Disappearance of Eric Sermon

On August 20, 1996, 16-year-old Eric Sermon went to a park with two friends in Chino, California. They would leave the park, but Eric would not return home. There is little information in this case.

Eric is a black male and was 16 years old at the time. He is 6'2" and 170 lbs. He has brown hair and brown eyes. At the time his hair was shaved. He was wearing a white shirt and black pants.

SOURCES:
NamUs

WANTED: Zahidul Islam

Zahidul Islam is wanted for the alleged sexual assault of a female patient at a major hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The event allegedly happened on October 3, 1996, while he was practicing medicine at the hospital. He had given the victim patient some medication that made her groggy and then forcibly raped her. At the time the victim was recovering from surgery when the assault happened. 

After state charges were filed a federal warrant was issued for his arrest in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in July of 1997. 

Zahidul Islam is a (white) Central Asian male born on October 1, 1955. He's 5'5" and 160 lbs. He has black hair, brown eyes, and a medium complexion. He may wear glasses Islam has ties to New York State and Montreal, Canada. He may be traveling with his wife, who is also a physician.

SOURCES:

FBI

Disappearance of Michael Adrian Lorenz-Schrader

In August/September 1996, 33-year-old Michael Adrian Lorenz-Schrader was last seen in Gordonvale, Queensland, Australia by his father. It was believed that he was on his way to Northern Territory from western Queensland.  His listed last seen date was August 21st.

At the time to close family and friends, He was going by his middle name Adrian. 

Micheal is a male and was 33-years-old at the time. He's 185cm (6'1") and has a solid build. He has black hair and brown eyes. He was sporting a beard and mustache. He would have been wearing glasses at the time.He has a scar on the back of his left shoulder from a traffic accident.

SOURCES:

Australian Federal Police

Murder of Smita Amin Patel

On the morning of March 22, 1996, 35-year-old Smita Amin Patel was alone in her business Little Brown Jug. It was a convenience/Grocery she co-owned with her husband it was located at 2040 Highway 33 in Neptune City, New Jersey.

Between 9:50 to 10 a.m. Smita was attacked in the store and stabbed several times. She was found shortly after by customers. It was found that money was missing. 

Though there were no witnesses who came forward, it's believed that someone must of seen what happened. The business was located at the Gabels shopping center and it was a particularly busy strip mall.

SOURCES:

Monmouth County Prosecutor

Asbury Park Press April 9, 1996

Asbury Park Press March 27, 1996

Murder of Oneal Guyness

On February 20, 1996, 18-year-old Oneal Guyness was shot in the driveway at 1500 East Congress Lane in Ford Heights, Illinois. He was shot multiple times. There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES:

Cook County Sheriff's Office

January 30, 1998 Rural Lucerne Valley Doe

On January 30, 1998 a skull was found along a desert roadside in rural Lucerne, California. The skull belonged to a child or teenager that had died between 1995 and 1998.

Doe was between 8 to 10-years-old. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Unidentified Wiki

Murder of Sheila Patterson Manley

Between 12:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. on December 11, 1996, 34-year-old Sheila Manley was last seen walking on Frontage Rd.near the Flying J Travel Plaza in Blackburg, South Carolina. Around 2:30 a.m. Sheila's body would be found on the South Bound entrance ram off I-85 at the 99-mile marker (Highway 5). 

SOURCES: 

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office

Parents of Murdered Children

Find a Grave

Disappearance of Kerstin Schwinghammer

On November 1, 1996, an anonymous call to the police would lead to the 13-year-old daughter of 32-year-old Kerstin Schwinghammer found in a locked car in a parking lot. The 113-year-old would tell the police that her mother was missing. That she had wanted to take a vacation to the Baltic Sea with her mom and her mom's boyfriend.

 On October 31st they would leave her behind alone at home in Meißen, Germany. Kerstin's boyfriend would return that night without Kerstin. He told the teenager that he and her mother argued and she got out of the vehicle. Foul play is suspected in this case. 

Kerstin is a white female and was 32-years-old at the time. She's 160 cm (5'2") and has a slim build. She has dark blonde curly hair and blue/grey eyes. She was wearing red jeans, a green and white long-sleeved sweater with golden lanyards, and white and green sneakers.

SOURCES:

The Doe Network

Polizei Sachsen

International Missing Persons

Murder of Jane And Cathryn Johnson

On the night of September 3, 1996, 36-year-old Jane Johnson and her daughter, 8-year-old Cathryn, were at their home in Turner Valley, Alberta, Canada. Their neighbors would see that their home was on fire and alerted authorities. Both of them would be found dead inside in bed. Initially, it was believed that they died in the fire, but it was soon found to be wrong.

