AZ AZ - Catherine Sposito, 23, found deceased, Prescott, 13 June 1987 - suspect Bryan Scott Bennett in 2023*

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OkieGranny

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http://dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1086&ArticleID=103599

At 7 a.m. on Saturday, June 13, 1987, Sposito, 23, a Prescott College student, rode her mountain bike to the Thumb Butte trailhead west of Prescott and began hiking up the path when she was ambushed by one or maybe two people who brutally murdered her, then disappeared into the woods, said Yavapai Silent Witness Program Coordinator Steve Skurja.

Other hikers heard Sposito's screams for help, but couldn't get to her in time. Investigators still don't know why the suspect or suspects targeted and killed Sposito - a daughter, sister, friend to many, artist, and a local waitress, Skurja said.

The night before Sposito was killed, she went to dinner at a Prescott restaurant and told friends she planned on hiking Thumb Butte the next day, Diskin said.
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Vintage news coverage:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...RgOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hn0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5730,2459398
 
Cold Case: 29-Year Anniversary of Sposito Homicide, $10K Reward for Information

http://prescottenews.com/index.php/news/current-news/item/27772-cold-case-29-year-anniversary-of-sposito-homicide-10k-reward-for-information

YCSO Detective Ross Diskin, who has worked the case over the past few years, continues to hope someone will come forward and supply the missing link leading to the arrest of those responsible for Cathy’s murder. Yavapai Silent Witness and YCSO are offering a $10,000 dollar reward for any information that leads to the arrests of a suspect or suspects responsible for the murder. Callers to Silent Witness at 1800-932-3232 remain completely anonymous and will not have to testify. Detectives continue run down leads and work with DNA evidence based on new technologies not previously available.
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30 years later: Who Murdered Cathy Sposito?

https://www.dcourier.com/news/2017/jun/16/30-years-later-who-murdered-cathy-sposito/

“People were horrified that this would occur right here in our community on a trail that people use every day. It was unimaginable to the family, it was unimaginable to the community,” Mascher said Thursday, June 15.

Detectives working the case are now trying to find a small caliber gun involved in her murder, YCSO spokesman Dwight D’Evelyn said.

“There is a likelihood the weapon was dumped sometime after her murder on June 13, 1987, anywhere between the Thumb Butte Trail site and the Castle Canyon area of Prescott Valley,” D’Evelyn said.

Thursday, Sheriff Mascher was still unwilling to say what role that gun may have played in the crime.
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What an horrific case, I am very curious to know what are the theories that the police has regarding the motive which led to this brutal murder.

There is a discussion with a police investigator who currently active on this case,
he admits that the police has theories why this murder happened but they can't release them.

RIP Catherine , I pray for justice for you and for your family, to those monsters who
committed the murder , I hope that karma got you and your life filled with suffering.I wish they will be caught and pay for their heinous crime.

Here is the clip to the discussion
[video=youtube;X7pSP1a0Vm4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7pSP1a0Vm4&t=1200s[/video]
 
It's very hard to know that those Monsters responsible to this Brutal murder are still free, Maybe it was a jealous friend or jealous boyfriend?
From articles I understand that people in the restaurant heard Catherine say she was supposed to ride this way, the road that the killers were waiting specifically for her.

I am praying for Justice for Catherine , her family and friends.
I wish there were new updates.
 
"Nearly 32 years to the day after her murder, Yavapai County sheriff's officials are still looking for those responsible for killing Cathy Sposito...

Sheriff's officials are hoping anyone who recalls seeing a weapon in the area, knows who was involved or has any recollection of the incident will call them to help solve the decades-old crime.

YCSO says detectives are using new DNA technologies and other tests to try to track down a suspect, and continue to follow leads in the case."

Cold case: college student murdered on Prescott hike
 
I lived in Prescott for a while and heard a lot about this case. There is really only one road that runs by Thumb Butte and from what I understand she was murdered on one of the two popular trails. Thumb Butte is steep and it would be hard to go anywhere but down the mountain. To the East are a bunch of homes and the other directions are mostly forest. The people that came to her aid--I wonder if they heard or saw anyone fleeing? My guess is that the perp's car (if he had one) was not parked at the trailhead parking lot and either in the forest or in one of the adjacent neighborhoods. Also the area from Thumb Butte to Castle Canyon is huge and approximately 10 miles long. Its like saying police are looking for a gun in downtown Phoenix. There are a million places it could be and the most direct route goes right through the heart of Prescott.
 
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COLD CASE: $10,000 offered in 1987 murder

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Up to $10,000 is offered for information in a Yavapai County homicide that occurred this day 35 years ago.

Cathy Sposito was murdered while hiking the Thumb Butte Trail west of Prescott on June 13, 1987. She rode her mountain bike to the trailhead at 7 a.m. before hiking the trail. According to Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, her screams were heard by other hikers a short time later, but no one could reach her in time. Her body was found along the trail.

“We will never stop seeking justice for the victims of violent crime,” said Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes. “New technology and new information make these cases more solvable than ever.”

If anyone provides information that leads to an arrest in this case, they could earn up to a $10,000 cash reward. To earn your reward, you must call Yavapai Silent Witness at 800-932-3232 or submit a tip at www.yavapaisw.com. All tips are anonymous. You never have to give your name.
 
No justice :( killer removed himself from the earth after other assaults, he was only 16 when he killed her..... so sad for her family.
 
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