Alcala photos discussion thread - latest updates, news, questions

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I'm posting on this old thread to ask if anyone knows whether more information has become available in the past few years. The thread makes rather depressing reading in that LE do not seem to have exactly covered themselves in glory. From what I can find here and elsewhere on the Net, there has been no identification of anyone in these photos since the 21 persons in 2010, but you would think there must have been at least one more identification in five years. A re-release by LE of remaining unids might yield results, but perhaps this aspect of the investigation is now effectively over. Does anyone know if LE have in fact identified any more since then, and if so, which photos can now be eliminated?
 
Vice ran a piece on the Alcala photos November 2014. The quotes from current and retired law enforcement sound like they were new for the article.

The Haunting Photography of a Serial Killer
November 20, 2014
By Julian Morgans
http://www.vice.com/read/the-haunting-photography-of-a-serial-killer
"A handful of woman (less than 30) identified themselves as having posed for the pictures," reported HBPD detective Patrick Ellis. "His collection included coworkers, classmates, girlfriends, family members, and strangers, but less than ten admitted to knowing him personally." Despite fielding hundreds of calls since 2010, Ellis admits that none of the women were linked to missing persons cases. The HBPD has since removed the identified women from its si​te, leaving the unsolved cases online, and the case remains partially open. None of the women in the photos in this article have been identified.
Click to expand...

More at link.
 
Well it is a relatively recent article, but the link to the HBPD site is dead and three of the photos included in the article - which states that all those pictured are still unidentified - were confirmed as id'd several years ago. Apart from possibly the comments made by Mack and Ellis, there isn't anything here that couldn't have been rehashed from previous articles and we don't learn anything new. Hard to be impressed when the reporter doesn't bother to check the photos.

Edited to add: I wonder if LE attempted to contact other people who lived in his apartment blocks? The woman and man shown seemingly drinking in his apartment may have been his neighbours, and they or other residents might recognise themselves or those in other photos. I say "attempted" because it wouldn't be easy now, but it would have been a lot easier if they did it in 1979. Obviously they would have to know exactly where he was living and when, which I presume they could get from his social security records.
 
I wonder who the couple is, he's wearing warm clothes. Could this even be LA? It's late 70's judging by hair eyebrows and make up. She seems to be very flattered but the man seems to be annoyed.
 
it's very odd that we never hear if those who are suggested to be in the alcala photos are ruled out (e.g dorothy clitheroe, rachel trlica)... the threads just die....
 
I posted this is another thread, but I will ask again here -

Have any of the women in any Alcala photos been publically identified as being missing women?

I am wondering if it is possible that we have correctly sleuthed missing women in these photos, but law enforcement would never announce it until a body is found, and that is why there is such silence on all of these, and no comment on rule outs on those that have been submitted as tips?

Anyone?
 
Yes, Christine Thornton was just identified as a victim. She was the girl on the motorcycle wearing a yellow blouse.

There are a couple of others that I am certain are no longer alive, but I am working by myself to find out this information and put it all together. You must remember that this is a daunting task for Law Enforcement, let alone a private citizen such as myself. I have come here and updated this forum with everything that I know to be true to try to keep it updated. But, running a Facebook page and writing a book on the subject, as well as real life, keeps me quite busy. I have listed on my Alcala Facebook page the women who have been identified, as well as here. But, Law Enforcement does not give me information, so I am stuck with just doing the best that I can.
 
Thank you for your post - I should have clarified, was wondering if any of the women had been announced as identified without a body being found.

Thank you for your hard work!
 
I suspect LE have relegated this case to a very low priority. One can't blame them for that as there is always lots to do and never enough resources, but it would help if amateur sleuths at least knew the state of play with who has been id'd whether as safe, missing or deceased. That surely wouldn't take them a great deal of time or violate anyone's privacy?

NR4TW I am not on FB but I have looked at your page and you are doing a great and very worthwhile job. These were all someone's children and they deserve a memorial at the very least, if not a resolution of their case. Best wishes for your future health.

Edited to Add: If it hasn't already been mentioned, there is a poster in the background of photo 60 on the CBS news website that dates from May 1971 or later. See this ebay listing for the same poster: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Henri-MIC...158642?hash=item1c715017b2:g:QKoAAOSwmtJXWJob
 
MisterBrit said:
I suspect LE have relegated this case to a very low priority. One can't blame them for that as there is always lots to do and never enough resources, but it would help if amateur sleuths at least knew the state of play with who has been id'd whether as safe, missing or deceased. That surely wouldn't take them a great deal of time or violate anyone's privacy?

