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Decades of waiting

Each bar is a family's wait, from the day their loved one vanished or was found to today.

Years of waiting

  1. Robert Lee NusbaumWaiting 60 years · since 1966
    • Aug. 13, 1966, ~11:15 a.m.: A friend notices Nusbaum's car is missing from the driveway, finds the front door closed but unlocked, and discovers him dead inside with a bloodied black fireplace poker nearby.
    • Aug. 15, 1966: Nusbaum's white 1963 Chevrolet is found in Long Beach. Investigators conclude the killer abandoned it there.
    • Aug. 22, 1966: A Robert Lee Nusbaum, Navy veteran, is buried at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso, Texas.
  2. Genise Rispin and Edwin MillerWaiting 56 years · since 1970
    • Fri. Aug. 28, 1970: Friends later recalled that Eddie, who had just gotten his driver's license, visited Genise at Crane's Lakeside Park that evening.
    • Aug. 27, 1970: The Sheriff's Department's current summary gives this date and says they left Crane's Lakeside Park. No 1970 report found so far supports it.
    • Sat. Aug. 29, 1970, shortly after 9 p.m.: In a 1970 Los Angeles Times account, Genise's parents have taken her to Eddie's home. The pair leave his parents' house on Riverside Drive on foot, heading for a go-kart track about a mile away. They are never seen alive again.
    • Sun. Aug. 30, 1970: A motorist whose car has broken down finds Eddie's body off the Ortega Highway, about 15 miles from Lake Elsinore, but tells friends rather than police.
    • Mon. Aug. 31, 1970: Police learn of the body. Orange County deputies respond but find the site is in Riverside County; Riverside deputies recover Eddie from a shallow grave late that evening. An autopsy indicates he was probably strangled.
    • Sept. 3, 1970: Eddie is buried at Elsinore Valley Cemetery.
    • Sat. Sept. 12, 1970, ~7:30 a.m.: Two young men hitchhiking to San Diego find Genise's body under a tree in a field near San Juan Capistrano. She has been strangled and has been dead one to two weeks.
    • Sept. 13, 1970: Genise is identified from her ring and the dental charts for her braces.
    • Sept. 14, 1970: Riverside sheriff's detectives say they are “almost totally without clues.”
    • Sept. 16, 1970: Graveside service for Genise at Westminster Memorial Park.
    • March 1971: After a Zodiac letter claims more killings in the Riverside area, the Riverside Sheriff's Department reviews unsolved murders, including this one. The report gives no evidence connecting this case to Zodiac.
    • Aug. 2017: The Sheriff's cold case team confirms the case is still classified as unsolved.
  3. Angelo “Nick” GattiWaiting 52 years · since 1974
    • July 13, 1974: Family members drive Nick to the San Juan Hot Springs area off the Ortega Highway and drop him off. Official records give 7 p.m.; his father later recalled the morning.
    • Summer–fall 1974: He has said he'll camp for a couple of weeks. When he doesn't get in touch, his family contacts the Sheriff's Department, Newport Beach police and a private search-and-rescue group. Accounts differ on whether this was weeks or months later.
    • 1974–1978: His family searches the forest almost every Saturday for four years, checking trails and caves.
    • 1989: The family asks investigators whether convicted serial killer Randy Kraft could have been involved. No link is established.
    • February 1996: Before William Bonin's execution, the family writes to his lawyer hoping he might know something. A prosecutor says Bonin is a poor fit for the case.
    • May 28, 2012: Nick's case is entered in the national NamUs database.
  4. Michael Ray SchlichtWaiting 52 years · since 1974
    • April 1974: Michael's sister last sees him in Iowa.
    • About Sept. 9–11, 1974: Authorities estimated he died three to five days before he was found.
    • Sept. 14, 1974: Two people off-roading on a fire road find his body in what is now Aliso Viejo, then unincorporated Laguna Hills.
    • Autumn 1974: The death is ruled an accident (alcohol and diazepam intoxication). Fingerprints find no match. He is buried as John Doe in an unmarked grave at El Toro Memorial Park.
    • 1978: Young men are found dead nearby, drugged with alcohol and diazepam and then killed. Those deaths are ruled homicides, prompting a second look at the 1974 John Doe.
    • May 1983: Randy Kraft is arrested on the San Diego Freeway with a dead Marine in his car. A coded list of apparent victims is found in his trunk.
    • September 1988: Prosecutors make the list public at Kraft's trial. About 20 entries remain unmatched to any known victim.
    • May 1989: Kraft is convicted of 16 Orange County murders and sentenced to death. Michael is not among the charged cases.
    • Nov. 2022: Investigators send tissue samples to Othram, a private DNA lab.
    • Oct. 2023: Genealogy leads to Michael's grandparents, then his sister, then a woman in Kansas City believed to be his mother. Her DNA confirms his identity.
    • Nov. 28, 2023: OCSD announces the identification.
    • May 2025: While reviewing Kraft evidence for this case, OCSD helps Oregon police identify a separate 1980 Kraft-linked John Doe.
  5. Dorothy Jane ScottWaiting 46 years · since 1980
