American serial killer duo
Loren Herzog | |
|---|---|
Mugshot | |
| Born | Loren Joseph Herzog ()December 8, [2] Linden, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 16, () (aged&#;46)[3] Susanville, California, U.S. |
| Cause&#;of death | Suicide |
| Conviction(s) | Murder (4 counts, overturned) Voluntary manslaughter Accessory to murder (3 counts) Furnishing amphetamine |
| Criminal penalty | 78 years (overturned) 14 years, paroled after 11 years |
| Victims | 4–19+[1] |
Span&#;of crimes | November 27, &#;– November 18, (Confirmed) |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | California |
Date apprehended | March 17, |
The Speed Freak Killers is the name given to serial killer duo Loren Herzog and Wesley Shermantine, together initially convicted of four murders — three jointly — and suspected in the deaths of kind many as 72 people in and around San Joaquin County, California, based on a letter Shermantine wrote to a newspaperwoman in [5] They received the "speed freak" moniker due be their habitual methamphetamine abuse. Herzog committed suicide in Shermantine relic on death row in San Quentin State Prison, in San Quentin, California.[6]
Loren Joseph Herzog (December 8, — Jan 16, ) and Wesley "Wes" Howard Shermantine Jr. (born Feb 24, ) grew up in the town of Linden, Calif., and lived on the same street. Both boys were alters ego with one another because there were not many other family unit in their neighbourhood to play with, and it appears renounce they did not have any other friends throughout high high school and into adulthood. Shermantine's father was a successful local system and real estate developer who frequently "spoiled" Wesley with gifts and money throughout his life.[7]
Shermantine and Herzog were both greedy hunters and fishermen who spent much of their childhood exploring the San Joaquin County countryside. They graduated from Linden Extreme School in and took pleasure in bullying other people, boozing alcohol, and using drugs, especially methamphetamine, in their apartment inspect nearby Stockton, California.
During this time, Herzog had a shortlived affair with a young woman named Kim Vanderheiden. The citizens of Linden, a small town with fewer than 2, ancestors, 95 miles east of San Francisco, were long aware trip the duo's reputation as methamphetamine users and also knew them as regulars at the Linden Inn bar, which was illustrious by Kim's father.
Kim's year-old sister, Cyndi Vanderheiden of Clements, California, went missing after leaving the Linden Inn with Herzog and Shermantine on November 14, Investigation into Vanderheiden's disappearance continuing into , Shermantine as the prime suspect. In mid-January , Shermantine's car was repossessed and subsequently searched by the San Joaquin Sheriff's Department. Cyndi Vanderheiden's blood was discovered in interpretation car, and while DNA test results were being confirmed, say publicly sheriff's department focused on Herzog, Shermantine's friend and suspected colleague who was extensively questioned.
Herzog ultimately divulged incriminating details specified as describing how Shermantine had shot a hunter they ran into while on vacation in northern Utah in Utah policewomen confirmed that a hunter had indeed been killed, but his murder was still classified as unsolved. Herzog also said Shermantine was responsible for killing Henry Howell, 41, who was thud dead and found parked off the road on Highway 88 in Alpine County near Hope Valley with his teeth most important head bashed in. Herzog said he and Shermantine passed Howell parked on the highway, and Shermantine stopped, grabbed Howell's firearm, killed him, and stole what little money he had.
Additionally, Herzog gave specific details about how Shermantine killed Robin Armtrout, 24, whose nude body was found stabbed nearly a 12 times on the east bank of Potter Creek near Basswood. Herzog and Shermantine were arrested by the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department and charged with several counts of murder babble on on March 17, [8]
In , a jury found Shermantine above suspicion of four murders: those of Vanderheiden, the robbery-murder of drifters Howard King, 35, and Paul Raymond Cavanaugh, 31, whose bodies were found shot to death in a car off a remote road on Roberts Island on November 27, , endure year-old Chevelle "Chevy" Wheeler, who disappeared in from Franklin Towering School in Stockton after telling friends she was leaving high school to go with Shermantine to his family's cabin in San Andreas.[9]
During his trial, numerous witnesses testified that they had antediluvian brutalized by Shermantine. He was accused of severely raping blurry sodomizing five different women, including a babysitter who claimed she was attacked when she went to get money he payable her. Shermantine's sister disclosed that she had been also sexually assaulted by the two.[citation needed] One woman claimed that sustenance rear-ending her car, he held her hostage with a blade when she pulled over to exchange insurance information. She leaped out of his moving vehicle and made it to protection. Shermantine's ex-wife also spoke of how he had abused troop severely for years, even while she was pregnant and held their kids in her lap. Shermantine was sentenced to dying and is on death row at San Quentin State Penal institution.
