CA CA - Kristen Modafferi, 18, San Francisco, 23 June 1997

[kemo]

I’m not sure her failure to clock out is all that significant. I have noticed that it happens a lot with new hires. The mystery blonde, on the other hand, is probably more significant. If Kristen was going to meet someone after work, the mall would have been a reasonable place to meet up.

If that was Kristen, the failure of the Blonde to come forward would be very suspicious but we don’t know if that was really Kristen. The two co-worker, from what I read, were pretty sure it was her. They may have been wrong but I don’t see an obvious reason for them to lie.
One of them was a good friend of JL’s ex boyfriend who later went to work at Spinelli’s. Is that just too much of a coincidence?.

I haven’t read a full description of the blonde. JL was not bond. It is hard to tell if she would have been credible as a blonde if she wore a wig. I am not aware that there were other women associated with JO at the time.

The possibility that Kristen went off with a blonde woman she didn’t really know who was actually working with a male sexual predator or someone else involved in some nefarious activity is probably the closest anyone has come to an explanation for her. If that is what happened, then JO Might Have been behind it. It is all conjecture. If that isn’t what happened; if Kristen just left work, went into the city, and vanished, then the investigation had nothing.

I still wonder if the possibility of her answering a personal ad was thoroughly explored.


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[geojeffrey]

I’m not sure her failure to clock out is all that significant either, unless the coworkers had some involvement in this… Or, maybe she was in a hurry to meet somebody at the mall, which would explain why she forgot to clock out… With so few clues, this is at least something that could be meaningful


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[Mountain Mama]

In the books about profiling written by retired FBI agents there is a lot of mention of criminals inserting themselves into a case. They do it by making phone calls to police, calling in tips, attending funerals, etc. Very often these same people who get involved are ultimately found to be the ones responsible. Let's take JO as a possible example of this. If this is true, the first question I have is how thoroughly were the bridges around Point Reyes Station, CA and Point Reyes National Seashore searched for bodies?! JO specifically mentioned that under a bridge in Point Reyes was where Kristen would be found.

Here is a link to an article about a February 2017 happenstance discovery of the body of Annie Bailly, a missing woman, whose body was located inside the Point Reyes National Park. Her body was found because of an auto accident that occurred near where she was left. Perhaps there is a link between Annie Bailly and JO or JL. How many other people have been left there? Is Kristen's body near where the caller (JO) stated it would be?

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/20...-reyes-identified-as-missing-penngrove-woman/

Incidentally there is a strange history of people disappearing AT Point Reyes National Seashore. Rogue waves are apparently to blame.

 

[Pettibon Junction]

The only solid (i.e., physical) evidence in this case is the cadaver dog hit in the basement of the rental house Kristen was living in at the time she went missing. If she was murdered (and I believe she was) this points the finger firmly at someone much closer to home.

Kristen's roommates need to be reinterviewed. Enough time has been lost already.

 

[fasteddy8170]

Recent coverage of Kristen's disappearance:

Kristen Modafferi: Degrees of Separation | Free Podcasts | PodOmatic"

 

[snowleopard]

Thanks for covering this one Ed!

 

[dotr]

June 19 2018
https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/Kristen-Modafferi-Dennis-Mahon-Onuma-missing-Lampo-12988187.php

What happened to Kristen Modafferi? One man's 20-year search for answers in San Francisco cold case
By Mike Moffitt.

• 

The trail has gone cold for Dennis Mahon and his 20-year quest to find out what happened to Kristen Modafferi, but he's not about to give up.

Modafferi is the subject of one of the most frustrating missing-persons cases in San Francisco history. Ever since the vivacious 18-year-old college student disappeared, Mahon — who's not in law enforcement, but is a friend of her family — has chased clues and followed leads like the most dedicated gumshoe.

On June 23, 1997 — the day before her summer photography course began at UC Berkeley — Kristen was working at her temporary job as a barista at Spinelli's coffee shop in the Crocker Galleria, a shopping center in the city's Financial District.

Her shift ended at 3 p.m., but co-workers noticed her talking to an unidentified blond woman on the Galleria's second floor about 45 minutes later.

That was the last time anybody recalls seeing Kristen.

The disappearance of the young North Carolina State student naturally was big news in her hometown of Charlotte. Mahon, who worked in a homeless shelter there, felt compelled to help even though he had never met Kristen.

After 3.5 months following the case, Mahon got her parents' blessing to assist in the search. He traveled to San Francisco and hit the streets, handing out and posting flyers to get the word out. He had money saved up, a house in Charlotte and a promise from his boss that his job would be waiting for him when he returned, so he could afford to take an extended leave of absence. Besides, Kristen would surely turn up before too long."

 

[MysteryMaven]

I listened to Ed's podcast. He does a great job, great to hear Dennis Mahon's POV. Mahon seems pretty focused on Jon Onuma. Jon Onuma looks bad on paper, especially considering that he had a briefcase hidden in a ceiling full of articles about Kristen. I forgot about that detail. It's either Onuma or she had an accident and fell at Land's End.
Maybe Onuma was just a weird guy who saw Kristen's disappearance covered on TV and became fixated on her.
I keep getting tripped up by the fact she mentioned going to Land's End and dogs apparently hit on her scent at Sutro Baths.
Sounds like the soil testing at Jayne Ave. didn't lead anywhere.

