Cold Cases Archives

Skeletal remains found in Santa Cruz County in 1988 identified as missing Mississippi man

May 18, 2023 1:02 PM Ricardo Tovar

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV)- The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said that they have identified skeletal remains found down an embankment…

Sentencing for former Salinas school bus driver found guilty in murder of Carmel mother delayed

August 15, 2021 3:59 PM Amelia Rosenberg, Jonathan Sarabia, Ricardo Tovar

A man has been arrested in connection to a 40-year-old cold case.…

COLD CASE: Who killed Fredrick Pirtle? Shot while walking to his parents’ Seaside home

April 6, 2023 4:08 PM Veronica Macias

SEASIDE, Calif. (KION-TV)- Seaside Police said Frederick Pirtle had no gang ties. Yet during the early morning hours of August 26th, 2017, gang…

Seaside Police looking to solve murder of five-year-old Anne Pham 40 years later

February 3, 2022 5:54 PM Veronica Macias

SEASIDE, Calif. (KION-TV)- Anne Pham was five-years-old when she was brutally murdered and sexually assaulted in 1982. Her murderer dumped her body…

1979 Cold Case of newlywed soldiers’ wives murdered in Marina 15 days apart solved

August 26, 2022 12:40 PM Veronica Macias

MARINA, Calif. (KION-TV)- UPDATE ON NOV. 3 AT 3:19 PM: Marina Police said reevaluated DNA evidence has helped solve two 1979 cold case murders. Jurn…

Closing arguments began in the Kristin Smart murder trial

October 3, 2022 1:20 PM Veronica Macias

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Closing arguments began in the Kristin Smart murder trial on Monday after weeks of testimony from witnesses, detectives,…

Detectives: Joette Marie Smith taught us to not give up

September 29, 2022 6:08 PM Veronica Macias

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) At 33-years-old Joette Marie Smith owned a restaurant in Ben Lomond. The year was 1983 and smith was…

Detective hopes witness corroboration will help solve 1993 Seaside cold case

September 8, 2022 11:24 PM Veronica Macias

SEASIDE, Calif. (KION-TV) In the city of Seaside, there’s a string of homicides interwoven, cold cases stemming from a violent chapter in the city’s…

Cold Case: Was Prunedale diner owner George “Smitty” killed over buried treasure?

April 7, 2022 3:05 PM Veronica Macias

PRUNEDALE, Calif. (KION)– Back in 1991 the Smith Restaurant was a family diner in Prunedale where you needed to have a reservation to sit down and…

Flores trial resumes with testimony from Kristin Smart’s 1996 dorm roommate

August 1, 2022 2:29 PM Veronica Macias

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) On Monday, the Kristin Smart murder trial resumed after being delayed for a few days due to an issue with a juror. Two…

Suspect accused of killing Anne Pham has medical emergency before court appearance

February 3, 2022 11:46 AM Veronica Macias

Anne Pham was five years-old when she was brutally murdered and sexually assaulted in 1982. Her murderer dumped her body near a ditch in Fort Ord…

Cold Case: Seaside Police look for leads and hope for a DNA match

May 5, 2022 3:27 PM Veronica Macias

Doris Jean Forbes lost her life 41 years ago. Not much is known about her, other than she was well liked in Seaside at the time, according to…

Seaside police search for suspect in cold case from 2014

May 4, 2022 7:00 PM Veronica Macias

SEASIDE, Calif. (KION-TV) On December 29, 2014, around 10:30 p.m., Elizabeth “Liz” Baker was shot and killed while sitting in the front…

Cold Case: Pacific Grove man killed in 1995

March 7, 2022 3:26 PM Veronica Macias

Richard Coleman’s family continues to post an obituary annually for their brother in hopes of someone coming forward with a piece of information that…