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this is told from the perspective of Shannon's daughter, Desiree -
On July 23rd, 1985, Shannon Cagle was murdered in our home at 9482 E. Mesa, Clovis CA 93619.
From what I was told, there was no force of entry, nothing stolen, no assault (sexual or otherwise) and that she was shot, execution style, from behind. I’ve been told she died at the scene, but I was also told she may have died in the ambulance. This would need to be confirmed by the autopsy records.
I was also told that this case was shown on an episode of “California’s Most Wanted” – but have been unable to locate anything about it online. Shannon was the only daughter of Kenneth and Mary-Helen Cagle. She was the youngest of (4) children. She moved to Colorado with a man named Mark Maurer (10 years her senior) around 1980-1981, who has been listed as my biological father, whom I found out in the last 3 years is actually not my biological father per a 23andMe DNA test.
The relationship didn’t work out, so she moved back home and gave birth to me in Fresno, CA. I believe Mark was (and still is) living in Arizona at the time of her death. When I was about 1 year old, she reconnected with Tom whom she knew previously. He worked as a DJ for 95.7 The Fox – which is also where she met Mark.
Tom and Mark both knew each other as well. She and Tom dated and were married when I was about a year and a half old.I don’t have many details between their marriage date and the date of her death, but they moved into the home on E. Mesa and Shannon worked as a display coordinator for a store called Best – located on Blackstone and Bullard. I believe it is now a Burlington store.
She had intended on meeting a friend after work about a job opportunity, but informed her co-workers that she wasn’t feeling well and decided to go home instead. As she walked into our home, someone shot her from behind. No weapon was found.
Tom returned home from work/errands with me, aged 3 and sick with a fever, and left me in the car.
He approached the home and found Shannon on the floor, keys and purse still in hand. He didn't call for help, instead he returned to the car and drove down the street to a neighbor’s (Shirley) home.
According to Shirley, all he kept saying was that he needed to contact his Pastor. It wasn’t until she asked several times what happened that he explained. He still insisted on calling his Pastor. Shirley called the police. Tom did not inform Ken or Helen of their daughter’s death – Helen found out watching the 10pm news in bed that evening.
Shirley has since passed away, but her daughter is alive and remembers that night very well. During the investigation, I was under the watch of the Tipton family that lived across the street from Shirley. The neighbors noticed a car that had parked across from our home a few nights prior to the murder that they felt was suspicious. They also felt that Tom’s reaction or lack thereof to the murder of his wife was also suspicious.
I believe Ernie Burke and/or Chris Curtice were investigators assigned to the case. However, a friend of Tom’s had reported a gun stolen that matched the description of the gun used in the execution-style murder of my mother.
Tom had a business/contract filling tractor tires with a substance called Polyfill – a rubber that effectively solidifies so the tires cannot be punctured. It seems that the investigators believed that the gun was disposed of this way to ensure the weapon was never found.
I was also told that Det. Burke was utterly convinced that Tom was responsible for her death and wanted to make it his mission to get the case solved. I’m not sure if he is still practicing or still alive at this point – but that he had his Ops room walls covered in evidence re: the case.
----
Desiree would love to talk to Det. Burke about this if he is still around.
She was contacted by a local new station to be interviewed about the murder as well – however after discussing, they were both worried that Tom might retaliate if they were on TV talking about the case. During her time with Tom, she was subjected to quite a bit of mental and physical abuse. Desiree is still afraid of him and is stepping out of her comfort zone to bring this case to light. Some additional information:
While Tom has had numerous legal issues and criminal issues in the nearly 40 years since the murder, he's avoided serious jail or prison time.
26 Jul 1985, 78 - The Fresno Bee at Newspapers.com
13 Sep 1985, 3 - The Fresno Bee at Newspapers.com (Sketch of suspect)
Desiree is hoping that the Fresno County Sheriff will reopen this long cold case and bring justice for her mother.
www.findagrave.com
On July 23rd, 1985, Shannon Cagle was murdered in our home at 9482 E. Mesa, Clovis CA 93619.
From what I was told, there was no force of entry, nothing stolen, no assault (sexual or otherwise) and that she was shot, execution style, from behind. I’ve been told she died at the scene, but I was also told she may have died in the ambulance. This would need to be confirmed by the autopsy records.