    • Spring 1980: A man repeatedly calls Dorothy, alternating declarations of love with threats. She considers buying a gun but decides against it because of her son, and starts karate lessons.
    • May 28, 1980, ~9 p.m.: After an employee meeting, Dorothy and a coworker drive another coworker, whose arm is badly swollen, to UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, stopping on the way so she can see her son.
    • Around 11 p.m., May 28: While her coworker waits for a prescription, Dorothy goes to bring the car around. Her white Toyota station wagon is seen speeding out of the lot. Her coworkers could not clearly see who was driving.
    • May 29, ~4:30–5 a.m.: Her car is found burning in an alley in the 800 block of South Townsend Street, Santa Ana, about 10 miles away.
    • June 12–13, 1980: The Register publishes the first story after her parents decide to go public. A man calls the newspaper twice claiming he killed her, and seems to know unpublished details.
    • July 8, 1980: Her parents offer a $2,500 reward.
    • 1980–1984: A man repeatedly calls her parents, often on Wednesdays, saying he has Dorothy or has killed her. The calls stop in April 1984.
    • Aug. 6, 1984, ~7:15 a.m.: A construction crew finds a human skull about 30 feet from Santa Ana Canyon Road in Anaheim Hills. More bones, a turquoise ring and a watch are found nearby.
    • Aug. 14–15, 1984: Dental records identify Dorothy. Her mother identifies the ring and watch.
    • Aug. 1984: After the identification is announced, a caller again phones her parents asking for Dorothy.
    • Aug. 22, 1984: A memorial service is held.
  6. Kerry PattersonWaiting 46 years · since 1980
    • Mid-June 1980: The Patterson family moves from Cerritos to the Sunny Hills area of Fullerton.
    • June 26, 1980 (afternoon): Kerry meets a boy from her old Cerritos neighborhood and two of his friends at the Ice Cream Castle, about a mile from home.
    • June 26, 1980: She rides on a bicycle's handlebars to near Parks Junior High (1700 block of Rosecrans Avenue) and walks on toward home. She is not seen by her family again.
    • July 1 & 3, 1980: Two reported sightings: at a bowling alley, and riding a bicycle in Cerritos. The investigator now on the case said in 2021 that post-disappearance sightings all proved untrue.
    • Dec. 27, 1980: An oil-field worker finds a skull near Tonner Canyon and the 57 Freeway in Brea. Leg bones and part of an arm are found nearby. Dental records identify Kerry.
    • July 1982: A press conference about the case draws 10–12 tips.
    • Dec. 15, 2019: The Orange County Register publishes a renewed appeal as the Sheriff's cold case team reviews the case.
    • January 2020: A woman who lived in the area comes forward describing a man who “stood out” on her street around the time Kerry vanished.
    • Dec. 29, 2021: OCSD releases a composite sketch and asks the public to help identify the man as a person of interest.
  7. Lonnie Raymond ThomasWaiting 46 years · since 1980
    • November 1978 or 1979: Lonnie's family last hears from him.
    • About spring 1979: Investigators later estimate he had been dead about a year when found.
    • November 1979: A gate is installed on the entrance road to the area, which had been used for illegal dumping.
    • May 1, 1980: A Shell Oil worker checking water lines finds skeletal remains down a small hill beside an oil well.
    • May 2, 1980: An autopsy finds a gunshot wound to the face. The death is ruled a homicide.
    • Through May 1981: Investigators compare the remains with several missing-person reports without a match.
    • December 2021: The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children asks OCSD to pursue genetic genealogy.
    • May 2022: His remains are exhumed for DNA testing. Othram develops a profile in June.
    • October 2022: Genealogy research begins with the FBI; distant relatives are found.
    • May 2023: DNA from a close relative confirms his identity.
    • Nov. 7, 2023: OCSD announces the identification. Lonnie is reburied with a headstone bearing his name.
  8. Lee Ray RowlandWaiting 45 years · since 1981
    • Feb. 17, 1981: Lee's parents leave home for a long weekend.
    • Before Feb. 20: Someone slashes the tires on Lee's car. He calls in to work because of it.
    • Feb. 20, 1981: Lee's parents speak to him for the last time.
    • Feb. 21, 1981, 3:30 a.m.: Witnesses see Lee's car driven behind a business in Garden Grove, followed by a second vehicle. The driver gets into the second vehicle; Lee's car erupts in flames. Garden Grove police respond.
    • Feb. 22, 1981: Lee's parents return to find the house ransacked and property missing. Lee is lying face down on his bed and is pronounced dead minutes later.
  9. Sean PhelanWaiting 45 years · since 1981
    • Oct. 1, 1981: Sean checks out of the Six Pence Inn in Tustin (date per OCSD and NamUs). He is not seen again.
    • Oct. 18, 1981: The California DOJ listing gives this as the date of the same checkout.
    • December 1988: Motel 6 agrees to buy the Sixpence Inns chain, including its Tustin motel.
    • May 7, 2013: Sean's case is entered in NamUs.
  10. Maritza Glean GrimmettWaiting 43 years · since 1983
