Found Deceased CA - Ronald Cole, 19, Fillmore, 1 May 1965 - remains found October 1966, identified January 2026

[The4TierBridge]

Identified by DNA as #UP51281, a human skeleton recovered near Geneseo, Henry County, Illinois, on October 27, 1966. COD was gunshot wound at base of skull.

1966 skeletal remains in Geneseo identified as missing California teen

Sixty years after his remains were found in Illinois, investigators have identified “Geneseo John Doe” as Ronald Joe Cole, a California teen missing since 1965.

www.wqad.com

 

[Rikissa]

As the link in post #21 is not available for European viewers, here's another link:

60 years later: Geneseo ’John Doe’ identified as missing California man

Deputies said the John Doe was identified as 19-year-old Ronald J. Cole who has been missing from Filmore, California since 1965.

www.kwqc.com

 

[iamshadow21]

Identified by DNA as #UP51281, a human skeleton recovered near Geneseo, Henry County, Illinois, on October 27, 1966. COD was gunshot wound at base of skull.

View attachment 637207View attachment 637208

1966 skeletal remains in Geneseo identified as missing California teen

Sixty years after his remains were found in Illinois, investigators have identified “Geneseo John Doe” as Ronald Joe Cole, a California teen missing since 1965.

www.wqad.com

They really did such a good job with the recon. It looks just like him.

Sleep well, Ronald.

 

[Rikissa]

His thread in the "Unidentified":

IL Post in thread 'IL - Henry Co., WhtMale 16-25, UP51281, near Cat/Oak Creek bridge, bullet hole to back of head, Oct 1966 - Ronald Joe Cole'

Yesterday at 12:14 PM

Geneseo John Doe 1966 | DNA Doe Project

dnadoeproject.org

Identified as 19-year-old Ronald Joe Cole of California

• victoriarobinson642

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[summergirl1]

I'm not surprised his half brother was never charged with killing him back then, as there was no known body. But why wasn't his half brother, David LaFever, not ever charged with killing his wife's Margaret's brother!?

I also wonder why his body was found so faraway. His half brother had known connections to Indianapolis, but not Illinois. Of course, disposing of a body faraway lessens the chance of a correct identification, especially back in the day. Still, that's a long distance to transport a body if Ronald was killed in California. His body was indeed by a creek, as David LaFever claimed to a family member (that's mentioned in an earlier post on this thread), just not the much more obvious one near Fillmore, CA that David mentioned.

 

[faithx]

Press release from the Ventura County Sheriff's Office:

Missing Person / Cold Case Update from Ventura County Sheriff's Office : Nixle

Nature of Incident: Missing Person / Cold Case Update Report Number: 84- 52993 Location: 400 Block of Foothill Drive, Fillmore Date & ...

nixle.us

Interview with Matthew Waterfield from the DNA Doe Project:

 

[faithx]

I'm not surprised his half brother was never charged with killing him back then, as there was no known body. But why wasn't his half brother, David LaFever, not ever charged with killing his wife's Margaret's brother!?

I also wonder why his body was found so faraway. His half brother had known connections to Indianapolis, but not Illinois. Of course, disposing of a body faraway lessens the chance of a correct identification, especially back in the day. Still, that's a long distance to transport a body if Ronald was killed in California. His body was indeed by a creek, as David LaFever claimed to a family member (that's mentioned in an earlier post on this thread), just not the much more obvious one near Fillmore, CA that David mentioned.

In the interview I posted above, Matthew Waterfield mentioned that Ronald's parents had lived in the Indianapolis area. I wonder if Ronald and David were traveling to Indianapolis to visit family members when the murder occurred.

 

[summergirl1]

October 6, 1984 The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana · Page 1

[FONT=&amp]From ORC Text

Ex-resident tied to brutal slayings
[/FONT]

The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana

On his now closed Doe thread, someone mentioned the way Ronald was killed (this was before he was identified), made them think of organized crime. Specifically, they mentioned the bullet hole at the base of his skull. Thinking about that, it's interesting his half brother claimed to be a hit man, and involved in organized crime. The killing of the LaSalle trio in Indianapolis, though, that he was suspected of possibly being involved with, did not involve them being shot.

 

[summergirl1]

What a sad case. I'm overwhelmed by the story told above and don't understand how these monsters managed to allegedly kidnap(?) children to abuse or possibly be responsible for RC's disappearance. Allegedly bragging about it but never revealing his whereabouts nor being charged.

