CA CA - Cecile Moch, 19, Santa Barbara, 7 Aug 1980

Findthemissing.org has her birthdate listed as the missing date :/ image.jpg

According to Charleyproject her car was found in the Santa Ynez Mountains after she went missing. She was student at UC Santa Barbara at the time she went missing.
 
There is a facebook page for Rolling Hills High Titans (I hope i am allowed to say that on here) that has a small amount of discussion about Cecile, a photo and an article attached with background on a place called Sunburst Farms. I also saw her birthdate in that box on namus and it was copied across to Charley project. I wasn't really sure whether i should email Santa Barbara County Police (who would probably think it was weird an Aussie emailing them) or email admin at Charley Project - both would be mega busy enough. This is the article below about the farm. There doesn't appear to be anything online on any anniversary dates etc easily accessible to anyone looking.

http://www.montecitojournal.net/archive/13/26/1185/
 
I did also find that as of May 29, 1980 she was listed as a Candidate for an associate of science degree at Santa Barbara City College. It is in PDF form on the internet when you search her name.
 
This case is curious. You would expect the disappearance of a pretty blonde college student from an affluent area (Rolling Hills) to attract more attention than it did. Sunburst Farms was essentially a cult but never had the reputation as the kind of cult that went around killing people. It was the sort where "members" toiled without compensation in order to provide their guru with an opulent lifestyle. It is unclear if Cecile was a member of the cult or just an employee of one of their businesses.
 
It is curious. she has been suggested on many different threads but never had her own. Possibly the lack of information? I keep looking to see if i can find anything, anywhere no matter how small it may appear.
 
Sunburst Farms was essentially a cult but never had the reputation as the kind of cult that went around killing people. It was the sort where "members" toiled without compensation in order to provide their guru with an opulent lifestyle. It is unclear if Cecile was a member of the cult or just an employee of one of their businesses.

I am less sure that Sunburst Farms should be discarded as relevant. There is an article from the LA Times in 1989 at http://articles.latimes.com/1989-07-10/news/mn-2633_1_early-years/4 which includes the following;

"While Paulsen initially espoused nonviolence, he grew increasingly paranoid through the 1970s. The group stockpiled thousands of rounds of ammunition and dozens of weapons, including Belgian assault rifles and M-14 military rifles. Under Paulsen's direction, a former Green Beret who lived at the commune began training members in military tactics in preparation for the collapse of society." (Paulsen was the guru), and
"During the late 1970s, as Paulsen grew increasingly incapacitated by substance abuse.........By 1980, dozens of members had been purged from the ranks and others left in anger."

It seems to me that Cecile was involved with an organisation with a dangerously unhinged leader, with the organisation in meltdown and she went missing at the height of the implosion, including it being the exact time when Sunburst were forced to sell its California property as its finances broke down. I would be amazed if this connection was not on the radar of LE and anyone else interested.
 
I'm also a member of Doe Nertwork, if I were you I would follow up on this with the police dept you submitted it to in Dec 2016. We follow up our submissions after 6 months. We also had a match for her but wil l not submit due to your submission
Ellie

Contacted both agencies today-both by phone call (talked to a live person-not voicemail).
 
Cecile Frances Moch
  • cecile_frances_moch_1.jpg
  • cecile_frances_moch_2.jpg
Moch, circa 1980

  • Missing Since08/07/1980
  • Missing FromSanta Barbara, California
  • ClassificationEndangered Missing
  • Date of Birth09/17/1960 (58)
  • Age19 years old
  • Height and Weight5'3, 100 pounds
  • Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Moch's left ear is pierced three times.
Details of Disappearance
Moch was last seen in Santa Barbara, California on August 7, 1980. She has never been heard from again.

After her disappearance, her AMC Gremlin was found abandoned in the Santa Ynez Mountains northeast of Santa Barbara. An extensive search turned up no sign of her.

Moch graduated from Rolling Hills High School in 1978. She graduated from Santa Barbara City College afterwards with an associate of science degree. At the time of her disappearance, she was attending the University of California at Santa Barbara. She had a job as a server at the Sunburst Farms Restaurant. Her case remains unsolved.
 

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