Murder of Chantal Saurial

On May 15, 1988, the remains of  16-year-old Chantal Saurial were found by a fisherman near Cannan and Averill, Vermont. Just a mile south of the Canadian Border from her home country. Chantal was a Jane Doe for 8 years. It wasn't listed how she had died, but it was a violent end

She had disappeared from Montreal, Quebec, Canada in May of 1987. She was staying at the Maison Notre Dame Detention Center. During a group outing, she slipped away from them and wasn't seen again. Her life was not easy as she was homeless was working as a prostitute and was into drugs and alcohol. Her friend who was also homeless at the same time said that Chantal was scared of living on the streets. She may have been moving drugs for a motorcycle gang in Montreal. 

SOURCES: 

Vermont State Police

Burlington Free Press April 13, 1997

Valley News April 13, 1997

Burlington Free Press August 10, 1997

Murder of Albert William Spatz

On February 11, 1988, 67-year-old Albert Spatz got off a bus at 25th St and Monroe Blvd in Ogden, Utah. He would walk down North on the east side of the sidewalk on Monroe. When he got to 2450 Monroe Boulevard he saw someone running at him from the Alley behind the Holly Rue Apartments.

The man demanded money from Albert. Albert told him he had no money and the robber knocked him to the ground causing him to go unconscious. The man raided his pocket while he was out and stole his wallet that had $20 inside. He would run back to the same alley he came from. 

Albert went to 803 24th Street and he called the police. Officers would document his injuries. Albert had a golf ball-sized goose egg on the upper right side of his head a swollen right cheek and a cut inside his mouth. He was taken to the hospital and released from the hospital to a friend. However, when he went to sleep that night he was unable to wake up again.

His son would try to wake him up the next morning but failed to do so. He would be taken to the hospital again. He went to surgery to get blood drained from his head however he never woke again. He would pass away on May 6th. 

Albert described the suspect as a black male. The man was around 5'10" and 150 lbs. He had short hair and did not have facial hair at the time. He was wearing a black coat and tan pants. 

SOURCES:

March 24, 1988, Broward County, Florida John Doe

On March 24, 1988, a skull, humerus bone from the upper arm, and an ulna from the lower arm were found in a wooded area 1 mile west of North State Road 7 and on the south side of Loxahatchee Road in Broward County, Florida. It's believed this person died in 1988 from a head injury. He was likely a victim of homicide. 

John Doe is a white male and was between 46 to 60 years old. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Doe Network

Murder of David Kalamafoni

Around 11:30 pm on October 28, 1988, 17-year-old David Kalamafoni left a party and walked to his car near the intersection of NE Holman and 17th Ave in Portland, Oregon. He would stop at and talk to a friend who was in a vehicle nearby. There were gunshots heard and David was shot. His friend would drive him to David's home and his father called 911. David was brought to the hospital and was pronounced dead. 

No one could give a description of the shooter. At the time David was reported to be known as a gang member and the murder may have been gang-related. 

SOURCES:

Portland Oregon

Urban Legends: Hippo Eats Dwarf

Image belongs to Stephan Steinbauer

In 1988 The National Lampoon Magazine would post an article. In the article, an Austrian circus dwarf would die in front of 7,000 people. Franz Dasch was jumping on the trampoline for the show but accidentally went sideways. He landed in the mouth of Hilda the Hippo, and because of the animal's gag reflex, she swallowed him. This horrified others who were in the circus, but the crowd cheered and clapped thinking it was a part of the show. The magazine would claim that they had gotten the article from the Las Vegas Sun. This would begin to spread around.

The thing is, this story was made up. In the 1990's this same story appeared again, but this time it happened to a Thailand performer called Od. Newpapers would start posting this story as truth, being tricked. This urban legend would then be spread about and believed.

SOURCES:
Snopes
Wikipedia

Murder of Kenneth Allison Cermak

On the night of January 29, 1988, 66-year-old Kenneth Cermak and another man met at the Corner Pocket Bar and Billiards in Santa Cruz, California. The two would then go to Kenneth's condominium on East Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. The two would then be attacked between 2 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. the next morning. They would be beaten and their throats slashed or stabbed. Kenneth would be found dead in his bathtub and his guest would be taken to the hospital and survived

SOURCES:

Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office

Santa Cruz Sentinel Feb. 2, 1988

Murder of Jose "Charlie" Mojica

On December 28, 1988, 22-year-old Jose "Charlie" Mojica was found dead on the side of the road on Branch St. in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. His body was among tires and trash. He had been shot multiple times in the head. It's believed he was targeted. 

He had attended a party a few days prior to his body being found and his family believes that people at the party may know what had happened.

SOURCES:

Rhode Island Cold Case

WPRI

Murder of Tammy Lynn Thorpe

Around 9 p.m. on October 21, 1988, 20-year-old Tammy Thorpe left her home in Ada, Virginia, and attended a dance at the Marshall Ruritan Club. At the dance, a man reportedly threatened Tammy as she did not want to dance with him. At a separate incident at the dance, a man with a gun was arrested in the parking lot.  

