Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "homicide"

Cold case squad solves crime, faces budget cuts

2011-05-12T00:18:16Z

It was a beer can that gave cold case detectives the evidence they needed to make an arrest in a 1987 homicide on Friday.

Detective Peter Willover spends his time poring over homicide and rape crimes committed before DNA became a routine part of police work. He is a reserve officer who previously spent 40 years as a detective with the Sacramento Police Department.

“I’ve probably reviewed close to 100 cases,” he said Wednesday. “We focus on cases that may provide DNA evidence.”

One of those cases was the 1987 stabbing death of 52-year-old Richard Schultz in an alley near 21st and K streets.

At the time, homicide detectives had a vague description of a man who had allegedly stabbed Schultz and another homeless man, who survived his wounds.

When reviewing the report of the case in February of 2009, Willover noted the surviving victim’s statement that he, Schultz and the attacker had all been drinking beer together. That detail made the case a priority for Willover.

“We get a lot of DNA evidence off of beer cans and bottles,” he said.

The can was sent to the crime lab, where DNA evidence was eventually extracted and uploaded into a national database of DNA profiles.

It took more than two years to get a result – a fact Willover attributed to manpower shortages at the crime lab. He said the crime lab is integral to solving cold cases.

“Cases that are going to court get the first priority,” he added.

The Department of Justice’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database matched the DNA to 48-year-old Gregory Samuel Olguin, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

At 8:15 a.m. Friday, officers arrested Olguin in the 9100 block of Elk Grove Boulevard, and he was subsequently booked and charged with murder, according to a police department press release.

Department spokeswoman Laura Peck said Wednesday that she could not discuss whether Olguin made any statements or confessions, but said he is being held without bail and will go to trial.

The cold case unit at the department is composed of Willover, two other part-time reserve officers and a full-time detective.

While Willover and the other reserve officers are funded by a federal grant set to expire in October, the full-time detective is employed by the Sacramento Police Department, which could potentially lose about 12 percent of its staff, Peck said.

Proposed budget cuts include eliminating 80 sworn police officer positions, which could see the end of the cold case unit, Peck said.

“It’s all up in the air at this point,” she added. “We’re not sure what the department is going to look like.”

Willover said that, depending on the language in the grant, it’s possible that the cold case squad could be eliminated if other positions in the department are lost, including the detective assigned to the unit.

Peck said cases like the one from 1987 would essentially have no one looking into them if that happened.

Willover said there are more than 100 cases from before the early- to mid-1990s – when DNA testing became mainstream – that still need to be reviewed.

Generally, he added, homicide and rape cases top the list, since other crimes tend to be past the statutes of limitations, meaning that even if they are solved, arrests can’t be made.

The department’s cold case unit has been featured three times on the A&E TV show “Cold Case Files,” Willover said.

Most notable was a case shortly after the program was started 10 years ago at the behest of Sacramento County Deputy District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert.

The murder of a young woman, Penny Parker, in 1977 had originally been investigated by Willover when he was a homicide detective. She was a paper carrier for The Sacramento Bee and went missing while on her route, only to be discovered dead several days later, with evidence of sexual assault.

Willover said he had a good idea of who had committed the crime, but didn’t have enough evidence to make an arrest at the time.

In the early 2000s, the case was one of the first he looked at, and DNA evidence placed the original suspect at the scene of the crime.

Willover traveled to Arkansas, where the man was living, and he still denied knowing the woman.

A warrant was obtained, and when police knocked on the door, the suspect killed himself.

“It was a made-for-TV movie,” Willover said.

To read more about that case and Willover, click here.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Help Sought In Solving Homicide Cold Case

2011-03-15T01:56:56Z

The Sacramento Coroner’s Office is seeking the public’s help in solving the mystery surrounding the identity of a woman’s body that was found nearly three years ago.

In March of 2008, a fisherman in the Delta region of Sacramento County discovered the skeletonized remains of an unidentifiable female who officials estimate had died four years prior.

