CA CA - Clyda Delaney, 24, & Nancy Warren, 64, Mendocino Co, 13 Oct 1968

[burblestein]

I compose these posts offline. When I transfer them on WS, spacing goes weird, and I have to fix it. Therefore, it is handier to break these long posts down. No worry about me supplying sources. I spent 8 years sourcing every word I wrote in Wikipedia.

 

[burblestein]

The TV program the Dulaney family supposedly watched the night of 13 October was reportedly "The Wonderful World of Disney." An online check of the Ukiah newspaper doesn't show it listed in the TV guide. Wikipedia reports the program began under that name the year after the murders, being previously entitled "The Wonderful World of Color".

 

[burblestein]

As for the other theory of this murder, death by Mansonites, I have eliminated one possibility. Susan Atkins gave birth the week before the Dulaney/Warren murders. She was reportedly recuperating in Southern California, at the Fountain of the World. I am scavenging for info on exactly which Family members may have been in Mendoland on 13 October 1968.

 

[burblestein]

No links for posts # 22 & 23. These facts were gathered from books about Manson family.

 

[burblestein]

Clip shows a Disney show was on at 7:30 PM and lasting an hour.

Ukiah Daily Journal, 11 October 1968: https://www.newspapers.com/image/1212626

 

[burblestein]

I found an interview with Clyda's oldest son, in which he shares memories of the murder and its aftermath. I am still amazed by his presence of mind and courage.

http://www.mansonblog.com/2012/10/a-conversation-with-johnny-ussery-then.html

He does not seem to suspect the Mansonites as the murderer(s). He suspects Don Dulaney.

 

[burblestein]

Information about the Manson Family's presence in Mendocino County tends to be centered on their bust there for the felonies of marijuana and LSD-25 possession, which occurred 22 June 1968.

The first mention of Manson or followers in Mendocino County is in “Squeaky” by Jess Bravin. He reports Manson's recruitment of 14 year old Ruth Ann Moorehouse in northern Mendo County at Leggett on 28 July 1967. Charles Manson was arrested for interfering with a deputy. He caught a 30 day suspended sentence. p. 65.

“Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson” by Jeff Guinn reports that in their early days in the county, the Family camped near the town of Mendocino. They called themselves The Trolls. They wore out their welcome by messily strewing trash about their campsite, and moved on. pp. 103-104.

In June 1968, Manson Family members were staying in Philo in Mendo County. The night of the 21[SUP]st[/SUP], someone in their party dosed a 17 year old boy with LSD-25. His indignant mother called the Sheriff; the Family was arrested on the 22[SUP]nd[/SUP].Rounded up were Susan Atkins, Mary Brunner, Stephanie Gale Rowe (alias Suzanne Scott), Ella Jo Bailey (alias Ella Beth Snider/Sinder), and Patricia Krenwinkel (alias Cathran Patricia Smith). Also arrested were three young 18 year old males who seemed not to be Family members—Donald Blake, Robert Michael Bomse, and Larry Wilhite. Ukiah Daily Journal, 24 June 1968.

In addition to promoting drug use, the Family women had been promiscuous with the younger male locals while denying their favors to older men in the community. While the arrestees were jailed, their bus, residence and clothing were vandalized by these resentful would-be swains, according to author Bravin.

On 30 August 1968, the arrested Manson women were sentenced to 60 days in jail and a 3 year suspended sentence. Interestingly enough, the court clerk's filing date for the Order of Probation is Friday, 11 October 1968. Make of that what you will. (Probation report courtesy of Mansonblog.com.)

One of the “Anderson Valley Advertiser” articles I read mentioned a widespread Mendocino rumor that Clyda and Nancy were murdered as retribution for Highway Patrolman Don Dulaney (Clyda's husband) pulling over and ticketing a carload of Mansonites while removing an infant from the car. http://theava.com/archives/35333

The murder occurred on Sunday, 13 October 1968. In “Helter Skelter”, Bugliosi states several Family members were in Ukiah during the murders. He also mentions that two days post-murder, Manson abruptly moved the Family from Spahn Ranch out into Death Valley. p. 475.

I also perused “The Family” by Ed Sanders. He begins by reversing the identities of Clyda and Nancy. p. 83. After that glitch, it's difficult to take him seriously about the Mendocino murders. For instance, he claims two of the killers convicted in the Tate-LaBianca murders were in Mendocino during those murders. But—no names. He also vapors on about other Mansonites who were supposedly in Mendocino when Clyda and Susan were killed, but doesn't supply dates. Not much help. Too vague.

Because Clyda and Nancy were murdered on a Sunday, the news will probably be of legal hearings in the week prior to the double murder. The dates of that week are 7 – 11 October 1968.

So the challenge is, Which Manson Family members were in Mendocino County when Clyda Dulaney and Nancy Warren were murdered near Ukiah on 13 October 1968? How about it, Websleuthers?

