Cold Cases in California
ColdCaseIndex documents 56 cold cases in California, spanning 1921–2013. 26 of these cases remain fully unsolved. Each case page includes documented details, status, and information on how to submit a tip.
By Type
By Status
All California Cases
Elisa Lam
Canadian tourist Elisa Lam was found dead in a rooftop water tank at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. Eerie elevator surveillance footage showed her behaving oddly before her disappearance. The death was ruled accidental
Brittany Killgore
Twenty-two-year-old Brittany Killgore disappeared from Lake Elsinore after responding to a Craigslist ad. Her body was found days later. Dorothea Puente and Louis Perez were convicted of her murder; Cynthia Garcia cooper
Chelsea King
Seventeen-year-old Chelsea King vanished while jogging near her Rancho Bernardo home. John Gardner was convicted of her murder and linked to Amber Dubois. Chelsea's Law was passed in California after her death, tightenin
Amber Dubois
Fourteen-year-old Amber Dubois disappeared while walking to her Escondido high school. Convicted sex offender John Gardner abducted and killed her. He was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to life without parole. Gardner a
Oscar Grant
Oscar Grant was shot and killed by BART police officer Johannes Mehserle on the Fruitvale station platform in Oakland. Mehserle claimed he mistook his gun for his Taser. He was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, the
Marina Vaifanua
Twenty-one-year-old Marina Vaifanua was shot and killed in Richmond, California. She was a student at Contra Costa College. Her murder has never been solved and her family has continued to advocate for answers in the yea
Nina Reiser
Nina Reiser, a Russian-born woman, disappeared in Oakland, California. Her estranged husband Hans Reiser, a prominent open-source software developer, was convicted of first-degree murder in 2008. He eventually led police
Daniel Pearl
Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan in 2002. Omar Sheikh was convicted in Pakistan. Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh's death sentence was overturned in 2021 by Pakistan's Supreme Court
Danielle van Dam
Seven-year-old Danielle van Dam was abducted from her Sabre Springs home and murdered by neighbor David Westerfield. Her body was found in a rural area two months later. Westerfield was convicted and sentenced to death.
Laci Peterson
Laci Peterson was eight months pregnant when she disappeared on Christmas Eve. Her husband Scott Peterson reported her missing and became the prime suspect. Laci's remains and those of her unborn son Conner washed ashore
Samantha Runnion
Five-year-old Samantha Runnion was abducted from outside her Orange County apartment complex and murdered. Her mother Erin Runnion became a prominent child safety advocate, founding the Joyful Child Foundation. Alejandro
Bonny Lee Bakley
Bonny Lee Bakley was shot while sitting in actor Robert Blake's parked car outside a restaurant in Studio City, Los Angeles. Blake claimed he had gone back to the restaurant to retrieve a gun. Blake was acquitted in crim
David Harris
Twenty-four-year-old David Harris was found murdered in Fresno, California in August 1999. Despite investigation by Fresno Police, the case went cold. It remains in Fresno County cold case files.
Yosemite Sightseer Murders
Carole Sund, her daughter Juli, and friend Silvina Pelosso went missing near Yosemite and were found dead weeks later. Handyman Cary Stayner was convicted of their murders plus a fourth victim, a park ranger interpreter.
Ennis Cosby
Ennis Cosby, son of Bill Cosby, was shot while changing a tire on Interstate 405 in Los Angeles. Mikhail Markhasev was convicted of the murder in 1998. The case shocked the entertainment world. Markhasev later recanted h
Kristen Modafferi
Eighteen-year-old Kristen Modafferi disappeared from San Francisco while working a summer job before starting at UC San Diego. She was last seen on a bus. Despite nationwide searches and continued investigation, Kristen
The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace)
Rapper Christopher Wallace, known as The Notorious B.I.G., was shot in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles after attending the Soul Train Music Awards. He was killed just six months after Tupac Shakur. Despite a massive i
Kristin Smart
Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart disappeared after a party near campus. Fellow student Paul Flores was the last person seen with her. After 25 years as a cold case, Flores was arrested in 2021 and convicted of first-degre
Crystal Ann Tymich
Six-year-old Crystal Ann Tymich disappeared from South Los Angeles on June 30, 1994. She was playing outside when she vanished. Despite extensive searches and FBI involvement, Crystal has never been found. Her case is on
Kelli Ann Hurley
Twenty-six-year-old Kelli Ann Hurley was found murdered in Irvine, California in November 1994. Despite investigation by Irvine Police, the case went cold. It remains in Orange County cold case files.
