citizen_sleuth
Verified family member - Orie Donald Esh thread
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Circumstances (for both Does)
Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found: August 3, 1987
NamUs Case Created: August 25, 2008
ME/C QA Reviewed: N/A
Location Found: Summit, California
County: San Bernardino County
Circumstances of Recovery: In the afternoon of August 3, 1987, firefighters from Summit Valley and the California Department of Forestry responded to a report of a vehicle fire in a dry creek bed off Highway 138, about two miles east of Interstate 15. Initially, firefighters thought the burning pickup truck was empty, but around 10:40 p.m., after the fire was extinguished, firefighters noticed what appeared to be human remains in the bed of the truck and alerted law enforcement.
When officers responded, they found the badly charred remains of three people in the bed of the pickup truck, later identified as a gold or beige Toyota. The remnants of two red five-gallon, rectangular "jerry" cans were also found in the bed of the pickup, as well as the melted plastic of a camper shell. Due to the condition of the remains, detectives were initially unable to identify the sex, age, or race of any of the victims, although they hypothesized that the bodies belonged to either three males or two males and a female.
The investigation was complicated further when investigators learned that the license plate on the truck was from a stolen vehicle and the vehicle identification number (VIN) had been altered. Eventually, detectives traced the truck to a woman living in the Harbor City neighborhood of Los Angeles, about 97 miles southwest of Summit Valley. The woman told detectives that she loaned the car to an acquaintance, and provided officers with the name of the acquaintance and his affiliates.
Using the name the woman provided, homicide detectives were able to use dental record to confirm that one of the bodies belonged to Roberto R. Riascos, 32, of Harbor City. Riascos was originally from Colombia and had served time in a California prison for trafficking cocaine. He had 10 or 11 aliases and used four or five different dates of birth, according to investigators.
All three victims, later determined to be males, had been shot at least once and their hands were bound behind their back. Riascos and one of the other still-unidentified men had been shot multiple times in the head. The other man was also believed to have been shot.
Police believe the triple homicide is connected to Colombian drug trafficking, and think it is likely that the unidentified victims resided in or around Harbor City.
Inventory of Remains: All parts recovered
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Charred/burned
NamUs #UP2584
Demographics
Sex: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Uncertain
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 50
Estimated Age Range (Years): 30-50
Estimated Year of Death: 1987
Estimated PMI: Hours
Height: 5'8" (68 inches), Measured
Weight: 181 lbs, Measured
Cause of Death: Homicide by gunshot
Physical Description
Hair Color: Unknown
Head Hair Description: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Physical Features: No known information
Clothing and Accessories
- No information entered
NamUs #UP2585
Demographics
Sex: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Uncertain
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 50
Estimated Age Range (Years): 30-50
Estimated Year of Death: 1987
Estimated PMI: Hours
Height: 5'10" (70 inches), Measured
Weight: 145 lbs, Measured
Cause of Death: Homicide by gunshot
Physical Description
Hair Color: Unknown
Head Hair Description: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Physical Features: No known information
Clothing and Accessories
- No information entered
News Coverage
Kevin Kassel, "Three bodies found in burning truck," Daily Press [Victorville, CA], 4 August 1987, A2.
Firefighters from Summit Valley and California Department of Forestry didn't immediately know they had bodies in the pickup that they were dousing at 10 p.m. Monday, officials said.
But when bodies were discovered in the burned-out truck's bed, homicide detectives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department were summoned to the ash-covered vehicle located about two miles east of Interstate 15 off Highway 138.
"Firefighters found the truck in flames. They later discovered the bodies," said sheriff's department spokesman Jim Bryant. He said detectives worked through the night at the death scene and continued work there this morning.
[...]
Homicide Sgt. Bill Arthur said, "I think it's very suspicious, three people burning up in the back of a pickup." Arthur limited his comments, referring additional questions to Sheriff's Capt. Mike Cardwell.