When he was arrested the police dented Tammy's car as they forced him against her gold 1986 Pontiac Grand An. Tammy was particular about her car and was concerned about the dent. She would call the sheriff's office to talk about it with the arresting officer. 

The dance would end at 1 a.m. the next morning. Her parents would then see her at 2 a.m. at the Marshall 7-Eleven while coming home that night. Her mother told her to go home as it was late. Instead of going home, it's believed that she drove to the old Chevron gas station in Warrenton to wash her car and see how bad the dent was. She was last seen getting gas there at 2:45 a.m. 

A little before 7 a.m. Lisa, Tammy's sister, noticed Tammy's car parked at the former Warrenton Bowling Alley next to the Chevron. Her sister who left her own car there the night before coincidently had gone there. This was when she found the car unlocked with the keys still in the ignition and purse inside. This was very concerning it wasn't known what had happened till the next day. 

On October 23, 1988, her body would be found off of a gravel lane, adjacent to Route 17, approximately 1/4 mile north of the Warrenton town limit. She had died due to multiple gunshots to her face with a small caliber firearm. There was no evidence of a struggle and she was not robbed. It's believed that someone who knew her had killed the young woman. 

SOURCES:

Fauquier County Virginina

Fauquier County Virginina (pdf)

NBC News April 12, 2015

Fauquier Times October 24, 2019

Disappearance of Lily May Huff

On the morning of September 6, 1988, 73-year-old Lily Mae Huff wandered away from the Welcome Haven Nursing Home in Winchester, Virginia where she only lived for 3 months. After having breakfast she was waiting in the hall for one of the aides to bathe her. She would then leave through the dining room's patio door, the only one that did not have a bell attached. She has Alzheimer's and had a history of wandering away which resulted in her usually being restrained to a wheelchair. A five-day search was done by local law enforcement with no results.

It's unknown what happened to her after she left. She could have wandered somewhere and succumbed to the elements or met with foul play. In 1992 one of her sons placed a $15,000 reward for information leading to Lily's whereabouts. Shortly after an anonymous letter came to the family stating that she was abducted outside of a Safeway supermarket by an older couple into their car. The writer later came forward, and it's unknown if their information was helpful in this case. 

Lily is a white female and was 73-year-old at the time. She's 5'2" and 150 lbs. She has grey hair and brown eyes. She's wearing a beige nightgown under a loose-fitting blue dress with red and white stripes, ankle socks, blue slippers, and a gold chain watch. She wears bifocal glasses. 

SOURCES:

Doe Network

Charley Project

Unsolved Mysteries Wiki

The Brayman Road Attack

On the January 17, 1990 episode of the show, Unsolved Mysteries first aired the case of the Brayman Road Attack. The woman who was attacked in this case used the fictitious name Carol in order to hide her identity.

On the morning of August 22, 1988, Carol was 30 minutes late and was on the way to her job at a local mental hospital in Putnam, Connecticut. She driving along Brayman Hollow Road, a two-lane highway, she would come upon a black pickup truck that was driving slowly and then erratically. It would speed up then slow down and would cross the middle line coming within inches of hitting cars in the other lane.

The driver would then stop in the middle of the road stepping out with a gun. He would then shoot Carol at point blank, 10 feet away. He then returned to the truck and sped away. Carol was semi-conscious and partially paralyzed. Other vehicles didn't see the shooting and several cars would not notice her as she was slumped out of view. After several minutes a man driving a utility truck saw her due to his elevated view.

Police and ambulances were contacted and Carol was taken to a nearby hospital. Those on scene feared she would die and so detectives rode the ambulance with her and ask questions. She could not, however, respond verbally so they asked her yes and no questions and she blinked her eyes to respond. Police couldn't get accurate descriptions from her. She would survive and three months later her condition improved dramatically. To this day though the bullet remains lodged in the back of her neck near her spine.

When detectives worked to find her attacker several detectives and state troopers went to exit points of Brayman Hollow Rd to find who attacked her. Two drivers who had encountered the black truck hours prior to the shooting stated that the pickup was constantly pulling on and off the highway and seemed to taunt other drivers. It's suspected that this was the same driver.

It was suspected that he may have been one of the people Carol worked with. She was a social worker for mentally ill and depressed patients. There was no evidence towards this though.   

The man was a white male in his 30's. He's around 5'10 with a medium build. He has brown curly hair. His truck was described as a well-maintained black step-side pickup. It had flared fenders standard with black wall tires and shinty plain wheel covers.

SOURCES:

Unsolved

Unsolved Mysteries Wiki

Murder of Gregory LeFever

On Feb. 6, 1988, 34-year-old Gregory LeFevre's landlord came to his rented cottage in Alton, New Hampshire. The landlord noticed that Gregory's dogs because his van was gone. When the landlord entered the home he would find Gregory's body. He had died from several blows to his head and neck.

SOURCES:

Find A Grave

New Hampshire Department of Justice

Laconia Daily Sun

Murder of James Floyd Hindman

 

On July 12, 1988, 24-year-old James Hindman was reported missing. At the time he was living at 594 Jordan Rd. in Greer, South Carolina. On October 23, 1988, his remains were in a wooded area on Becky Gibson rd which was not far from his home. He had been shot in the head. 

