CA CA - Nikki Benedict, 14, Poway, 1 May 1967

[bessie]

San Diego County Sheriff's Office

VICTIM: NIKKI BENEDICT

Case 204249
DATE: May 1, 1967
LOCATION: 12700 block of Poway Road
Poway, CA

Synopsis: The San Diego County Sheriff’s Homicide Detail is asking the public’s help to find the person or persons responsible for the death of 14-year-old Nikki Benedict found stabbed on a dirt roadway more than 45 years ago.

During the early evening hours of May 1, 1967, Nikki Benedict was walking home from a friend’s house when she was critically stabbed and left to die on a nearby dirt trail in the 12700 block of Poway Road, Poway. At about 6:30 p.m., an 11-year-old boy was walking to his home when he discovered Nikki Benedict lying on the roadway critically injured. The boy immediately reported what he discovered to his father who owned a market nearby. Uniform deputies, Poway Valley Fire Department and ambulance personnel responded to the scene. Emergency personnel rendered medical aid and she was transported to Palomar Hospital where she was pronounced deceased upon arrival.

Although an extensive investigation was conducted, investigators never determined a motive and no viable suspects were identified during the original investigation. As the case remains unsolved, Cold Case detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the murder of Nikki Benedict. However, detectives still need the public’s help to identify the suspect.

 

[bessie]

Cold Case Detectives Seek Tips in 1967 Murder of Poway Girl

Nikki Benedict cut through a field on her way home from a friend's house. She was found dying in the dirt, stabbed in the neck and chest.
Coronado Patch
Posted by Christine Huard (Editor) , October 16, 2013 at 08:12 AM

Marking the 45th anniversary of the murder, a Pomerado News report notes "there was no sexual assault, but the stab wounds were likely from a short knife, causing the fatal injury." Deputies went door-to-door asking residents if they recognized the knife.

Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact authorities:
Sheriff’s Homicide Detai at 858-974-2321 (during business hours)

Sheriff’s Communications Center at 858-565-5200 (outside business hours)

Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477

You can also submit tips using an Online Tip Form (Crime Stoppers)

45 years later, Poway murder still unsolved

Pomerado News
By Pat Kumpan

This week marks the 45th anniversary of the murder of Nikki Alexandra Benedict, a 14-year-old who died May 1, 1967 in fields off Poway and Carriage roads.

The Meadowbrook Middle School student was attacked about 6 p.m. shortly after leaving a friend’s house on Halper Road off Pomerado Road on her way to her Olive Tree Lane home.

more at the link

 

[leilarose68]

San Diego County Sheriff's Office

VICTIM: NIKKI BENEDICT

This case just breaks my heart. So incredibly random and weird and senseless.

http://zodiackiller.fr.yuku.com/topic/4891#.UmN2SI4eZUQ

I've come across a couple of threads that suggest a zodiac link. conspiracy theory or valid thinking? anyone wanna give it a look?

It definitely seems like she was murdered by a random guy who just likes to hurt people. He didn't even sexually assault her, which is interesting. Or perhaps she was screaming so he decided she wasn't worth the struggle and stabbed her?

And what about the 11-year-od who found her, Ron Fisk? Has he been totally cleared?
Let's start discussing this case, people!!!!

 

[bessie]

FYI: We can't copy and paste user posts from other sites. Generally, if a site isn't off limits, we can provide a link with a brief explanation of what the post is about, and the date and time, or the post number.

I glanced at the site the other day, but only long enough to see that the rules about posting personal information is very relaxed. :sothere:

 

[bessie]

This case just breaks my heart. So incredibly random and weird and senseless.

http://zodiackiller.fr.yuku.com/topic/4891#.UmN2SI4eZUQ

I've come across a couple of threads that suggest a zodiac link. conspiracy theory or valid thinking? anyone wanna give it a look?

It definitely seems like she was murdered by a random guy who just likes to hurt people. He didn't even sexually assault her, which is interesting. Or perhaps she was screaming so he decided she wasn't worth the struggle and stabbed her?

And what about the 11-year-od who found her, Ron Fisk? Has he been totally cleared?
Let's start discussing this case, people!!!!

