in this 1971 letter, authorities have never officially linked her murder to those known to have been committed by him, Investigators have stated they cannot state with complete certainty the hair samples retrieved from beneath Cheri Jo's fingernails actually belonged to her murderer, "Lone Officer Continues to Search for Zodiac", "Zodiac Killer: Detectives Hope DNA Will Unlock Murderer's ID at Last", "Yesterday's Crimes: DNA Profiles and the Murderers Who Might Be Zodiac", "Murdered but Not Forgotten: Were They Victims of Zodiac Killer? Bates is believed to have left her house to visit the college library sometime between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m.[3] Her father returned home in the evening to find a note taped to the family refrigerator reading: "Dad—Went to RCC Library. It’s estimated that around 800,000 children are reported missing each and every year. 8 min read. Cheri had one brother: Michael Bates. When she got into her green Volkswagen to drive home, the engine wouldn’t turn over. In fact, in 1967, a note was sent to the Riverside Press-Enterprise which read: “BATES HAD TO DIE THERE WILL BE MORE” which was allegedly from the Zodiac Killer. Investigators have long stated that they believe that they know who killed Cheri: a fellow Riverside City College student. “I Feel Like I’m Dying” – The Death of Marissa Kennedy, The Tragic Case of Autumn Wallace & the Familiar Intruder, Burned Alive – The Slow Death of Robbie Middleton, Missed Opportunities & The Death of Jeffrey Baldwin, The Girl in the Closet – Lauren Kavanaugh, The Mysterious Death of the “Isdal Woman”, The Strange Disappearance of The Yuba County Five. It’s so heartless and mean. 833 884. Thankfully, most... Sep 3, 2018 DOJ. Close. [33], The author of these letters claimed to have known his victim, proclaiming: "Only one thing was on my mind: Making her pay for the brush-offs that she had given me during the years prior." They speculate that Cheri was acquainted with this unnamed suspect but they were never able to collect enough evidence for an arrest. [13], Bates's father waited the entire night for his daughter to return home before filing a missing person report with Riverside police at 5:43 a.m.[5] He filed this report after phoning Bates's close friend, Stephanie, in the early morning hours only to be informed that she (Bates) was not at her residence and had intended to study at the RCC library the previous evening, having held no plans to spend the evening away from home. Police determined the assailant had disabled the ignition coil wire and distributor of Bates's Volkswagen Beetle as a method to lure her from her car as she studied in the college library. 5 min read. Rocky25. Interesting Letter About Cheri Jo Bates Murder Interesting Letter About Cheri Jo Bates Murder. Post Jul 11, 2019 #2 2019-07-11T13:27. Cheri Jo Bates, 18, left the RCC library at 9 p.m. to head home in her little green Volkswagen Bug on Sunday, Oct. 30, 1966. Two years before the first known victims of the Zodiac KIller, David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen, a murder took place in Riverside, California which many have tried to link to the Zodiac series. please site your reasons of choice. Her grandmother's name was Cecilia. [26], Investigators theorized Bates's murderer had likely disabled her vehicle[1] before waiting for her to return from her studying within the college library on the night of her murder; they also believe the perpetrator likely surprised Bates after she had repeatedly attempted to start her car, before offering her assistance as an initial ruse to lure her from her vehicle before proceeding to attack her within a dimly lit section of Terracina Drive partly shielded from the view of potential witnesses by domestic shrubbery. [49][50][51], Officially, Bates's murder remains an unsolved case, and the theory she was a victim of the Zodiac Killer (which has been strongly disputed by the Riverside police) has never been proven. The documents pertain to … City College (RCC) student Cheri Jo Bates, 18, someone sent an unsigned "confession letter" to both the Riverside Police Department and the Riverside Press-Enterprise newspaper. They speculated that the watch belonged to Cheri’s killer and the footprints had come from him. "[3] A subsequent eyewitness report given to Riverside investigators indicated Bates drove her Beetle in the direction of RCC at approximately 6:10 p.m. By November 6, all but two of the individuals known to have been on the RCC campus had been traced and eliminated from the inquiry. [5] He had then offered her assistance, claiming his own vehicle was further down the street; thus luring her away from her vehicle. Riverside Parade 1966: Is this Ross Sullivan and Cheri Jo Bates? She had been punched and kicked in the head and face. Morbidology is a weekly true crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson. The Riverside Police Dept. It doesn't say that directly. Jonathan Luna's body was discovered dotted with numerous stab wounds. Similarities between the Zodiac’s handwriting and the writing of the Riverside messages fueled speculation that Cheri Jo Bates may have been an early Zodiac victim. [8][9], Cheri Josephine Bates was born in Omaha, Nebraska on February 4, 1948. [3], According to many eyewitnesses, Bates studied in the library until the standard closing time of 9:00 p.m.