Modesto Police Make Arrest in 1986 Cold Case Disappearance
Authorities in California have a man facing murder charges after nearly four decades.
Detectives in Modesto have announced they have arrested a man in connection with a cold case disappearance that occurred in the spring of 1986.
Raymond Lewis Stafford from Texas was taken into custody this week (August 2023) accused of murder with special circumstances in the case of Susan Robin Bender.
Susie was just 15 and looking forward to a weekend away with friends on April 25th 1986. She headed to the Greyhound Bus Station in Modesto in order to catch the bus to Carmel, calling her friend from a payphone to tell her about her excursion and that she expected to be back in a few days.
However, instead of continuing to wait for the bus, witnesses saw Susie get into an olive green 1977 Ford van instead. The van pulled away with Susie seemingly a willing passenger — and the teenager was never seen again.
Tragically, Susie’s mother Pat assumed her daughter had caught the bus as planned and was enjoying her break in Carmel. It was only when she failed to hear from Susie for several days that she realised something was wrong, and she reported her missing on May 1st.