It was found that Jane was 5 months pregnant and had been stabbed to death. It's not stated how Cathryn died. The killer had set the house on fire before fleeing.

It's believed that Jane at least was familiar with the killer and they were aware of their schedule. There was no sign of it being a random act. Jane and Cathryn did not stay at the house frequently, but would mostly stay at her fiance's. They were staying the night there that night so that Cathryn could go to school from their home.

SOURCES:

Royal  Canadian Mounted Police

True Crime Files

Unsolved Case Files

Calgary Herald  September 5, 1996

Calgary Herald September 14, 1996

LOST MEDIA: The Death of Top Fuel's Elmer Trett

On September 1, 1996, 53-year-old Elmer Trett was competing in a Top Fuel Motorcycle drag race exhibition at the  Indianapolis Raceway Park. He was going 232 mph and he ended up hitting a sand trap causing him to fall off and kill him instantly. It was known that his death was filmed, but it's a recording best left lost.

Elmer was considered one of Top Fuel's motorcycle drag racing's biggest names. He was the first rider to ride over 200, 220, and 230 mph. On August 8, 1996, he achieved a run of 6.06 seconds at 234 mph and was seeking to break the 5-second bracket. He was an inspiration for many drag racers. 

A day prior to his death Top Fuel driver Blaine Johnson had also lost his life when his vehicle suffered an explosive engine failure and it broke his rear wheels and rear wing causing him to crash into a wall near the shutdown area.

SOURCES:

Lost Media Wiki

Dayton Daily News September 2, 1996

Drag Bike September 1, 2017

Cycle Drag September 2, 2021

Cycle Drag October 10, 2021

Disappearance of Loukthayoth "Luke" Yoshi Phiangdae

 

On Feb. 6, 1996, 11-year-old at 7 p.m.  Loukthayoth "Luke" Phiangdae had an argument with his father at their home on Crescent St. in Raymond, Washington. The next morning his parents found his door locked and the window screen removed from the window. Luke was nowhere in sight. 

He did not have a history of running away and it was uncharacteristic of him. Leaving without telling anyone where he was going was also uncharacteristic of him. There has been an unconfirmed sighting of him in Oregon after his disappearance.

Luke is an Asian male and was 11-years-old at the time. He was 4'5" and 65 lbs. He has black hair and brown eyes. He has a birthmark on his right buttock. He was wearing a black denim jacket, a blue t-shirt, black pants, and tennis shoes.

SOURCES:

NamUs

Doe Network

Charley Project

Murder of Alvaro Ramirez-Avila

 Around 12:50 a.m. on Jan. 25, 1996, multiple people witnessed 24-year-old Alvaro Ramirez-Avila being shot and killed on SW Alder St. between 4th and 5th Ave in Portland, Oregon. The killer would be seen fleeing north on SW 4th Ave.

At the time Alvaro was a known drug dealer, and it's possible he was shot as a result of a drug deal gone wrong. 

The unidentified male was described as Hispanic or white with curly brown hair and was wearing a tan jacket.

SOURCES:

The City of Portland Oregon

Murder of Carrie Bowels

 On November 13, 1996, 35-year-old Carrie Loraine Bowles was found dead in her home in the Old Mill Trace subdivision off of Keenes Mill Rd in Cottondale, Alabama. She had been shot to death. It's unknown if her killer knew her or not. 

SOURCES:

Tuscaloosa County Sheriff

Find a Grave

Murder of Alaijo Shaune Johnson

 

On the night of August 31, 1996, around 10 p.m.  17-year-old Alaijo Johnson went to his girlfriend's home on 3950 NE Garfield in Portland Oregon. At  11:30 Alaijo and his girlfriend were sitting on the porch talking when someone approached from behind. They would hear a noise and when his girlfriend looked someone began shooting at them. He would be struck multiple times and died during the transport to the hospital. 

A witness stated they looked out the window after the shooting and saw an African American male around 14 to 15-years-old retrieve a black bicycle and quickly left the area. He was 5'5" to 5'8" and wearing dark clothing. It's unknown if he was involved in the shooting.

There are witnesses who did not come forward as other witnesses stated that there was a group of people sitting on a porch of a vacant duplex across the street from the shooting. Thre group scattered and none of them came forward as a witness.

At the time Alaijo was a senior at Jefferson High School. He had no criminal record.There were gang shooting happening in the area at the time. It was determined that Alaijo was not in a gang and was friends with both Bloods and Crips. 

