CA CA - Baxter, WhtMale, 40-70, UP55126, beaten to point of death then burned alive, long-term abuse, US Army blanket, hospital gown, 3 Oct 1972

[kforbes862]

Amazing, I didn't know he was already in active research

 

[iamshadow21]

Feb. 12, 2026 rbbm.

Placer County seeks help in 1972 cold case homicide

Placer County investigators seek public help identifying a man burned alive in 1972, possibly Grover Benjamin Hughes, as genetic genealogy narrows leads.

www.abc10.com

View attachment 644211
''Investigators say the unidentified man may now be closer to being identified as Grover Benjamin Hughes, born July 21, 1894, in Des Moines, Iowa. Hughes is known to have spent time in the San Francisco Bay Area before the 1960s.''
''The potential identification follows a two-year investigative genetic genealogy effort conducted by Ramapo College, with assistance from the California Department of Justice's Richmond Laboratory.
However, due to the distant genetic relationships and lack of close living descendants, the identity has not yet been confirmed through the DOJ Missing and Unidentified Persons Program.''

''The Cold Case team is requesting any information that could help confirm the man’s identity or shed light on the circumstances of his death. Specifically, investigators are seeking:

• Photographs or information about Grover Benjamin Hughes
• Knowledge of hospital or medical-facility bedding from Placer County in 1972, matching items shown in an attached image
• Information about any patients who went missing from hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, or convalescent homes around October 3, 1972
• Anyone who recalls Hughes or circumstances related to his disappearance or death

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Placer County Sheriff’s Office at 530-889-7853 or submit tips via email at [email protected].''

It would mean he was way older than estimated, if it is Grover. Rather than 35-45, he'd be closer to eighty.

MOO

 

[victoriarobinson642]

Based on some quick Ancestry records searching, he has one grandchild who appears to be still alive. Given what they say in the article, maybe she's since passed away. I'm not seeing any records of him after the 1940s, though, which would track with being in a long-term care facility. Maybe he was injured during World War Two?
Edit: Never mind, she passed away in 2018.

 

[dotr]

Placer County Sheriff Seeks Public's Help in 1972 Cold Case Homicide of Elderly Man Found Burned Alive Near Baxter

Placer County Sheriff Seeks Public's Help in 1972 Cold Case Homicide of Elderly Man Found Burned Alive Near Baxter

goldrushcam.com

February 15, 2026
''Investigators are seeking assistance from the public regarding:

• Any information about Grover Benjamin Hughes, including photographs
• Knowledge of hospital or medical-facility bedding from Placer County in 1972 that matches the items shown in the attached image
• Information about any patients who may have gone missing from a hospital, skilled nursing facility, or convalescent home around October 3, 1972
• Individuals who may recall Hughes or circumstances consistent with his disappearance or death
• Any information, even if it may seem minor, that could help confirm the decedent’s identity and determine the circumstances surrounding his death

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Placer County Sheriff’s Office at 530-889-7853 or submit tips via email at: [email protected].''

 

[Otterly]

Based on some quick Ancestry records searching, he has one grandchild who appears to be still alive. Given what they say in the article, maybe she's since passed away. I'm not seeing any records of him after the 1940s, though, which would track with being in a long-term care facility. Maybe he was injured during World War Two?
Edit: Never mind, she passed away in 2018.

According to the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center at Rampano College on reddit: "We have a pretty good timeline of his life through the 1950s and know of his descendants, but the sheriff’s office is seeking information from the later part of his life and surrounding his murder. We hope some locals from the area might know more!"

 

[wary]

According to the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center at Rampano College on reddit: "We have a pretty good timeline of his life through the 1950s and know of his descendants, but the sheriff’s office is seeking information from the later part of his life and surrounding his murder. We hope some locals from the area might know more!"

And that Reddit link is full of interesting information.

 

[cheshire84]

Based on some quick Ancestry records searching, he has one grandchild who appears to be still alive. Given what they say in the article, maybe she's since passed away. I'm not seeing any records of him after the 1940s, though, which would track with being in a long-term care facility. Maybe he was injured during World War Two?
Edit: Never mind, she passed away in 2018.