The lack of sexual assault is actually not so uncommon. Many violent sexual predators are impotent, and some use a knife as a subtitute phallus to torture their victims. The term for this particular paraphilia is piquerism.

http://www.practicalhomicide.com/Research/lustmurder.htm

I'm sure the young boy was cleared.

 

[killer Chaser]

This case could be connected Elizabeth Ernstein. Found Deceased CA - Elizabeth Ernstein, 14, Redlands, 18 March 1968 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community Here's Nikki Benedict's Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nikki-Alexandra-Benedict/371490464707

 

[leilarose68]

ok, i know this site might seem a bit sketchy, but i've actually heard this bit of info talked about elsewhere, about weird things being written on NIkki's hands::
http://unazod.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=111

i wish someone could confirm this but there seems to be such little verified info out there about the case. i've seen nikki's sister, barbara benedict's name mentioned and i get the sense she's still trying to get the word out there about nikki. i wish she would come to websleuths and enlighten us!

I've heard in a bunch of places that the zodiac killer was a prime suspect, and the murder fits the profile of another girl in the area... I wonder what other suspects were considered as well?

 

[chlban]

leilarose68;

I've heard in a bunch of places that the zodiac killer was a prime suspect, and the murder fits the profile of another girl in the area... I wonder what other suspects were considered as well?

Yes, but with all due respect, the Zodiac seems to be a suspect in just about every unsolved stabbing or shooting in California from 1963 through the late 70's.

I don't see it. Victim is too young, he generally attacked couples (yes Stine was an exception, but I personally believe he was an exception for specific purposes), No notes to the press.

But then I'm not even convinced Cheri Jo Bates was a Zodiac victim so who knows?

 

[killer Chaser]

http://hattricktrio.com/benedict/nikki.htm

 

[leilarose68]

leilarose68;

Yes, but with all due respect, the Zodiac seems to be a suspect in just about every unsolved stabbing or shooting in California from 1963 through the late 70's.

I don't see it. Victim is too young, he generally attacked couples (yes Stine was an exception, but I personally believe he was an exception for specific purposes), No notes to the press.

But then I'm not even convinced Cheri Jo Bates was a Zodiac victim so who knows?

Yeah, I guess it just seems like there's nothing else to go off of. Zodiac is the only suspect I know of in this case. I wish I could find more information about all of this but there doesn't seem to be much available.
I also wonder if there was evidence of a real struggle---was this a random murderer/serial killer who just enjoyed stabbing or was it a pedophile who was murdering the only witness to a child abduction?
And were the supposed writings on her hands totally made up by one of those conpiracy sites? I'm guessing so, but again. There is so little confirmed

 

[leilarose68]

leilarose68;

Yes, but with all due respect, the Zodiac seems to be a suspect in just about every unsolved stabbing or shooting in California from 1963 through the late 70's.

I don't see it. Victim is too young, he generally attacked couples (yes Stine was an exception, but I personally believe he was an exception for specific purposes), No notes to the press.

But then I'm not even convinced Cheri Jo Bates was a Zodiac victim so who knows?

ok, it isn't totally impossible though that zodiac was driving by, saw this girl isolated on a road and decided to kill her for the heck of it.
unfortunately that's the only suspect in the case i know of.

 

[leilarose68]

do you think it's totally impossible though that the zodiac killer could have happened upon a girl totally alone on a road, with no one around, and killed her for the heck of it? it doesn't fit the profile of the other murders but it's possible some of them didn't fit with his zodiac killing spree persona, just were stray killings he decided to indulge in

 

[zatanna]

http://hattricktrio.com/benedict/nikki.htm

Thank you for posting this. Nikki sounds like she was an amazing young mind...the stories focusing on her life rather than dwelling on the murder are awesome but super depressing at the same time. Shame there is such a lack of information/details on this case....