SOURCES:
Find a Grave
City of Portland Oregon
Fox

Murder of Glenn Guerrero

 

At 3:43 p.m. on August 12, 1996, 18-year-old Glenn Guerrero's body was found off of a dirt road above the Shipman Ballpark (now the Buddy Perry Soccer Fields) in Kea'au, Hawai'i. He had been shot in the head.

Earlier in the day, he had been seen leaving the area of the ballpark in a pick-up. The pick-up and the driver were never identified. The truck was an older beat-up truck and possibly a faded blue.

SOURCES:

Hawai'i Police

Hawai'i News Now

Hawai'i Tribune

Murder of Dr. Tsunao Saitoh and his daughter Loullie

On May 8, 1996, 46-year-old Dr. Tsunao Saitoh and his 13-year-old daughter Loullie returned to their home in San Diego, California around 11 p.m. from the research lab a UCSD where Tsunao was a well-respected research neuroscientist. When their car pulled up to the front of their house unknown person or persons ambushed the two in the driveway. Tsunao was killed and slumped over in the car and Loullie had run a short distance away before being shot and killed. Neighbors heard the gunshots and passers-by found the bodies a short time after the shooting. 

The gun used was a .380 caliber as casings for one was found in the driveway and the street where the shots were fired. A ballistics analysis found the weapon to be a Grendel P-12 .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol. It was a gun manufactured in limited quantities. The weapon was not found. 

The motive for this killing is unknown. 

SOURCES:

City of San Diego

April 23, 1996 Burbank California John Doe

 On April 23, 1996, a man called Burbank, California police to tell them he found a skull a while back while hiking in Griffith Park. He had the skull for an unknown amount of time and had it varnished and a tooth placed in the mouth. The mandible was not with the skull.

Anthropologists stated that the skull belonged to an African American male over the age of 38-years-old. 

SOURCES:

Doe Network

NamUs

Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner

Unsolved Murder of Caroline Glachan

On August 24, 1996, 14-year-old Caroline Glachan spent the evening with friends in Renton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. She and her best friend left a local building around 11:45 p.m. and they said goodbye to each other neat the Bonhill shops around 11:54 p.m. Caroline was heading off to meet a new boyfriend of hers. 

Around 12:15 a.m. a Taxi driver saw walking along Dillichip Loan towards The Towpath and the Black Bridge. This would have been a shortcut. The taxi driver also noted that a man wearing a green hooded top with sharp features was approaching Caroline from behind. It was noted by witnesses that screams were heard at this time.

On August 25th Caroline's body was found on the west bank of the River Leven. She had been attacked, but not sexually assaulted. She was thrown into the river still alive and drowned. She still had her clothes on, but her shoes were still on the riverbank.

Sketch of suspect

The suspect is a white male around 20 to 25-years-old. He was wearing a green hooded top and had sharp features. He was around 5'6" or 168 cm. Police ask of people who are potentially protecting the attacker to think of the 14-year-old girl who was killed.

SOURCES:
Scotland Police
Daily Record
The True Crime Files

April 27, 1996 Maitland, New South Wales, Australia John Doe

On April 27, 1996, the body of a man was found in Maitland, New South Wales, Australia. He had likely died during the winter between June and August of 1995 or possibly the winter of 1994. He was a Caucasian male between 28 and 45-years-old. He was 169 cm to 177 cm. He has long fair red and wavy hair, and beard. He was wearing an olive green "sloppy joe" over a black jumper with pocket at the waist, a beige vest and a red v-neck t-shirt, olive green tracksuit pants over green Amco jeans size 84 cm waist over a beige tracksuit pants over black tracksuit pants, a black speedo-type swimwear with a white rope pattern running longitudinally down.

SOURCES:
Doe Network
Unidentified Wiki

Murder of Marsha Caroline Johnson

25-year-old Marsha Johnson spent the night of March 31, 1996, with her three young children and husband at their home in Warnbro, West Australia, Australia. They had an early meal and Marsha put her children to bed between 6:30 and 7:00 P.M. Then the couple watched a movie and went to bed around 9:30.

At 5:30 a.m. the next morning on 1 April, Marsha's husband left their home to go to work. Marsha then dropped her young children off before going to her mother's at 9 A.M. This was the last time she was seen., but she called her mother at 12:38 later that day.

Worry didn't set in for the young mother until 4:20 P.M. when her father received a call saying Marsha never picked the children up from preschool. Her mother went to her house, but she couldn't get inside. Marsha's car was in the driveway and her purse was visible on the kitchen bench. There was no response even though things pointed to her being home. 

Marsha's father and husband got to the house at about 4:45. They went into the home and found Marsha dead in the bathroom. Her cause of death wasn't stated, but it was found that she had been murdered. 

SOURCES:

Crime Stoppers West Australia