This reminded me that everyone who cares about cold cases should know that genetic genealogists working on any "investigations" actually aren't able to use Ancestry.com records anymore for any genetic genealogy case work. Just as easy as the person above checked a record-that is how easy it used to be for genetic genealogists to access records. Now they are not allowed to use any of Ancestry.com's (or MyHeritage's) materials or products for research purposes for any law enforcement casework, and it has significantly slowed everything down. It includes everything including newspapers.com and Find a grave. No one is really talking about it because Ramapo College (The people who solved this case) had their accounts shut down so they have to do their case work with more effort...for no real reason or discussion.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

This reminded me that everyone who cares about cold cases should know that genetic genealogists working on any "investigations" actually aren't able to use Ancestry.com records anymore for any genetic genealogy case work. Just as easy as the person above checked a record-that is how easy it used to be for genetic genealogists to access records. Now they are not allowed to use any of Ancestry.com's (or MyHeritage's) materials or products for research purposes for any law enforcement casework, and it has significantly slowed everything down. It includes everything including newspapers.com and Find a grave. No one is really talking about it because Ramapo College (The people who solved this case) had their accounts shut down so they have to do their case work with more effort...for no real reason or discussion.

I heard about this. Absolute [advertiser censored]. I feel like people have no idea what genetic genealogy is actually used for.

 

[strangerthanfiction1200]

I found some information if the same person. He was born on 21-July-1894 Iowa. He has a WWI draft card, he is slender, tall, has dark brown hair and eyes are dark gray. He had two younger brothers. ELH was born in 1896.TWH was born in 1898 and died in July 1901. His first marriage was 17-April-1917 in Minnehaha, SD and I could be wrong twins. One was born 11-August-1918 and the other 12-Aug-1918. This is coming from South Dakota Birth Index. His second marriage was on 17-March-1923 in Iowa. 1920 census-Iowa, 1930-census-Colorado, 1940 census-Minnesota listed as married and a lodger, however his wife is listed as married in the 1940 and 1950 census as being a patient in the state Hospital in Minnesota. No children listed. 1945 his father passes away and he lives in California. In 1945 one of his grandchildren was born on October 6th 1945 in San Francisco and a second, a grandson Feb 8th 1947 both in San Francisco. I could not find him in the 1950 census. In 1959, his mother passes away and he is not listed but his brother ELH was in Long Beach California. 1950 census confirms this. What is strange and weird is that on 11-July-1960 a claim date was issued does not say where. "Grover Benjimen Hughes" dob July 1894. notes from 19-Jan-1978 listed as Grover Benjimen Hughes" SSI but not listed on the SSI Death Index. A clue to research? The researchers could go back to SSI to find out where he was working and maybe what hospital if the agency is paying. Due to privacy with a family on Ancestry, I put initials. I used information from public trees. Again I tried to verify the same information from three different resources.

 

[AleeB]

It's interesting with that possible match of interest and the description given. Would a man in his 70s-80s still be described has having red/auburn hair?

 

[iamshadow21]

It's interesting with that possible match of interest and the description given. Would a man in his 70s-80s still be described has having red/auburn hair?

My mum's hair is as much silver now, but is still red, if not the bright red of her youth. She'll be 74 this year, and she's never dyed it.

 

[strangerthanfiction1200]

My mum's hair is as much silver now, but is still red, if not the bright red of her youth. She'll be 74 this year, and she's never dyed it.

That is why I wrote his description from his WWI record. Could it be a mixture of red and brown depending on the genetic make-up? Thank you for responding.

 

[strangerthanfiction1200]

I can still do deep diving research if I could get some suggestions. I did do a google search with mental institutions in the area at that time period. A couple come up. Let me try bed padding and missing males in the newspapers.

 

[Laura Avery]

Seems resolved as in named, but not who the killer is or why. This is terrible, my brother was born with severe mental and physical disabilities and is of the ag where they came from era of lets put them in homes, experiment on them , send them abroad and pretend they died or were killed from exposure.
It doesn't seem that reading this chap was a lifelong issues sort of person due to the marriage and war drafting. As he had bedsores and clean feet, he obviously suffered a disability later on in life, so maybe a coma from an accident or paralysis?
Trying to look what happened to his second wife, why his children do not know anything seemingly.