    • Summer 1978: Maritza, from Panama, marries a U.S. Marine. They have a daughter and move to the United States in late 1978.
    • Late 1978 – mid-1979: The family lives in Columbus, Ohio, then Millington, Tennessee.
    • July 1979: The couple begin divorce proceedings. Her ex-husband moves to California. Maritza tells her family she is going to California, and they never hear from her again.
    • November 1979: Investigators say she did not appear to finalize the divorce in Tennessee.
    • April 1983: Children find a skull in a culvert near Canada and Old Trabuco roads. About 70% of a skeleton is recovered.
    • 2019: A forensic reconstruction of the unknown woman is released.
    • 2022: Othram develops a DNA profile with NamUs funding; FBI genealogists cannot find a direct family line. A new rendering is released.
    • Late 2023: A distant DNA relative suggests posting the renderings to a Facebook group for missing women of the 1970s and '80s. About a month later, a woman contacts investigators believing Jane Doe is her mother.
    • March 2024: Family DNA confirms the identification.
    • June 14, 2024: OCSD publicly identifies Maritza Glean Grimmett.
    • September 2024: The investigator interviews the two people later named as persons of interest.
    • Feb. 20, 2025: OCSD names Howard Grimmett and Isabel “Terry” Cruz-Grimmett as persons of interest and appeals to former El Toro Marines.
  11. Darrell Attardo and Stephanie AndersonWaiting 42 years · since 1984
    • Oct. 29, 1984: The couple reportedly attend a Halloween party the night before.
    • Oct. 30, 1984, ~9 a.m.: Stephanie is seen at Woody's Market, a local store.
    • Oct. 30, 1984, ~12:45 p.m.: A roommate returns home and finds both dead. He runs outside calling for police.
    • Oct. 30, 1984: Sheriff's investigators find the house ransacked, drawers pulled out and a safe ripped from a closet.
    • Aug. 22, 2011: Sunset Beach is annexed by the city of Huntington Beach.
  12. Nahid Azarian NassabiWaiting 42 years · since 1984
    • June 19, 1984: Nahid is last seen.
    • June 20, 1984: She misses work and can't be reached by phone. A coworker and friend goes to her apartment, finds the front door unlocked and the apartment in disarray, and reports her missing.
    • The next day: Her separated husband sends their young son and daughter to Colombia.
    • Feb. 27, 2013: OCSD issues a public bulletin classifying the case as “suspicious circumstances.”
    • March 15, 2014: Her case is entered in NamUs, nearly 30 years later.
  13. Michelle Marie SagelWaiting 41 years · since 1985
    • Sat. Dec. 7, 1985, ~7 a.m.: A passing motorist reports a blue nylon bag beside Jeffrey Road, just east of the Santa Ana Freeway. A young woman's body is inside.
    • Dec. 9, 1985: Reports describe an “apparent murder.” Her identity and autopsy results are withheld.
    • Dec. 10, 1985: She is identified by fingerprints as Michelle Marie Sagel, 24. The autopsy hasn't found a cause of death; toxicology tests will take weeks. Investigators have no address for her.
  14. Linda Rose GrimmWaiting 40 years · since 1986
    • March 31, 1986: Linda leaves her home in Perris, reportedly to go to a local store for cigarettes, and doesn't return. Family members say there were marital problems.
    • 1986 – 1987: For about 18 months she phones her mother now and then from somewhere near Wichita, Kansas. She won't give an address, and her mother says she sounds afraid.
    • October 1987: Last call: Linda says she is living on a farm outside Wichita with a truck driver named Robert Masters. She is not heard from again.
    • April 1989: Her yellow Ford Pinto is reportedly found abandoned in a supermarket parking lot on Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach.
    • Dec. 12, 2008: Her case is entered in NamUs.
  15. Joe Luis AvilaWaiting 39 years · since 1987
    • October 1977: Avila and ten others are indicted by a federal grand jury in Honolulu in an alleged cocaine-smuggling case.
    • About March 1978: A federal judge dismisses the indictment on procedural grounds. The case is never tried.
    • May 1, 1987: A man is shot in the head in a Costa Mesa parking structure. He survives. Investigators later say the two shootings might be connected.
    • May 6, 1987, 11 p.m.: Avila helps close his Costa Mesa El Ranchito on Placentia Avenue, then heads to check his Santa Ana Heights restaurant on Irvine Avenue.
    • May 7, 1987, just after midnight: While turning right from Santa Isabel Avenue onto Tustin Avenue, Avila is shot at least 14 times through the driver's window. Neighbors hear shots and a car horn and see a small tan car with three people drive off.
    • May 7, 1987, 12:26 a.m.: Police are called and arrive two minutes later. Avila is dead, still belted in, his right-turn signal still flashing. A newly bought motorcycle stands 10–15 feet ahead of his car.
    • May 9, 1987: The motorcycle is traced to a Los Angeles County dealership. The buyer gave a false name and an address that doesn't exist. At least 10 shell casings were found.
    • December 1987: Two detectives remain assigned. The department won't confirm a motive.
    • November 1988: Police describe the killing as a classic professional hit and suggest the motorcycle was placed to block the road.