[16] A subsequent witness statement obtained from a female RCC student given to investigators would claim that a young man whose age she estimated to be either 19 or 20 years old and approximately 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) in height had been lurking in shadows across the street from Bates's vehicle and had been staring in the direction of her car at around the standard closing time of the library. Cheri Jo Bates was stabbed to death with a knife in an alley near a parking lot … Find family history information in a whole new way. [17] She had been repeatedly stabbed in the chest and left shoulder, and suffered several deep slash wounds to her face and neck. Following some feedback from the state of the subreddit thread, I'm giving it a go. Around 100 yards away from Cheri’s body, police found her Volkswagen bug with the keys still in the ignition and three library books on the passenger’s seat. In fact, 17 years after Cheri’s murder, investigators were able to piece together enough evidence against this suspect and presented the case to the District Attorney’s Office. When she was murdered on Oct. 30, 1966, those touched by her tragedy hoped her killer would quickly be caught. Cheri lived in Riverside. An examination of the car indicated that the distributor coil and engine’s condenser – part of the car’s ignition system – had been torn out. Cheri Jo, her fiance -- and "Bob Barnett" About a month after the Oct. 1966 stabbing of Riverside (Ca.) “There was no much hard work from all these detectives who are now dead or retired.  •  November 2013. Then in 1971, a letter was sent to the Los Angeles Times purported to be from the Zodiac Killer in which he took responsibility for the murder. Cheri Jo Bates Evidence Analysis Zodiac Revisited contributor Morf13 has provided the following documents which he obtained earlier this year. [11], One of the potential clues supporting this theory was the discovery of a set of lower case initials (r h) inscribed below a macabre poem scratched into a desk at RCC. This scholarship, entitled The Cheri Jo Bates Memorial Endowed Scholarship, is awarded to a student active in various school projects and initiatives, who demonstrates financial needs, undertakes volunteer work, and who majors in music with at least a B grade average. One letter said that Cheri needed to “pay for the brush off that she had given me during the years prior.”4 Another read: “She was young and beautiful but now she is battered and dead. Vera Page, 10, was discovered strangled to death in London, in December of 1931. Tag: Cheri Jo Bates A Few More 1965/66 Articles of Note. [27][16] At the time of discovery, both windows of Bates's Beetle were rolled down, and the keys of her vehicle were still in the ignition, thus meaning she had likely been forced from her vehicle to the scene of her murder while she stood aside or sat inside her vehicle. She was a girl with a very bright future ahead of her, she was a girl who loved life and loved people. Archived. Sister of Michael Bates. If Cheri was indeed killed by the Zodiac Killer, that would make her his first victim. [12] Her savings, plus wages from this part-time employment, helped pay for a 1960 lime green Volkswagen Beetle,[13] a vehicle she was proud to own. The Bates family relocated to California in 1957, where her father found employment as a machinist at the Corona Naval Ordnance Laboratory. And her grandmother died soon after that. Feb 20th, 1964 Tiger Times “Construction on New Library To Begin in 1965; Meanwhile .. ” In ’64 they were letting unsupervised study happen in the Quad English Office and maybe the foyer of the auditorium. [3], Detective Jim Simons. The shoe size was between eight and ten inches. They also had a public argument that week. [7], Bates's murder became highly publicized due to both the graphic nature of her death, and the fact she is considered by some investigators to have been the first murder victim of the Zodiac Killer, although this theory has never been definitively confirmed. Cheri Jo Bates. Her parents, older brother and several hundred other mourners were present at this service. Cheri Jo Bates - Biography. Her throat had also been slashed with such brutality that she was almost decapitated. [37] This letter was also considered by police to have been a distasteful hoax, although at the bottom of each letter was an indecipherable number or letter which was either a "2" or a "Z". [54], "He is obsessed and pathologically preoccupied with intense hatred against female figures—all the more so if he sees the young woman as attractive. Described as a "sweet, outgoing girl" by acquaintances,[7] she held aspirations to become a flight attendant. Even if he doesn’t believe their theories, he said: “I think it may actually help by getting it more publicity to where someone may come forward one day with information that helps us solve the case.”. 8 min read her brother, Michael Bates, served in the.. Vehicle was closely followed by a bronze 1965 or 1966 model Oldsmobile and Irene Bates note Ramona. Was found approximately 100 yards from the alley where she was a girl who life. ( 1891-1926 ) and Cecelia C Mazourek Merkwan ( 1893-1969 ) discovered strangled to death by G.... Most... 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