Still Missing CA - Michaela Garecht, 9, Hayward, 19 Nov 1988 *ARREST*

[hoshizora]

Yes Herzog and Shermantine are both massive scumbags, and I hope Shermantine suffers for the rest of his life for what he did to all these innocent people and their families (I personally don't believe in the death penalty, even for scumbags like him), and I know Herzog did blame Shermantine for all the murders so it is tit for tat, but Herzog can't defend himself now so it just seems kind of weak (for lack of better word) of Shermantine to use him as a scapegoat when he is dead and it's easy to pin everything on him. They both obviously did crimes, probably the same amount each, no one was "just" burying bodies and innocent.

I agree with you, I don't think either one of them were tricked into it by the other. Neither was just burying bodies and innocent. They were both as sick minded as each other and enjoyed it. It is possible that Herzog might've been responsible entirely for Michaela's kidnapping and death, but Shermantine knows something. And Shermantine has been dropping hints about it.

I am, however, confused about one thing I found in this article.

http://m.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120803/A_NEWS/208030312&template=wapart

The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office issued a press release Thursday saying it finished processing Billy, Hobson's and the unknown woman's remains. Officials say the Jane Doe was likely mixed race, between the ages of 16 and 18 and a little more than 5 feet tall.

Are these the remains suspected to be Michaela? Because Michaela was not mixed race, between 16-18 or more than 5 feet tall. Or are they talking about the other remains found? (Joann was mixed with 2 others)

I just hope these results come back soon so Sharon doesn't have to suffer longer either waiting for them to be her daughters or waiting for them and they're not and not searching for her. I can't imagine how painful this must be for her. She says as of December 1st, testing has officially begun but we won't know for 2-5 weeks.

 

[amber1]

If I remember right, these are a different set of remains apart from those thought to be Michaela. Those thought to be hers were mixed up with Joann Hobson's.
The unknown set at first was thought to be an African American female, who was a few months pregnant. Now I guess they believe she was mixed race. I had been searching databases for African American young women who went missing pregnant, but now this mixes it up a bit.

Yes Herzog and Shermantine are both massive scumbags, and I hope Shermantine suffers for the rest of his life for what he did to all these innocent people and their families (I personally don't believe in the death penalty, even for scumbags like him), and I know Herzog did blame Shermantine for all the murders so it is tit for tat, but Herzog can't defend himself now so it just seems kind of weak (for lack of better word) of Shermantine to use him as a scapegoat when he is dead and it's easy to pin everything on him. They both obviously did crimes, probably the same amount each, no one was "just" burying bodies and innocent.

I agree with you, I don't think either one of them were tricked into it by the other. Neither was just burying bodies and innocent. They were both as sick minded as each other and enjoyed it. It is possible that Herzog might've been responsible entirely for Michaela's kidnapping and death, but Shermantine knows something. And Shermantine has been dropping hints about it.

I am, however, confused about one thing I found in this article.

http://m.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120803/A_NEWS/208030312&template=wapart

The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office issued a press release Thursday saying it finished processing Billy, Hobson's and the unknown woman's remains. Officials say the Jane Doe was likely mixed race, between the ages of 16 and 18 and a little more than 5 feet tall.

Are these the remains suspected to be Michaela? Because Michaela was not mixed race, between 16-18 or more than 5 feet tall. Or are they talking about the other remains found? (Joann was mixed with 2 others)

I just hope these results come back soon so Sharon doesn't have to suffer longer either waiting for them to be her daughters or waiting for them and they're not and not searching for her. I can't imagine how painful this must be for her. She says as of December 1st, testing has officially begun but we won't know for 2-5 weeks.

 

[Leprikawn]

Bumping!

Sharon made a few short posts since yesterday. The stress is getting to her.

I dont think there is any right way to tell a parent that their child was murdered, but I do favor not saying anything until you know for sure. I wish they would have kept the DNA testing under wraps until they had definitive results. What is happening now is Sharon and her family are living with this awful reality over their heads waiting for an answer. Its torture on people who have never met Michaela, I cant imagine what it is to her family!

She says the answer could come this week or in January, she has no idea at this point, but wants the answer to be No, because she cant deal with the it being yes!

I can fully understand that!
May God bless them during this time!

 

[cocomod]

Bumping!

Sharon made a few short posts since yesterday. The stress is getting to her.

I dont think there is any right way to tell a parent that their child was murdered, but I do favor not saying anything until you know for sure. I wish they would have kept the DNA testing under wraps until they had definitive results. What is happening now is Sharon and her family are living with this awful reality over their heads waiting for an answer. Its torture on people who have never met Michaela, I cant imagine what it is to her family!

