CA CA - JUDITH ANN HAKARI, 23, East Sacramento, 7 Mar 1970

[Fede]

"On March 7, 1970, Judith Ann Hakari finished her regular shift at Sutter Memorial Hospital in East Sacramento at around 11:30 PM. Before Judy left, the 23-year-old nurse called her fiance, Raymond Willis, to let him know she was on her way home. They planned to meet at Hakari’s apartment at 1720 Markston Way around midnight that evening". She dissapeared. Her body was found on April 25th.
Her murder has been related with the Nancy Bennallack one.
Here is a really well detailed account of the cases:
The Bride-to-Be Murders, Part I: Who Killed Judy Hakari? - Pretty Death Seller

 

[Fede]

Here is more info: Judith Hakari, Nancy Bennallack, Carol Hilburn

 

[Fede]

One thing that amazes me is this testimony: "Detectives stated that on March 13th 1970 (six days after her disappearance), the owner of the land where Judith Hakari was eventually discovered, noticed three sharply-dressed men in their late 20s at the site, with the trunk of their vehicle open and digging into the ground. Their lame excuse of digging for bottles, while suspiciously closing the trunk of their vehicle, seemed sinister. There is very good reason to believe these three men were involved in the murder and disposal of Judith Hakari. At the very least, one murderer and two accomplices after the fact. With little to go on after 50 years, an examination of the abduction and burial site can reveal so much about this crime."


Taken from here: THE MURDER OF JUDITH HAKARI

 

[madamx]

Bump

 

[Richard]

Victim: Judith Hakari
Location: Sacramento County
Date of Occurrence: March 7, 1970

Synopsis:

Judith Hakari was a 23 year old nurse at Sutter Memorial Hospital in Sacramento. Judith was last seen leaving work on March 7, 1970 at 11:30p.m. Judith never made it to her apartment. Her vehicle was found in her apartment complex parking lot at Alta Arden and Markston Way. It is believed she was abducted from the parking lot. On April 25, 1970 Judith's body was discovered by hikers in a shallow grave in a rural area near Weimar in Placer County approximately 40 miles from her residence. Judith was murdered and her body left in this remote area.

 

[emvdp]

You know who else was digging for old bottles? The men who reported finding the remains of Cosette Ellison in 1971 in the foothills of Mt. Diablo. Unless this is some kooky 70s craze that I haven’t heard of…

One thing that amazes me is this testimony: "Detectives stated that on March 13th 1970 (six days after her disappearance), the owner of the land where Judith Hakari was eventually discovered, noticed three sharply-dressed men in their late 20s at the site, with the trunk of their vehicle open and digging into the ground. Their lame excuse of digging for bottles, while suspiciously closing the trunk of their vehicle, seemed sinister. There is very good reason to believe these three men were involved in the murder and disposal of Judith Hakari. At the very least, one murderer and two accomplices after the fact. With little to go on after 50 years, an examination of the abduction and burial site can reveal so much about this crime."


Taken from here: THE MURDER OF JUDITH HAKARI

 

[madamx]

You know who else was digging for old bottles? The men who reported finding the remains of Cosette Ellison in 1971 in the foothills of Mt. Diablo. Unless this is some kooky 70s craze that I haven’t heard of…

oh that is really interesting. Could they have been the same me with the digging for bottles excuse. That is odd. Just for the record I haven’t heard about that either!

 

[morf13]

Bump..Anyone here an expert on the Hakari case, or done a lot of research?

 

[Beccalicious]

Bumping

 

[madamx]

One thing that amazes me is this testimony: "Detectives stated that on March 13th 1970 (six days after her disappearance), the owner of the land where Judith Hakari was eventually discovered, noticed three sharply-dressed men in their late 20s at the site, with the trunk of their vehicle open and digging into the ground. Their lame excuse of digging for bottles, while suspiciously closing the trunk of their vehicle, seemed sinister. There is very good reason to believe these three men were involved in the murder and disposal of Judith Hakari. At the very least, one murderer and two accomplices after the fact. With little to go on after 50 years, an examination of the abduction and burial site can reveal so much about this crime."


Taken from here: THE MURDER OF JUDITH HAKARI

So there are 3 guys suspiciously digging for bottles on This guys land so Iam assuming it’s “private property and he does not get a plate number or make or color of car? Iam confused here.

 

[dotr]

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/nurse-killing-sacramento-goes-unsolved-18598341.php

By Katie Dowd Jan 15, 2024

''If her killer is out there, the opportunity for justice is beginning to run out. Assuming Judy’s assailant was about her own age, he would be in his late 70s or early 80s now. ''

 

[Warwick1991]

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/nurse-killing-sacramento-goes-unsolved-18598341.php

By Katie Dowd Jan 15, 2024
View attachment 474897
''If her killer is out there, the opportunity for justice is beginning to run out. Assuming Judy’s assailant was about her own age, he would be in his late 70s or early 80s now. ''
View attachment 474899

I hope LE is testing evidence for DNA. Perhaps the sweatshirt or the towel strips can yield some usable DNA.

