Tales of Death

21 Killings Prosecutors Plan to Introduce in Penalty Phase of Kraft’s Trial

by The Los Angeles Times (AP)

Randy Steven Kraft, a former Long Beach computer consultant, has been accused in Orange County Superior Court of killing 37 young men in three states over a 12-year period. The victims were sexually molested, and some of the bodies were mutilated; many apparently were drugged and later strangled. Prosecutors have said Kraft kept a handwritten “death list,” recording his victims’ identities in code phrases. Sixteen formal murder charges have been filed, and prosecutors intend to try to convince the jury in an attempt to ensure a death sentence that Kraft killed 21 other young men as well.

Here are the victims

First, the 16, Kraft is formally charged with murdering, then the 21 he is suspected of killing:

1. Edward Daniel Moore, 20 Camp Pendleton Marine from Louisville, KY. Strangled. Found Dec. 26, 1972, beside 7th Street on-ramp to 1-605 in Seal Beach. Prosecutors claim Moore is “EDM” on handwritten list found in Kraft’s car.
2. John Doe Unidentified. Suffocated. Found April 14, 1973, near Ellis Avenue and Gothard Street in Huntington Beach, an area once known as Airplane Hill. Molested and sexually mutilated; Prosecutors claim he is “Airplane Hill” on handwritten list.
3. Ronnie G. Wiebe, 20 A married electrical company employee from Fullerton. Found Jury 30, 1973, near 7th Street on-ramp to 1-405 in Seal Beach. Sexually mutilated. Prosecutors claim Wiebe was “Seventh Street” on handwritten list.
4. Terry Lee Gambrel, 25 Marine from Crothersville, IN. Last seen alive at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, where he was based. Found May 14, 1983, in Kraft’s car when he was arrested. Ligature marks on neck and faint marks on wrists. Kraft told police he had picked up Gambrel hitchhiking. Propranolol found in his system.
5. Keith Daven Crotwell, 19 From Long Beach. Last seen alive leaving Belmont Shore parking lot with Kraft on March 29, 1975. Severed head found in Long Beach Harbor on May 8, 1975.  Skeletal remains found in Laguna Hills in October 1975. Prosecutors claim Crotwell is “Parking Lot” on handwritten list.
6. Mark Howard Hall, 22 from Pocatello, ID. Working in Santa Ana. Nude body found Jan. 3, 1976, in Silverado Canyon. Sexually mutilated. Last seen alive at New Year’s Eve party in San Juan Capistrano. Diazepam found in his system. Fingerprints on broken glass near body identified as Kraft’s. Prosecutors claim Hall is “New Year’s Eve” on handwritten list.
7. Scott Michael Hughes, 18 Camp Pendleton Marine from Seattle. Last seen April 14, 1978. Found April 16, 1978, on eastbound Euclid Avenue on-ramp to California 91 in Anaheim. Sexually mutilated. Diazepam found in his system. Experts carpet fibers on body similar to fibers found on rug in Kraft’s garage. Prosecutors claim Hughes is “Euclid” on handwritten list.
8. Geoffrey Alan Nelson, 18 and Rodger James DeVaul Jr., 20 Two friends from Buena Park. Last seen alive early Feb. 12, 1983. Several photos of DeVaul, wearing jacket belonging to Nelson, found in Kraft’s car. Nelson’s nude body found Feb. 12, 1983, at westbound Euclid Street entrance to California 22. Sexually mutilated. Propranolol and diazepam found in his system.
9. DeVaul found Feb. 13, 1983, next to Glendora Ridge Road near Mount Baldy, pants open and throat cut. Molested. Propranolol and diazepam found in his system. Prosecutors claim Nelson and DeVaul are “2 in 1 Hitch” on handwritten list.
10. Eric Herbert Church, 20 From Hartford, CO. Family said he had been hitching around the United States. Found Jan. 27, 1983, on 7th Street on-ramp to I-605 in Seal Beach. Strangled. Electric razor found in Kraft’s garage identified as Church’s by his father. Investigators say subject of photo found in Kraft’s car was Church, though his face was not shown. Diazepam found in his system.
11. Robert Wyatt Loggins, 19 Tustin Marine from Montclair. Found Sept. 3, 1980, on El Toro residential street. Body wrapped in clear plastic inside green bag. Rope around neck. Nude photos of Loggins, showing tattoo on arm, found in Kraft’s can investigators say couch in photos found in Kraft’s house. Last seen alive in Huntington Beach. Prosecutors claim Loggins is “MCHB Tattoo” on handwritten list.
12. Roland Gerald Young, 23 From Maywood. Found June 1 1, 1978, near Irvine Center Drive, west of Deerwood Drive, in Irvine. Sexually mutilated and stabbed several times. Diazepam found in his system. Released from Orange County Jail on a misdemeanor drunk-in-public charge hours before body was found. Prosecutors claim Young is “Jail Out” on handwritten list.
13. Richard Allen Keith, 20 Camp Pendleton Marine from New Castle, IN. Nude body found June 19, 1978, beside Moulton Parkway in Laguna Hills. Strangled. Diazepam found in his system. Last seen alive leaving girlfriend’s house in Carson. Prosecutors claim Keith is “Marine Carson” on handwritten list.
