SAYRES: Son’s Body Never Found

The reason law enforcement officials are so sure of that is the notation “Westminster Date” on what they believe is a death list Sayre had just left his date’s house in Westminster when he disappeared. He was last seen near a bus stop at Bolsa Avenue and Valley View Street.

Arvetta Sayre did not realize he was missing until the next morning. “The boys Jeffre and her other son, Kevin always kept the doors to their rooms closed when they were home, and when I got up, Jeffs door was open. I thought maybe he had got up early to help his brother on his paper route.”

By mother’s intuition, she said, she knew after the first day he was dead.  “He would never leave home without calling,” said Denver Sayre, Jeffs stepfather.

At first law enforcement officials thought Sayre might have been killed by William Bonin, the Freeway Killer, who was not in prison then. But Bonin confessed to all his murders, officials believe, and Sayre wasn’t among them. The Sayres were told by Sheriff’s Department Sgt James A. Sidebotham at Kraft’s preliminary hearing in 1983 about the list in Kraft’s car.”

He said, Arvetta, we firmly believe that Westminster Date represents your son,” she said. “And we believe it too.” But still, she said, it’s not the same as having Kraft on trial for their son’s death. “There’s a void,” she said. “We feel almost like outsiders, though certainly the other victims’ families have not made us feel that way.”

Sayre said she had hoped for a death verdict.” It’s not revenge,” she said. “It’s just our only guarantee he can never do this to anyone else’s son.” While the Kraft trial will help give the Sayres the finality to their son’s death that they believe is needed, a few things are missing. “We never got a chance to have a memorial service, like most people do when a loved one dies,” she said. Also, they have some hope that if Kraft did kill their son, he may someday tell them where the body is.

“I don’t think he will ever talk about it” she said, “but we would hope he could somehow find it in his heart to tell us.”