 

[Richard]

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/nurse-killing-sacramento-goes-unsolved-18598341.php

By Katie Dowd Jan 15, 2024
View attachment 474897
''If her killer is out there, the opportunity for justice is beginning to run out. Assuming Judy’s assailant was about her own age, he would be in his late 70s or early 80s now. ''
View attachment 474899

The above article mentions in passing another then unsolved murder - possibly related - that of Nancy Bennallack. In 2022, a suspect in her murder was named through DNA testing of evidence. He was Richard John Davis. Here is an article which discusses it:

Nancy Bennallack Murder: How Did Richard John Davis Die?

Investigation Discovery’s ‘On the Case With Paula Zahn: Follow the Blood’ chronicles how 28-year-old court reporter Nancy Bennallack was brutally murdered inside her apartment in Sacramento County, California, in October 1970. The case went cold for almost five decades before the authorities...

thecinemaholic.com

 

[madamx]

The above article mentions in passing another then unsolved murder - possibly related - that of Nancy Bennallack. In 2022, a suspect in her murder was named through DNA testing of evidence. He was Richard John Davis. Here is an article which discusses it:

Nancy Bennallack Murder: How Did Richard John Davis Die?

Investigation Discovery’s ‘On the Case With Paula Zahn: Follow the Blood’ chronicles how 28-year-old court reporter Nancy Bennallack was brutally murdered inside her apartment in Sacramento County, California, in October 1970. The case went cold for almost five decades before the authorities...

thecinemaholic.com

Wow I just read it. thanks for posting this great and detailed article.

 

[Markybug]

3 men seems strange for a "random killing"? also using a identifiable laundry bag and leaving a sweatshirt under the body?

 

[Richard]

Bumping this thread up.

 

[dotr]

Murders - Hakari, Bennallack, Hilburn

Clipping found in The Sacramento Bee published in Sacramento, California on 1/1/1971. Murders - Hakari, Bennallack, Hilburn

www.newspapers.com

The Sacramento Bee​

Sacramento, California • Fri, Jan 1, 1971Page 43

 

[kemo]

The murders of these three women plus the murder of Donna Lass (South Lake Tahoe Sept 9, 1970) were similar to the extent that they were sexually related murders of young woman in the same geographic area in the same year that remained unsolved for many years. There was speculation that they were related and even the Zodiac and Joseph DeAngelo (the Golden State Killer) have been suggested as suspects.

The Bennallack murder has recently been solved through Genetic Genealogy. The killer, Marc Davis, who died in 1997 lived in her Apartment complex but had no known ties to the other women. Bennallack was murdered in her apartment where her body was found while Lass and Hakari were abducted from outside their apartments and their bodies were dumped miles away. Hilburn was not from Sacramento and said to be “partying with some bikers” when she vanished. Hakari and Bennallack lived very close to each other while Lass lived 40 miles away.

The sexual related murders of young woman, as crime in general, was much more prevalent in the 1970’s than it is now and forensic tools that are now used were not available. Unless some DNA is recovered from whatever evidence is still available, these remaining case will probably not be solved.

 

[snooptroop88]

The murders of these three women plus the murder of Donna Lass (South Lake Tahoe Sept 9, 1970) were similar to the extent that they were sexually related murders of young woman in the same geographic area in the same year that remained unsolved for many years. There was speculation that they were related and even the Zodiac and Joseph DeAngelo (the Golden State Killer) have been suggested as suspects.

The Bennallack murder has recently been solved through Genetic Genealogy. The killer, Marc Davis, who died in 1997 lived in her Apartment complex but had no known ties to the other women. Bennallack was murdered in her apartment where her body was found while Lass and Hakari were abducted from outside their apartments and their bodies were dumped miles away. Hilburn was not from Sacramento and said to be “partying with some bikers” when she vanished. Hakari and Bennallack lived very close to each other while Lass lived 40 miles away.

The sexual related murders of young woman, as crime in general, was much more prevalent in the 1970’s than it is now and forensic tools that are now used were not available. Unless some DNA is recovered from whatever evidence is still available, these remaining case will probably not be solved.

Think Judy's quite possibly a Zodiac victim, jmo I think Zodiac is obsessed with Eastern/Asian culture and Judy's surname "Hakari" might have fascinated him because it is a word in Japanese and he may have assumed she had some Asian background. In Japanese, the word relates to weighing, balance, and scales. Also jmo think Zodiac has strong ties to the Sacramento area and was employed for a very lengthy time in academia. Think the two sketches to the right in the above post (far-right is the bearded sketch)-- think two of those sketches may actually be the same perp. The bearded perp may have been the one spotted looking for "Judith" at the hospital. That bearded sketch looks similar enough to the one juxtaposed to it that I think that's the same man, and he is disguised in one or both of these points when spotted (likely the third one with the beard is the disguise and the second is what he actually looks like, but jmo). Judy had recently gotten engaged and the couple had gotten photos done for the Sacramento Bee, one of the publications Zodiac (arguably) may have communicated with. I don't think those photos had run in the Bee before her murder, but nonetheless find it interesting.

Depending on the source, I'm seeing Judy attended American River Junior College for a time, and also Sacramento State. It would be my guess Zodiac caught sight of her somehow at one of these locations, perhaps. Have thought for a while now he was in academia & also think he has some sort of connections in Sacramento. Perhaps he worked there. That would make sense with the canvas bag they found, the one they linked to a school district.