John and Linda Sohus

Pasadena Star-News articles from the 1980s and 1990s described the disappearance of John and Linda Sohus as a story with an interesting cast of characters.

The couple apparently met because of a mutual interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy stories. Linda worked in a Sherman Oaks bookstore called Dangerous Visions. John was a computer nerd interested in Dungeons and Dragons.

After their disappearance, John Sohus’ mother, who lived at the Lorain Road home said she remained in touch with the couple through an unidentified third party. Linda’s mother and best friend reported receiving postcards with a picture of the Eifel Tower signed “Linda and John.”

The postcards claimed the couple were in France, but Linda admitted in one postscript that she wasn’t too good at geography.

A man who knew Linda through a group called the “Science Fantasy Society” described her as a “tall good-looking woman with wide hips.”

Sometime after the 1985 disappearance, John’s mother suffered a stroke. She moved into a trailer and spent her remaining days hoping for some communication from her lost son. One friend said she lost “zest for life and sobbed uncontrollably,” even though she believed the couple were alive on a secret mission in France.”

 

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12 thoughts on “John and Linda Sohus

  1. Here’s the Yahoo version –
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080812/ap_on_re_us/rockefeller_mystery;_ylt=AqoX6NKGqVDKaG1KubNoa1Z34T0D

    I’ve followed this story for a long time now. Being involved in SF/fantasy art for years, it has special meaning. It’s really odd that I clicked on the “Rockefeller” story on Yahoo and found out it was about someone I knew! It could have just as easily gone by without me noticing…

    I was in touch with Linda within the last few days before the disappearance. I called about an SF art commission from her. The name she went by for her artwork was “Cody”. At first everything was going along fine, then she got hard to reach for a couple of days. When I did finally get through she said that John was in NYC and that they might be moving because of the classified work he’d be doing. Something vague about satellites…
    She said that she’d be in touch after things settled down. She sounded pretty stressed about the whole matter.
    That was the last I heard from her.

    So, in light of this new info, did “Rockefeller” do in John, and then tell Linda that he was on a secret business trip? Granted, I’m not the most trusting person, but that would set off my alarm bells big time. The rest can’t be good.

    Time has not made this case all that much clearer. It’s sad, no matter what, because she was an excellent artist and very nice person. She could make pastel pencil look like a painting šŸ™

    This story has been weird – and disturbing – from the start.
    Why is it that each time the story pops up no one seems to want to apply any modern forensics to it??
    It’s frustrating – I wish someone at the FBI or some cold-case group would try to find out if any physical evidence is still around.

    Grrrr…

    Finally, here is the machine translation of the german piece referenced above.
    ——————————————-

    MORE MYSTERIOUS KRIMINALFALL
    Traces of the wrong Rockefellers lead to Germany

    By Barbara Hans

    Christian Gerhart rider? Christian Streiter? Christian Gerhartsreiter? Or at the end nevertheless Clark Rockefeller? The man, who pretended as a member of the US oil dynasty and kidnapped his daughter, has possibly further criminal offences to answer for – and could from Bavaria originate.
    ANZEIGE

    Hamburg – sometime, at the beginning of the nineties, gives it a break. Christian Gerhart Streiter, 1961 in the Upper Bavarian victory village born, son of a Anstreichers, graduate of a Traunsteiner part-time vocational school and exchange pupil in the US Federal State Connecticut, disappears of the image plane.

    KRIMINALFALL: THE MANY LIVES OF THE CLARK ROCKEFELLER

    *
    *
    *

    Photo distance start: Click on a picture (6 pictures)

    Later, starting from approximately 1993, a certain Clark Rockefeller the New Yorker High Society mixes few years up. The alleged inheritance of the skirt skin he cousin William the Harvard Absolventin Sandra boss marries 1994. The two collect art, donate thousands dollar for charitable purposes, buy houses and dwellings – and get finally to 24. May 2001 a common daughter.

    This daughter seems to the wrong Rockefeller, which New York Post Rockefooler baptized on the past weekend the calamity to have become. Because Clark Rockefeller – old, so exactly these days nobody knows 47 or 48 years – sits since then in the prison, because he tried, its daughter, who lives with its divorced ex woman, to kidnap (more).

    The life 1993 ago – as extinguished

    If the life was filmed of Clark Rockefeller, critics would probably classify the work as most improbably: Under more than a half dozen of different identities he is to have lived and work in the past 30 years in the USA – and possibly also into a murder to be complicated. What however connects Christian Gerhartsreiter and Clark Rockefeller?