She says the answer could come this week or in January, she has no idea at this point, but wants the answer to be No, because she cant deal with the it being yes!

I can fully understand that!
May God bless them during this time!

I can't even begin to imagine the pain that she endures on a daily basis. I do think how horrible it will be if the DNA test is positive. She will have such a small part of Michaela too. IF (and that is a big if), the DNA test IS positive, she still does not have all of her little girl to bury. What a great burden. She will know many answers, but...

 

[hoshizora]

My heart breaks for Sharon, it really does. I was wondering why she hadn't posted for a while. It hit me yesterday that I'm 21, and Michaela has been missing for 24 years. I haven't even lived as long as her heartache and "not knowing". There isn't a good resolution out of this. If it is Michaela, as the above poster said she won't have all her remains, and knowing she died not long after her abduction. But if it isn't her then she has to continue to search again. Sharon has heartache either way. I really wish Michaela could be like Jaycee and come home.

Sharon should take comfort in the fact that Michaela is loved all over the world though. Everyone loves Michaela.

 

[Cappuccino]

This must be torture for Michaela's mother. Its a shame they couldn't have just quietly done the tests without telling anyone what they were doing, instead of leaving the family on tenterhooks waiting for DNA results.

 

[hoshizora]

Sharon just posted this

I've decided
As the time draws closer ... not sure when it will be ... could be this week, could be next month ... I have decided that I want the answer to be no. I have come to know how to live this way. I don't know how to live the other way. I know there is a lot to be said for peace and closure, for perhaps being able to complete the grieving process, but I am just not sure I have the resources to negotiate the change.

I just feel so sorry for her. I would love for this not to be Michaela, I really would. If I could have one wish, I would put current age Michela on Sharon's doorstep. I think everyone wants this to be no, but if it is a yes I really hope Sharon can come to terms with it. I know that it will break her heart if it is a yes and it won't be anymore easier. It must be painful knowing your daughter was murdered soon after her kidnapping.

Think I'm going to send her an email.

I agree with you guys though, I think they should've done the DNA test quietly before they made claims of it being possibly Michaelas, that's why I think Sharon might've been given more info. They didn't do it with the other remains to my knowledge.

 

[carbuff]

My thoughts and prayers are with you, Sharon. What an awful thing to have to go through.

 

[Leprikawn]

This must be torture for Michaela's mother. Its a shame they couldn't have just quietly done the tests without telling anyone what they were doing, instead of leaving the family on tenterhooks waiting for DNA results.

I couldn't agree more! I know these detectives have always had Sharons best interest when they have disclosed information, and I also believe that Sharon has said that no matter what she wants to know! But if the test was going to be done within a few days or hours I could see telling her.......this might not be known till the middle of January! And even though Im sure every Christmas brings longing and sadness for her family, this year they have this 2 Million pound elephant waiting to drop on them. How awful.

If the answer is yes, not only is it a horror beyond belief, its also more abuse being laid on by Loren Herzog and Wesley Shermantine.

All kidnapping cases are so awful, but this one is beyond belief!

 

[hoshizora]

I agree that the detectives have always seemed to be nice to her and have never lost sight of the goal of bringing home a missing, much loved child. I think it would've helped if the testing hadn't been stalled either. We were expecting to find out near her kidnapping anniversary but it just sat in the lab for some reason. So thats an extra month of waiting because of the stall. I'm sure that they had done the testing on the other remains and notified the parents when they were sure. It's actually tricky to know when to notify them, because you can say that they are preparing for the outcome to be yes (and Sharon has stated she's okay waiting, but I think it's starting to get to her now), but at the same time if it's a no then she could be out there looking for answers. I guess it depends on the person. Me personally I think I'd like to know within at least a week because not knowing would be too painful.

I think the reason this gets to me so much, more than other missing child cases is because of Sharon. The way she writes allows you to feel what she feels and also see how she views the world. Don't get me wrong I find other cases very sad too, but this one just makes me plain depressed and I'm sure it's because of Sharon's blog.

I really hope Herzog suffers for eternity if he had anything to do with it.

 

[Hulagirl29]

I feel horrible for Sharon. I hope that this is not Michaela as well. All these years her waiting foe her little girl to come home and no answers. I'm praying for strenghth for this family through this rough time. God Bless

 

[Leprikawn]

Bump!

 

[hoshizora]

I'm going to be very, very sad if Michaela's thread gets moved to the Located forum with the title "Found Deceased" soon.

