CA CA - Georgia Moses, 12, strangled, Petaluma, 13 Aug 1997

Feb 1 2021
23 unforgettable North Coast cold cases and where each stands now

''Slide 3 of 23
Unsolved cold case: Georgia Lee Moses disappeared from her Santa Rosa home on Aug. 13, 1997. At about 10 p.m., the 12-year-old girl was spotted entering a white vehicle at Dutton Avenue and Sebastopol Road with a 25- to 30-year-old man. Nine days later, her body was found near a Highway 101 offramp in south Petaluma. Police said she had been strangled. Her murder remains unsolved, and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office recently rereleased a sketch of the man driving the white vehicle. Anyone with information can contact the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office at 707-565-2185 or 707-565-2650. (Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office)''
 
Jan. 9, 2021
Murder of 12-year-old girl in 1997 still unsolved 23 years later
''Georgia wasn't a typical 12-year-old girl. Her family and friends remember her as an old soul, caring and responsible. Whether it was protecting a classmate from bullying or taking on the task of caring for her ill mother or looking after her younger sister, she did it without complaining.

At the time, Angel lived at home with their mother in Santa Rosa, and Georgia, who also lived with them, had been staying at a family friend’s house. But she always made sure to check up on her younger sister.''

''That night was the night of August 13, 1997. Angel told Dateline that she later discovered that Georgia and a friend had been hanging out when Georgia received a page on her pager and called the number back.

Sometime later, the friend walked Georgia to a gas station near the intersection of Sebastopol Road and Dutton Avenue in Santa Rosa, where the friend said Georgia left with an unidentified man. It was the last time she was seen alive.''

''More than a week later, on August 22, 1997, a Caltrans worker fixing a broken guardrail off Highway 101 in Petaluma, California, discovered the body of a young girl in a grove of trees. But she wasn’t immediately identified.

On the same day, back in Santa Rosa, Child Protective Services (CPS) stopped by Angel and Georgia's home to inquire about a suspected sex offender in the area. It was Angel who spoke up about her sister being missing.''

''In 1997, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office released a sketch of the man Georgia was believed to be last seen with. He has never been identified and authorities have not named a person of interest in Georgia’s murder.''

''Georgia’s memory also lives on in the 1999 song “Georgia Lee” by Petaluma native Tom Waits''
 
2019
The Sad Story of Tom Waits’ “Georgia Lee”
''The problem was that, until her body was found, few people outside her immediate circle even realized Moses existed. She was invisible to the system that was supposed to protect children.

Moses was a black girl and a middle school dropout, two qualities that may have made authorities less concerned with protecting her. She lived with her disabled mother in poverty, helping to support the family at an age when her biggest concerns should have been getting good grades and dreaming about going to college or starting a career.''
''Stories circulated that she liked to “run around,” with underlying suggestions that her “running around” meant she was somehow at fault for her own murder, which seems a pretty sick perspective for any person, but especially for a child. Basically, she was a kid who’d been abandoned by the system and allowed to slip through the cracks.

Just twelve years old, she helped raise a little sister (NBC News, 2021). That little sister remembers Georgia fondly. As of January 2021, she’s trying to find her sister’s killer
At such a vulnerable age, she had no safety net.''
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Clipping from the Petaluma Argus-Courier (September 16, 1997, retrieved from Newspapers.com.)
 
For decades, several murders and missing persons cases have puzzled law enforcement throughout the North Coast. Although DNA analysis has helped investigators piece together many of the crimes, others still remain a mystery.

In early January, about 30 people attended a memorial walk in Petaluma for Georgia Lee Moses, who was murdered in 1997 when she was 12 years old. Moses was last seen getting into a car with a 25- to 30-year old man in Santa Rosa on Aug. 13, 1997. Nine days later, her body was found near a Highway 101 offramp in south Petaluma. The crime remains unsolved, and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office recently asked for the public’s help identifying a suspect in the case.
26 unforgettable North Coast cold cases and where each stands now
 
Georgia's sister Angel now has a podcast called "They called her Georgia Lee" Which dives more into her family story, and her background. Only 8 episodes so far, but they release new ones every week.
 
So it wasn't uncommon for her to be away for periods of time with no one asking where she was if I'm reading it correctly

A 12 yo with a pager back then is kind of interesting, i remember kids having them but 12 seems a little young , is it possible she was involved in something ? Drugs, prostitution etc?

We went to the same school. Pagers we’re extremely popular; It was a fad. Georgia having one wasn’t something that was an oddity.
 
We went to the same school. Pagers we’re extremely popular; It was a fad. Georgia having one wasn’t something that was an oddity.

I remember them being in, but 12 still seems young to me, whos paging a 12 yo?
 