 

[strangerthanfiction1200]

Thank you Laura. I agree that it happened later on in life. His second wife was in 1940 census Minneapolis Hennepin, MN married State Hospital. 1950 Rochester State Hospital Olmsted, MN-married. Grover was in Minnesota in the 1940 census as a lodger and married. He was working. Based on some deep diving research he disappears after 1945 in California when he was listed in a newspaper article when his father died. His second wife was Marie E. Christianson. Some Swedish background if that helps. His daughter was Helen Maxine Hughes-b.1918 d. 1968 (article with her death is in Newspapers.com.) I cannot find her in the 1940 census, this is why: 1936-married George Harris Fairall -1st husband, 2nd marriage Vatick-no first name married 1938. Third marriage was in 1941 in Nevada, this is where the information is private on Ancestry. Lucile was born 12-Aug-1918 in South Dakota, while Helen 11-Aug-1918. Twins? Can Helen be born close to midnight on the 11th and then Lucile on the 12th as a twin? No information on her but she has the same parents as Helen according to South Dakota Birth Index.
Some family clues: brother was in Long Beach California in the 1950 census. There are state and rehab's in this area at this time. Again, this brother is listed when their mother dies in 1959, but not Grover. Could something have happened at this time as Laura above suggested? 1945-1959.
Helen was in San Francisco where two of her children were born with her third husband Where is Lucile? If Grover was in an accident and in a coma at that time I don't think they needed ID. A John Doe?
I know this is long, but after posting without documentation, I added more information with sources. All of this is public records.

 

[Laura Avery]

Thank you Laura. I agree that it happened later on in life. His second wife was in 1940 census Minneapolis Hennepin, MN married State Hospital. 1950 Rochester State Hospital Olmsted, MN-married. Grover was in Minnesota in the 1940 census as a lodger and married. He was working. Based on some deep diving research he disappears after 1945 in California when he was listed in a newspaper article when his father died. His second wife was Marie E. Christianson. Some Swedish background if that helps. His daughter was Helen Maxine Hughes-b.1918 d. 1968 (article with her death is in Newspapers.com.) I cannot find her in the 1940 census, this is why: 1936-married George Harris Fairall -1st husband, 2nd marriage Vatick-no first name married 1938. Third marriage was in 1941 in Nevada, this is where the information is private on Ancestry. Lucile was born 12-Aug-1918 in South Dakota, while Helen 11-Aug-1918. Twins? Can Helen be born close to midnight on the 11th and then Lucile on the 12th as a twin? No information on her but she has the same parents as Helen according to South Dakota Birth Index.
Some family clues: brother was in Long Beach California in the 1950 census. There are state and rehab's in this area at this time. Again, this brother is listed when their mother dies in 1959, but not Grover. Could something have happened at this time as Laura above suggested? 1945-1959.
Helen was in San Francisco where two of her children were born with her third husband Where is Lucile? If Grover was in an accident and in a coma at that time I don't think they needed ID. A John Doe?
I know this is long, but after posting without documentation, I added more information with sources. All of this is public records.

Id be interested to find out who claimed his ss, and where from. His brother died after him, and yet there seems to be no mention from his brother in any obituaries. I do not currently have a newspapers.com sub , if anyone does it would be handy. I do however have worldwide ancestry. Is it you sweetie, who has built a family tree for him?

 

[strangerthanfiction1200]

Id be interested to find out who claimed his ss, and where from. His brother died after him, and yet there seems to be no mention from his brother in any obituaries. I do not currently have a newspapers.com sub , if anyone does it would be handy. I do however have worldwide ancestry. Is it you sweetie, who has built a family tree for him?