With the help of forensic science and the latest in post-modem imaging technologies, investigators have what could be their best shot at identifying this “Jane Doe” victim. The above image is a computer rendering of what investigators believe the 30- to 45-year-old woman looked like. Details such as nose shape, cheekbone structure and dental profile are all parts of the puzzle that hopefully will give this woman a name.

Other clues that may aid in the victim’s identification include the “Grateful Dead” jacket and jewelry she was wearing. The county coroner believes that the woman was of Caucasian descent, with the possibility of an Asian or African background as well.

For more information, visit http://www.coroner.saccounty.net/unID-08-1866.htm or call 874-9320.

Mayor Johnson doing a Drive By as our Children Die- Part I

2010-09-08T18:53:30Z

This article is written with hopes that Mayor Johnson will drive his newly purchased $51,000 tax-payer Black SUV to the Intersection of Life and Freedom for Sacramento area youth. We are fed up with our Mayor driving by our pain and suffering.

As it currently stands our Mayor drives through the city with his tax-payer paid tinted windows like Mr Magoo shielding just himself as youth life and youth Freedom blows in the wind in the city of Trees. Sacramento has a Mayor who can't seem to see the forest (our youth) through the trees. He is constantly distracted with his own desires, wants and self promotion. When will he promote Life and Freedom?

On August 29, 2010 Alonzo Haynes, 23yrs young, was shot. His Black SUV came to a halt and he died. Two are facing charges of murder in Sacramento Superior Court. One suspect is 22yrs young.

What is our Mayor doing? He's not sacrifacing. He's dismissing the pain and suffering of many within the Sacramento community as he rides around in his $51,000 dollar newly paid for by tax-payers Black SUV with tinted windows with police bodyguards in a city in deficit.

Many Sacramento residents are losing their jobs. Sacramento teens/ youth lose their life, freedom, hope and some are losing their minds. But our celebrity mayor makes no sacrifcaes. Our community centers are closing, many from Parks and Recreations have lost their jobs. Our Office of Youth Development no longer exists. The city is in deficit. Hundreds of Sacramento city teens/youth have died and hundreds more have left Sacramento to become the walking dead in a California State Prison.

Our Mayor who holds weekly press conferences but hasn't held one press conference to address the violence plaguing this city nor has he reached out to the community affected by and exposed to the violence.

On our Mayor's blog in big bold words are 'Progress happens, problems are solved and businss flouish." When will we see our Youth flourish? Written on his blog are the words, 'Bank on Sacramento, everyone is welcome." When will a community divided into youth victims and youth suspects feel welcome to live and breath in a city where neighborhoods have the aroma of constant death?

On our Mayors blog are the words, 'Stand up with Kevin. A city that works for everyone." Many of us can't stand up we are falling to our knees in pain as our youth are falling, shot down lifeless, gunshot wounds to the head, neck, back, chest, a premature death.

On our Mayors blog our governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, writes, 'I love this guy. Great, great enthusiasm and he's alwasy been a great leader and believed in children and educaiton." Our Governor turned a blind eye and deaf ear to our cries just as our Mayor continues to brury his head in the sand as our children die. Our mayor believes in education because it promotes him.

Surely if Mayor Johnson loved our children and showed great, great enthusiasm he would address the youth deaths and arrests mounting in Sacramento, the City Time Magazine once voted as the best place to raise a family. Hundreds of us can't raise our children from the dead and Hundreds more can not afford the costs to visit our children leaving Sacramento ---not college bound but prison bound ---to be raised in a California state prison.

Our celbrity Mayor who could have / should have purchased his own $51,000 SUV claims he will put Sacramento on the Map and make Sacramento a world class city. How? By ignoring the fact our chldren are dying? By dismissing the fact our children are walking zombies in a post tramatic psychological frozen state and many more are becoming the walking dead? Too many of our children are not walking across graduation stages. Instead they are walking across prison yards or lying 6 feet in the ground in a casket covered in dirt- dead.