"At about 10:40 p.m. last night a vehicle fire with bodies inside was reported to us by the fire service," Cardwell said. "The truck is a little Toyota pickup. The bodies and everything else of evidentiary value was completely consumed by fire."
Rebecca Pavitt Raney, "Fire in truck where 3 bodies found likely arson," San Bernardino County Sun, 5 August 1987, B1.
The truck was 200 feet south of state Highway 138, 1 1/2 miles east of Interstate 15.
"The longer we work on this one, the more sure were are that it's not accidental," said Capt. Mike Cardwell, who is investigating the case for the Sheriff's Department.
[...]
The investigation is taking a long time because the license plate on the truck was from a stolen vehicle, and the vehicle identification number had been altered, said Jim Bryant, the department's spokesman.
He said that because the plate was stolen, "you're dealing with people that are not necessarily good citizens."
[...]
The bodies had been burned so badly that deputies could not determine their race or age, or the sex of one. Bryant said they are either two males and a female or three males.
[...]
Although deputies are not certain what ignited the fire, they believe it was arson, Bryant said.
[...]
He said all the evidence was charred, and the truck was burned so badly that investigators found only one spot of its original gold paint that covered less than 2 square inches.
Kevin Kassel, "Murders probably drug related, lawman says," Daily Press [Victorville, CA], 6 August 1987, A2.
Sheriff's Capt. Mike Cardwell said bullets were found in the heads of two of the three male shooting victims during Wednesday autopsies and the hands of all three victims had been tied behind their backs.
"It's got all of the earmarks of a Colombiano cocaine trafficking murder," Cardwell said. "It's definitely a triple murder," he said.
Cardwell said a license plate on the burned out beige Toyota pickup was traced to Irma Doris Ayala of Harbor City. Ayala gave lawmen information that led them to retrieve dental charts on people who Ayala thinks were using her truck.
[...]
Cardwell said the one probable victim is a Colombian who had had dental work done locally.
He said the truck was from Ayala's Long Beach area residence and he expects the victims to be from that area as well. Asked if detectives thought all three victims were Colombians, he said, "We wouldn't be surprised if they were."
[...]
The remnants of two red five-gallon, rectangular "jerry" cans was found inside the burned out truck, he said. Lawmen also found a lid that may have come from one of the cans at the scene of the fire, which brought firefighters to the dry riverbed south of Highway 138 about two miles east of Interstate 15.
Joe Gutierrez, "One of 3 bodies found in truck is identified as Colombian man," San Bernardino County Sun, 7 August 1987, B2.
Authorities on Thursday said a Colombian was one of three bodies found in the charred ruins of a pickup truck Monday in the Cajon Pass.
Authorities believe the deaths are related to Colombian drug trafficking.
Robert Riasco, 32, was identified through his dental records, said Captain Mike Cardwell of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
Riasco had four or five different dates of birth and 10 or 11 aliases, Cardwell said. Riasco had also served time in California for drug trafficking, Cardwell said.
[...]
Two of the men sustained multiple gunshots to the head, and the cause of death of the third man had not been determined, authorities said.
But all three had their hands tied behind them, authorities said.
[...]
The heat from the fire melted a camper shell over the truck and it took deputies more than 10 hours to determine there were bodies in the truck.
The remains of two 5-gallon cans were found in the framework of the truck. The cans were believed to have been filled with gasoline to accelerate the fire, authorities said.
The truck was registered to a Doris Ayala of Harbor City, who told authorities an acquaintance of hers was missing with the truck.
Investigators are trying to trace a suspect through the purchase of the gas cans.
"One of burned bodies identified," Daily Press [Victorville, CA], 9 August 1987, A2.
The badly-charred remains of Roberto R. Riascos of Harbor City were found in the back of a burning pickup south of Highway 138 and about two miles east of Interstate 15. Also found were two other still-unidentified bodies, according to Deputy Coroner John McFarlane.
McFarlane said Riascos was shot more than once and that each of the other men was shot at least once. All had been tied up and their bodies were doused with an estimated 10 gallons of gasoline and set on fire, investigators said.
Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found: August 3, 1987
NamUs Case Created: August 25, 2008
ME/C QA Reviewed: N/A
Location Found: Summit, California
County: San Bernardino County
Circumstances of Recovery: In the afternoon of August 3, 1987, firefighters from Summit Valley and the California Department of Forestry responded to a report of a vehicle fire in a dry creek bed off Highway 138, about two miles east of Interstate 15. Initially, firefighters thought the burning pickup truck was empty, but around 10:40 p.m., after the fire was extinguished, firefighters noticed what appeared to be human remains in the bed of the truck and alerted law enforcement.
When officers responded, they found the badly charred remains of three people in the bed of the pickup truck, later identified as a gold or beige Toyota. The remnants of two red five-gallon, rectangular "jerry" cans were also found in the bed of the pickup, as well as the melted plastic of a camper shell. Due to the condition of the remains, detectives were initially unable to identify the sex, age, or race of any of the victims, although they hypothesized that the bodies belonged to either three males or two males and a female.
The investigation was complicated further when investigators learned that the license plate on the truck was from a stolen vehicle and the vehicle identification number (VIN) had been altered. Eventually, detectives traced the truck to a woman living in the Harbor City neighborhood of Los Angeles, about 97 miles southwest of Summit Valley. The woman told detectives that she loaned the car to an acquaintance, and provided officers with the name of the acquaintance and his affiliates.
Using the name the woman provided, homicide detectives were able to use dental record to confirm that one of the bodies belonged to Roberto R. Riascos, 32, of Harbor City. Riascos was originally from Colombia and had served time in a California prison for trafficking cocaine. He had 10 or 11 aliases and used four or five different dates of birth, according to investigators.
All three victims, later determined to be males, had been shot at least once and their hands were bound behind their back. Riascos and one of the other still-unidentified men had been shot multiple times in the head. The other man was also believed to have been shot.
Police believe the triple homicide is connected to Colombian drug trafficking, and think it is likely that the unidentified victims resided in or around Harbor City.
Inventory of Remains: All parts recovered
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Charred/burned
NamUs #UP2584
Demographics
Sex: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Uncertain
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 50
Estimated Age Range (Years): 30-50
Estimated Year of Death: 1987
Estimated PMI: Hours
Height: 5'8" (68 inches), Measured
Weight: 181 lbs, Measured
Cause of Death: Homicide by gunshot
Physical Description
Hair Color: Unknown
Head Hair Description: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Physical Features: No known information
Clothing and Accessories
- No information entered
NamUs #UP2585
Demographics
Sex: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Uncertain
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 50
Estimated Age Range (Years): 30-50
Estimated Year of Death: 1987
Estimated PMI: Hours
Height: 5'10" (70 inches), Measured
Weight: 145 lbs, Measured
Cause of Death: Homicide by gunshot
Physical Description
Hair Color: Unknown
Head Hair Description: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Physical Features: No known information
Clothing and Accessories
- No information entered
News Coverage
Kevin Kassel, "Three bodies found in burning truck," Daily Press [Victorville, CA], 4 August 1987, A2.
Firefighters from Summit Valley and California Department of Forestry didn't immediately know they had bodies in the pickup that they were dousing at 10 p.m. Monday, officials said.
But when bodies were discovered in the burned-out truck's bed, homicide detectives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department were summoned to the ash-covered vehicle located about two miles east of Interstate 15 off Highway 138.
"Firefighters found the truck in flames. They later discovered the bodies," said sheriff's department spokesman Jim Bryant. He said detectives worked through the night at the death scene and continued work there this morning.
[...]
Homicide Sgt. Bill Arthur said, "I think it's very suspicious, three people burning up in the back of a pickup." Arthur limited his comments, referring additional questions to Sheriff's Capt. Mike Cardwell.
"At about 10:40 p.m. last night a vehicle fire with bodies inside was reported to us by the fire service," Cardwell said. "The truck is a little Toyota pickup. The bodies and everything else of evidentiary value was completely consumed by fire."