 

[burblestein]

The "revenge for a traffic stop" tale fails in many ways as told. The most obvious error is the removal of the infant from the Family. It is well and widely documented that Valentine Michael Smith (since renamed) was the infant accompanying the Mansonites in the Mendocino excursion. It is just as thoroughly documented that baby Valentine was removed from the Family as a result of the Philo drug bust. Thus it is that the traffic stop rumor reported in the AVA is dismissed as a lie.

However, there may be a kernel of truth in this garbled gossip. The California Highway Patrol aided the Mendocino Sheriff's Office in the Philo drug bust. If Sergeant Don Dulaney was on this raid, he very well may have been in charge as the highest ranking cop there. This could attract heightened attention from the arrestees, and increased animus from them.

 

[burblestein]

I might add, that despite Johnny Ussery Jr.'s suspicions, there is no evidence that Don Dulaney murdered Clyda and Nancy. The blood under Nancy's fingernails was a different type than Dulaney's. An investigator checked his financials, and could find no evidence of payment to a hitman. With both physical and financial evidence ruling him out, Dulaney can be tentatively cleared of suspicion.

And for you CSI fans--Nancy's blood samples have deteriorated and cannot be used for DNA testing.

 

[burblestein]

As related above, five of the Manson women were arrested on 22 June 1968, along with three men. We shall begin a chronological log of the case by calling this Day 1. I might mention that by now the five hippie women were being referred to as the Witches of Mendocino.

On 2 July (Day 11), they were released and re-arrested on a superseding indictment. This new corrected indictment severed the three 18-year-old men from the charges.

The five women were tried en bloc. Because the public defender could not defend them all simultaneously, local attorneys were appointed in their defense. Any variation that happened Witches of Mendocino vs. Mendocino County individual defenses during legal proceedings seem to have been sparked by these lawyers.

On 30 July 1968 (Day 39), Ella Jo Bailey (under the alias of Ella Beth Sinder) was released on her OR; she promised to return on 1 August.

On 16 August 1968 (Day 56), Stephanie Rowe (Suzanne Scott), Patricia Krenwinkle (Cathran Patricia Smith), and Susan Atkins (Sadie Mae Glutz) were released on OR; their court date was set as 10 September 1968.

There is no mention of Mary Brunner being ORed. However, the document collection seems incomplete, and she may also have been ORed.

As there were no warrants issued, it seems apparent the Witches kept their court date.

On 19 August 1968 (Day 59), Krenwinkle's lawyer filed a motion to suppress evidence. On 21 August (Day 61), the prosecution had subpoenas served, in preparation for trial. Meanwhile, jury selection was tentatively set for 23 August (Day 63).

The case was in court again on 30 August 1968 (Day 70). Atkins' probation report failed to uncover her criminal past. She pled guilty, and was sentenced to 60 days jail time and 3 years probation.

The case was finally settled on 6 September 1968 (Day 77), just four days before a scheduled four-day trial. All the women received 60 day sentences, with credit for 63 days served. How that was calculated baffles me—thus the day count. At any rate, no one was sentenced to 90 days, although that false fact is widely bruited about. I believe this present WS listing may be the only source that is correct, as the 60 day sentence is proven by court documents instead of false news reports.

The Witches were released on probation.Atkins, at least, did not pay any attention to her probation rules and had a no-bail warrant issued for her arrest.

I realize that MSM is favored for these reports. However, in my emails with Mansonblog.com, I have established they are a fact checked blog. Nevertheless, I only depended on the court documents they have so helpfully posted at http://www.mansonblog.com/2014/10/the-witches-of-mendocino-court-files.html.

So then, five Mansonites were in Mendocino County just 38 days before the murders.

 

[burblestein]

While I have been combing through Manson bumf, I have also been brooding about the actual crime location.

If the reader recalls, a hard driving rain washed out a great deal of the outside portion of the crime scene. With little scientific evidence to go upon, we are left surmising the chain of events that ended in two garroted women.

Let's begin with the physical location. The Nancy's Antiques shop was on the west side of Highway 101, in an open rural setting, with the two residential trailers behind it. It was located somewhere on a flat strip of land between Burke Hill Rd and Highway 101, before a ridge arises between the two roads, as can be seen here: https://www.google.com/maps/place/R...79cb7651b69e28e!8m2!3d39.0794702!4d-123.18355.

If you were standing on Burke Hill Road today, the view looks so:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/R...79cb7651b69e28e!8m2!3d39.0794702!4d-123.18355. No sign remains of Nancy's shop and trailers.

My vague memory, dating from the late 80s, tells me a huge Quonset hut was Nancy's old shop—but I wouldn't bet money on that. At any rate, the trailers were not easily seen from Highway 101 as they were screened from view.

There is no mention of anyone tinkering with the shop. The assailant(s) apparently bypassed it to go behind it to the trailers, if they came in from Route101.

Why would Clyda, 8 months pregnant, emerge from her trailer? If she sensed any danger, wouldn't she have locked the door and prepared to protect her sleeping children?