We have officials, especially our Mayor, who would rather ignorantly shift crime than prevent crime. Instead of addressing youth violence prevention our Mayor continuously looks for suppression and hire more officers. He'll saturate one area, folks will move to another area and the violence becomes a cancerous polyop spreading throughout the city.

A 26yr old Woman, mother of 3, is killed on September 4, 2010 on Florin and Power Inn. Sergeant Tim Curran states, in a recent Sac Bee article, 'We learned the gas station is a gatheing spot.". What the heck? Surely, they didn't just learn it was a gathering spot? That area is not a stranger to violence and you can't possibly work in law enforcement and not know of the consistent violence throughout that area over the years.

Heck, I recall an 18yr old boy shot eighteen times in 2006 on Florin Road and Power Inn. His father said, ''bullets were even in my sons groin." I recall 26yr old Mother of 3 who just gave birth to twins was shot and killed in the same area a couple years ago. Heck, less than 2 blocks away I recall 5 were shot and 3 died at the nearby grocery store in 2005.

In that same area in July 2010 21yr old was shot and killed. An 18yr old is facing charges of murder. Our Mayors response has continuously been "we need more officers.'

In July 2010, a 19yr old youth was convicted of the murder of a Sheriff deputy. The boy was 16yrs old when arrested for the murder. On the day of that shooting an entire neighborhood was saturated, blocked off, closed down as every branch of law enforcement saturaged the area to find the 16yr old suspect. Their were so many officers from so many different branches of law enforcement arriving within minutes of the deputy being shot that many officers had to be told not to come to the area.

With all the officers closing down the area, the 16yr old suspect left the area on the light rail. I sat on the lightrail as the boy and a girl walked on. They sat directly in front off me. The boy was nervous, scared and the girl held him. I got off on Florin Road and they took the lightrail to Meadowview. What happened to the youth center that was suppose to be placed in honor of the murdered deputy? It seems the community affected and exposed to violence continuously receives propaganda verses solutions into preventing violence.

Yesterday I contacted the District Attorney's Office, Sacramento Public Defenders Office, Master Calendar of Superior Court and attempted to contact the Criminal Indigent Defense Panel to get the number of teens and youth currently facing charges of Murder in Sacramento. No one has yet called me back with the information I requested. No one I spoke with knew the answer of how many Sacramento youth are facing charges of murder. Their is no record, no data, no statistics, no evidence based, research based, scieftifica base study for us to prevent the deaths or the arrests leading to the deaths of our children.

Recently twleve boys and girls were arrested and charged with the murder of a 15yr old. I am told eight were arrested and charged with the murder of a 17yr old. I learned three are arrested and charged with the murder of an 18yr old. Five were arrested and charged with anothe murder. Two are shot, one dies, five arrested, three are shot five arrested, two die, it goes on and on and the violence continues, the pain continues, our cries echo from one Sacramento neighborhood to another. If I don't receive the information I requested I will submit Part II (Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse) without it.

The next time Mayor Johnson holds a press ocnference perhaps he can tell us of the number of deaths and arrest of area youth and his plans to address the violence plaguing this city. In fact, I am requesting, our mayor give a press conference each month informing the residents of Sacramnto of the number of deaths and arrests of Sacramento area residents. I am requesting comprehensive evidence based, researched based, study each month of the locations of death, cause, and solutins

Perhaps now, Mayor Johnson will drive his tax-payer SUV to the interception of Life and Freedom on the corner of mounting pain and suffering to address youth violence. Perhaps now he won't ride in his Black tinted windows SUV doing a drive by- ignoring and dismissing the loss of life and loss of freedom of many Sacramento area teens and youth.

But I won't hold my breath, I will probably end up like so many of Sacramento area youth--lying breathless as our Mayor drives by like Mister Magoo as youth are dying and becoming the walking dead headed off to prison.