    • July 1990: The case is still open with an investigator assigned and no suspects. Avila's family still disputes the early drug theory.
  16. Claudia MathieuWaiting 29 years · since 1997
    • Tue. Dec. 9, 1997: Claudia tells her friend and kayaking partner she plans to paddle on her day off. It is the last confirmed contact.
    • Wed. Dec. 10, 1997: Her planned kayaking day. A small-craft advisory is in effect, with northeast winds around 20 mph that morning. Her friend calls that evening and gets no answer.
    • Thu. Dec. 11, 1997, morning: Her friend checks her apartment, then finds her RAV4 at their usual launch spot near Doheny State Beach / Dana Point Harbor, with her dog Layla caged inside. Her kayak is missing.
    • Dec. 11–12, 1997: The Coast Guard and Orange County Harbor Patrol search roughly 1,000–1,200 square miles of ocean between Dana Point and Catalina by air and sea. The search is suspended at 5:16 p.m. Friday.
    • Dec. 18, 1997: Friends tell reporters they doubt she would have gone into rough water or left Layla in the car. Officials say there's no evidence of foul play.
    • April 18, 2014: Her case is entered in NamUs.
  17. Donald Raymond LoarWaiting 28 years · since 1998
    • February 1998: Donald Loar is last seen in Bellflower. His girlfriend reports him missing to the LA County Sheriff's Department. He isn't working, and she says he wouldn't normally be gone long without checking in.
    • Aug. 29, 1998: A research biologist for the Rancho Mission Viejo Company finds what he believes are human remains in a remote area. Responders see no initial sign of homicide.
    • Aug. 30, 1998: A wider search finds nothing more. Experts estimate the man was white or Latino, over 40, about 5'6"–5'8".
    • September 1998: A further search finds what is believed to be a shallow grave, more remains and more clothing.
    • January 2023: OCSD and the California DOJ lab send samples to Othram for a DNA profile.
    • November 2023: Genealogy research tentatively identifies the man as Donald Raymond Loar.
    • December 2023: Investigators meet LA County deputies about his 1998 missing-person report and collect DNA from his family.
    • Jan. 24, 2024: The California DOJ confirms the identification.
    • Feb. 6, 2024: OCSD announces it.
  18. David BooneWaiting 20 years · since 2006
    • Before December 2006: The family home receives a call saying “We know where you live.”
    • Tue. Dec. 5, 2006, ~2 p.m.: Boone is last seen by his teenage son at home near Town Center Drive. He leaves on foot, apparently for a walk.
    • Dec. 5, 2006, ~6:30 p.m.: His estranged wife stops by and finds the home dark.
    • Wed. Dec. 6, 2006: The family reports him missing early in the morning; his sons search local trails before dawn.
    • Fri. Dec. 8, 2006: The Sheriff's Department begins an organized search with helicopters, horses, bloodhounds, off-road vehicles and search-and-rescue teams. It continues for about a week without result.
    • Dec. 12, 2008: His case is entered in NamUs.
    • January 2019: The Sheriff's Department says the case remains open with no new leads. No death certificate has been issued.
  19. Yolanda LopezWaiting 17 years · since 2009
    • February 2009: Yolanda begins living at a friend's home in San Clemente.
    • Sept. 6, 2009, ~7:40 a.m.: She leaves the home and is not seen or heard from again.
    • Later in September 2009: Her friend and roommate receives a message from an unknown acquaintance saying Yolanda has returned to Mexico to live with her two adult sons. It is never verified.
    • March 2015: OCSD issues a missing-person bulletin.
    • Aug. 13, 2015: Her case is entered in NamUs.
  20. Amada AbundezWaiting 16 years · since 2010
    • Sat. June 12, 2010, morning: Amada is last seen at her San Juan Capistrano home. She is last known to be shopping at Marshall's, 31878 Del Obispo Street.
    • October 2015: OCSD issues a missing-person bulletin listing her names and tattoos.
    • Nov. 11, 2016: Her case is entered in NamUs.
  21. Miljko TodorovicWaiting 13 years · since 2013
    • Early April 2013: Miljko rents a room in Dana Point, about two weeks before he disappears.
    • April 10 or 21, 2013: He leaves his Dana Point residence, believed to be heading to Tijuana for dental work. He is not heard from again.
    • April 25 – May 30, 2013: His cellphone reportedly roams on networks in Mexico.
    • After May 30, 2013: The phone line is disconnected for non-payment.
    • By Aug. 16, 2013: His Jeep has been found in a long-term parking lot in San Diego County near the Mexican border. OCSD issues a bulletin.
    • Dec. 10, 2017: His case is entered in NamUs.
  22. Anita Jensen-KendrickWaiting 10 years · since 2016
    • Feb. 15, 2016: Date of last contact recorded in the federal NamUs database.
    • Late February or early March 2016: The Sheriff's Department's description: after telling her husband she had met another man, Anita leaves home in her yellow Porsche Boxster, reportedly with all her belongings.
    • March 2016: The Porsche is sold to a third party.
    • Oct. 28, 2016: A third-party case listing gives this as the agency report date. It has not been confirmed by the Sheriff's Department.
    • April 4, 2022: Her case is entered in NamUs.

