Tragically, Larry Parks is believed to be one of the victims of California serial murderer, Randy Steven Kraft who was convicted of murdering 16 men and boys between 1972 and 1983 and is on death row for his crimes. He was known as the “Scorecard Killer.” He was known to have killed at least another 51 young men and boys and is the most prolific serial murderer in California history. 

Larry was located on the gravel shoulder of the northbound lane of the I-5, one mile south of Woodburn, Oregon. He had been dead for two to three hours and his blood contained 0.06% alcohol and diazepam. Authorities determined he was drugged, sexually molested, and strangled. His bootlaces and belt were missing and his pockets were turned inside out suggest he was also robbed. Police also suspected he was a transient hitchhiker seen north of Salem, Oregon at around 2:30 AM, less than two hours before he was found.

Police sent teletypes and fliers across the country and checked military and FBI records in hopes of identifying the victim. They even sent fingerprint records up to Canada, but nothing ever came up. The discovery of Parks’ body came a day after the body of Michael O’Fallon was also found along I-5. Due to similarities in the evidence, investigators at the time suspected the two murders were related. However, both cases went old. 

Then, in January, an investigator from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department reached out to the Oregon State Police Cold Case Unit and offered to help identify the remains using forensic investigative genetic genealogy. 
A blood sample was sent to Parabon Nanolabs and a genetic profile was developed. Investigators used this information to lead them to the family of Parks, who submitted DNA samples for comparison. Parks’ family had lost contact with him in 1979. Until his identification last month, the circumstances of his disappearance were unknown to them.

Larry is referred to as “Portland Elk” on the scorecard Kraft had of victims.