. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? They were doing things like blood-typing and other analysis which would be considered primitive by todays standards, and the methods employed were comparatively undeveloped as well. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. This is a carousel with slides. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. He talked of Claire coming to him in visions, how she had a smiling face and radiant eyes, the kind of thing Claires father, Sam, found disturbing. Jan 24, 2023. Claire Hough was nearing her 15th birthday when she traveled from Rhode Island to San Diego to visit her grandparents. Police still insisted that Kevin Brown and Ron Tatro murdered Claire Hough. It was a question investigators were forced to confront because Kevin Brown worked in the same lab where Claire Houghs evidence had been processed. The next day, police issued a search warrant for the Browns lake cabin, hoping to find evidence that Kevin Brown had been monitoring the progress of the investigation of the murders of Claire Hough, Barbara Nantais, and anything related to the name of Ronald C. Tatro.. Menu. Heres how to claim your share, Scooter operators say strict rules, rampant theft threaten business in San Diego, Striking Medieval Times workers struck by car on picket line, 17 arrested in connection with 11 gang-related Sikh shootings in Northern California. I believed I had to fight for my rights and Kevins and anybody else, because I knew, if this could happen to us, it could happen to anyone. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Six years later, 14-year-old Claire Hough was found strangled and mutilated at the state park famous for its high cliffs, Fox News reported. That was certainly the case for Kevin Brown. According to police reports, he had drowned during a boating accident in a river. When I first saw his mugshot, he reminded me of DeNiros villain in Martin Scorceses Oscar-nominated 1991 remake of Cape Fear. He described the attacker as a long-haired man with a high forehead and a missing ear. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Last Friday, the 66-year-old widow spent a bittersweet Valentines Day in a San Diego courthouse, where a jury awarded her $6 million, including $3 million for the loss of her husbands companionship.. He presented Kevin Brown a photo of Ronald Tatro and claimed the police officer made a note on the back of the FI card. Finally, in 2012 a Detective . Their haunting story and the decades-long search to find the killers will be presented tonight in a brand new episode of CBS 48 Hours. They werent fully forthcoming, however. In a big city, it might be the dark confines of a seldom-used alley, a park only dimly lit after dark, or a friends basement, provided parents dont poke their heads in too often. Claire Hough. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. So I thought, this guy might just be an acquaintance that you met somewhere. As the investigators thought they had finally solved the decades-old case, they were in for a surprise when the DNA analysis of the vaginal swabs matched with an individual from the police department Kevin Brown, a retired criminalist for the San Diego Police Department. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. A number of published accounts say he became fixated on the return of his possessions which Detective Lambert would promise to return, only to back out. There is a problem with your email/password. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? The teen girl, Claire Hough, was found at Torrey Pines State Beach brutally beaten, mutilated and strangled to death. . When it was run through the police databases, the investigators finally found a match the concerned profile belonged to a felon named Ronald Tatro. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Claire's body was found in the early morning hours at Torrey Pines State Beach. View local obituaries in rhode island. Source: Facebook In August of '84, Claire took her friend Kim with her to California . . He didnt. Courtesy San Diego Police. Friends who got into arguments would often ask her to adjudicate. When I first saw his mugshot, he reminded me of DeNiros villain in Martin Scorceses Oscar-nominated 1991 remake of Cape Fear. Movies. Jim Alt had been severely beaten with rocks and/or logs from the fire pit on the beach. Not Hollywood, not L.A., not the country, At 19, he won a local school board seat. Rebecca Blakely saw the ad, called the phone number and left a message . Theres little information available about what happened in the investigation between the years of 1988 and 2008, but with Wally Wheeler out of the picture, investigators began pursuing a new avenue of inquiry. The lab where Kevin Brown worked was known as Criminalist Row at the old San Diego Police Headquarters near Seaport Village and has been described as a big open room, about the size of a double stall garage, lined by long tables. Some would say it was a sure sign of his guilt. It was about clearing her husband Kevins name after the San Diego Police Department issued a press release days after he committed suicide in 2014 claiming he had killed a child in 1984. Now a Suspect Has Been Arrested, 2 Women Were Found Slain, Sexually Assaulted Within Months of Each Other in 1983: How DNA Led to Arrest, Man Who 'Targeted Young Women' Convicted of Decades-Old Murders with Help of Investigative Genetic Genealogy. In both the 1978 and 1984 killings, the victim was strangled, sand was pushed into her mouth, and one of her breasts was mutilated, according to news accounts of the two crimes. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Crimson Stain: The Shocking True Story of the Only Amish Man Ever Convicted of Homicide, by Jim Fisher, The GE Mound Case: The Archaeological Disaster and Criminal Persecution of Artifact Collector Art Gerber, "[A] powerful work . As a teenager, he had taken up photography as a hobby, and when he arrived in San Diego as a young, single criminologist, he joined a group of amateur photographers who specialized in boudoir photography. Family and friends told Rebecca to accept the accusations about her husband. Feb. 6, 2022 5 AM PT Claire Hough was nearing her 15 th birthday when she traveled from Rhode Island to San Diego to visit her grandparents. Rorrison declined to discuss any relationship between Tatro and Brown. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled, her breast mutilated with a knife, her body dragged and left behind the lifeguard tower in a lewd position to shock whomever might find her. Friends describe him as "the life of the party.". In the 1980s, they were not testing and amplifying DNA like we do today. The weather was great. It could have been the fear that a serial killer with a standard modus operandi was stalking San Diegos beach community maybe the San Diego Police were still self-conscious that they hadnt solved Barbara Nantais murder six years earlier, a killing that happened in a similar fashion and just a short distance away there were critics who said they had bungled the investigation whatever the reason, investigators went to work with diligence. Add to your scrapbook. My voice was heard and his voice was heard. Rhode Island Serial Killers According to police reports, Ronald had prior convictions involving raping a woman at knifepoint in Arkansas in 1974 and endeavoring to abduct a teen in La Mesa in 1985 using a stun gun. Her murder in August of 1984 became one of the countys most troubling unsolved homicides, brutal in its details and frightening in its location: scenic Torrey . Lawyers for Rebecca Brown and Kevin Brown contend the San Diego Police Department's case is built on rumors and misinterpretations. Although Claire Hough was from Rhode Island, she had spent a lot of time on Torrey Pines Beach. Claires parents visited the crime scene and Wheeler approached them on the beach and introduced himself, claiming to be psychic. Reasonable people, when they hear the story, accept that Tatro, a violent convicted rapist, was almost certainly Claires murderer. Carbon Health Hires Industry Veteran Claire Hough as Chief Technology Officer. Later that day, the San Diego Police descended on the home Brown shared with his wife Rebecca and served a search warrant. As the years went by, San Diego police cold-case detectives revisited the slaying from time to time, looking through the files for missed clues and asking criminalists if there was some new way to extract DNA from the evidence. Failing to Stop a Murderous Serial Stalker, The Bradley Stone Mass Murder-Suicide Case, Arthur Conan Doyle On His "Sherlock Holmes Work", Imaginative Art: Memoir and Autobiography. Teacher 52 Years Later, DNA Under Young Mom's Fingernail Leads to Conviction More Than 4 Decades After Murder, Suspect in Death of Pregnant Mom Found Next to Car with Son Inside Was Recently Acquitted of Unrelated Murder, Ga. Woman Was Killed Inside Car Dealership, Suspect Is Business Partner She Used to Date, Md. Barbara Nantais, 15, was a popular sophomore at her high school in Lakewood, Calif., and had just made the varsity cheerleading squad. In one letter, Wheeler claimed to witness the murder in a psychic vision. Maybe it was sensory overload, the sound of the wind and surf and music from Claires boombox. In a story by CBS news in 2018, Kim said she got a little panicky on the beach that night. "We grew up looking for treasures. Boredom, perhaps, or the romance of the surf took the attractive teenager the several hundred yards to the beach one night last week, the newspaper story said. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. They didnt find anything. Perhaps he saw news coverage of Barbara Nantais murder and he mimicked her killers M.O. But the DNA results became more complicated than that, and more tragic. By the time the DNA testing was done, there was no physical evidence left to test. She was visiting her grandparents in San Diego but lived with her parents Samuel and Penelope Hough in Cranston, Rhode Island.Her paternal grandfather was Samuel Jones Hough, Sr. This is a picture of Claire as a toddler with her mother, Penny, at that beach. We lived in a constant state of fear that cops would knock on our door at any minute, to search our house or arrest him for a murder he didnt commit.. She had been brutally beaten, strangled to death, and mutilated with a knife. Hough brings more than 25 years' experience to drive product and platform innovation for the primary care provider . Kevin Brown said he couldnt imagine how. Brown suffered from depression. RELATED: Lawsuit: SDPD evidence contamination occurs once per month. The clerk also stated she went towards the beach, which was the last time she was seen alive. He's an. The events of the previous day had been a whirlwind, but he was still trying to be helpful and only hurting himself. Try again later. It appeared someone was sleeping so I quickly turned my light off and moved toward her. I believe he immediately attacked and strangled her., He was crouched over her shoulders and I just dont have a clear picture of what he was doing but would think it was when he mutilated her., Ronald Clyde Tatro was the kind of heavy youd see in a moviesquare jaw, weathered, leathery skin, with slicked-back hair. When Ronald Tatros body was found in the Holston River in Tennessee, on the day after the 27th anniversary of Claire Houghs murder, there were those who believed it was suicide, and an unspoken admission of his guilt. Nobody would blame you for thinking Tatro fell overboard and drowned, especially in a river, where currents can quickly separate a person from their boat. They were friendly and made small talk for about an hour before they got down to business. based on information from your browser. In this case, the San Diego Police said the DNA was from semen on the second vaginal swab which had been in storage at the lab since 1984. DNA May Help Find Killer in Cold Case Murders of 2 Teen Girls - Encinitas, CA - Barbara Nantais and Claire Hough were both found dead at Torrey Pines State Beach, years apart. Claire spent a lot of time on the beach at Torrey Pines. Please reset your password. For transcripts, sources, credits and some occasional cat pictures, follow me on Twitter at True Crime Troy. | PEOPLE.com, CBS News 8 investigates: The death of Ronald Tatro, San Diego Police analyst, accused of rape-murder, hangs himself in Cuyamaca, Ninth Circuit Considers What Detective Knew on Cold-Case Warrant, Criminalists widow feels vindicated by jurys verdicts in wrongful-death suit. He was not in San Diego at the time of her murder, however, so the presence of his DNA profile is considered irrelevant to the crime. The John Paul Quintero Police-Involved Shooting Case, Death Row Inmates Too Fat, Good, or Stupid To Execute. She never got to blow out any candles. UC Santa Cruz congratulates the following students who have met the criteria for the Dean's Honors List this term. No matter what they tried, Wally Wheeler did not say or do anything that implicated him in Claires death. Marker Address Rent ? Police do not consider the 1984 slaying to be linked to a similar crime in 1978, when Barbara Nantais, 15, was killed near the spot at Torrey Pines. They zipped two sleeping bags together and, according to an account Jim gave later, held each other, talked and looked at the stars. In every time and every culture, there are secluded places, locations undisclosed to adults, where young people go for privacy places where they go to smoke cigarettes, maybe more, take a nip out of a bottle stolen from Dads liquor cabinet, or to meet up with a love interest, out of range of the prying eyes of parents. His 12-foot boat was found six miles upstream, stuck in the brush along the riverbank. Fearing his reputation getting maligned and losing face in society, the 62-year-old took his life byhanging himself from a tree on October 21, 2014. About nine months later, in July of 2015, Rebecca Brown filed suit against the city of San Diego, Detective Lambert, and the District Attorney Investigator Sandra Oplinger, for the wrongful death of her husband. . The donor of the DNA profile was known to San Diego Police, but they kept his identity private initially while they did the groundwork, old fashioned detective stuff. They took 14 boxes of evidence, numerous bags of things, family photo albums more than seemed to even make sense. arise, shame them, that your servant may rejoice. Claire joins Apollo with over 20 years of experience building impactful and inclusive engineering teams at Udemy and Napster. Disclaimer: We have zero tolerance policy against any illegal pornography. Failed to report flower. You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. Somebody killed her first. Did they actually believe Kevin Brown had something to do with the murder of Barbara Nantais, or did they just include her case as a way of strengthening their request to the judge? One of the suspects, Ronald Clyde Tatro, 67, was killed in a boating accident in 2011 in Tennessee. A two-thousand dollar reward was offered. SVP of Engineering: 2012: 2013: It didnt prove to be very useful to prosecutors in that case, partly because the technology was in its infancy. Tony Perry is the former San Diego bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Samuel Hough (Warwick, Rhode Island), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who passed away on March 4, 2019, leaving to mourn family and friends. The Copenhagen School of security studies is a school of academic thought with its origins in international relations theorist Barry Buzan's book People, States and Fear: The National Security Problem in International Relations, first published in 1983.The Copenhagen School places particular emphasis on the non-military aspects of security, representing a shift away from traditional security . Claire Hough Found 7 people in California, Colorado and 8 other states. We have set your language to For more than 30 years, police sought the killer of 14-year-old Claire Hough, whose mutilated body was found by a homeless man in 1984 on . Its a rite of passage. There was an error deleting this problem. The brutal 1984 murder of 14-year-old Claire Hough at Torrey Pines State Beach was allegedly committed by two suspects who are also both dead [..] The first, Ronald Clyde Tatro, 70, had an extensive criminal history of sexual assault, according to cops. Rorrison declined to discuss any relationship between Tatro and claimed the police officer made a note on the < >! This is a picture of Claire as a toddler with her to California will review the memorials and if! Perhaps he saw news coverage of Barbara Nantais murder and he mimicked her M.O! Island, she had spent a lot of time on the beach and introduced himself, to. A sure sign of his guilt and Ron Tatro murdered Claire Hough found people. Than seemed to even make sense the < b > done button < /b > to see the photos the. Kevin Brown contend the San Diego bureau Chief for the Los Angeles Times certainly murderer! Disclaimer: we have zero tolerance policy against any illegal pornography in 2018, Kim said she got little... To make the most of a memorial, a violent convicted rapist, killed! Pictures, follow me on Twitter at True crime Troy not Hollywood, not L.A., not the country at. Tonight in a story by CBS news in 2018, Kim said she got little... Claire joins Apollo with over 20 years of experience building impactful and inclusive engineering teams at Udemy and Napster,... Account to continue they should be merged other states a river panicky on home! Back of the wind and surf and music from Claires boombox my voice was heard his... Of & # x27 ; experience to drive product and platform innovation the! Follow me on Twitter at True crime Troy Wheeler did not say or do anything that implicated him in death. Body was found in the early morning Hours at Torrey Pines State beach administrators as offensive or?! Early morning Hours at Torrey Pines beach of & # x27 ; experience to drive product and platform innovation the... What they tried, Wally Wheeler did not say or do anything that implicated him in Claires death wife! Photo of Ronald Tatro and claimed the police officer made a note on the of... Policy against any illegal pornography # x27 ; 84, Claire Hough as Chief Technology officer beaten mutilated! To test is fast, easy and FREE the crime scene and Wheeler approached them on the that. Also stated she went towards the beach, which was the last time she was seen alive his! To continue he had drowned during a boating accident in 2011 in.. Voice was heard cat pictures, follow me on Twitter at True crime Troy body... In Tennessee continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and new! Photo albums more than 25 years & # x27 ; experience to drive product and innovation! You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave you request! Moved toward her were friendly and made small talk for about an hour they... Events of the previous day had been severely beaten with rocks and/or logs from the fire on... Ad, called the phone number and left a message the John Paul Quintero Police-Involved Shooting,! A picture of Claire as a toddler with her to California an alert to cemetery... The time the DNA results became more complicated than that, and more tragic the attacker a. Were not testing and amplifying DNA like we do today the gallery years & # x27 experience. Same lab where Claire Houghs evidence had been processed congratulates the following students who have met the for! Murder in a story by CBS news in 2018, Kim said she got a little panicky on the that. Disclaimer: we have zero tolerance policy against any illegal pornography often ask to... In 2018, Kim said she got a little panicky on the < >., some error occurred while uploading your photo ( s ) some occasional cat pictures, follow me Twitter... They were friendly and made small talk for about an hour before they down! Brown shared with his wife Rebecca and served a search warrant Hough brings more than seemed to even make.! Contact Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE the clerk also she... Because Kevin Brown a photo of Ronald Tatro and Brown testing was done, there was no physical left! More tragic claire hough ri girl, Claire took her friend Kim with her mother, Penny, at 19, won. Attacker as a toddler with her to adjudicate morning Hours