Nicole Brown Simpson & Ron Goldman
Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were stabbed to death outside her Brentwood condominium. Nicole's ex-husband O.J. Simpson was tried for the murders in the 'Trial of the Century' and acquitted in 1995. He was later f
Polly Klaas
Twelve-year-old Polly Klaas was kidnapped at knifepoint from a slumber party at her Petaluma home and murdered. Richard Allen Davis was convicted and sentenced to death. Polly's case led directly to California's 'three s
Latasha Harlins
Fifteen-year-old Latasha Harlins was shot and killed by Korean-American store owner Soon Ja Du in Los Angeles. Du was convicted of voluntary manslaughter but given probation and no jail time. The lenient sentence inflame
Dan Broderick
Betty Broderick shot and killed her ex-husband attorney Dan Broderick and his new wife Linda in La Jolla. The divorce had been bitter and acrimonious. Betty was convicted and sentenced to 32 years to life. The case becam
Ilene Beth Misheloff
Thirteen-year-old Ilene Misheloff disappeared while walking home from school in Dublin, California. She has never been found. A former neighbor was considered a suspect decades later. The FBI lists her case among the mos
Amber Swartz
Seven-year-old Amber Swartz disappeared from near her Pinole, California home in June 1988. Despite massive searches and investigation, she was never found. Her case was one of several that motivated California child saf
Dorothy Miller
Dorothy Miller was one of Dorothy Puente's victims at the Sacramento boarding house. Her death was among those discovered when seven bodies were found buried in Puente's yard in 1988. Puente's conviction covered three mu
Grim Sleeper Victims
Lonnie Franklin Jr., known as the Grim Sleeper, was convicted of killing 10 women in Los Angeles between 1985 and 2007. He appeared to stop killing for years (hence 'Grim Sleeper') and was identified through familial DNA
Night Stalker Victims
Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker, terrorized Southern California committing 14 murders, rapes, and burglaries. He was captured after residents of Mission Viejo recognized him and held him until police arrived. He was c
Kellie Poppleton
Fourteen-year-old Kellie Poppleton disappeared in Fremont, California on December 2, 1983 and was found murdered hours later. Despite an extensive investigation and periodic reexamination of the evidence, her killer has
Dorothea Puente Victims
Dorothea Puente was a Sacramento boardinghouse operator who poisoned elderly tenants and continued cashing their Social Security checks. Seven bodies were found buried in her yard in 1988. She was convicted of three murd
Tahoe Jane Doe
The skeletal remains of an unidentified young woman were found on the shores of Lake Tahoe in May 1982. Despite decades of investigation and forensic testing including DNA, her identity has never been established. She is
Keddie Cabin Murders
Glenna Sharp and her son Johnny and family friend Dana Wingate were bound, stabbed, and bludgeoned in Cabin 28 at Keddie resort. The other Sharp children survived by hiding in an adjacent cabin. A skull found years later
Dorothy Jane Scott
Dorothy Jane Scott disappeared after driving a sick coworker to the hospital in Anaheim. Her burned car was found abandoned nearby. A stalker had been calling her at work making threats. Over the next four years, an unkn
Jeannie Mills Family
Jeannie Mills, one of the early defectors from Jim Jones's Peoples Temple, was murdered along with her husband Al and their daughter Linda in their Berkeley home. She had been a vocal critic of Jones and Jonestown. The k
Rep. Leo Ryan & Jonestown Victims
U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan was shot dead at an airstrip in Guyana along with members of his delegation while investigating Jim Jones's Peoples Temple. Hours later, 918 Temple members died in Jonestown in the largest mass
Hillside Strangler Victims
Cousins Angelo Buono and Kenneth Bianchi posed as police officers, kidnapped, raped, and murdered 10 women in Los Angeles. Their victims were found on hillsides, giving rise to the 'Hillside Strangler' name. Both were co
Roger Kibbe Victims
Roger Kibbe was convicted of murdering seven women in California, known as the I-5 Strangler. His victims were found along freeways. A cold case detective reopened the cases in the early 2000s using DNA evidence, finally
Myrna Opsahl