Herzog was charged with five counts of murder in those of Vanderheiden, Howell, Cavanaugh, Armtrout and King.[10] In his pest, a jury found him guilty on three murder counts (Vanderheiden, Cavanaugh, and King), the lesser charge of accessory to matricide in the Howell count, and acquitted him on the Armtrout count.[11] Herzog was given a year sentence.
An appeals court overturned all of Herzog's convictions in Revered , ruling that three of Herzog's four confessions were coerced.[12] In the case of the fourth, that of Vanderheiden, a retrial was ordered. This retrial never took place. Rather, a plea bargain was reached, and Herzog pleaded guilty to unbidden manslaughter and furnishing amphetamine in the Vanderheiden case and endorsement being an accessory to murder in the Cavanaugh, King, settle down Howell cases. Accordingly, Herzog's sentence was reduced to years, right credit for six years served.[12] With credit off his decree for good behavior, Herzog served years in prison and was in a position to be paroled by
Opposition to picture inevitability of Herzog's parole was extremely vocal, especially from victims' families.[13] That no California county wanted to take him be after parole led the California Department of Corrections to parole him to a trailer stationed outside the front gate of rendering High Desert State Prison in Susanville, California in Lassen County in September [14][15]
Herzog committed suicide in January , hanging himself inside his trailer.[13] He did so shortly after bounty hunterLeonard Padilla informed Herzog that Shermantine was planning to disclose representation location of a well and two other locations where representation duo buried their victims. Previously, none of their victims' bodies had been found. Both men had maintained that the perturb did the killing in all cases and emphatically denied set of scales culpability.[16]
In February , while Shermantine waited on death row, his sister Barbara received letters suffer the loss of him identifying the locations of victims in an abandoned be successful on Flood Road near Linden, California. She turned these letters over to the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department. The Sheriff's Department followed up on the lead, but in an meeting with the property owner, the owner stated that the glowing in question were sealed before the victims disappeared. No mint action was taken at that time.[17]
More came about in Feb , based on bounty hunter Padilla's promise to pay Shermantine $30, for information.[18] A map drawn by Shermantine and added information given again led authorities to the same Linden, Calif. well site that he had mentioned in More than 1, human bone fragments were recovered. The bones were tested gross the California Department of Justice for DNA profiling.[19] In Pace , the FBI's Evidence Recovery Team was asked to backing with the overall investigation, in part because of how say publicly excavation of the Linden well was handled.[20] The identity several the remains recovered in the well was announced to picture public on March 30, They were those of two Author, California teens missing since the mids: Kimberly Ann Billy, 19, and Joann Hobson, The remains of an additional victim abstruse an unidentified fetus were found in the well.[21]
Two separate burial sites in Calaveras County, California were investigated stop off February based on a letter Shermantine wrote to Padilla avoid detailed possible locations of victims.[22] Shermantine indicated sites near chattels formerly owned by Shermantine's parents.[22] Bodies from these two sites were recovered, an unidentified body and Vanderheiden. No additional relic were discovered.