RC was only 19 and seemingly just wanted to find work and begin his adult life. His NamUs profile:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

That's a good summary of this case, although it is now proven David LaFever did indeed kill him.

 

[snooptroop88]

Early 1965 - Ronald Joe Cole born 21st September 1945, had left his home in San Diego to stay with his half brother David Arthur LaFever in Fillmore CA while he looked for a job.
He was last seen at his home in Fillmore CA on 1st May 1965.


1977/1978 - Margaret LaFever`s brother Jon Brian Skaggs (born May 15th 1957,Indianapolis) disappears Sacramento area.



September 17th 1983-

A 12 year old girl was arrested in Indiana for alledgedly stealing a car. She claimed to Law Enforcement that her parents sent her back there because she had been telling her story of being abused.
She reported that she had been taken out of school sometime prior.Her parents claimed she had mental health problems after she spoke of her abuse to classmates labelling her parents "freaks".
Once removed from school she would be kept at the couples Glen Canyon Gift Shop business near Page.The girl was rarely allowed out and on one occasion when she was, she told her story to a Park Ranger. Again the parents played it down and subsequently moved from Greenlake Caravan Park near Lake Powell where they had lived since 1979 after moving from the house on Stockton Boulevard in Galt (where the body of Jon Brian Skaggs was soon to be found), to Bigwater in the summer of 1983.The girl also made claims about her grandfather and her uncle.(Possibly Skaggs)

Later that day the LaFevers were arrested in Bigwater. Police seized pornographic images of the girl with an adult male strongly suspected to be David Arthur LaFever. Some of the images were found to be taken in the gift shop and it was suspected that the photographer was Margaret LaFever.Other images and paraphernalia were also recovered.
The family was found to be living in two big trailers plus a 3rd that their boys stayed in.They had four boys and two girls aged 4 to 14. Blood testing showed at least two of the children were not genetically related to the LaFevers.The birth certificate the LaFevers provided for the 12 year old girl indicated she was one of a pair of twins born in Colorado but according to Chief Deputy Coconino County Attorney Terry Hance,"there is no record of twins.Only one birth.I don`t know how they came by the child".
The 12 year old victim of the case was committed to a Utah psychiatric hospital shortly after this. The other LaFever children were placed into foster homes.


The discovery of Jon Brian Skaggs - July 10th 1984

Jon Brian Skaggs brother of Margaret Nadine Skaggs LaFever (born 17th February 1950) .He had been living in Sacramento at the time but not with the LaFevers according to Sacramento Sheriff`s Lt. Ray Biondi.Biondi added "Investigators believe he was killed in 1978"
His skeletal remains were found buried in a 7.5 foot garbage pit in the back yard of the property formerly rented by the LaFevers in Galt.
Law Enforcement had received a tip from someone in custody in another state between 9 and 12 months previously saying Skaggs was dead and giving the location of the body.He was identified by dental charts and was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head.No motive for the killing was revealed although officials said it may have had something to do with another molestation case.A photograph of Skaggs was found among sexually explicit images involving children. The LaFevers became prime suspects when the Galt body was identified to be Skaggs.


1984 - Police begin to probe connections between LaFever and his missing half brother Ronald Joe Cole.

LaFever had apparently boasted to family members that he had killed Cole. Cole`s sister (possibly Peggy Leigh Cole) told investigating officers that LaFever claimed to have buried Ronald Cole in Sespe Creek north of Fillmore CA.



Tuesday,2nd July,1985- Coconino County Superior County Court-

David LaFever pleads guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor.
Margaret LaFever pleads guilty to facilitation of exploitation of a minor.
Both entered their pleas under the Alford Plea,meaning that while they maintain they are innocent,they believed they would have likely been convicted had they been tried.The plea bargain was made in order that some other unspecified charges would be dropped.Deputy County Attorney Fred Newton said the charges were dropped to save the victim the trauma of testifying. David LaFever responded the girl was not telling the truth because of her psychological problems which he was not responsible for. Newton was quick to refute this and pointed out that David LaFever was about to send her to a friend,saying "she would do what he wanted".Newton said the girl had been "continually exploited".
Judge Jeffrey Coker remarked of the photographs of the victim featuring David LaFever and taken by Margaret LaFever. "What a terrible tragedy occurred to this child" He told Margaret LaFever "There is no question in my mind that the girl is telling the truth.There is no doubt in my mind that the damage was caused by you and Mr LaFever"

Judge Coker sentenced David Arthur LaFever to 14 years in state prison and Margaret LaFever to 1.875 years. The maximum sentences available to him.