SOURCES:

Spartanburg Sheriff

Group State

The Greenville News October 27, 1988

Disappearance of Roberta Marie Ferguson

 

On the night of August 24, 1988, 19-year-old Roberta Ferguson was camping with a group of friends at Sunny Side Campground in Cultus Lake, British Columbia, Canada. Around 8p.m. she left the area on foot and was believed to be heading back to Surrey. Possibly hitchhiking there. 

She was last seen talking to a man in a red sports car at the intersection of Vedder Mountain Rd, and Cultus Lake Rd, The man was of average height, with blonde or light brown hair and a prominent jaw. Roberta was never seen again after this it's believed foul play is involved. 

Roberta is a native female and was 19-years-old at the time. She's 5'5" and 115 lbs at the time. She has black eyes and mid-length black hair that she wore to one side. She was last seen wearing octagon-shaped glasses, a navy blue tanktop over a black tanktop, black stretchy pants rolled up to her knees, dirty white running shoes, and was carrying an army green knapsack.

SOURCES:

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

June 21, 1988 Savannah, Georgia Jane Doe

 

On June 21, 1988, the body of a woman found floating near marker 30 in the Wilmington River in Savannah, Georgia. It's believed that she may have accidentally drowned while fishing or crabbing.

Jane Doe was a black female and was 60 to 70-years-old. She's 5'2" and 130 lbs. She had grey or partially grey hair and blue eyes. She had several scars one was on her left ear to chin, a scar from her navel to the pubic area, and scars on both knees. She had permanent upper and lower metallic bridgework. She was wearing blue jeans, a dark red pullover, a button shirt with green, red, and beige stripes, a patterned red, black, and white headscarf, a multicolored belt. A pair of green sunglasses and a small mirror were found in her pocket. 

SOURCES:

Georgia Bureau of Investigation 

Doe Network

NamUs

Murder of Jennifer Delgado and the attack of Melinda Delgado

On June 6, 1988, 8-year-old Jennifer Delgado and her mother 25-year-old Melinda Delgado went to the laundromat on 130 West Oak across the street from their San Antonia, Texas home.  It was around 8pm when a white male came into the laundromat and tried to use the vending machine. Unfortunately, the machine was broken and shortchanged him. This would set the man off. As he left he attacked the two.

He would first stab Jennifer in the abdomen once and then stabber her mother on her left side. The man would flee. The mother would carry the little girl across the street screaming for help. A Ms. Martinez would help the two, and wrap a towel around Jennifer. Melinda was still talking, but Jennifer had passed out. They would be brought to the hospital, but Jennifer would pass around 11 p.m. Melinda would survive. 

The man was either Hispanic or White and was in his late teens or early 20s. He was wearing a flower shirt and was seen leaving in a 2 door silver sedan. 

SOURCES:

San Antonio Police Department

The Tyler Courier-Times June 7, 1988

MSN

Murder of Mary F. Kelly

 On the night of April 21, 1988, 28-year-old Mary Kelly left her home to meet a friend at a local bar. She'd never be seen again. In September 1988 her body was discovered in a wooded area off Patterson Mill Rd. In Harford County, Maryland. There is little informaiton in this case. 

SOURCES:

Maryland State Police

February 28, 1988 Cheyenne, Wyoming Baby Doe

On Feb. 28, 1988, a baby was found wrapped in a blanket in a culvert pipe under a main access road in a residential area in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The baby had been dead for around 12 hrs. It's not stated whether the baby is a newborn or not, but he was under a year old. He was a white male and was 6.5 lbs. He had brown hair and brownish-blue eyes. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Doe Network

Murder of Julie B. Walden

On June 12, 1988 on the 400 block of South Columbus Street in Alexandria, Virginia the body of 63-year-old Julie Walden was found in her apartment. She had been stabbed to death.

SOURCES:

City of Alexandria

Murder of Carrie Anne Luckey

On May 6, 1988, 18-year-old Carrie Luckey was celebrating her birthday. On the early morning of May 7 she called her mother and told her she would be over in a few minutes. She never came over and was never seen alive again.

On May 12, 1988, a tree trimming crew found Carrie's body in a Northwest Tarrant County, Texas field. The location was near White Settlement. She had been stabbed in her chest and neck and it's possible she never had the chance to fight off her attacker. There was also evidence of a sexual assault. 

SOURCES:
Texas Department of Public Saftey
Fort Worth Star-Telegram June 15, 1988
Fort Worth Star-Telegram  July 8, 1988

Murder of Eugene "Yellow" Bell

On April 24, 1988, a box was found on the side of the road at S.W. 51 St. and 122 Ave. in Miami, Florida. Inside was the body of 41-year-old Eugene "Yellow" Bell. It was found he was strangled to death. 

Eugene is from Chicago, Illinois and was known to be involved in criminal activity including the suspicion of drug trafficking. Witnesses said that a black pick-up truck possibly a 1987 Chevrolet with dual wheels, an open bed, and a king cab was seen in the area. The truck was driven by a Latin male between 30 and 40-years-old.

SOURCES:
Miami-Dade County
Chicago Tribune