The Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders
No one has ever been caught for the series of at least seven killings in California.
In the 1970s, hitchhiking was a common — if risky — way of getting a ride from one part of the US to another. But by the end of that decade, residents of the North Bay area of California would grow to develop more fear of ‘stranger danger’ than most Americans.
That’s because someone was targeting young women out looking for a ride on the Golden State’s highways and murdering them in cold blood. What’s more, that person — or persons — has never been caught.
Nearly 50 years since the killing spree began, is there really a chance that the FBI could strike lucky and identify the perpetrator? Here, we’ll take a closer look at the case.
Maureen Sterling and Yvonne Weber
It was February 4th 1972, and middle school students Maureen Louise Sterling, 12, and her 13-year-old friend Yvonne Lisa Weber had been visiting their local ice rink. They were last seen at around 9:00 PM, hitchhiking home on Guerneville Road close to Santa Rosa.
Both girls disappeared without a trace and it wasn’t until December 28th the same year that police made a grim discovery. The girls’ nude bodies were located down a steep…