1960s

  1. Found

    A friend notices Nusbaum's car is missing from the driveway, finds the front door closed but unlocked, and discovers him dead inside with a bloodied black fireplace poker nearby.

    Robert Lee Nusbaum

  2. Found

    Nusbaum's white 1963 Chevrolet is found in Long Beach. Investigators conclude the killer abandoned it there.

    Robert Lee Nusbaum

  3. Memorial· reported

    A Robert Lee Nusbaum, Navy veteran, is buried at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso, Texas.

    Robert Lee Nusbaum

1970s

  1. Found· disputed

    The Sheriff's Department's current summary gives this date and says they left Crane's Lakeside Park. No 1970 report found so far supports it.

    Genise Rispin and Edwin Miller

  2. Event· reported

    Friends later recalled that Eddie, who had just gotten his driver's license, visited Genise at Crane's Lakeside Park that evening.

    Genise Rispin and Edwin Miller

  3. Last seen· reported

    In a 1970 Los Angeles Times account, Genise's parents have taken her to Eddie's home. The pair leave his parents' house on Riverside Drive on foot, heading for a go-kart track about a mile away. They are never seen alive again.

    Genise Rispin and Edwin Miller

  4. Found· reported

    A motorist whose car has broken down finds Eddie's body off the Ortega Highway, about 15 miles from Lake Elsinore, but tells friends rather than police.

    Genise Rispin and Edwin Miller

  5. Investigation

    Police learn of the body. Orange County deputies respond but find the site is in Riverside County; Riverside deputies recover Eddie from a shallow grave late that evening. An autopsy indicates he was probably strangled.

    Genise Rispin and Edwin Miller

  6. Memorial

    Eddie is buried at Elsinore Valley Cemetery.

    Genise Rispin and Edwin Miller

  7. Found

    Two young men hitchhiking to San Diego find Genise's body under a tree in a field near San Juan Capistrano. She has been strangled and has been dead one to two weeks.

    Genise Rispin and Edwin Miller

  8. Identified

    Genise is identified from her ring and the dental charts for her braces.

    Genise Rispin and Edwin Miller

  9. Investigation

    Riverside sheriff's detectives say they are “almost totally without clues.”

    Genise Rispin and Edwin Miller

  10. Memorial

    Graveside service for Genise at Westminster Memorial Park.

    Genise Rispin and Edwin Miller

  11. Investigation· reported

    After a Zodiac letter claims more killings in the Riverside area, the Riverside Sheriff's Department reviews unsolved murders, including this one. The report gives no evidence connecting this case to Zodiac.

    Genise Rispin and Edwin Miller

  12. Event

    Michael's sister last sees him in Iowa.

    Michael Ray Schlicht

  13. Last seen· disputed

    Family members drive Nick to the San Juan Hot Springs area off the Ortega Highway and drop him off. Official records give 7 p.m.; his father later recalled the morning.

    Angelo “Nick” Gatti

  14. Investigation· disputed

    He has said he'll camp for a couple of weeks. When he doesn't get in touch, his family contacts the Sheriff's Department, Newport Beach police and a private search-and-rescue group. Accounts differ on whether this was weeks or months later.

    Angelo “Nick” Gatti

  15. Investigation· reported

    His family searches the forest almost every Saturday for four years, checking trails and caves.

    Angelo “Nick” Gatti

  16. Found· reported

    Authorities estimated he died three to five days before he was found.

    Michael Ray Schlicht

  17. Found

    Two people off-roading on a fire road find his body in what is now Aliso Viejo, then unincorporated Laguna Hills.

    Michael Ray Schlicht

  18. Investigation

    The death is ruled an accident (alcohol and diazepam intoxication). Fingerprints find no match. He is buried as John Doe in an unmarked grave at El Toro Memorial Park.

    Michael Ray Schlicht

  19. Event

    Avila and ten others are indicted by a federal grand jury in Honolulu in an alleged cocaine-smuggling case.

    Joe Luis Avila

  20. Event

    A federal judge dismisses the indictment on procedural grounds. The case is never tried.

    Joe Luis Avila

  21. Event

    Maritza, from Panama, marries a U.S. Marine. They have a daughter and move to the United States in late 1978.

    Maritza Glean Grimmett

  22. Found

    Young men are found dead nearby, drugged with alcohol and diazepam and then killed. Those deaths are ruled homicides, prompting a second look at the 1974 John Doe.

    Michael Ray Schlicht

  23. Event

    Lonnie's family last hears from him.

    Lonnie Raymond Thomas

  24. Event

    The family lives in Columbus, Ohio, then Millington, Tennessee.

    Maritza Glean Grimmett

  25. Found· reported

    Investigators later estimate he had been dead about a year when found.

    Lonnie Raymond Thomas

  26. Event

    The couple begin divorce proceedings. Her ex-husband moves to California. Maritza tells her family she is going to California, and they never hear from her again.

    Maritza Glean Grimmett

  27. Event

    A gate is installed on the entrance road to the area, which had been used for illegal dumping.

    Lonnie Raymond Thomas

  28. Investigation· reported

    Investigators say she did not appear to finalize the divorce in Tennessee.

    Maritza Glean Grimmett

1980s

  1. Calls & messages

    A man repeatedly calls Dorothy, alternating declarations of love with threats. She considers buying a gun but decides against it because of her son, and starts karate lessons.

    Dorothy Jane Scott

  2. Found

    A Shell Oil worker checking water lines finds skeletal remains down a small hill beside an oil well.

    Lonnie Raymond Thomas

  3. Investigation

    An autopsy finds a gunshot wound to the face. The death is ruled a homicide.

    Lonnie Raymond Thomas

  4. Event

    After an employee meeting, Dorothy and a coworker drive another coworker, whose arm is badly swollen, to UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, stopping on the way so she can see her son.

    Dorothy Jane Scott

  5. Last seen

    While her coworker waits for a prescription, Dorothy goes to bring the car around. Her white Toyota station wagon is seen speeding out of the lot. Her coworkers could not clearly see who was driving.

    Dorothy Jane Scott

  6. Vehicle

    Her car is found burning in an alley in the 800 block of South Townsend Street, Santa Ana, about 10 miles away.

    Dorothy Jane Scott

  7. Calls & messages

    The Register publishes the first story after her parents decide to go public. A man calls the newspaper twice claiming he killed her, and seems to know unpublished details.

    Dorothy Jane Scott

  8. Event· reported

    The Patterson family moves from Cerritos to the Sunny Hills area of Fullerton.