I sent Sharon an email. It is really hard to know what to say to her because words seem so meaningless, but I wanted to say something.

I'm wondering, are they considering other missing girls who fit the age range of the victim? It could possibly be Amber Swartz or Ilene Misheloff (although I agree with LinasK and think she is probably a victim of Daveggio and Michaud). Amanda Campbell is too young, unless they kept her alive until she was in the age range which I doubt. It just seems to be focused on Michaela and other possibilities haven't been talked about. Sharon said Ilene's parents haven't been told it could be her (if I remember correctly), but that could just mean the police in her case have a good idea about what happened to her.

Whoever it is, how sad for their family.

 

[Leprikawn]

Yeah it does seem like they are zeroing in on Michaela, and that makes me think that they know more than what they are saying.

These two traveled, there is no reason this could not be a missing kid from Oregon, or Nevada, or Arizona. I don't know, but Like you I have no idea what you say to a person who has kept her daughters memory alive for 24 years, who has done everything she can to find her! And now sits a few weeks before Christmas waiting for a Bomb to blow up in her face!

Sad!

 

[lilsleuth]

Shermantine only mentioned Michaela because it served a purpose for him. There was no remorse in his heart and there never will be for any of his victims or their families. Michaela was brought center because Shermantine knew his word was worth nothing. He needed proof, in the form of a composite sketch, that Herzog alone was responsible for at least ONE very important and known abduction/murder. While it's possible both of them committed the crime, I lean more towards Herzog being the sole perpetrator in this case and here's why:

IMO, Shermantine was an organized offender. His violence was planned out on women that he knew personally and in situations where he believed he was in control. I'm sure he followed his crimes in the news and got great pleasure from all the destruction he caused. Making people disappear was Shermantine's specialty. He bragged much too often about his intelligence over police and basically thought he was untouchable.

While Herzog was an unorganized offender. Grabbing strangers off the street and taking chances based on opportunity.I think it's possible he had a set type of girl, too. Very petite, blond hair and blue eyes. Michaela and Jo Anne would fit into an ideal victim profile. For example: Shermantine blames Jo Anne's death on Herzog saying it was "a horseback riding accident". This could show that Herzog probably didn't set out to kill her but acted on pure impulse.

You place these two together and you can get crime scenes that display both characteristics making it harder for police to catch them. Like the male victims who were shot and murdered for a few dollars. Herzog's style caused Shermantine to take more chances while Shermantine's style may have helped Herzog plan more carefully as in using the same wells to hide the bodies.

So, why would Shermantine, after 10 years of silence, come forward now and point the finger of blame at Herzog? Two main reasons:


1.) Revenge: The sketch of Herzog could prove that it was only Herzog who had committed the crime against Michaela. He was the one who received a ticket to death row while Herzog had already gotten away with murder and was living free. My bet is Shermantine was on fire for over a year thinking about Herzog's new life and it burned him up! Plus even though being considered a snitch in prison is bad, being a child rapist/murderer is far worse. Herzog was stabbed in prison before, I think we all can imagine just what prison life would be like for him when he went back for this. He wanted Herzog to have a fate worse than his and it would have been possible too! (at least here on earth!) ..

2.) Money and lots of it! Mainly for treats, for himself. I think the whole headstones for his parents and money for his sons was an attempt at showing he wasn't so cold blooded (yeah right) and would help him buy back the only real family he had but that turned their backs on him.

... This, of course, is just my opinion ...

There are no words to explain how I feel for Michaela's mother, Sharon. Beyond the courage, expressions of unconditional love, and strength stands a woman who is so articulate with the written word that not only can she invoke a roller coaster of emotion into a complete stranger's heart but do it so eloquently that we, too, feel as if Michaela is one of our own. She has a gift and I do hope she continues to share it with the world.

 

[hoshizora]

lilsleuth, your post was very interesting. Thanks for posting. I believe Shermantine and Herzog not only killed together, but did their own killings. I'd be willing to bet there are murders Herzog did that Shermantine didn't know about and vice versa.

It's really weird that Shermantine has claimed Michaela's remains are in the well but has also said that he knows "nothing about that Hayward girl". Is it possible that Shermantine is just putting the blame onto Herzog for this just because he resembles the composite and is mad at him for getting a lesser sentence? He's only started blaming Herzog recently for Michaela's abduction. Maybe I'm just hoping he's lying about this and just wants to throw Herzog under the bus for something he didn't do because I really want Michaela to be alive. Did Herzog ever admit to taking Michaela? Obviously they took a child though.

Herzog's release really confused me. He was released, but only allowed on prison ground in a trailer? Why release him at all?