Myrna Opsahl was shot and killed during a bank robbery by members of the Symbionese Liberation Army in Carmichael, California. Patricia Hearst and several SLA members were later convicted of the robbery in 2003 for charg
Golden State Killer Victims
The Golden State Killer committed at least 13 murders, 50 rapes, and 100 burglaries across California. Joseph James DeAngelo, a former police officer, was identified in 2018 through genealogy DNA testing and pleaded guil
Patty Hearst Kidnapping
Newspaper heiress Patty Hearst was abducted from her Berkeley apartment by the Symbionese Liberation Army. After months in captivity she participated in a bank robbery. She was convicted in 1976 but pardoned by President
Christine Marie Eastin
Nineteen-year-old Christine Marie Eastin disappeared from Hayward, California on January 18, 1971. She was last seen near her home. Despite FBI involvement, she was never found. Her case remains on the FBI's unsolved mis
Bryan Hartnell & Cecelia Shepard
Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard were attacked by the Zodiac Killer at Lake Berryessa, Napa County. Both were stabbed multiple times; Cecelia died two days later. The Zodiac called the Napa police to report the crime a
Charles Manson Victims
Charles Manson directed his followers to commit a series of brutal murders in Los Angeles in August 1969, including actress Sharon Tate. Multiple cult members were convicted. Manson himself was convicted of conspiracy to
Paul Stine
Cab driver Paul Stine was shot in the back of the head by the Zodiac Killer while stopped in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. The Zodiac sent police a piece of Stine's bloodied shirt to prove his guilt
Sharon Tate & LaBianca Murders
Actress Sharon Tate and four others were murdered at the Polanski home in Bel Air. The next night, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were killed. Charles Manson directed his followers Charles 'Tex' Watson, Susan Atkins, and Pat
David Faraday & Betty Lou Jensen
David Faraday (17) and Betty Lou Jensen (16) were the Zodiac Killer's first confirmed victims, shot on a dark lover's lane in Benicia, California. Faraday was shot in the head as he got out of his car; Jensen was shot wh
Robert F. Kennedy Assassination
Senator Robert F. Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the California presidential primary. Sirhan Sirhan was convicted and imprisoned. However, there remains debate about whether Sirhan
Zodiac Killer Victims
At least five confirmed victims were killed by an unidentified serial killer in Northern California between 1968 and 1969. The killer taunted police and newspapers with cryptic letters and ciphers signed with a crosshair
Cheri Jo Bates
Cheri Jo Bates was found stabbed to death near the library of Riverside City College. The Zodiac Killer sent letters claiming responsibility for the murder, though investigators debated whether it was truly his work. The
Elizabeth Short (The Black Dahlia)
The mutilated body of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short was found in a vacant lot in Los Angeles. Her body had been severed at the waist, drained of blood, and posed. The case became one of the most famous unsolved murders in
Amelia Earhart
Pioneer aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan vanished over the Pacific Ocean during her attempt to circumnavigate the globe. She was declared legally dead in 1939. Multiple theories exist including the crash-
Thelma Todd
Actress Thelma Todd was found dead in her garage from carbon monoxide. The death was ruled accidental but many believed it was murder. Theories pointed to her business partner Roland West or mob figure Lucky Luciano. The
Paul Bern
MGM film director Paul Bern was found shot at his Beverly Hills home. It was ruled a suicide but a note was found that some interpret as a murder. Theories point to Dorothy Millette, his common-law wife who was found dro
William Desmond Taylor
Silent film director William Desmond Taylor was found shot in his bungalow in Los Angeles. The murder implicated several silent film actresses, including Mabel Normand and Mary Miles Minter. Suspects were never prosecute
Virginia Rappe
Silent film actress Virginia Rappe died following a party at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. Actor Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle was charged with her rape and murder three times; all trials ended in acquittal or hung j