NR4TW I am not on FB but I have looked at your page and you are doing a great and very worthwhile job. These were all someone's children and they deserve a memorial at the very least, if not a resolution of their case. Best wishes for your future health.

Edited to Add: If it hasn't already been mentioned, there is a poster in the background of photo 60 on the CBS news website that dates from May 1971 or later. See this ebay listing for the same poster: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Henri-MIC...158642?hash=item1c715017b2:g:QKoAAOSwmtJXWJob
Click to expand...

MrBrit - thank you for your kind words. I agree that these women belonged to a family...somewhere. One of my biggest obstacles is that because this happened so long ago, records are no longer available. Also, he killed for so many years in so many places, it's impossible to really pin him down. It shocked me to find that the most recent victim (Christine Thornton) was killed in Wyoming. That was a state that I never even suspected he had been in. I knew about California and New York, and also believe there are some in Wisconsin, where he worked as a camp counselor. I also assume there are some in Washington state because he had his storage locker there. But, Wyoming? And, when police were questioning him about the photo of Christine and the background, he made the telling comment that "Yes, this was my area" or something to that effect. I got chills when I read that because to me, that means that he had killed others there. Thank you also for the info on the poster. Very good observation. I suppose that would narrow him down a bit if we could figure out what state he was in.
 
I am new and would love to share photos for comparison not sure how?
I believe the large groups of ppl is Washington Square park Nyc.
I think he used this as a bit of a hunting ground, students, tourists so many people.
 
I believe the place with the large earphones to be NYC while he was in film school, In one photo you can clearly see a box titled "Micheal paints" my research shows this to be a now closed down store that was on the eastcoast, again I also see photos which appear to be Washington square park ( student outtings, large numbers of visitors out of state or country)
 
Washington square park is surronded by NYU dorms so the students study there, play music, lots of drugs back then I bet.
 
I was not clear I believe he was in a dorm or apartment with his soind system, the large earphones, so many of the photos can be linked to NYC due to the one shot with "Micheal paints" and then the sandy locations and the palm trees are clearly Cali desert/beach.
 
I'm sorry if this has been posted before or if this is the wrong place to post. I'm new here and still trying to figure everything out! I've been looking into the Alcala photographs for the past few days and didn't see any discussion regarding the woman posing in front of the chain link fence. Has she been identified?

She bears a very strong resemblance to a missing person IMO.

Sandra Lee Hopler
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1436dfpa.html

Please let me know if there is a more appropriate place to post this. I can't seem to be able to make my own thread.​
 
I see the resemblance but I don't think it is the same person. The girl by the fence has a broader face, a less pointed chin, fuller lips and I think a longer neck. Hopler is generally finer-featured.

There is an awful fascination about these photos but I doubt there will be any more progress. Too much time has passed, the police have more urgent priorities and they don't seem bothered about updating on who remains unidentified. Alcala will not give up any information unless he thinks he can get something from it, ie. probably never.

I imagine nothing happened to the girl by the fence. It looks like he simply saw a photo opp in a public place, which he did a lot. I suspect that there are very few murder victims in his photos, maybe 2 or 3, but I also suspect there are quite a few rape victims. We aren't likely to find out any more now.
 
UnlicensedPI said:
I'm sorry if this has been posted before or if this is the wrong place to post. I'm new here and still trying to figure everything out! I've been looking into the Alcala photographs for the past few days and didn't see any discussion regarding the woman posing in front of the chain link fence. Has she been identified?

She bears a very strong resemblance to a missing person IMO.

Sandra Lee Hopler
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1436dfpa.html

Please let me know if there is a more appropriate place to post this. I can't seem to be able to make my own thread.​
Click to expand...

I dont think she has her own thread, but you should contact CarlK90245. He's an UID mod and could help to start a thread for her if she hasnt been identified yet (It's really hard to know who has been identified or not since the authorities aren't telling anything).
 
UnlicensedPI said:
I'm sorry if this has been posted before or if this is the wrong place to post. I'm new here and still trying to figure everything out! I've been looking into the Alcala photographs for the past few days and didn't see any discussion regarding the woman posing in front of the chain link fence. Has she been identified?

She bears a very strong resemblance to a missing person IMO.

Sandra Lee Hopler
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1436dfpa.html

Please let me know if there is a more appropriate place to post this. I can't seem to be able to make my own thread.​
Click to expand...

I've tried to edit my previous post but I cant. Wanted to say that she has been found and is alive. I just found her thread moments ago in the identified section.

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?98702-Woman-leaning-against-fence
 
Thanks for letting me know! I'm relieved she wasn't one of his victims!
 
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