Rebecca Pavitt Raney, "Fire in truck where 3 bodies found likely arson," San Bernardino County Sun, 5 August 1987, B1.
The truck was 200 feet south of state Highway 138, 1 1/2 miles east of Interstate 15.
"The longer we work on this one, the more sure were are that it's not accidental," said Capt. Mike Cardwell, who is investigating the case for the Sheriff's Department.
[...]
The investigation is taking a long time because the license plate on the truck was from a stolen vehicle, and the vehicle identification number had been altered, said Jim Bryant, the department's spokesman.
He said that because the plate was stolen, "you're dealing with people that are not necessarily good citizens."
[...]
The bodies had been burned so badly that deputies could not determine their race or age, or the sex of one. Bryant said they are either two males and a female or three males.
[...]
Although deputies are not certain what ignited the fire, they believe it was arson, Bryant said.
[...]
He said all the evidence was charred, and the truck was burned so badly that investigators found only one spot of its original gold paint that covered less than 2 square inches.
Kevin Kassel, "Murders probably drug related, lawman says," Daily Press [Victorville, CA], 6 August 1987, A2.
Sheriff's Capt. Mike Cardwell said bullets were found in the heads of two of the three male shooting victims during Wednesday autopsies and the hands of all three victims had been tied behind their backs.
"It's got all of the earmarks of a Colombiano cocaine trafficking murder," Cardwell said. "It's definitely a triple murder," he said.
Cardwell said a license plate on the burned out beige Toyota pickup was traced to Irma Doris Ayala of Harbor City. Ayala gave lawmen information that led them to retrieve dental charts on people who Ayala thinks were using her truck.
[...]
Cardwell said the one probable victim is a Colombian who had had dental work done locally.
He said the truck was from Ayala's Long Beach area residence and he expects the victims to be from that area as well. Asked if detectives thought all three victims were Colombians, he said, "We wouldn't be surprised if they were."
[...]
The remnants of two red five-gallon, rectangular "jerry" cans was found inside the burned out truck, he said. Lawmen also found a lid that may have come from one of the cans at the scene of the fire, which brought firefighters to the dry riverbed south of Highway 138 about two miles east of Interstate 15.
Joe Gutierrez, "One of 3 bodies found in truck is identified as Colombian man," San Bernardino County Sun, 7 August 1987, B2.
Authorities on Thursday said a Colombian was one of three bodies found in the charred ruins of a pickup truck Monday in the Cajon Pass.
Authorities believe the deaths are related to Colombian drug trafficking.
Robert Riasco, 32, was identified through his dental records, said Captain Mike Cardwell of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
Riasco had four or five different dates of birth and 10 or 11 aliases, Cardwell said. Riasco had also served time in California for drug trafficking, Cardwell said.
[...]
Two of the men sustained multiple gunshots to the head, and the cause of death of the third man had not been determined, authorities said.
But all three had their hands tied behind them, authorities said.
[...]
The heat from the fire melted a camper shell over the truck and it took deputies more than 10 hours to determine there were bodies in the truck.
The remains of two 5-gallon cans were found in the framework of the truck. The cans were believed to have been filled with gasoline to accelerate the fire, authorities said.
The truck was registered to a Doris Ayala of Harbor City, who told authorities an acquaintance of hers was missing with the truck.
Investigators are trying to trace a suspect through the purchase of the gas cans.
"One of burned bodies identified," Daily Press [Victorville, CA], 9 August 1987, A2.
The badly-charred remains of Roberto R. Riascos of Harbor City were found in the back of a burning pickup south of Highway 138 and about two miles east of Interstate 15. Also found were two other still-unidentified bodies, according to Deputy Coroner John McFarlane.
McFarlane said Riascos was shot more than once and that each of the other men was shot at least once. All had been tied up and their bodies were doused with an estimated 10 gallons of gasoline and set on fire, investigators said.