    Rockefeller, according to Rockefeller of archives a genuine member of the clan, is not silent persistently. To its life 1993 ago it does not have memories more, mentioned it over its lawyer. Stephen Hrones said Boston the Herald, its mandator reminds only now and then some fragments of its past.

    What happened, before he broke at the beginning open of the nineties in the New Yorker Upper Class? Rockefeller does not have allegedly the smallest notion. Because of these partial Amnesie of a psychologist examine to let, Hrones does not plan it according to own statement.

    MORE OVER
    Rockefeller FBI Boston Baltimore
    to MIRROR KNOWLEDGE
    But also without effort of the wrong Rockefellers ever more fragments from that rather little glamorous past of the man becomes admits. And it seems, as if the investigators in laborious detailed work could succeed, which disappeared to time, in the Streiter of the image plane and Rockefeller – from view of the authorities apparently from that nothing – emerged, to fill with lives.

    Rockefeller – a German exchange pupil?

    After photos Rockefellers had been published of American media, a family from Connecticut announced itself – convinces to know the presumed Hochstapler. It is by hundred percent safe itself that Rockefeller is the man, who drew in 1980 at him and its family said Steve Savio. However at that time, with 17, under the name Christian Gerhart rider. In the first pictures it did not look in such a way. But in the later photos with the eyeglasses it saw very similar to it.

    The Savios reacted at that time on an announcement of the German in local newspaper, in which he looked for a Gastfamilie. I remember that he always placed us the feeling, something better to still be, said the 39-jhrige Savio. It boasted with the prosperity of its German parents. Together with the oldest son of the family, Edward, Gerhart rider visited Berlin High School.

    Now also certifications, which Boston the Herald were passed on, confirm that. A German named Christian Gerhartsreiter, born on 21 February 1961 in victory village, therefore visited the school in Connecticut – as a graduate of a Traunsteiner part-time vocational school with average notes.

    After it had left the Savios, rider kept the contact to its former guest mother. It wants to be luck with its own production company to try, told it at that time – and the name Christopher Crowe to assume.

    Rockefeller – son of a British Aristrokaten?

    1985 draw a man named Christopher Crowe Mountbatten Chichester – according to own statement son of a British Aristokraten – in the guesthouse of the married couple Sohus into San Marino, California. John and Linda Sohus are freshly married. In February 1985 they are seen for the last time living – then they disappear apparently without trace, to Linda leave even their cats, make their friends stutzig. Friends and related postcards from France – whether it however actually acts around Lindas handwriting, reach cannot the police not clarify.

    When construction workers dig, push 1994 in the garden of Sohus property a hole for a pool them on a human skeleton – into three pieces divided and in plastic bags stows away. Whether it acts around the corpse of John Sohus, cannot determine the investigators clearly.

    Stands firmly: In April 1985 also Chichester from the guesthouse disappears, apparently without trace.

    TO THE TOPIC ON SPIEGEL ONLINE

    *
    US kidnapping drama: FBI seizes wrong Rockefeller (03.08.2008)
    *
    US kidnapping drama: Wrong Rockefeller on the escape (30.07.2008)

    Later a Truck of the Sohus dips three years into 3000 miles removed Greenwich in the Federal State Connecticut – a man named Christopher Crowe tries to sell him there. But the son of a local politician, who has interest in the car, becomes distrustful and announces the incident of the police. The investigators assume it acts with Chichester and Crowe around in and the same person. But before they can seize it, it disappeared. Once more.

    The investigators make the connection for the exchange change in Berlin, Connecticut, ask the Savios. However without success. Of Christopher Crowe alias Christopher Crowe Mountbatten Chichester, alias Christian Gerhart Streiter, alias Christian Gerhartsreiter is missing apparently each trace.

    Between Hochstaplern and criminal ones

    After its arrest the police stated now that Rockefellers agree fingerprints with those on Chichesters old driving licence.

    Thus is Clark Rockefeller, accused among other things of kidnapping and bodily injury, the former German exchange pupil Christian Gerhartsreiter? And if: Does he have to do something with the disappearance of the Sohus’? All these questions must clarify the investigators now.

    The fact that there is a connection between riders and Rockefeller sounds plausible – proven is still for a long time not it. The prosecution is compelling to grant the obvious: 1993 ago it seems invisible, someone, which seems to exist to Tom Nolan, Kriminologieprofessor at the University of Boston Boston the Herald directly after the usual yardsticks not, said.

    And for the time after 1993 we have still no clear conception of it, who this man is actually.

