In November of 1958, Thomas Pendergast was driving to El Cajon, California when he picked up a 16-year-old hitchhiker named Carl Alfred Eder and let him stay with his family. On December 12th, 1958, Thomas left for work, and during the day, Carl murdered Thomas' entire family. He claimed it was because one of the children was annoying him and he flipped out. Thomas' wife Lois had been shot to death, and their 4-year-old daughter Diane, 2-year-old son Alan, 6-year-old son Thomas Jr. and 9-year-old son David were all stabbed and slashed to death by Eder.
Carl Eder was arrested two days later, convicted of first degree murder and was sentenced to two life terms. Then, in 1974, he walked out of a minimum security prison in California and has not been seen since. Carl Alfred Eder is 6'2, 175 lbs. and has blue eyes and dark brown to blonde hair which may now be gray. He has a mole on his lower left eyelid, upper left cheek and on the right side of his neck. Carl also has a 2-inch scar between the index finger and thumb on his left hand, an abdominal scar from surgery and a light scar on his upper left forehead. He wears a shoe size of 12E or larger. Eder's mother lived in Florida at the time of his arrest and he may have ties to Berkeley and San Francisco, CA as well as New York, Washington and Florida. Carl Eder may had ties to left wing political groups such as Venceremos, S.D.I., Zapbom, the Symbionese Liberation Army and others who possibly assisted in the escape and helped him flee to Central or South America. Eder is also a second generation German and has skills as a cabinet maker and wood worker. He was last seen in Napa County, California around 1976 using the name "John Wehe" and possibly "Dennis". Carl Eder is likely connected with the OMG motorcycle gang, a white supremacist or an anti-government organization. Carl Eder would today be 73 years old.