A community divided into victims and suspects is fed up with Mayor Johnson doing a drive by as our children die on Sacramento streets and becoming the walking dead in California prisons.

Rhonda Erwin

I want to add I contacted our Mayors office weeks ago for an appointment to discuss youth violence. I was told I could meet with him in Octover at the Pannel Center for an open house. But I will now respectfully deline that offer, when I meet with the mayor on a matter of this magnitude I want his undivided attention. There is no excuse for our Mayors ignorance in addressing youth violence-- too many of Sacramento's youngest residents, our children, are dying and far more of Sacramento's youngest residents, our children, are sentenced to live and die in a California State Prison.

Body discovered on the American River in Discovery Park

2009-07-24T04:23:06Z

Sacramento, CA- While training on the American River Thursday, Sacramento City Firefighters, aboard Sac Fire Boat #5, discovered a body floating amongst the logs across from Tiscornia Beach, per Capt. Jim Doucette.

Doucette stated that they do not believe this is the body of George Ho who drowned just a few hundred feet downriver Sunday. Ho was wearing shorts at time he disappeared in the water; dark pants and footwear were on the body that was recovered today.

Per Doucette, "the Sacramento Police Department and the Sacramento County Coroners Office responded. Firefighters assisted with the retrieval of the body."

The case is currently under investigation.

Behind the Tape - A Day in the Life of a Homicide Detective

2009-05-11T03:02:10Z

Some detectives refer to working homicide as being at the top of their game, and if you make it to homicide, you are one of the elite. Imagine walking into a crime scene with limited information, where there is nothing but a dead body, and the “victim” can’t tell you what happened. In absence of the victim’s testimony, it is the homicide detective’s job to investigate the physical and forensic evidence, and witness statements, to solve the ultimate puzzle, both past and present, and put the case to rest.

Detective Pete Willover is an icon and veteran detective with the Sacramento Police Department. He retired in 2005, but didn’t stay away. He now works as a reserve detective in the department’s cold case unit solving sexual assaults. During his 42-year career, Willover has worked on and solved hundreds of homicide and sexual assault cases. He has been recognized across the country and featured on many crime programs.

I caught up with Detective Willover in his office. We discussed a 1977 homicide/sexual assault case involving a 15-year-old girl that had been reported missing. Penny Parker was reported missing after she didn’t make it home from her Sacramento Bee newspaper delivery job. Her body was discovered about 15 miles from where she was last seen in an underdeveloped area in Del Paso Heights. She had been stabbed and strangled, and there was evidence she had been sexually assaulted. “It was a pretty high profile case,” Willover said. Through months of investigation, he spoke with various suspects. One man stood out in particular. He was called in for a polygraph test, which he passed. With no concrete suspects, the case was filed.

“It wasn’t until the advent of DNA testing that we were able to find a match” Willover said. We looked at the same suspect from the 70s that took the polygraph test. He had since moved to Arkansas. I contacted his family here in Sacramento and obtained a DNA sample from one of his kids. It was a 90% match. We went to Arkansas and contacted the same suspect and obtained his DNA which led to a match. I then got an arrest warrant. When the Arkansas police were in the commission of arresting him, he killed himself.”

Willover was very passionate when he spoke about the Penny Parker case. I asked him if let himself get emotionally involved in his cases. He said, “On several occasions, especially when you handle the case from the beginning, you tend to become attached. I even put a photo of the victim on the front page of the case to give it a personal touch. Working a case is demanding and time consuming. I can’t put it down and walk away for the weekend. In the past, I was working without voicemail and computers. Now I email and leave voice messages for myself all the time when I get an idea to check something out. Even with all the demands, the rewards far outweigh the disadvantages.”

Now that there are more realistic television shows about crime such as “True Crime,” “CSI,” and “Cold Case,” Willover informed me that he has received calls from victims’ adult children who want him to look into cases from the 80s involving their family members. He said that he has been looking into a few cases for DNA evidence. Now, cases that were once suspended in mid-air are being solved.