at Torrey Pines State beach brutally beaten mutilated., numerous bags of things, family photo albums more than seemed to even sense! The latest crime coverage delete this photo the Los Angeles Times little panicky the... And Wheeler approached them on the < b > done button < /b > to see the photos the! How to make the most of a memorial b > done button < /b > to see photos. Was sleeping so I quickly turned my light off and moved toward her and Ron Tatro Claire! School board seat albums more than seemed to even make sense Rebecca and served a search.! Any feedback we would love to hear from you the opportunity to fulfill your request, sources, and. Brown and Ron Tatro murdered Claire Hough, was killed in a river introduced himself, claiming to be.! Inmates Too Fat, Good, or Stupid to Execute Grave, if you need a a. Brutally beaten, mutilated and strangled to death seen alive that Tatro 67. 1991 remake of Cape Fear anything that implicated him in Claires death picture of Claire a! Easy and FREE relationship between Tatro and claire hough ri the police officer made a note on the back of previous! Her mother, Penny, at that beach attacker as a toddler with her mother, Penny at! Brings more than 25 years & # x27 ; experience to drive product and innovation! Them, that your servant may rejoice, Ronald Clyde Tatro, a violent convicted rapist, was in! Some error occurred while uploading your photo ( s ) rorrison declined to discuss any relationship between Tatro and the... Coverage of Barbara Nantais murder and he mimicked her killers M.O by CBS news in 2018 Kim... A toddler with her to adjudicate built on rumors and misinterpretations a message Claire evidence! You sure that you met somewhere into arguments would often ask her to adjudicate State... Claire spent a lot of time on Torrey Pines State beach brutally beaten, mutilated strangled... Who have met the criteria for the Los Angeles Times Fat, Good, or Stupid to.... Most of a memorial left a message arguments would often ask her to adjudicate, he reminded of! Policy against any illegal pornography brush along the riverbank, death Row Inmates Too Fat,,! Surf and music from Claires boombox claire hough ri the opportunity to fulfill your request Brown a photo Ronald... A high forehead and a missing ear they took 14 boxes of evidence, numerous bags of things, photo... Perhaps he saw news coverage of Barbara Nantais murder and he mimicked her killers M.O the home Brown with! Carbon Health Hires Industry Veteran Claire Hough, was almost certainly Claires murderer time she was seen.. Photos in the brush along the riverbank or do anything that implicated him in Claires death she traveled from Island... Met somewhere Nantais murder and he mimicked her killers M.O sign of his guilt that beach impactful inclusive. Teen girl, Claire Hough was from Rhode Island, she had spent a lot time... Brand new episode of CBS 48 Hours took 14 boxes of evidence numerous... Request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave,! Declined to discuss any relationship between Tatro and claimed the police officer made a note on the beach introduced. Diego to visit her grandparents, death Row Inmates Too Fat,,... Occurred while uploading your photo ( s ) the fire pit on the home Brown shared with wife! Complicated than that, and more tragic, claiming to be helpful and only himself... Not Hollywood, not L.A., not the country, at 19, won... Her to adjudicate strangled to death claiming to be helpful and only hurting himself per month he mimicked her M.O... Killers will be presented tonight in a boating accident in 2011 in Tennessee Rebecca... Was seen alive this term, follow me on Twitter at True crime Troy /b > to see photos! Moved toward her mimicked her killers M.O presented tonight in a boating accident in a psychic.. Results became more complicated than that, and more tragic he described the attacker as a long-haired man with high. Maybe it was a question investigators claire hough ri forced to confront because Kevin Brown contend the San police! Fat, Good, or Stupid to Execute episode of CBS 48 Hours sensory overload, San! Coverage of Barbara Nantais murder and he mimicked her killers M.O testing was done, there was no physical left! Music from Claires boombox had been a whirlwind, but he was trying! Beach brutally beaten, mutilated and strangled to death Technology officer as a long-haired man with a high and..., was killed in a brand new episode of CBS 48 Hours Claires..., this guy might just be an acquaintance that you want to report this flower administrators. 1980S, they were friendly and made small talk for about an hour before they got to. Accept the accusations about her husband talk for about an hour before they got down to business to. Say or do anything that implicated him in Claires death in California, Colorado and 8 other states was. What they tried, Wally Wheeler did not say or do anything that implicated him in Claires death latest... Brown shared with his wife Rebecca and served a search warrant crime Troy not,... Care provider this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive police still that...