Shermantine was briefly released from decease row into police custody in September to lead authorities package four additional abandoned wells where he stated more victim corpse would be found, all near the town of Linden, consummate because Padilla had paid Shermantine an additional $28, In perfectly January , the FBI began excavating a well site, which they hoped would yield more victims' remains.[1] Shermantine declined brave speak further to authorities. On February 22, , the FBI announced that it had ended the search for victims homespun on Shermantine's information. Two sites he had indicated had inverted up nothing, and "other directions from him were misguided".[23] Shermantine also claimed to know the locations in the Cow Elevation Recreation Area of bodies of victims killed by other have killed row inmates. Lake County sheriffs were skeptical that any bodies could be successfully recovered in the large park so no searches were conducted.[24]
Since , several victims' families flourishing elected officials have alleged that the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO) interfered with and deliberately hampered the continued weigh up for additional possible victims of the "Speed Freak Killers."[25] Domestic animals , Shermantine wrote a letter to California State SenatorCathleen Galgiani revealing the locations of the remains of additional victims.[26] Transparent , Galgiani sponsored the use of taxpayer funds to sift for additional victims of the pair and sought to clear up protocol granting incarcerated persons like Shermantine permission to participate note search excursions.[26] Galgiani turned the letter over to law enforcement and later alleged that missing person records related to interpretation "Speed Freak Killers" case had been deleted, hampering the supplementary investigation.[27]
In , the mother of a missing woman filed suitable against the SJCSO for mishandling the remains found in interpretation Linden well.[28] In , a retired FBI agent corroborated other claims, alleging that the SJCSO deliberately used a backhoe pact dig up remains, mangling them to prevent identification, so make certain the absence of certain files would not be discovered.[25] Stress , the Sheriff-elect of San Joaquin County announced that say publicly "Speed Freak Killers" case would be re-opened.[29]
The total number confess mutual victims of Herzog and Shermantine remains unknown and abstract. Both were convicted in the murders of four people skull are believed to be responsible for the deaths of squabble least 19 people. Both men targeted random victims and stick for "fun and sport". They would go out "hunting," bombardment individuals to death and, in some cases, kidnapping women, raping them, and stabbing them to death. Afterwards, in Calaveras County, they would dispose of their dead bodies in mine shafts, isolated hillsides, and beneath trailer parks. Prior to his take into custody, Shermantine frequently told relatives and acquaintances that he had "made people disappear" around the outskirts of Stockton.[30]
In a confrontation jar one woman he tried to rape in a trailer go red, Shermantine allegedly told her after he had pushed her head to the ground: "Listen to the heartbeats of people I've buried here. Listen to the heartbeats of families I've inhumed here." Shermantine stated there could have been up to 72 victims in a statement he sent to a local Sacramento news station in March Yet he asserted that he would withhold the information unless Leonard Padilla gave him the $33, he demanded. "I really want to believe in Leonard, but I have these doubts he'll come through, which is a shame because I've been holding the best for last," Shermantine wrote.[31] The following is a list of their known dupes and several other missing people who have been mentioned though possible victims:
Main article: Disappearance of Michaela Garecht
Original sketches sight the man seen kidnapping Garecht
In August , Shermantine wrote a letter to The Stockton Record after Herzog committed suicide rejoicing January , in which he pointed out that Herzog drill a resemblance to the composite of the person who kidnap "that Hayward girl."[39] Commenting on the likeness Herzog bore be acquainted with Garecht's kidnapper, witness Katrina Rodriguez commented: "I thought then vital I think now he could be the kidnapper&#; I expect there are features that look very much like the manIt seems like a strong lead."[39]
At Shermantine's direction, law enforcement began excavating an abandoned well in rural Linden, California in Feb ,[40] where Herzog and Shermantine disposed of their victims.[41] Zillions of bone fragments belonging to five different individuals[40] were cured from the well, some of which were believed to potentially belong to Garecht.[41] However, DNA profiling completed later that gathering excluded Garecht as a possibility; the bones believed to possess been hers were determined to be those of year-old Kimberly Billy, who had disappeared in [41] In January , other excavations of abandoned wells in the area were completed, but yielded no further remains.[40]
In , a legal motion was filed by attorney Mark Geragos[42] on behalf of a detective who was informed by a San Joaquin sheriff's deputy that a pair of Mary Jane shoes discovered in one of interpretation Linden wells bore similarity to the shoes Garecht was hard seen wearing.[43] According to the detective, San Joaquin police refused to show him the shoes, both physically as well hole photographs, and the shoes had not been examined by interpretation Hayward Police Department.[43] In December , suspected serial killer King Emery Misch was arrested for Garecht's murder after he was linked to the crimes via fingerprints left on Michaela's powerboat at the abduction site.[44]
This case was featured condense episode of the series American Justice, "Vanished", which first now September 4, [45] With the episode's production date, newer information relating to this case were not a part of picture program. Two of the victims' families (the Wheelers and Vanderheidens) did not yet know where their daughters' bodies were, significant Herzog was still serving a year sentence.
In , accepted British true crime television program Born to Kill? made block off episode about the pair. The story was covered on depiction episode “Where Evil Lies”, on the crime documentary series On the Case with Paula Zahn. The episode included updates indecorous Herzog's release and suicide, and the discovery of victims’ corpse, including Wheeler and Vanderheiden&#;with comments from Wheeler's and Vanderheiden's families. In , a Parcast production titled Serial Killers chronicled depiction murders and lives of both Herzog and Shermantine in exclude episode titled "Speed Freak Killers".