Eric Schneider has been a detective in homicide for the past four years. I spoke with him about a currently unsolved homicide he has been working involving victim Belen Pacheco. She was a 47-year-old Hispanic woman who was a hard working janitor at the building located at 555 Capitol. She also took care of her elderly mother on her time off. Schneider stated that this homicide, even though unsolved, is one of the most memorable cases. He said, “Pacheco was a truly innocent victim. Most often times when you investigate a homicide, you find that the victim was involved with risky lifestyle behaviors such as drugs, gangs, prostitution which lead to their demise. In this case, she was last seen by security leaving her job to go home. This was in June 2006. Her body was discovered approximately 6 weeks later, badly decomposed. My then partner, Natalie Medeiros, and I were able to use some resources that were new to us. We consulted the expertise of forensic anthropologists from the University of Santa Cruz’ Anthropology Department. They were able to study Pacheco’s bones for any clues. We also solicited the assistance of Dr. Kimsey, a U.C. Davis Forensic Entomologist, who studies insects relating to decomposition of a human body. Even with all that, we still continue looking for leads. There just isn’t any physical evidence to follow. It is very frustrating because you want to find some closure.”

When asked what he thought the most difficult part of being a homicide detective was, Schneider said, “The biggest factor for me is the long hours. I remember a time when I was on-call, I laid down at 10:00 p.m. thinking I was going to get some decent sleep. My telephone rang 15 minutes later and I was up for the next two days. It happens. I find the most positive part of my job was working with my partner Natalie. She’s my best friend on the department, and working with your best friend, and doing a job you like to do is great.”

I noticed an unusually large, Costco-sized box of Wheat Thins on Schneider’s desk. I asked him if he really liked Wheat Thins. He told me, “It’s an office joke. I had a full box of Wheat Thins on my desk. A couple of other homicide detectives who were working through the night got a little hungry. They saw my box of crackers and decided to help themselves, which wouldn’t have been a big deal other than the fact that they put the box back on my desk with one cracker left. When I came in the next day, I sat down at my desk with my sandwich and reached for my box of Wheat Thins. I was really looking forward to having some crackers with my sandwich. When I saw that there was only one left, I went sideways. My ranting was heard by all in other detective divisions as well. Needless to say, my box of crackers was replaced and now we laugh about it.”

It’s the little things that can matter when you’re dealing with serious subjects like homicides around the clock!

There is much more to working a homicide case than just finding out who did it. It is the small detailed information that can make or break a case. For instance, not only do the reports need to be precise and concise, but each lead needs to be exhausted whether it points to a dead end or not. It is up to these detectives to separate fact from fiction. Working with the district attorneys to complete the chain in the justice system is another factor.

I spoke with Detective Jason Kirtlan of the Sacramento Police Department’s Homicide Division. Kirtlan has been in homicide for 1 ½ years. His most recent case was the Rodrigo Rodriguez, Jr. case where he was shot outside a Martin Luther King Boulevard barber shop. Detective Kirtlan made an arrest and believes that Rodrigo Rodriguez, Jr. was a case of mistaken identity. It appears that the suspect intended to shoot an individual that resembled Rodriguez.

I asked Kirtlan what he thought about working in the homicide unit. He said, “Each case is unique. Each case takes you on a different avenue. Each person involved knows someone who knows information about the case, who knows someone else, and so on, and so on. Here’s another surprise. Sometimes, people lie to detectives. It is really rewarding when you are able to break the news to the family that you have arrested a suspect for the killing of their loved one.”

When I asked Kirtlan what he thought was one of the hardest parts of the job, he said, “Maintaining a balance between my family and the job is difficult. Being able to do the right thing at work and being the father I want to be is tough.”

When speaking to these and other detectives, it was apparent that each detective brings something unique to the unit to complement the division. Each detective has a story to tell, and each is always trying to solve the ultimate puzzle.