Noted in the sources listed above is the info that Nancy had a pet dachshund. If the assassin(s) began their rampage by entering Nancy's trailer, the dog would have set up a ruckus. That racket could have brought Clyda out of her trailer togo next door to investigate. The children seemed to have slept through any racket. At any rate, the pregnant mother was found beaten and throttled outside, in between the trailers.

This leads to the query, Were both victims severely beaten and strangled to death at the same time? It seems likely, unless Nancy was murdered rapidly. So, just how numerous was the murder party?

The entire situation seems to mitigate against a single assailant. It also showed no sign of theft. The investigator went so far as to track an unaccounted for jewelry box from Nancy's trailer; he found an overlooked sales slip for it.

There is an old homicide maxim that murder is motivated by greed, sex, or rage. With neither theft nor sexual assault noted at the crime scene, rage is left. But rage at what or whom?

Note: this post is a further interpretation of previously noted sources.

 

[burblestein]

Having ferreted out the name of a CHP sergeant who purportedly investigated these murders, I sent him a letter on Saturday and held my breath. Retired Sergeant EOC is 83 years old; also, it's a bit peculiar that he, rather than a Sheriff's detective, was the investigating officer.

Prompt reply today came from a heartily aware gentleman. It seems that he had transferred to Sonoma County in 1966, two years prior to these homicides; thus he did not work this case. He did tell me that the CHP suspected Dulaney of the murders. For the Highway Patrol to suspect its own is some pretty heavy suspicion.

I did mention the both the wrong blood type under Nancy's fingernails, and the fruitless financial check for a contract murder payoff, as possible proof of Dulaney's innocence. EOC made no response.

Source of the tip: The Anderson Valley Advertiser, 25 September 2014. No link available.

 

[burblestein]

Reconstituting an ancient case from scanty sources can lead to some grievous error, as I am about to show.

Mansonblog.com (http://www.mansonblog.com/search/label/Clyda Dulaney) shows the location of the murder as further south than I had calculated, as I measured distance from the county courthouse in central Ukiah. I contacted the ever helpful Deb S. at the blog, and she told me she verified the location of Nancy's Antiques via a public records search at the courthouse. It seems the site is south of Burke Hill, not north. Hence I will serve up the correct location to WSers, while serving a tasty portion of crow to myself.

Street view of the actual location: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.053...4!1sqBhdYvplAPoUmIfcgobShg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656.

And a map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/S...e39f7e1110e73!8m2!3d39.0535801!4d-123.1575312

 

[burblestein]

I just may have located a participant in the "Witches of Mendocino" bust of the Mansonites. Time for a discreet inquiry.

 

[Catch2266]

Great info, I really enjoyed reading all your hard work. Looking forward to more [emoji6]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[burblestein]

I freelanced an article to the Ukiah Daily Journal on the murders. It was aimed at running on the anniversary date, but some much hotter news pushed it off the anniversary. Nevertheless, it did run unexpectedly, and I am trying to get a clip of it.

Johnny Ussery Jr. has contacted me. We have had to suspend our discussion while he moves.

 

[Betty P]

I just read up on this cold case while reading your posts, burblestein, on the case of Barbara Stroud. Excellent work! Have your heard again from Johnny? It would be great if he could see this case re-opened. Thanks!

 

[indicajane]

OT:
Since whenever there is a book/tv show about cults and cult leaders they always toss pictures of Manson and Jim Jones in the intro...I had no idea they basically, at one moment in time, intersected in Ukiah, Ca.
The timing is so weird, not that they were involved, but the People’s Temple was all UP in Mendocino county then. Survivors are still there. Tim Stoen would have been an attorney, I don’t recall when he became DA...


Edited to add: I can’t imagine there is any connection.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Betty P]

OT:
Since whenever there is a book/tv show about cults and cult leaders they always toss pictures of Manson and Jim Jones in the intro...I had no idea they basically, at one moment in time, intersected in Ukiah, Ca.
The timing is so weird, not that they were involved, but the People’s Temple was all UP in Mendocino county then. Survivors are still there. Tim Stoen would have been an attorney, I don’t recall when he became DA...


Edited to add: I can’t imagine there is any connection.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's a perplexing case, for sure.

Jim Jones was crazy an evil, but were followers of his known to roam around committing crimes in the communities where they lived? Manson's followers were pretty notorious for that.

Clyda and her mother were both killed outside of their homes, at night when both wearing same clothes they had worn that day. Did something lure them outside? Someone causing a disturbance or asking for help? Since they were both outside, it seems likely there had to be more than one person to help control 2 women. If one of the women was attacked and the other heard and came out to her rescue, it seems a second attacker would have been needed to stop her.

It could have been done with a gun, but no gun was used in this crime. They were beaten, then strangled with the boot laces.

Had to have been more than one person at the scene doing something that would convince them to come outside their homes.

 

[burblestein]

Actually, if you read carefully, you will discover that while Clyda was murdered outside, Nancy was found in her trailer.

Not that that scotches the two attackers theory.