More about the San Marino bones
Police confirmed Tuesday a link between Clark Rockefeller, the Boston man who was sought after abducting his seven-year-old daughter, and a 23-year-old San Marino mystery, that included the discovery of bones buried in a backyard.
I've actually seen these bones -- twice. The first time was shortly after they were discovered. I was on a tour of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner and ended up interviewing a man named Steve Dowell, the sheriff's tool mark expert.
Dowell, who works in a basement office at the coroner's office keeps an interesting collection of bones and tools. The bones (at least a skull as I remember) excavated from Lorain Road were stored in a paper bag.
Dowell showed me the bones, explained where they were from and described the diffiiculty in confirming their identity. Apparently there was a Tongva Indian burial site near the location and early int he investigation there was some question if the bones were related to that or to the case of a couple who went missing in 1985. The couple was identified as John and Linda Sohus.
Then, in 2003, while working on a book about the coroner's office, I returned to Dowell's office and specifically asked him about the San Marino pool bones. He retrieved them and explained that they were likely of a recent vintage, but identifying how exactly the male died would be difficult.
Why?
Apparently the backhoe used in the pool excavation had destroyed the skull sufficiently that determining a cause of death would be nearly impossible.
Some questions I wish I had asked. What about dental records? What about DNA? I'm sure those questions are being asked now that Rockefeller, who used to be known as Christopher Chichester, is in custody in Boston.
Chichester was reportedly last seen in 1989 in Greenwich, Conn. He was stopped by police there driving a vehicle registered to John Sohus.
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CONTRIBUTORS
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| Frank Girardot, Metro Editor for the San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, brings you behind the yellow tape with takes on true crime, cold cases and more. This is also your forum to discuss crime, its impact on your neighborhood and how we cover it. Have any questions or tips? You can leave a comment here or e-mail Frank. |
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Brian Day is the crime reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper group. E-mail Brian. |
Yep, that's our Rockaphony alright! "Mountbatten" (the British Royal family) is an alias as pretentious as "Rockefeller" - and this murderous grifter certainly knew how to lick up to nouveau riche Americans with their pseudo-charities.
His German name (or another alias?) appears to be "Christian Gerhard Streider." Where are the German authorities, friends & family in Westerwald (or wherever) to confirm? And what happened to the missing years (1985-90)? Was he in Greenwich CT or Long Island then?
I suggested days ago he might be a Stasi-trained mole, a deep-cover asset. That possibility looks improbable now, useless homicide isn't professional!
You obviously aren't familiar with San Marino...there are no "nouveau riche" in San Marino...Old money, BABY!!!!
No, I don't know San Marino CA. Looking at wiki, I see "Its ZIP code of 91108 ranks the city as the 48th most expensive in the United States, with the median home sale price in 2007 of $1.55 million." By contrast, "Beacon Hill is regarded as one of the most desirable and expensive neighborhoods in the country... The average income for a family was $4,798,000.In 2007, the average selling price for a townhouse in the neighborhood was $2,750,000; while the average price for a penthouse apartment went for $3,000,000. The neighborhood's most exclusive and expensive street (Louisburg Square), had an average home value of between $6,000,000 and $20,000,000." Sounds like San Marino is not only shamefully nouveau riche, it's delusionally 'Old Money.' Qualification, Anonymous, qualification.
btw, in reading several of his article, FRANK GIRARDOT is an excellent investigative journalist. I don't offer easy praise; fine job! Please partner with someone in Boston for the screenplay, I want to know all about the Sohuses. Their tragic story has been untold for far too long.
I'm inclined to belive that this man is some form of secret Govt agent. The sad thing is that he will probably either drop off the face of the earth or suicide. Obviously not self imposed though.