 

[HayLouise]

Missing: Kristen Modafferi
Kristen Modafferi, 18, was last seen in San Francisco, Calif., on June 23, 1997. Her age now: 39.

Have information?

Call 911 or 1-800-843-5678 [1-800-THE-LOST]

Missing children: Have you seen them?

 

[geojeffrey]

Unreal that there are never any updates about this case.

So many promising leads have apparently dried into nothing...ugh

 

[JSolt1210]

I just happened to see this case on Unsolved Mysteries today, the anniversary of her disappearance. Does that happen to anyone else, by the way, coming upon missing persons cases near an anniversary?

Just from the UM segment, I think there's just so much hinging on speculation. The newspaper ad could be Kristen because it sounds like her, but we can't really know for sure. The 3:45pm sighting, though I tend to believe it, is also uncertain because even her coworkers said it was uncharacteristic of her to remain near her job once her shift was done. Her tracked scent can't be proven to have been left the day of her disappearance. The whole Jon angle is just comments he made, either to a news station or allegedly to women he knew. It's like nothing ties her anywhere. It's so frustrating!

 

[Paulette]

I read that she didn't clock out at 3pm. For me that's the biggest clue.

 

[snowleopard]

There's a good podcast on Kristen's case done by a Websleuths member, fasteddie, although I'm not too sure I can post a link here.

 

[geojeffrey]

How can we find the podcast link??

 

[snowleopard]

The Podcast is called 'Unfound'. It's on Player.fm, Podbean, and Youtube under 'Unfound'.

 

[ekardh]

Does anyone know why this case has ground to a halt and they aren't investigating the basement anymore? Surely the fact the DNA was a partial match to Kristen's parents is cause enough for an excavation? And why haven't they re-interviewed her housemates?

 

[JerseyGirl]

Remarks:
Kristen Modafferi has distinctive dimples on her face. She likes photography, painting, and other creative activities. She was not known to own any vehicles and generally used public transportation. She may have been carrying a green Jansport brand backpack with a black mesh pocket in the front.

Details:
Kristen Modafferi was last seen on the afternoon of June 23, 1997, at the coffee shop where she was working in the Crocker Galleria Mall in San Francisco, California. The then eighteen-year-old had completed her freshman year of college in North Carolina and had recently moved to the San Francisco area to attend summer school at the University of California at Berkeley. She was living in Oakland. She has not been seen or heard from since.

KRISTEN MODAFFERI — FBI

 

[MysteryMaven]

Does anyone know why this case has ground to a halt and they aren't investigating the basement anymore? Surely the fact the DNA was a partial match to Kristen's parents is cause enough for an excavation? And why haven't they re-interviewed her housemates?

Do you have more info about the DNA link to Kristen’s parents? I though they excavated the basement in Oakland because there was a hit with a cadaver dog.

 

[kemo]

Disappearance Of Woman, 18, Linked to Ad

The above link to a SF Chronicle article appears to explain the whole story about the Want Ad. Apparently LE did not become aware of the ad until almost year later and by that time all records of ads placed in the newspaper’s personals were destroyed.

The ad read:
"Friends. Female seeking friend(s) to share activities, who enjoy music, photography, working out, walks, coffee or simply exploring the Bay Area! Interested, call me."

(Did the newspaper have some sort of Voice Mail system? Does anyone know; otherwise a phone number would have to have been provided that was either Kristen’s or someone else’s). Presumably the person who placed the ad would not have provided their number and there is no way of knowing if Kirsten actually placed the ad and there would have been no record of who replied to it.

The ad would explain why Kristen was seen hanging around the Mall after she got off work and then meeting up with a blonde woman. Still, it doesn’t prove anything.

Jon Onumo was a fraudster, a conman and a skilled manipulator of women and using one woman who was under his spell to lure other women into his circle would be very consistent with his history. It is right out of the Charlie Manson playbook. Still, there has been no indication that he has been involved in abductions or murder. A former girlfriend of Jon, now deceased, may have confessed to doing something consistent with this case but that sort of “ hearsay evidence” is pretty much worthless.

The Jon Onomo lead turned up a lot of smoke but no fire. He is an interesting guy with a long criminal history. If he is involved, he has covered his tracks pretty well and stood up to heavy interrogation. If he isn’t involved, there are no leads left to follow.

The existence of some sort of DNA evidence in the basement of the house Kristen was living in has probably lead nowhere or we would have heard of it by now. Realistically, all evidence indicates that she did not return home that day.

This whole case is a parent’s worst nightmare. They lead their self confident, adventurous daughter move to a city across the country and she appears to have vanished of the face of the earth without any satisfying explanation. It will probLy never be solved.

 

[ekardh]

Do you have more info about the DNA link to Kristen’s parents? I though they excavated the basement in Oakland because there was a hit with a cadaver dog.

Try this link

A chemical signature indicating human blood was found near a concrete slab at the base of some porch steps attached to the 278 Jayne Avenue house, according to Dostie. He and Vass say DNA found in the decomposing material matched that of the Kristen's parents, who provided the investigators with samples for testing.