No, I love genealogy. I've studied true crime since the Son of Sam Case in New York in 1977. I lived through it as a middle schooler. Here is a timeline for his Wife: Catherine Robertson(maiden) Marriages:
l. Grover Hughes married 17-April-1917 Minnehaha, SD divorced according to second marriage
2. Clarence Peterson married 15-Feb-1922 Minnehaha, SD Catherine used Hughes when she married Clarence
1920 Census mistake: Catherine is listed as daughter and last name Hughes, being married, but her sisters and brothers were listed as Hughes. Impossible because the next oldest was born in 1909 and Grover and Catherine would be 15 years old. He was Iowa at the time. Check out the actual census record on Ancestry since you have worldwide. The mistake occurred when the census was taken back in 1920. It should be Robertson. Helen is mentioned as granddaughter which is correct to the head of the household. Back to Clarence he died in 1935 and was listed as a widow.
3. Now the hard part: 1942 mother dies listed in Huntington, California as Catherine Peterson, but I found a big clue with the last name Vatick. My mistake it wasn't Helen's second husband but Kathryn (notice the spelling). third husband.
SSI Index Kathryn Vatick Female DOB 2-Dec-1894 SD, death 6-May-1960 San Francisco, mother maiden Coughlin She was divorce and kept this married name. SSI was claimed 15-Nov-1956, she would have been still alive. 1945 death of Father George, still listed as Huntington Park, California. Again, no mention of her first husband. Where is he? 1945 is still a big clue. Grover's father dies on Sept. 8th, 1945, back in Iowa, last mentioned of him. A granddaughter was born on Oct. 6th, 1945, San Francisco. Catherine's father dies in 1945. WWII ends in 1945. I do not have access anymore to SSI, but if he was still working (he would have been in his 50"s) this is where I would start.
Sorry, this is long Laura, but maybe you or someone can find them in census records. I have a new laptop and still learning how to copy and paste, In the meantime, I have a subscription to Newspapers.com and started to clip articles. 1938 marriage to Vatick, haven't found it. If anyone can bring the articles here, I would appreciate it. It is under Cassandra.

 

[cheshire84]

No, I love genealogy. I've studied true crime since the Son of Sam Case in New York in 1977. I lived through it as a middle schooler. Here is a timeline for his Wife: Catherine Robertson(maiden) Marriages:
l. Grover Hughes married 17-April-1917 Minnehaha, SD divorced according to second marriage
2. Clarence Peterson married 15-Feb-1922 Minnehaha, SD Catherine used Hughes when she married Clarence
1920 Census mistake: Catherine is listed as daughter and last name Hughes, being married, but her sisters and brothers were listed as Hughes. Impossible because the next oldest was born in 1909 and Grover and Catherine would be 15 years old. He was Iowa at the time. Check out the actual census record on Ancestry since you have worldwide. The mistake occurred when the census was taken back in 1920. It should be Robertson. Helen is mentioned as granddaughter which is correct to the head of the household. Back to Clarence he died in 1935 and was listed as a widow.
3. Now the hard part: 1942 mother dies listed in Huntington, California as Catherine Peterson, but I found a big clue with the last name Vatick. My mistake it wasn't Helen's second husband but Kathryn (notice the spelling). third husband.
SSI Index Kathryn Vatick Female DOB 2-Dec-1894 SD, death 6-May-1960 San Francisco, mother maiden Coughlin She was divorce and kept this married name. SSI was claimed 15-Nov-1956, she would have been still alive. 1945 death of Father George, still listed as Huntington Park, California. Again, no mention of her first husband. Where is he? 1945 is still a big clue. Grover's father dies on Sept. 8th, 1945, back in Iowa, last mentioned of him. A granddaughter was born on Oct. 6th, 1945, San Francisco. Catherine's father dies in 1945. WWII ends in 1945. I do not have access anymore to SSI, but if he was still working (he would have been in his 50"s) this is where I would start.
Sorry, this is long Laura, but maybe you or someone can find them in census records. I have a new laptop and still learning how to copy and paste, In the meantime, I have a subscription to Newspapers.com and started to clip articles. 1938 marriage to Vatick, haven't found it. If anyone can bring the articles here, I would appreciate it. It is under Cassandra.

Unfortunately, if its coming out of newspapers.com, no one doing an "investigation" that may go to court can use any of those products anymore, due to Ancestry's and MyHeritage's terms of service-so they would have to go individually hunt most of the sources down. Which sucks, because as you can see, its so much easier to do via a database.

 

[The4TierBridge]

Unfortunately, if its coming out of newspapers.com, no one doing an "investigation" that may go to court can use any of those products anymore, due to Ancestry's and MyHeritage's terms of service-so they would have to go individually hunt most of the sources down. Which sucks, because as you can see, its so much easier to do via a database.

But if a random unconnected citizen found them on the internet and sent the actual newspaper titles or scans to the relevant investigators, that's fine

 

[cheshire84]

But if a random unconnected citizen found them on the internet and sent the actual newspaper titles or scans to the relevant investigators, that's fine

Unfortunately, it isn't. It's so stupid. You can't use any articles from newspapers.com, content from Find a Grave, the software, the databases...as well as any similar products on MyHeritage, you have to go back to the original source (which sometimes we are finding is the fiche). It is absolutely slowing down casework and it is also extremely annoying.