    Kerry Patterson

  9. Event

    Kerry meets a boy from her old Cerritos neighborhood and two of his friends at the Ice Cream Castle, about a mile from home.

    Kerry Patterson

  10. Last seen

    She rides on a bicycle's handlebars to near Parks Junior High (1700 block of Rosecrans Avenue) and walks on toward home. She is not seen by her family again.

    Kerry Patterson

  11. Last seen· disputed

    Two reported sightings: at a bowling alley, and riding a bicycle in Cerritos. The investigator now on the case said in 2021 that post-disappearance sightings all proved untrue.

    Kerry Patterson

  12. Public appeal

    Her parents offer a $2,500 reward.

    Dorothy Jane Scott

  13. Calls & messages· reported

    A man repeatedly calls her parents, often on Wednesdays, saying he has Dorothy or has killed her. The calls stop in April 1984.

    Dorothy Jane Scott

  14. Identified

    An oil-field worker finds a skull near Tonner Canyon and the 57 Freeway in Brea. Leg bones and part of an arm are found nearby. Dental records identify Kerry.

    Kerry Patterson

  15. Event

    Lee's parents leave home for a long weekend.

    Lee Ray Rowland

  16. Vehicle

    Someone slashes the tires on Lee's car. He calls in to work because of it.

    Lee Ray Rowland

  17. Event

    Lee's parents speak to him for the last time.

    Lee Ray Rowland

  18. Vehicle

    Witnesses see Lee's car driven behind a business in Garden Grove, followed by a second vehicle. The driver gets into the second vehicle; Lee's car erupts in flames. Garden Grove police respond.

    Lee Ray Rowland

  19. Found

    Lee's parents return to find the house ransacked and property missing. Lee is lying face down on his bed and is pronounced dead minutes later.

    Lee Ray Rowland

  20. Found

    Investigators compare the remains with several missing-person reports without a match.

    Lonnie Raymond Thomas

  21. Last seen

    Sean checks out of the Six Pence Inn in Tustin (date per OCSD and NamUs). He is not seen again.

    Sean Phelan

  22. Investigation· disputed

    The California DOJ listing gives this as the date of the same checkout.

    Sean Phelan

  23. Public appeal· reported

    A press conference about the case draws 10–12 tips.

    Kerry Patterson

  24. Found

    Children find a skull in a culvert near Canada and Old Trabuco roads. About 70% of a skeleton is recovered.

    Maritza Glean Grimmett

  25. Found

    Randy Kraft is arrested on the San Diego Freeway with a dead Marine in his car. A coded list of apparent victims is found in his trunk.

    Michael Ray Schlicht

  26. Last seen

    Nahid is last seen.

    Nahid Azarian Nassabi

  27. Calls & messages

    She misses work and can't be reached by phone. A coworker and friend goes to her apartment, finds the front door unlocked and the apartment in disarray, and reports her missing.

    Nahid Azarian Nassabi

  28. Event

    Her separated husband sends their young son and daughter to Colombia.

    Nahid Azarian Nassabi

  29. Found

    A construction crew finds a human skull about 30 feet from Santa Ana Canyon Road in Anaheim Hills. More bones, a turquoise ring and a watch are found nearby.

    Dorothy Jane Scott

  30. Identified

    Dental records identify Dorothy. Her mother identifies the ring and watch.

    Dorothy Jane Scott

  31. Identified· reported

    After the identification is announced, a caller again phones her parents asking for Dorothy.

    Dorothy Jane Scott

  32. Memorial

    A memorial service is held.

    Dorothy Jane Scott

  33. Event· reported

    The couple reportedly attend a Halloween party the night before.

    Darrell Attardo and Stephanie Anderson

  34. Event· reported

    Stephanie is seen at Woody's Market, a local store.

    Darrell Attardo and Stephanie Anderson

  35. Found

    A roommate returns home and finds both dead. He runs outside calling for police.

    Darrell Attardo and Stephanie Anderson

  36. Found

    Sheriff's investigators find the house ransacked, drawers pulled out and a safe ripped from a closet.

    Darrell Attardo and Stephanie Anderson

  37. Found

    A passing motorist reports a blue nylon bag beside Jeffrey Road, just east of the Santa Ana Freeway. A young woman's body is inside.

    Michelle Marie Sagel

  38. Investigation

    Reports describe an “apparent murder.” Her identity and autopsy results are withheld.

    Michelle Marie Sagel

  39. Identified

    She is identified by fingerprints as Michelle Marie Sagel, 24. The autopsy hasn't found a cause of death; toxicology tests will take weeks. Investigators have no address for her.

    Michelle Marie Sagel

  40. Last seen

    Linda leaves her home in Perris, reportedly to go to a local store for cigarettes, and doesn't return. Family members say there were marital problems.

    Linda Rose Grimm

  41. Calls & messages· reported

    For about 18 months she phones her mother now and then from somewhere near Wichita, Kansas. She won't give an address, and her mother says she sounds afraid.

    Linda Rose Grimm

  42. Investigation· reported

    A man is shot in the head in a Costa Mesa parking structure. He survives. Investigators later say the two shootings might be connected.

    Joe Luis Avila

  43. Event

    Avila helps close his Costa Mesa El Ranchito on Placentia Avenue, then heads to check his Santa Ana Heights restaurant on Irvine Avenue.

