Police Seek Possible Link in 11 Deaths
by Gary Jarlson
Police in four Southern California counties are investigating the possibility that the murders of 11 young men in the past 19 months are connected. All of the victims, white males ranging from 16 to 23 years old, were left along freeways or heavily traveled roads in Orange, Riverside, San Diego and San Bernardino counties. Nearly all of the bodies were nude or partially clad and, in some instances, police report, there were homosexual overtones to the killings. Six of the men were strangled or suffocated, and in one other case suffocation has not been ruled out pending completion of toxicological tests. Two other victims died of overdoses of the aspirin substitute Tylenol, one was stabbed to death and one was killed by chloral hydrate and ethyl alcohol poisoning.
According to coroners’ reports, 10 of the men were murdered late at night or early in the morning on a Saturday or Sunday. The 11th was killed on a Thursday morning. Only one of the 11 victims has not been identified. The cases in which possible connection exist:
Scott Hughes, 18, of Washington, whose body was found on the shoulder of the Euclid Street ramp of the Riverside Freeway in Anaheim on April 16, 1978.
Roland Young, 23, of Maywood. His body was found on Irvine Center Drive in Irvine on June 11, 1978.
Richard Keith, 20, a Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton. His body was left on Moulton Parkway near La Paz Road in Laguna Hills on June 18, 1978.
Keith Klingbeil, 23, of Everett, Washington. He was thrown from a moving car onto the outside lane of the northbound San Diego Freeway south of La Paz Road in the Mission Veijo area on July 6, 1978.
Richard Crosby, 20, of Torrance. His body was discovered September 30, 1978, along the shoulder of California 83, north of California 71, in western San Bernardino County.
Michael Inderbieten, 21, of Long Beach, whose body was found beside the transition road from the north bound San Diego Freeway to the 605 Freeway on November 18, 1978.
Joseph Daly, 16, of Milpitas. He was left along Palomar Airport Road three miles east of the San Diego Freeway near Carlsbad last February 25.
Donny Crisel, 20, a Marine based at Tustin Marine Corps Air Station. His body was found last June 16 on the Irvine Center Drive southbound ramp of the San Diego Freeway.
Ralph Duane Davis, 20, of Los Angeles was found last November 3 along the Ortega Highway half a mile west of the Upper San Juan Campground in Riverside County.
Walter A. Tanner, 16, of Orange, whose body was discovered Nov. 17 a quarter mile from the San Diego Freeway in Carlsbad.
An unidentified youth, 17 to 18, found Sunday on the Ortega Highway five miles east of the San Diego Freeway.
Lt. Wyatt Hart of Orange County Sheriff’s Department said investigators have no leads in the killings and are seeking help from anyone who may have seen suspicious activity along the roads where the bodies have been found.
