True Crime Cases in California

Oakland, CA · 2026

Amy Hillyard, 52, co-owner of Farley's Coffee, went missing from her Oakland home on March 25, 2026. She was last seen on surveillance video at Dimond Park around 4:30 p.m. that day. She left without her phone, wallet, and keys. Classified as at-risk due to a medical condition. As of April 14, 2026, she has not been found.

Redding, CA · 2016

In November 2016, Sherri Papini of Redding, California staged her own kidnapping, disappearing for 22 days before reappearing with self-inflicted injuries while falsely claiming she had been abducted by two Hispanic women. DNA evidence later revealed she had spent the time with an ex-boyfriend. She pleaded guilty in 2022 and was sentenced to 18 months.

Los Angeles, CA · 2013

On February 19, 2013, the body of 21-year-old Canadian tourist Elisa Lam was discovered inside a rooftop water tank at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning with bipolar disorder as a contributing factor, but the circumstances — including bizarre elevator surveillance footage — remain deeply mysterious.

Alhambra, CA · 2003

Music producer Phil Spector, creator of the "Wall of Sound" recording technique and producer of legendary albums, was convicted in 2009 of the 2003 shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra, California mansion. He died in prison in January 2021.

Palo Alto, CA · 2003

Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos, a health technology company that claimed to revolutionize blood testing. The technology never worked as promised, and Holmes was convicted of wire fraud and conspiracy in January 2022.

Modesto, CA · 2002

Laci Peterson, 27 and eight months pregnant, disappeared from Modesto, California on Christmas Eve 2002. Her husband Scott Peterson was convicted of her murder in 2004 and sentenced to death, later reduced to life without parole.

Modesto, CA · 2002

Scott Peterson was convicted in 2004 of murdering his pregnant wife Laci and their unborn son Conner in Modesto, California. The case drew massive media attention due to Peterson's affair with Amber Frey.

Los Angeles, CA · 2000

Robert Durst, heir to the New York Durst real estate fortune, was linked to three suspicious deaths over three decades. His wife Kathie Durst disappeared in 1982 (never found). His friend Susan Berman was shot execution-style in 2000. His neighbor Morris Black was dismembered in 2001 (Durst acquitted claiming self-defense). In 2021 Durst was convicted of Berman's murder. He died in custody in October 2022.

Los Angeles, CA · 1997

On March 9, 1997, rapper Christopher Wallace — known as the Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls — was shot and killed in a drive-by attack in Los Angeles, just six months after the murder of his rival Tupac Shakur. The case has never been solved and remains one of the most prominent cold cases in music history.

San Luis Obispo, CA · 1996

Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart vanished in May 1996 after a party. Paul Flores, who walked her home that night, was convicted of her murder in 2022 after a 26-year investigation. Her body has never been found.

Los Angeles, CA · 1994

Former NFL star O.J. Simpson was acquitted of the 1994 murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in one of the most watched criminal trials in history. The case highlighted deep racial divisions in America and raised enduring questions about celebrity, race, and justice.

San Diego, CA · 1989

Betty Broderick shot and killed her ex-husband Daniel Broderick and his new wife Linda Kolkena in their San Diego bedroom on November 5, 1989. After a first trial ended in a hung jury, she was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder in 1991.

Beverly Hills, CA · 1989

In 2024, renewed attention to the 1989 Menendez brothers case led to resentencing efforts after new evidence of sexual abuse by their father José emerged, including a letter and a corroborating witness.

Beverly Hills, CA · 1989

Joseph Lyle Menendez and Erik Galen Menendez, commonly referred to as the Menendez brothers, are American brothers convicted of killing their parents, José and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home in 1989.

Los Angeles, CA · 1984

Richard Ramirez terrorized the Los Angeles area from June 1984 to August 1985, committing at least 13 murders and numerous sexual assaults during nocturnal home invasions. He was captured by an angry mob of citizens, convicted of 13 murders in 1989, and died on death row in 2013.

Catalina Island, CA · 1981

Acclaimed actress Natalie Wood drowned on November 29, 1981, near Catalina Island, California, while aboard a yacht with her husband Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken. Initially ruled an accidental drowning, the case was reopened in 2011 amid new witness statements, with Wagner named a "person of interest."

Sacramento, CA · 1974

Joseph James DeAngelo, known as the Golden State Killer, terrorized California from 1974 to 1986, committing at least 13 murders and 50 rapes across various locations. After years of investigation, he was identified in 2018 through genealogical DNA analysis, leading to his arrest. DeAngelo pleaded guilty in 2020 and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Los Angeles, CA · 1969

In August 1969, members of Charles Manson's commune known as "the Family" carried out two nights of murders in Los Angeles: the Tate murders on August 9 (five victims, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate) and the LaBianca murders on August 10. Manson directed the killings but did not personally commit them. He and several Family members were convicted of first-degree murder in 1971.

San Francisco, CA · 1968

An unidentified serial killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s, taunting police and media with cryptic letters and ciphers. Five murders are confirmed, with two survivors, though the Zodiac claimed as many as 37 victims. The case remains one of the most famous unsolved murder mysteries in American history.

Santa Cruz, CA · 1964

Edmund Kemper murdered 10 people in California between 1964 and 1973, including his grandparents, six college students, his mother, and her friend. Standing 6'9" with a genius IQ, he turned himself in and has been in prison since 1973.

Los Angeles, CA · 1947

On January 15, 1947, the bisected and mutilated body of 22-year-old aspiring actress Elizabeth Short was found in a Los Angeles vacant lot. Dubbed the "Black Dahlia" by the press, the case attracted over 150 suspects and remains one of Los Angeles's most enduring unsolved murders.