    Joe Luis Avila

  44. Vehicle

    While turning right from Santa Isabel Avenue onto Tustin Avenue, Avila is shot at least 14 times through the driver's window. Neighbors hear shots and a car horn and see a small tan car with three people drive off.

    Joe Luis Avila

  45. Found

    Police are called and arrive two minutes later. Avila is dead, still belted in, his right-turn signal still flashing. A newly bought motorcycle stands 10–15 feet ahead of his car.

    Joe Luis Avila

  46. Vehicle

    The motorcycle is traced to a Los Angeles County dealership. The buyer gave a false name and an address that doesn't exist. At least 10 shell casings were found.

    Joe Luis Avila

  47. Last seen

    Last call: Linda says she is living on a farm outside Wichita with a truck driver named Robert Masters. She is not heard from again.

    Linda Rose Grimm

  48. Investigation

    Two detectives remain assigned. The department won't confirm a motive.

    Joe Luis Avila

  49. Investigation

    Prosecutors make the list public at Kraft's trial. About 20 entries remain unmatched to any known victim.

    Michael Ray Schlicht

  50. Vehicle

    Police describe the killing as a classic professional hit and suggest the motorcycle was placed to block the road.

    Joe Luis Avila

  51. Event

    Motel 6 agrees to buy the Sixpence Inns chain, including its Tustin motel.

    Sean Phelan

  52. Investigation· reported

    The family asks investigators whether convicted serial killer Randy Kraft could have been involved. No link is established.

    Angelo “Nick” Gatti

  53. Vehicle· reported

    Her yellow Ford Pinto is reportedly found abandoned in a supermarket parking lot on Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach.

    Linda Rose Grimm

  54. Investigation

    Kraft is convicted of 16 Orange County murders and sentenced to death. Michael is not among the charged cases.

    Michael Ray Schlicht

1990s

  1. Investigation

    The case is still open with an investigator assigned and no suspects. Avila's family still disputes the early drug theory.

    Joe Luis Avila

  2. Event· reported

    Before William Bonin's execution, the family writes to his lawyer hoping he might know something. A prosecutor says Bonin is a poor fit for the case.

    Angelo “Nick” Gatti

  3. Event

    Claudia tells her friend and kayaking partner she plans to paddle on her day off. It is the last confirmed contact.

    Claudia Mathieu

  4. Calls & messages

    Her planned kayaking day. A small-craft advisory is in effect, with northeast winds around 20 mph that morning. Her friend calls that evening and gets no answer.

    Claudia Mathieu

  5. Vehicle

    Her friend checks her apartment, then finds her RAV4 at their usual launch spot near Doheny State Beach / Dana Point Harbor, with her dog Layla caged inside. Her kayak is missing.

    Claudia Mathieu

  6. Investigation

    The Coast Guard and Orange County Harbor Patrol search roughly 1,000–1,200 square miles of ocean between Dana Point and Catalina by air and sea. The search is suspended at 5:16 p.m. Friday.

    Claudia Mathieu

  7. Vehicle

    Friends tell reporters they doubt she would have gone into rough water or left Layla in the car. Officials say there's no evidence of foul play.

    Claudia Mathieu

  8. Last seen

    Donald Loar is last seen in Bellflower. His girlfriend reports him missing to the LA County Sheriff's Department. He isn't working, and she says he wouldn't normally be gone long without checking in.

    Donald Raymond Loar

  9. Found

    A research biologist for the Rancho Mission Viejo Company finds what he believes are human remains in a remote area. Responders see no initial sign of homicide.

    Donald Raymond Loar

  10. Found

    A wider search finds nothing more. Experts estimate the man was white or Latino, over 40, about 5'6"–5'8".

    Donald Raymond Loar

  11. Found

    A further search finds what is believed to be a shallow grave, more remains and more clothing.

    Donald Raymond Loar

2000s

  1. Calls & messages· reported

    The family home receives a call saying “We know where you live.”

    David Boone

  2. Last seen

    Boone is last seen by his teenage son at home near Town Center Drive. He leaves on foot, apparently for a walk.

    David Boone

  3. Found

    His estranged wife stops by and finds the home dark.

    David Boone

  4. Investigation

    The family reports him missing early in the morning; his sons search local trails before dawn.

    David Boone

  5. Investigation

    The Sheriff's Department begins an organized search with helicopters, horses, bloodhounds, off-road vehicles and search-and-rescue teams. It continues for about a week without result.

    David Boone

  6. Event

    Her case is entered in NamUs.

    Linda Rose Grimm

  7. Event

    His case is entered in NamUs.

    David Boone

  8. Event

    Yolanda begins living at a friend's home in San Clemente.

    Yolanda Lopez

  9. Last seen

    She leaves the home and is not seen or heard from again.

    Yolanda Lopez

  10. Calls & messages· reported

    Her friend and roommate receives a message from an unknown acquaintance saying Yolanda has returned to Mexico to live with her two adult sons. It is never verified.

    Yolanda Lopez

2010s

  1. Last seen

    Amada is last seen at her San Juan Capistrano home. She is last known to be shopping at Marshall's, 31878 Del Obispo Street.

    Amada Abundez

  2. Event

    Sunset Beach is annexed by the city of Huntington Beach.

    Darrell Attardo and Stephanie Anderson

  3. Event

    Nick's case is entered in the national NamUs database.

    Angelo “Nick” Gatti

  4. Public appeal

    OCSD issues a public bulletin classifying the case as “suspicious circumstances.”