I was also told that this case was shown on an episode of “California’s Most Wanted” – but have been unable to locate anything about it online. Shannon was the only daughter of Kenneth and Mary-Helen Cagle. She was the youngest of (4) children. She moved to Colorado with a man named Mark Maurer (10 years her senior) around 1980-1981, who has been listed as my biological father, whom I found out in the last 3 years is actually not my biological father per a 23andMe DNA test.
The relationship didn’t work out, so she moved back home and gave birth to me in Fresno, CA. I believe Mark was (and still is) living in Arizona at the time of her death. When I was about 1 year old, she reconnected with Tom whom she knew previously. He worked as a DJ for 95.7 The Fox – which is also where she met Mark.
Tom and Mark both knew each other as well. She and Tom dated and were married when I was about a year and a half old.I don’t have many details between their marriage date and the date of her death, but they moved into the home on E. Mesa and Shannon worked as a display coordinator for a store called Best – located on Blackstone and Bullard. I believe it is now a Burlington store.
She had intended on meeting a friend after work about a job opportunity, but informed her co-workers that she wasn’t feeling well and decided to go home instead. As she walked into our home, someone shot her from behind. No weapon was found.
Tom returned home from work/errands with me, aged 3 and sick with a fever, and left me in the car.
He approached the home and found Shannon on the floor, keys and purse still in hand. He didn't call for help, instead he returned to the car and drove down the street to a neighbor’s (Shirley) home.
According to Shirley, all he kept saying was that he needed to contact his Pastor. It wasn’t until she asked several times what happened that he explained. He still insisted on calling his Pastor. Shirley called the police. Tom did not inform Ken or Helen of their daughter’s death – Helen found out watching the 10pm news in bed that evening.
Shirley has since passed away, but her daughter is alive and remembers that night very well. During the investigation, I was under the watch of the Tipton family that lived across the street from Shirley. The neighbors noticed a car that had parked across from our home a few nights prior to the murder that they felt was suspicious. They also felt that Tom’s reaction or lack thereof to the murder of his wife was also suspicious.
I believe Ernie Burke and/or Chris Curtice were investigators assigned to the case. However, a friend of Tom’s had reported a gun stolen that matched the description of the gun used in the execution-style murder of my mother.
Tom had a business/contract filling tractor tires with a substance called Polyfill – a rubber that effectively solidifies so the tires cannot be punctured. It seems that the investigators believed that the gun was disposed of this way to ensure the weapon was never found.
I was also told that Det. Burke was utterly convinced that Tom was responsible for her death and wanted to make it his mission to get the case solved. I’m not sure if he is still practicing or still alive at this point – but that he had his Ops room walls covered in evidence re: the case.
----
Desiree would love to talk to Det. Burke about this if he is still around.
She was contacted by a local new station to be interviewed about the murder as well – however after discussing, they were both worried that Tom might retaliate if they were on TV talking about the case. During her time with Tom, she was subjected to quite a bit of mental and physical abuse. Desiree is still afraid of him and is stepping out of her comfort zone to bring this case to light. Some additional information:
- Tom supposedly had a friend, a judge, whose stepson was a person of interest in the murder. Allegedly the judge told investigators to keep their hands off the stepson or he would “Have their jobs”. Allegedly this stepson was seen walking around the neighborhood of E. Mesa which is why he was a person of interest. Bullard and McCall area was very rural at the time, and he lived nowhere near the area.
While Tom has had numerous legal issues and criminal issues in the nearly 40 years since the murder, he's avoided serious jail or prison time.
26 Jul 1985, 78 - The Fresno Bee at Newspapers.com
13 Sep 1985, 3 - The Fresno Bee at Newspapers.com (Sketch of suspect)
Desiree is hoping that the Fresno County Sheriff will reopen this long cold case and bring justice for her mother.
Shannon Denise Cagle Saville (1962-1985) - Find a...
Shannon Denise was the only daughter of Kenneth and Mary-Helen Cagle. She was the youngest of four children, three of which are still alive and well - Ken Jr, Mikey, and Tommy. She is survived by her only daughter, Desiree. Shannon was murdered in her home in 1985. The case is still unsolved.
www.findagrave.com