According to an L.A times article dated Monday August 20th 1984. LaFever was suspected of committing "a chain of murders in Sacramento,Indianapolis,Olympia,Washington and Phoenix".

At one point after his conviction LaFever claimed he had information about the 1318 N. LaSalle St. murders on Dec. 1, 1971, where three "businessmen" Robert Hinson, 30; James C. Barker, 27; and Robert Gierse, 34, were found with their hands and feet bound and their throats cut.LaFever later changed his mind and recanted.


I find the connection to LaSalle unlikely.I doubt LaFever had the mettle for gangland triple murders.In my opinion Lasalle was over something else entirely.However there are a few spooky coincidences that will require further research.


1. Arizona authorities flew to Indianapolis and confirmed that LaFever did indeed know Hinson.

2. The LaSalle trio had set up a microfilming business called B&B Microfilm Service. When police searched the office it was discovered that the microfilming equipment they had was actually stolen from the Records Security Office at 752 East Market Street,Indianapolis on June 24th 1969. This is only 0.54 miles from LaFevers South Oriental Street address in 1967.I shudder to think of the connection between the activities of LaFever and a microfilming service.

3. The Secretary for the slain trio at B&B was called........Louise COLE. Could she be related to Ronald? Or is it just coincidence?


NO Homicide charge has ever been brought against LaFever.




Margaret LaFever had been staying in East Windsor Ave, Phoenix possibly from her release until 1996.David LaFever had a P.O Box address 11917 PO Box,Phoenix Arizona,85061-1917,USA. 4 miles from Margarets house from 1990.

After his release it is understood he moved to Anchorage with Margaret Lafaver circa 2000. David LaFever died on August 12th 2007. Margaret LaFever is thought to still be living there at the time of writing November 5th 2020.




648DMCA - Ronald Joe Cole
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

As noted in quoted post:

1. Arizona authorities flew to Indianapolis and confirmed that LaFever did indeed know Hinson.

2. The LaSalle trio had set up a microfilming business called B&B Microfilm Service. When police searched the office it was discovered that the microfilming equipment they had was actually stolen from the Records Security Office at 752 East Market Street,Indianapolis on June 24th 1969. This is only 0.54 miles from LaFevers South Oriental Street address in 1967.I shudder to think of the connection between the activities of LaFever and a microfilming service.

3. The Secretary for the slain trio at B&B was called........Louise COLE. Could she be related to Ronald? Or is it just coincidence?

Under the current set of circumstances with this victim being identified so, so far from where the suspect said he'd placed the body... this is very unsettling information indeed. Because we seem to be looking at execution-style murders and whatever's behind it has tentacles that span almost cross-country. What's really interesting to me is that the intelligence LE acquired was along the lines of the body of Ronald Cole being placed north of Fillmore, at a particular location. And that (apparently false) information is more what one would expect with the circumstances as they were laid out, and it alarms me for that very reason. Was the suspect simply feeding incorrect information to the source to at least partially cover his tracks? It wouldn't make much sense for him to be around confessing to a murder... and the only piece of information he lies about is where he disposed of the body, jmo. Why say anything at all?

What a horrifying case.

On his now closed Doe thread, someone mentioned the way Ronald was killed (this was before he was identified), made them think of organized crime. Specifically, they mentioned the bullet hole at the base of his skull. Thinking about that, it's interesting his half brother claimed to be a hit man, and involved in organized crime. The killing of the LaSalle trio in Indianapolis, though, that he was suspected of possibly being involved with, did not involve them being shot.

Agreed, their throats were cut, but their hands and feet bound, which sounds somewhat methodical in terms of approach. I'm definitely no expert on organized crime, but when I search, it's saying this cutting of a throat is sometimes used, maybe symbolic, sending a message, and this makes a certain amount of sense since these three weren't really "disappeared." They weren't hidden. Ronald Cole certainly was hidden, in that nobody had a clue what had happened to him.

There are so, so many freakish aspects to this case. It really is just kind of incredible, but jmo.

 

[summergirl1]

David LaFever was legally blind, but did all this stuff (although his wife assisted in some of it)..hmm. I think he mentioned murders/organized crime to relatives probably to scare them. There are a few aspects of this case that remind me of Terry Rasmussen, who also lived all over the country, although they are mainly much different stories.