Category Archives: mystery

Death of Pasadena toddler under investigation

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This from the Star-News: 


PASADENA — An autopsy is scheduled to be performed today on a 2-year-old Pasadena boy found dead in his crib yesterday, county coroner’s officials said this morning.

Some preliminary results could be available late this afternoon, officials said.

Police received a frantic call from the boy’s mother saying the toddler was unresponsive. Paramedics rushed to the home in the 500 block of North Summit Avenue on Tuesday morning, but were unsuccessful in their attempts to revive the child, who was pronounced dead at the scene.


Police have not said whether they suspect criminal conduct. Their investigation coincides with a push by LA county supervisors to better monitor the county’s child welfare system.

LAPD bomb squad seen travelling east on 10 Freeway toward ONT

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Earlier this afternoon, a convoy including the LAPD Bomb Squad and several blacked out SUVs was spotted travelling at a high rate of speed east on the 10 Freeway toward Ontario.

There’s been plenty of speculation as to why, but no answers from LAPD, other than a terse statement that the crew was headed to a sensitive situation.
Several Twitter users caught sight of the convoy as well including:
Any thoughts?
Here’s some newsroom speculation:
  • A situation at ONT, which is technically part of Los Angeles
  • Escorting a high level dignitary
  • Taking Michael Jackson’s body somewhere.
What do you think?

Moe chimp news

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Esquire ran the definitive Moe story on its Web site today. The tale, by Richard Shapiro, tells the story of Moe through the words of St. James and LaDonna Davis. It’s a touching tale much of it familiar to residents of West Covina and the San Gabriel Valley.

Here’s the final paragraph of the piece titled “St. James, LaDonna and Little Moe: The Worst Story I Ever Heard.”

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After all the years St. James and LaDonna shared with Moe and everything they’ve endured, how could he be gone forever? How could they not someday see their boy again?

Sanford Clark and the Wineville Chicken Ranch Murders

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Reporter Ruby Gonzales put together an interesting piece about Sanford Clark for today’s papers.

Clark, the nephew of Gordon Stewart Northcott, was ultimately sentencedto five years at Nelles for his role in the case that led to the deaths of Walter Collins, Lewis and Nelson Winslow, and an unidentified latino youth.

Here’s the top of Ruby’s story:

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Jerry Clark, 17, was on his way to a hockey game when his father, Sanford, pulled the car over and revealed a shocking past.

When he was 15, Sanford Clark became the main witness against his uncle, Gordon Stewart Northcott, who kidnapped boys from the Southland in the 1920s then molested and killed them at a chicken ranch in Wineville.

Not only did his uncle rape and beat him, Clark told authorities he was made to help dispose of the bodies and, at gunpoint, ordered to shoot one of the boys.

“Sanford said he never planned to tell Jerry the story,” said Anthony Flacco , who is writing a book about Clark and was at the Whittier Museum last week doing research.

But he said Clark was worried reporters working on an unrelated killing near their town would unearth his past. His concern was that his children would hear about it from others. His fear didn’t materialize.

Christine Collins mystery solved

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From the mailbag:

Mr Girardot,

Just wanted to let you know that the fate of Christine Collins has been solved.  Collins is listed in the death index under Christin Collins.  This linked her name to a Kathleen Collins in the social security death index.  Collins indicated that this was an alias she used after the high profile trial.  The time period fits and I’m fairly certain it is her.  Collins died on 12/8/1964.  There is also an interesting back story.  At one point in time, she was staying with James C. Borton in 1930.  Borton took in Collins because he and her father were members of the Knights of Pythias.  She also spent sometime in Oakland Californa in the early 1930′s, with friends they met when the family was in Hawaii.  At one point in time she took a telephone number under an assumed name as well. As it turns out, her sister, at  one point in time, was listed on a passenger manifest as visiting Hong Kong in 1930, in the midst of the events involving her son.  She is listed under race as Octoroon.  Even in my work as an Archivist, I have never come acrossed that term.  It’s a guess, but I believe that Aimee Dunne was of Chinese Origin, which I also thought was an interesting note. 
 
I’m planning on taking the research further and write a book.  I’ve spent too much time learning about this family, so I need to justify it somehow!

Best,

Chris Garmire
Archivist
California State Archives

The fate of Christine Collins

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I’ve had several emails this weekend asking about the fate of Christine Collins’ the real life woman played by Angelina Jolie in Clint Eastwood’s “The Changeling.”

Perhaps the best answer is on Roxanne Adam’s blog, “Dispatch from the Third World of Los Angeles.” Adams came across some records that indicate a Christine M. Collins died in 1996 in a tiny East Bay community. Here’s a portion of the entry:

One Christine M. Collins, born on April 24th 1900, died in 1996 in Lafeyette, a city located in Contra Costa County, California; this is the only official public record I could find. Since her son was nine years old when he disappeared in 1928, it’s entirely reasonable that she was born in 1901.

And the photo caption:

Walter Collins’ mother, Mrs. Christine Collins, who confronted Gordon Northcott in jail concerning her son. “I did not kill Walter,” he told her. “I believe you,” she replied. Later, when Arthur Hutchens claimed to be her son and she did not accept him, she was sent to a psychopathic ward. She later filed suit against the police for this action.

Morning fish wrap

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ALHAMBRA — Two women in Alhambra were robbed Tuesday night within an hour of one another while walking down the street, according to police.
ALHAMBRA –Detectives have not been able to interview the victim of a recent shooting but hope to question her tomorrow, authorities said.

PASADENA — What happened to the most electrifying man in Pasadena?

SACRAMENTO — Lawmakers headed back to Sacramento to deal with budget shortfall.

SAN PEDRO –Divers searching the ocean floor Tuesday discovered what they believe is the boat owned bythe brother of U.S. Reps. Linda and Loretta Sanchez.

Found bones linked to missing man

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A set of human remains found near the Pomona Freeway in Montebello may have been there for eight years, officials told reporter Ruby Gonzales.

The remains of a human male skeleton also show signs of having been struck by a car, coroner’s officials said. Here’s Ruby’s update from this morning:

MONTEBELLO – The man whose bones were discovered alongside the Pomona (60) Freeway could have been hit by a car, coroner’s officials said.

The left femur shows a fracture consistent with being struck by a vehicle, according to Lt. Fred Corral of the Coroner’s Office.

Corral said an ID card was found among the clothing which belonged to a man who was reported missing eight years ago. However, he said they are still trying to identify the remains.

Caltrans workers clearing heavy brush in the 200 block of Pomona Boulevard discovered the skeletal remains on Sunday morning.

Coroner: mysterious death was suicide

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EL MONTE — Coroner’s officials said Tuesday that a man found dead outside an office building Sunday committed suicide.
Jerry Huang, 39, was pronounced dead at the scene from “multiple traumatic injuries,” Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. John Kades said.
Huang’s city of residency was not known, he said.
Homicide detectives responded to investigate the death after a security guard discovered the body about 1:15 p.m. in the 9600 block of Flair Drive.

Body found in car with parking ticket on window*

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This story from Pico Rivera comes via the wire services. I’ll post an update later:

The L-A County coroner’s office plans perform an autopsy on the body of a man
who was found in the driver’s seat of a parked car in an un-incorporated area
near Pico Rivera. The body was discovered at Rooks Road and Peck
Roads last night. A parking citation had been left on the car.

*Here’s what KCBS/KCAL is reporting:

Employees at a nearby truck repair shop said the car — a 1980s four-door Lincoln — had been parked there all day, and, at some point, someone placed a parking ticket on the vehicle’s door.

A worker said firefighters who responded couldn’t believe that someone had issued the citation without noticing the deceased man.