In these cases, you are most often dealing with a local (works/lives , or drives through) the area of the abduction on a regular basis

the attack isnt usually planned, in most cases, they see the victim alone and physically assault the victim, in others they see the victim alone and see how far they can get into a conversation with them before asking them to go with the suspect.

In some cases, the killer knew in advance they were going to kill the victim, but in the majority of these cases, they dont, at least not at the outset , its a result of panic, or anger usually post or inter sexual assault, as the motives in these crimes, are almost always sexual.

The victim is usually abducted within a half mile of their home, the offender will usually transport them somewhere they know they wont be discovered, the distance is usually greater than 3 miles away, but it may be much further.

Though the time in transit it to be considered, the one factor that remains consistent in these types of crimes, is that most child victims who are abducted for sexual purposes, are killed within 30-90 minutes post abduction.

Counter to that most missing kids haven't even been discovered to be missing until about 2-4 hours after they have been abducted, so in other words, the victim is usually deceased, before their famlies even know they are missing .

Because its not a planned event, most are strangled manually or with some article of clothing or something the killer had in his possession, cordage etc..

The body recovery sites in these types of crimes, are critical, they speak into the offenders comfort and are usually a result of familiarity, the location of the victims body , is often very close to or is the same place where the actual murder occurred .

Now in some cases that may be the susects vehicle, but where the victim is discovered, is usually within a 200 foot radius from where they were actually killed, even if they were killed in a vehicle, it was usually parked close to that spot .

Its very risky to keep captive or move a live victim, so very few actually abduct and hold a live victim for a period of time, those that do again fall into that serial killer realm again.

However those that do keep the victim alive usually only do until they get them to an area where they can murder the victim, and that again is usually some place they are familiar with.

Though rare, there are cases, where the victim is killed in whatever type of structure they are being held captive in, the offenders home, apartment, sometimes its makeshift like a shed or sometimes its in a remote place they break into etc..., however the killer will use some method to conceal the deceased victim so he (almost always male) can get them into a vehicle to transport them somewhere. But these types are exceedingly rare .

One thing that is very common with these offender types , they very often return to the victims body, and often multiple times , this underscores the importance of questioning people who may have seen anybody in that area prior to the discovery of the victim, it may be simply someone who drove by the area multiple times, or someone physically near the area where the victim was found .

The offnder is usually between 27-36 at the time of the offense, he will often have a criminal history, often involving sexually natured crimes, though usually short of abduction and sexual assault, but not always , sometimes they have a extensive history of sexual offenses

He will usually be described as "odd" by those who know him, he has few friends usually lves with his parent(s) or family member.

Unlike killers of adults, theres not usually a triggering event prior, they arent mad taking it out on anyone, they are sexually frustrated when a victim happens to cross their path. Also unlike serial killers, though many of them do become serial killers, these types arent out actively looking for a victim, the sole factor in a child becoming a victim in these cases, is the lack of an adult presence, the presence of other children does little to dissuade a committed offender, and often results in multiple victims

Post offense this killer would most likely have a burning interest in the case, he my suddenly alter his appearence, alter his vehicle, sell or change its appearence, he may dispose of the clothing he had on that day , in some cases, they may suddenly and without warning leave "I got a job somewhere" etc.. they will sometimes, inject themselves ito the investigation out of paranoia, and to keep tabs on its progress.

They may keep trophies from the victims, and in quite a few cases, these have been discovered by others they are around, but its explained away or dismissed, and usually not without remaining suspicion.

He may have even confided in someone, sometimes, its a friend, family member, some type of religious clergy etc...

As with these types of cases, they often re-offend , though it may be short of murder, the sexual aspect of these crimes usually remains , the victim type may change however some move onto adults , some do not
 
Justice for Georgia Leah Moses #JusticeforGeorgiaLeeMoses
Everyone please see attached flyer and share. The accurate information from the last time Georgia was seen alive is on the flyer. This case will be solved this year.

Georgia was 12 years old and last seen alive on August 13th, 1997 at the 76 gas station on the corner of Sebastopol Road and Dutton Avenue in Santa Rosa, CA. She was last seen with an African American man 6’2”-6’3” approximately 24-30 years old, with a short fade hair cut, 200 lbs, driving a small four door white car. Georgia was wearing a white wind breaker and her hair was in braids. Georgia’s body was found on the shoulder of (Southbound) Highway 101 in Petaluma, CA. Near the last On-Ramp of Petaluma.
Georgia was a beautiful person, loved by her friends and family. If anyone remembers any information please contact the Sonoma County Sheriffs Department at 707-565-2185
There is a reward for any information leading to the arrest of the murder of Georgia Leah Moses. You can also fill out the Silent Witness Form on SonomaSheriff.org to be anonymous. If you know something please say something.
 

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