Let's try this again: Warning: this is going to be a very long post. My parents are both Pocatello natives, as are there parents. They both know a lot about the Cindy Bringhurst case. My dad's sister was a friend and my mom's dad was a firefighter and paramedic who was on scene when Cindy's body was found. As well, my mom was at the Alameda Park Pioneer Day celebration that day. I have also found out some very interesting information as I was talking about this with my mom. I don't claim to be a Pocatello expert, but I have been there more times than anyone would like. Ive heard the Cindy Bringhurst story since I was 8. It hit the town very hard. Ive even passed by the apartment where she was kidnapped. A few things to note: At the time, Pocatello was the hub for the three largest trucking companies in the country. Also, Pocatello was a major port for the railroad. Most people from Pocatello do not believe these cases are connected. Im going to lay out the information I know case-by-case ***Cindy Bringhurst*** My aunt saw Cindy Bringhurst the day before she was abducted. They were both attending Summer drivers ed. At the time, teens in Pocatello took drivers ed between 8th and 9th grade. My aunt says she was either Catholic or an inactive Mormon, but is pretty sure she was Catholic. She attended Alameda junior high Cindy was NEVER EVER believed to be a runaway. They knew she was kidnapped from the beginning. She was babysitting the night she was abducted The woman she was babysitting for was known to have a wild lifestyle. My mom had heard rumors she was involved in drugs. The night of the abduction, the woman she was babysitting was at the bar where she was a regular. Her purse was stolen that night. It is believed that the stolen purse is related to the murder It is highly likely that the purse was stolen with the intent to rob the apartment. They have reason to believe that the thief was under the impression that the apartment was unoccupied that night My grandpa was on scene when the body was discovered. They knew immediately it was hereither they recognized the hair or the shoes. Her body was badly decomposed and partially submerged in water. Her body was too decomposed to determine if she was sexually assaulted A teacher was suspected. He was run out of town. My dad and at least two of his siblings had this teacher. They all say he was very flirty with female students. My dad believes he is innocent, and from what Ive heard they have decided he wasnt a suspect. It was most likely just a rumor. From my understanding, the police know who committed the crime and know the motive. Unfortunately, without eyewitnesses or physical evidence, they were never able to charge him. ***Linda Smith*** This case fascinates me the most. I read a little bit about it here:
http://eastidahocoldcasesinc.com/attention-hunters-and-outdoorsman/linda-d-smith/ No one in my family has heard of this case---so I think its safe to assume that it was classified as a runaway She attended Alameda Junior High after transferring from Franklin Junior High When I told my mom the location, she was surprised and gave me quite a bit of information. I will list them below: Her house was right near where my mom worked in high school and college---both locations are within a few blocks of the county jail Around that time there were a string of robberiesthe suspect targeted convenience stores and dry cleaners My mom was robbed at knife point at her work about a block away from Lindas house. This robbery occurred within the same year as the murder. The brother described the assailant as being in his 20s or 30s, smelling of sweat and alcohol, and having dirty-blonde hair and a beard My mom describes her assailant as being in his early twenties, smelling strongly of sweat, as if he had not showered in days (this is what she remembers the most). He was unshaven and had strawberry blonde hair Now, this is where I think it gets interestingthe two descriptions are very similar. First, I think a 19 year old (my mom) would be able to pin down an age better than a 9 year old. Second, strong body odor, such as that from someone who hadnt bathed in a long time, can sometimes give off a similar scent as alcoholespecially to a 9 year old. Lastly, strawberry blonde hair can look similar to dirty blonde hair in the dark. I dont think its unreasonable to say that my mom may have possibly been robbed by the same man who killed Linda Smith The beard tells me right off that it was a church leader. Mormon men in church positions cant have facial hair (especially at this time) At the time, Pocatello was a union town. Most unions do not allow beards. That eliminates fire fighters, police officers, railroaders, and most blue-collar jobs. So basically a good chunk of the town Also of note: there was a string of rapes of sexual assaults on the ISU campus during this timeframe. Self-defense classes were offered, and many women started carrying pepper spray or guns. ***Alameda Park24th of July*** 24th of Julyor Pioneer dayis basically a second 4th of July celebrationit marks the day the Mormon pioneers reached the Salt Lake Valley My mom remembers this picnic vividly. It was the first time she and her friend were allowed to go somewhere without a parent. Because of this, my mom and her friend went there at the very beginning of the picnic and stayed until well after the cleanup of the picnic had started It was extremely hot and extremely packed People were parking several blocks away and walking to the picnic Both girls went to Alameda Junior High My mom says it was too packed and rowdy for an abduction to be easily noticed People mistakenly thought they were killed by Bundy Most of my family members thought this case was solved Oneida County has like 12 people (really 4000) and theyre all related and like all the land is claimed farm land. Dont tell me they dont know whose garage they were found in. You dont sneeze in Oneida county without someone else knowing about it. And of all the places to hide a body, a shed is a pretty dumb one. I bet they were either held there or the killer liked to visit the bodies. I mean, the Snake River is just as close to Pocatello (maybe slightly further) as Oneida County. It just doesnt fit with the other cases. He could have gone another 15 minutes south and dumped the bodies in Utah---then he definitely wouldnt be found Also, since Malad is right by Utahthe third girl could be from there. ***Lynette Culver*** Confirmed Bundy victimonly putting this information out there because someone mentioned her. No connection to these cases. Went to...yes, Alameda Junior High. Now, this may sound fishy, but my dad went to Alameda and said that its a very wild school. A lot of students died young and in unusual ways. My dad named of 13 people between the ages of 8 and 17 who died in weird waysand that was just on his street! Was thought to be a runaway until Bundy confessed the night before his execution. MO fits, although she is slightly younger than most victims. She was described as looking older than she actually was. Bundy knew intimate details of her life. My dad went to school with her and described her as being wild and that she seemed to have hit puberty very young ***Why I dont think these cases are connected*** All the people I talked to who lived there at the time thought that a common connection between the crimes was absurd The MOs are different. Lindas and Cindys are similar, but they are completely different from the Pioneer Day abductions. Lindas appears to be sexually motivated Cindys was a robbery gone bad The bodies were found in completely different areas. One, in a secluded creek. Another in a semi-public place (Hospital Way is hardly what I would call secluded
Ive actually accidentally gotten lost in that area). The other two were found in a shed or garage on private property The perpetrator in the Cindy Bringhurst murder is likely known The cases have different MOs Lastly, Pocatello is a blue-collar town. Its full of Mormons, but not the stereotypical super-clean cut Mormons. There are some of those, but for the most part its pretty wild.