Sharon said that the bone has some matches to her DNA but that's not uncommon, like same blood type, etc, but it had no matches to Michaela's father. Does a bone need to have some matches to the father? Because if it does, this might not be Michaela.

She thinks it will be this week or next week. even if it's not Michaela, what an awful thing to go through, wondering whether a 3 inch fragment was once your daughter.

 

[Cappuccino]

Sharon said that the bone has some matches to her DNA but that's not uncommon, like same blood type, etc, but it had no matches to Michaela's father. Does a bone need to have some matches to the father? Because if it does, this might not be Michaela.

I'd take an educated guess that this is mitochondrial DNA, as it usually is in cases where the remains are sparse. MtDNA is inherited through the maternal line only, so the father's DNA wouldn't factor into the equation.

 

[lilsleuth]

I, too, hope that it is not Michaela.

And yes, it's possible, hoshizora. I base my overall opinion on news stories (old & new), crime bios, and from Sharon's website.. but I'm no expert.

I've been a loyal reader of her blog for a very long time now. Before Shermantine pointed the finger at Herzog, Sharon had mentioned that both of them were looked at closely and that she felt they had nothing to do with this. She said that the Hayward PD had many other stronger suspects. Considering she had access to a wealth of information that the public doesn't have, I never considered Herzog a strong suspect either until the bone was found. Sharon then came out publicly and said that she had spoken with the Hayward PD and whatever information they told her behind the scene led her to believe "this may be it".. and that, to me, speaks volumes.

As for the DNA, a full profile could not be pulled based on the condition of the bone fragment. The new testing will prove or disprove beyond a shadow of a doubt if this is Michaela.

I think Sherantine kept quiet for all those years because it was the only way he had left to continue victimizing these families. I'm sure he was livid with Herzog, who cracked and threw him under the bus in court, but for whatever reasons, he felt more passionate about playing cruel games with everyone. Herzog, who only claimed he watched the crimes and did not participate, was let off on a technicality. A judge ruled that police illegally obtained his confession and he was set free. That had to burn Shermantine up. Anyways, no county in California wanted Herzog. The people were outraged. Police had no choice but to allow him to camp on the prison grounds until they could find a more suitable place for him. Herzog got wind of Shermantine confessing and within hours..hung himself.. yet another thing that speaks volumes as well.

 

[Leprikawn]

Another reason Shermantine might have started talking was because Herzog was going to be let off Parole and then he would be able to go where he pleased. I also heard Padilla say Shermantine was miffed his old friend didnt contact him once he was out.

Sharon has said that they were looked at and dissmissed, but I think this was because they didnt match the palm print. I am not sure the kidnapper (the person that grabbed this little Angel and threw her in the car) was the one who moved the scooter.

 

[hoshizora]

I think Sharon meant with the initial DNA testing before it was sent off for mitochondrial DNA testing, as it's still under way and we don't know the results for it, because they did a test before they sent it off that was unable to determine if it was Michaela for sure and it matched some of Sharon's DNA, which she said was common, like it matched her blood type and that kind of thing. But the initial DNA test had no matches to her father. Obviously mitochondrial DNA doesn't take into account the father because it is strictly maternal, but what about the initial one where they couldn't determine if it was Michaela? Would it be possible for the initial test to have some matches to her fathers DNA? I'm not really well educated in DNA testing, but I would've thought there would be some matches to her father in the initial test? Correct me if I'm wrong. I understand the mitochondrial one is the deal breaker though, I just found it strange it had no matches to Michaela's father, but it might not need to, I don't know. Michaela might've inherited all her mothers DNA, like blood type, etc.

Yes Herzog hanging himself speaks in volumes. He was obviously responsible for more murders (whether Michaela counts or not) and would be sent back to prison, possibly put on death row. He really does resemble the composite though, a lot more than Garrido.

As you described the way the murderers worked, I'm guessing Herzog had all to do with it and Shermantine found out about it later. I just don't know if Shermantine would abduct anyone off the street and would target a little girl. As you said he was very organised and killed people he knew. If this is Michaela, this would probably be the only one I'd say Shermantine is clear of, although he knows something about it, it probably was too late.

Sharon says there are six suspects in Michaela's case and we probably don't know most. I wonder if Herzog is one of them?

I'm guessing two people abducted Michaela. One had to stop her from shouting and opening up the door to escape. It would be hard to drive in a way to not invoke suspicion if it were just one person. The palm print didn't belong to anyone in the database apparently, so it was probably someone like Herzog's wife or "Jason"

Can they do testing on this 3 inch fragment and find out how the person died?