 

[killer Chaser]

Patricia Lee Kuzara on 9/28/74 she's also from Poway! http://www.sdsheriff.net/coldcase/399139/index.html Elizabeth Schulte on 3/14/78. http://www.sdsheriff.net/coldcase/547861/index.html

 

[killer Chaser]

Patricia Lee Kuzara on 9/28/74 she's also from Poway! http://www.sdsheriff.net/coldcase/399139/index.html Elizabeth Schulte on 3/14/78. http://www.sdsheriff.net/coldcase/547861/index.html

Barbara Nantais was murderd on 8/13/78. This is close to the date that Elizabeth Schulte was murderd on 3/14/78. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/16/barbara-nantais-claire-hough-cold-case-dna_n_2697292.html

 

[Slicky Boy]

Being new here, in fact, this being my first post, I may transgress some non-articulated rule, so please be kind while I learn the ropes, as it were.

I am an investigative journalist, now retired, and have assembled some 'primary sources' (and considered reliable) relevant to the Zodiac epoch for several years. Following the data, it appears that Cheri Jo Bates was the Zodiac's 8th victim -- the first being the Swindle couple in 1963. I can say that simply assembling a timeline of known & suspected cases ( a la Graysmith) against the five 'scores' communications of the Zodiac, the data fits and terminates at or about 37 total. Hope to post more specific info as I get comfortable with this format. Thanks, all, for your patience.

 

[leilarose68]

Being new here, in fact, this being my first post, I may transgress some non-articulated rule, so please be kind while I learn the ropes, as it were.

I am an investigative journalist, now retired, and have assembled some 'primary sources' (and considered reliable) relevant to the Zodiac epoch for several years. Following the data, it appears that Cheri Jo Bates was the Zodiac's 8th victim -- the first being the Swindle couple in 1963. I can say that simply assembling a timeline of known & suspected cases ( a la Graysmith) against the five 'scores' communications of the Zodiac, the data fits and terminates at or about 37 total. Hope to post more specific info as I get comfortable with this format. Thanks, all, for your patience.

You might want to post that on the Zodiac thread, if your doesn't pertain to Nikki Benedict's case

 

[killer Chaser]

http://zodiackiller.fr.yuku.com/topic/4891/Poway-victim-found?page=3#.Up3g58KA05s

 

[chlban]

=leilarose68;9928382

do you think it's totally impossible though that the zodiac killer could have happened upon a girl totally alone on a road, with no one around, and killed her for the heck of it?

Of course I don't think it's totally impossible. It's not totally impossible that it was some other famous serial killer who happened by and killed her for the heck of it. I just think both scenarios are highly unlikely.

it doesn't fit the profile of the other murders but it's possible some of them didn't fit with his zodiac killing spree persona, just were stray killings he decided to indulge in]

Again, anything is possible. However the Zodiac case has fascinated me for years and everything I have read leads me, personally, to beieve that Zodiac was much more of an organized killer than that. If he wasn't, IMO, we would actually know who he is/was by now, but we do not.

I think that each of Zodiac's killings was planned and all but Stein fit the same pattern. I believe Stein was meant to bring the San Fransisco PD in and also to divert from the familiar pattern of couples. However, I think it was a deliberate and planned diversion, not a just he happened by and decided to kill a cab driver.

Of course, that is only my opinion. I just think it is somewhat amusing how so many people try to fit Zodiac into just about any unsolved crime in California that took place during a certain, very broad, time period.

 

[chlban]

=leilarose68;9928382

do you think it's totally impossible though that the zodiac killer could have happened upon a girl totally alone on a road, with no one around, and killed her for the heck of it?

Of course I don't think it's totally impossible. It's not totally impossible that it was some other famous serial killer who happened by and killed her for the heck of it. I just think both scenarios are highly unlikely.

it doesn't fit the profile of the other murders but it's possible some of them didn't fit with his zodiac killing spree persona, just were stray killings he decided to indulge in]

Again, anything is possible. However the Zodiac case has fascinated me for years and everything I have read leads me, personally, to beieve that Zodiac was much more of an organized killer than that. If he wasn't, IMO, we would actually know who he is/was by now, but we do not.

I think that each of Zodiac's killings was planned and all but Stein fit the same pattern. I believe Stein was meant to bring the San Fransisco PD in and also to divert from the familiar pattern of couples. However, I think it was a deliberate and planned diversion, not a just he happened by and decided to kill a cab driver.

Of course, that is only my opinion. I just think it is somewhat amusing how so many people try to fit Zodiac into just about any unsolved crime in California that took place during a certain, very broad, time period.