14. Keith Arthur Klingbeil, 23 Carnival worker from Chula Vista. Found July 6, 1978, on northbound I-5 just south of La Paz Road, a mile from where Kraft was arrested almost five years later. Sexually mutilated and apparently burned with cigarette lighter.
15. Michael J. Inderbeiten, 2 1 Trucking company employee from Long Beach. Found Nov. 18, 1978, next to ramp from southbound I-405 to northbound 1-605 in Seal Beach. Sexually mutilated. Apparently burned with cigarette lighter. Diazepam found in his system.
16. Donald H. Crisel, 20 El Toro Marine from Des Arc, AR. Found June 16, 1979, on Irvine Center Drive on-ramp to 1-405. Apparently burned with cigarette lighter. Prosecutors claim Crisel is “Marine Down” on handwritten list.
17. Michael Sean O’Fallon, 21 From Golden, CO. Found July 17, 1980, near I-5 outside Salem, OR, with wrists and ankles tied. Diazepam found in his system.
18. John Doe Unidentified. Found July 18, 1980, in Marion County, OR., a mile south of I-5 and about 20 miles north of Salem, OR. Clothed and appeared to be in early 30s. Seen hitchhiking in Salem earlier that day. Strangled.
19. Michael Cluck, 18 From Kent, WA. Partly clothed body found April 10, 1981, about 100 yards from 1-5 near Eugene, OR. Cause of death, blows to head. Diazepam found in his system. Brown shaving bag with Cluck’s name inside found in Kraft’s house.
20. Brian Whitcher, 26 From Portland, OR. Found Nov. 24, 1982, on rural road in Clackamas County, OR., 20 miles south of Portland and two miles from Holiday Inn in Wilsonville, OR, where Kraft was staying. Diazepam found in his system. Investigators say Whitcher’s tan velour jacket found in Kraft’s house.
21. Lance Taggs, 19 From Hawaii. Found Dec. 9, 1982, on rural road about half a mile from where Witcher was found. Taggs’ blue tote bag and martial arts equipment found in Kraft’s house, according to court affidavits.
22. Anthony Silveira, 29 From Eagle Point, OR. Nude body found Dec. 18, 1982, near 1-5 just outside Salem, OR. Strangled. Diazepam in his system. Last seen alive Dec. 3, 1982. Silveira’s fatigue jacket, bearing his name, found in Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, MI.
23. Dennis Patrick Alt, 24, Christopher Schoenborn, 20. Alt was from Comstock Park, MI, and his cousin, Schoenborn, from Conklin, MI. Found together Dec. 9, 1982, in icy field just north of Grand Rapids, MI. Both attended horticulture show at Grand Rapids’ Amway Grand Plaza Hotel where police say Kraft was staying on business trip. Last seen alive Dec. 7. Both strangled. Diazepam found in both.
24. Schoenborn sexually mutilated. Investigators say Schoenborn had been wearing tan and maroon ski jacket and black work boots that were found in Kraft’s house.
25. Vincent Cruz Mestas, 24 From Los Angeles. Found Dec. 29, 1973, half a mile north of Old Waterman Canyon Road near California 18 in San Bernardino County. Hands cut off and paper bags tied around ends of wrists. Rope burns on neck. Sexually mutilated.
26. Richard A. Crosby, 20 From Wilmington. Nude body found Sept. 29, 1978, just north of Chino, 200 yards from California 71. Lived with aunt, who last talked to him Sept. 28, 1978; he called to say he was coming home from movies.
27. Gregory W. Jolley, 19 From Jacksonville, FL. Missing two months. Body found Sept. 14, 1979, in garbage bag in Running Springs area, 10 miles northeast of San Bernardino, with head and legs missing. Head and legs found in San Bernardino service station dumpster next day. Sexually mutilated. Investigators say Jolley’s sketch pad found in Kraft’s garage.
28. Christopher A. Williams, 17 From Franklin, OH. Found Aug. 20, 1981, at end of Old Toll Road, 10 miles south of Grass Valley Road, near Twin Peaks in San Bernardino County.
29. Wayne Joseph Dukette, 30 Aluminum company employee from Long Beach. Found Nov. 5, 1971, near Ortega Highway, 15 miles east of Interstate 5 in Viejo Canyon.
30. Roger Dickerson, 18 El Toro Marine from Albany, OR. Found June 22, 1974, at end of Ceanothus Drive in South Laguna.
31. Gary Cordova, 23 From Pasadena. Found Aug. 12, 1974, near Cabot Road north of Oslo Parkway in Mission Viejo. Diazepam found in his system.
32. James Reeves, 19 Baker with Winchell’s Donut House from Cypress. Found Nov. 29, 1974, a quarter of a mile east of Jeffrey Road, near intersection with Barranca Road, in Irvine.
33. John William Leras, 17 Senior at Boyd High School in Long Beach. About to go into Army. Found Jan. 4, 1975, in waters off Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach. Sexually mutilated. Last seen alive catching bus to roller-skating rink in Long Beach.
34. Mikeal Laine, 21 From Modesto. Disappeared Nov. 1, 1982. Skull found in San Diego County Jan. 9, 1984. Stanislaus County officials say Orange County investigators told them Laine linked to papers found in Kraft’s car.
35. Malcolm Little, 19 Found June 2, 1974, in Imperial County.
36. Paul Fuchs, 19 From Long Beach. Disappeared Dec. 18, 1976.
37. Jeffrey Bryan Sayre, 15 From Santa Ana. Disappeared Nov. 27, 1979. Last seen heading home from friend’s house in Westminster.