CA CA - Leona Roberts, 16, Rodeo, 10 Dec 1969

[Steph54]

On Wednesday, 10 December 1969, 16-year-old Leona Larell Roberts worked her first day at a part-time job at the White Front Discount Store in Pleasant Hill. After her 1-5 p.m. shift, she drove to her boyfriend's apartment (749 Tormey Ave., Rodeo) where she planned to cook him dinner. At the time, Leona attended K's American Beauty College in Napa, where she also lived with her mother. Within 15 minutes of arriving at her boyfriend's apartment, a neighbor heard a girl scream. The neighbor called the sheriff and soon after heard someone running down the stairs at the back of the apartment house followed by the slam of a door from the direction of the downstairs apartment where Leona's boyfriend lived. When the boyfriend arrived, he saw Leona's red VW out front but did not find her inside the apartment. The apartment was dark and the back door was unlocked. He noticed scuff marks on the wall near the back door. He found that a pair of his pants had been removed from the bedroom closet and left on the living room couch, the belt missing. He noticed Leona's work smock crumpled on the couch. A sheriff's deputy arrived 30 minutes after the call. Another neighbor told the deputy of seeing a white male, about 25 years old, short blonde hair, acting suspicious. He walked several times from the front door to the rear of a blue station wagon before driving away.

On 28 December 1969, a man searching for driftwood on the beach at Bolinas Lagoon in Marin County found the nude body of Leona Roberts. It was later determined that a unique wristwatch was missing from the girl's wrist, but a Napa High School class ring given to her by a neighbor still remained on her finger. The tan dress she wore when last seen, along with two pairs of bell-bottomed pants, a blouse, a black purse and wallet, a key chain with car and house keys were also reported missing. There were marks on the wrists and ankles indicative of binding, but the coroner was unsure whether they occurred before or after death. The cause of death was reported as "due to viral infection of an unidentified species." It was also reported that there was "evidence of choking which could probably be linked to the virus." The coroner estimated that she had been dead 4-7 days (December 21-24) prior to recovery, and he theorized that she had been alive 10-14 days after her abduction. Articles reported the coroner's theory that Leona had been kept bound for a period of time, died as a result of the viral infection, and was disposed of by her abductor(s). Pathological and toxicological tests did not find any drugs or alcohol in her system.

Law enforcement agencies in Contra Costa, Marin and Napa all investigated the case in the initial days of her disappearance. Articles mentioned the recent abduction of 17-year-old Elaine Louise Davis from her Walnut Creek residence on 1 December 1969, her body later found 19 December 1969 near Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz. Articles at the time stated that there was no indication that the Roberts or Davis cases were connected to the recent Zodiac activity. Author Robert Graysmith lists Leona Roberts as possible Zodiac victim #10 in his 1986 book. More information on the Roberts case can be found on Zodiac websites.

 

[Fede]

Here she is mentioned as a possible Zodiac victim. And there is the testimony of aperson that knew her from school. Maybe that is useful to know more of her background:
Recalling brutal murderer brings chilling memories – East Bay Times

 

[Fede]

Here is more info and it also cites steph54 ´s post: THE MURDER OF LEONA ROBERTS - A POSSIBLE EIGHTH VICTIM?

 

[Richard]

Here is a link to a site which mentions the murder of Leona Roberts:

THE MURDER OF ELAINE DAVIS

 

[kemo]

Elaine Davis 17, was a abducted from in front of her house in Walnut Creek. Ca, December 1, 1969. Her body was found in the ocean near Santa Cruz.

Leona Roberts 16, was abducted from her boyfriends apartment in Rodeo December 10, 1969. She had just driven from her job in Pleasant Hill Ca. Her body was found in Bolinas Lagoon, 20 miles away.


Cosset Ellison 15 Abducted March 3 1970 from the driveway of her Caynon dr home in Moraga Ca, after being dropped off by the school bus. Here body was found off Morgan Canyon road 10 miles away.almost year later.


Patricia King 24 was abducted on her way from a night school class to her car on the campus of Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Ca on March 5 1970. Her body was found near the football stadium on campus.

If the possibility that Leona Roberts was followed from her place of employment is considered, all four women were abducted from a relatively small geographic area in a two month period. The abductions were very similar. Three involve the victim walking to or from transportation.
Elaine Davis was known to sit and smoke in her parents yard at a place that was visible from the street.

At the time, since each abduction was investigated by a different agency and there were delays in the recovery and identification of the bodies, it is doubtful that a serial killer was ever considered. Now, it appears they are related. There are a number of known serial killers that operated in Central Contra Costa County in the 70’s and a number of unsolved murders of young women that appear to be sexually motivated but none show obvious similarities to these.

I think it is very possible that one guy killed 4 women 50 years ago, and then stopped and went on to live his life. If he is still alive, he is an old man. There is no known forensic evidence so these will probably remain unsolved.