    Nahid Azarian Nassabi

  5. Last seen

    Miljko rents a room in Dana Point, about two weeks before he disappears.

    Miljko Todorovic

  6. Last seen· disputed

    He leaves his Dana Point residence, believed to be heading to Tijuana for dental work. He is not heard from again.

    Miljko Todorovic

  7. Calls & messages· reported

    His cellphone reportedly roams on networks in Mexico.

    Miljko Todorovic

  8. Event

    Sean's case is entered in NamUs.

    Sean Phelan

  9. Calls & messages

    The phone line is disconnected for non-payment.

    Miljko Todorovic

  10. Vehicle

    His Jeep has been found in a long-term parking lot in San Diego County near the Mexican border. OCSD issues a bulletin.

    Miljko Todorovic

  11. Event

    Her case is entered in NamUs, nearly 30 years later.

    Nahid Azarian Nassabi

  12. Event

    Her case is entered in NamUs.

    Claudia Mathieu

  13. Public appeal

    OCSD issues a missing-person bulletin.

    Yolanda Lopez

  14. Event

    Her case is entered in NamUs.

    Yolanda Lopez

  15. Public appeal

    OCSD issues a missing-person bulletin listing her names and tattoos.

    Amada Abundez

  16. Event

    Date of last contact recorded in the federal NamUs database.

    Anita Jensen-Kendrick

  17. Vehicle· disputed

    The Sheriff's Department's description: after telling her husband she had met another man, Anita leaves home in her yellow Porsche Boxster, reportedly with all her belongings.

    Anita Jensen-Kendrick

  18. Vehicle

    The Porsche is sold to a third party.

    Anita Jensen-Kendrick

  19. Event· reported

    A third-party case listing gives this as the agency report date. It has not been confirmed by the Sheriff's Department.

    Anita Jensen-Kendrick

  20. Event

    Her case is entered in NamUs.

    Amada Abundez

  21. Event· reported

    The Sheriff's cold case team confirms the case is still classified as unsolved.

    Genise Rispin and Edwin Miller

  22. Event

    His case is entered in NamUs.

    Miljko Todorovic

  23. Event

    A forensic reconstruction of the unknown woman is released.

    Maritza Glean Grimmett

  24. Found

    The Sheriff's Department says the case remains open with no new leads. No death certificate has been issued.

    David Boone

  25. Public appeal

    The Orange County Register publishes a renewed appeal as the Sheriff's cold case team reviews the case.

    Kerry Patterson

2020s

  1. Last seen

    A woman who lived in the area comes forward describing a man who “stood out” on her street around the time Kerry vanished.

    Kerry Patterson

  2. Investigation

    The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children asks OCSD to pursue genetic genealogy.

    Lonnie Raymond Thomas

  3. Identified

    OCSD releases a composite sketch and asks the public to help identify the man as a person of interest.

    Kerry Patterson

  4. Found

    Othram develops a DNA profile with NamUs funding; FBI genealogists cannot find a direct family line. A new rendering is released.

    Maritza Glean Grimmett

  5. Event

    Her case is entered in NamUs.

    Anita Jensen-Kendrick

  6. Found

    His remains are exhumed for DNA testing. Othram develops a profile in June.

    Lonnie Raymond Thomas

  7. Found

    Genealogy research begins with the FBI; distant relatives are found.

    Lonnie Raymond Thomas

  8. Investigation

    Investigators send tissue samples to Othram, a private DNA lab.

    Michael Ray Schlicht

  9. Investigation

    OCSD and the California DOJ lab send samples to Othram for a DNA profile.

    Donald Raymond Loar

  10. Identified

    DNA from a close relative confirms his identity.

    Lonnie Raymond Thomas

  11. Identified

    Genealogy leads to Michael's grandparents, then his sister, then a woman in Kansas City believed to be his mother. Her DNA confirms his identity.

    Michael Ray Schlicht

  12. Investigation

    A distant DNA relative suggests posting the renderings to a Facebook group for missing women of the 1970s and '80s. About a month later, a woman contacts investigators believing Jane Doe is her mother.

    Maritza Glean Grimmett

  13. Identified

    Genealogy research tentatively identifies the man as Donald Raymond Loar.

    Donald Raymond Loar

  14. Identified

    OCSD announces the identification. Lonnie is reburied with a headstone bearing his name.

    Lonnie Raymond Thomas

  15. Identified

    OCSD announces the identification.

    Michael Ray Schlicht

  16. Investigation

    Investigators meet LA County deputies about his 1998 missing-person report and collect DNA from his family.

    Donald Raymond Loar

  17. Identified

    The California DOJ confirms the identification.

    Donald Raymond Loar

  18. Event

    OCSD announces it.

    Donald Raymond Loar

  19. Identified

    Family DNA confirms the identification.

    Maritza Glean Grimmett

  20. Identified

    OCSD publicly identifies Maritza Glean Grimmett.

    Maritza Glean Grimmett

  21. Public appeal· reported

    The investigator interviews the two people later named as persons of interest.

    Maritza Glean Grimmett

  22. Public appeal

    OCSD names Howard Grimmett and Isabel “Terry” Cruz-Grimmett as persons of interest and appeals to former El Toro Marines.

    Maritza Glean Grimmett

  23. Identified

    While reviewing Kraft evidence for this case, OCSD helps Oregon police identify a separate 1980 Kraft-linked John Doe.

    Michael Ray Schlicht