  2. I have difficulty a German (“Markus”?) would offer Babelfishy translations uncorrected.

    “I was in touch with Linda within the last few days before the disappearance” is exactly the kind of line you’d expect from a Troll. What date was that?

    Ah, well: must investigate FALSE LEADS sometimes…

  3. My mother lived across the street from “Clark Rockefeller” in New York City on 57th street. She is of course freaking out that he is a murder suspect. She said she knew he was weird, but not THAT weird. They walked dogs together every year for 2 years and went to each others apartments 24/7 for gatherings and such. I am very surprised he is a murder suspect. My mother says he seemed harmless… guess not.

  4. Gee Sleuthy (that name would make you French, right?) you shouldn’t make stupid assumptions – no I’m not German.

    Calling someone a Troll is rude. It’s too bad you have to crap all over someone who is trying to help.
    I’m already in touch with the LA Sheriff’s Department Homicide Unit.

    “What date was that?” – Around 1/31/1985.

    I’ve given the Sheriff’s office contact info, phone numbers and dates of events leading up to when they dropped out of sight.

    In the future, try not to be such a dick.

  5. Markus Unread- there’s no doubt that phonies contact the police & reporters all the time. Can’t underestimate the grandiosity of a few nutters, can we? As you claim to have contacted the LA investigators, and I could “claim” to know the whereabouts of Linda; that’s the farce of the internet, isnt it?

    btw, your details are easily gleaned from websites, one source:
    http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=90265

    Sorry, you’ve offered no new information. Don’t consider it an insult, consider it literary criticism of your fiction writing.

  6. Sleuthy – You know, for me, this is all about trying to find out what happened to someone I considered to be a friend.
    What is it to you? Some kind of petty little ego game?
    Are you just some little guy behind a keyboard who loves to verbally harass people? “Prove to me that you exist.” Even though, for you, nothing will.
    I’m glad that you aren’t a real investigator – you would do a great job of running off witnesses šŸ™‚

    Well, before I DO waste more time typing at you…
    Do you have Linda and John’s home phone number?
    Do you have her artist’s mailing address?
    Do you have John’s mother’s phone number?
    Do you have hand written letters from Linda? (I can just see you searching google frantically trying to find something).

    It’s amazing. Instead of trying to bring people together who might be able to help with the case, you sit there take pot-shots at people.
    What does that say about your priorities and credibility?

    “Don’t consider it an insult, consider it literary criticism of your fiction writing.”

    Don’t consider my evaluation of you as a “dick” as an insult either. Think of it as frank and honest feedback that could, no matter how unlikely, help make a positive change in your life.

    By the way, thanks for the URL above.
    You actually did do something positive by accident – it led me around to a site that connected me with an old friend! I guess even venom can be used for good sometimes…

  7. You wrote:
    “When I did finally get through she said that John was in NYC and that they might be moving because of the classified work he’d be doing. Something vague about satellites…”

    If you really did contact LASD (which I doubt) with this “information,” they’d probably dismiss your tale as quickly as we should. A near-stranger wouldn’t get information about someone’s husband’s classified work for a job that had not yet materialized (and may never, in fact, been offered.) You’re a fantasist certainly: ‘science fiction’ your hobby or business?

    Are you hoping to sell ‘Cody’ artwork at top-dollar on eBay? Or just honing your fiction-writing skills here?

  8. Sleuthy –
    You really are sad. It took me a while to realize that the Troll here is you – someone who enjoys baiting other people into pointless arguments.

    While you have been defending your unwarranted attack against me, I have been in touch with the LASD, emailed my scanned documents to them, and gotten in touch with an old friend from that period in my life.

    Aside from posting pointless, hateful and completely fictional conjecture about me and my “motivations”, what have you done?

    The more you cling to your vicious little view of someone you don’t know, haven’t met and will certainly never attempt to actually know, the more you show about yourself.

    How can ANYONE trust someone who’s perceptions are so clouded with ego-driven malice? If you managed to get onto a police force, your snap judgments and overzealous defense of them would get you fired – or worse.

    “Are you hoping to sell ‘Cody’ artwork at top-dollar on eBay?”

    Wow! You really are an insulting, vile little cretin, aren’t you?
    I will NEVER sell the one piece of art that I have from her.

    While you are at it, why don’t go spit on the grave of someone you cared about (if that is even possible for you)?

    I’ve done what I can for the police and some of the other people who actually cared about what happened to Linda and John. I’m also done enabling your hateful mental masturbation.

    Thanks for reaffirming how petty and vile people can be. So sad…

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