CA CA - David Hursell, 24, El Dorado County, 12 Jan 1987

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/hursell_david.html

Hursell was last seen in El Dorado County, California on January 12, 1987. He has never been heard from again. Robert Corner, a convicted murderer on death row in Arizona, has been the prime suspect in Hursell's disappearance for many years. A photo of Corner is posted below this case summary. Corner confessed to Hursell's murder in 1999 while imprisoned...

I was looking for information on Hursell's case (when I'm bored I'll pull a random case off my site and try to research it) and I can't find ANYTHING on Corner other than what's already on the page. He's not on the official list of Arizona death row people at http://www.azcorrections.gov/DeathRow/DeathRow.htm and he is not listed as executed either. By implication, he must not be on death row anymore, but I can't find any articles about his conviction being overturned or anything.

I tried a search too and didn't come up with anything.

Have you used the new Google search engine Mysterview has suggested?

Its called "Come To My Head" and is in Alpha test right now.
http://newsengine.di.unipi.it/news-bin/comeToMyHead?p=1

There is an option to use "comparison engines" where it will search using any engine you select, or deselect. I tried to search for Robert Corner and didn't come up with anything.... truth be told I find this site very frustrating as common search criteria appears to be overlooked (such as the + sign), so its an "OR" search not an "AND" search. Quotation marks though do seem to narrow down the returns though. I load the query, then use the "find" function to narrow things down - but its time consuming!

Anyway.... just a suggestion

Meggilyweggily,

I think the man you are looking for is Robert C. COMER. He are some links to stories on him... I hope this helps you with your research.


http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special32/articles/0903comer-ON.html

http://www.ccadp.org/robertcomer.htm

http://www.ccadp.org/robertcomer-news.htm

Here is part of an article I found in archives:
Mountain Democrat and Placerville Times Monday, February 9, 1987
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, with assistance from the California Highway Patrol and the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department, is searching parts of El Dorado County for the body of a possible murder victim, according to El Dorado County Sheriff's Department and other published reports. Sacramento officials learned of the possible murder of David Hursell, 24, a longtime resident of Auburn who recently moved to Sacramento, from officials in Arizona, according to published reports. Arizona officials arrested Juneva A. Willis. 29, and Robert C. Comer, 30, both of Sacramento last week on charges of rape, robbery, and murder in Arizona. Arizona officials notified Sacramento officials after Willis claimed that Comer told her that he murdered Hursell and dumped his body in El Dorado County.

Ah! You're probably right! The only article I found on the Hursell case identified him as "Robert Charles Corner."
I can update (and correct) the casefile now, thanks.

I found this-

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...omer&hl=en&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS301US302&sa=X&um=1

He's been executed!

From the webpage:

Final Statement:
"Go Raiders."

Why am I not surprised? :waitasec:

There is an indiscrepancy that makes me wonder if Comer is the perp in Hursells disapearance.

First off charlie project says that Comer was arrested "shortly after" Hursells disapearance in Hursells truck. So was he released? Because this was in California and then he went to AZ and commited the homocide of Larry Prichard on February 3rd 1987 and there is nothing that indicates in the stories that they found Hursell's vehicle at the campground.

It would not suprise me however if LE just let him go after finding him in a missing persons car. It has happened in the past in numberous stories.

Also, I wonder what happened to Juneva Willis? Was she ever released? One would think she may know the truth.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/90122

snipped from above article:

Willis made a deal with prosecutors and agreed to testify against Comer. She pleaded guilty to kidnapping and was sentenced to 9½ years in prison.
Comer refused to attend his trial and was convicted on 13 counts of first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, and rape.

David Robert Hursell


Name: David Robert Hursell
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: January 12, 1987
Location Last Seen: Sacramento, El Dorado County, California

Physical Description
Date of Birth: April 7, 1962
Age: 24 years old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 150 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Blue
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Crushed right index fingertip

Identifiers
Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance
A convicted murderer on death row in Arizona, has been the prime suspect in Hursell's disappearance for many years. The suspect confessed to Hursell's murder in 1999 while imprisoned. He claimed that he forced Hursell from his truck at gunpoint and placed Hursell in handcuffs. The suspect stated that he tied Hursell's shoelaces together and forced him to walk away from him on a dirt road in Georgetown, California. The suspect said that he killed Hursell with a gunshot shortly thereafter.

The suspect was apprehended by authorities in Arizona shortly after Hursell's January 1987 disappearance. He was driving Hursell's truck at the time of his arrest. The suspect was convicted of an Arizona murder and sentenced to death. He offered to divulge details regarding Hursell's case to his presumed victim's mother in the 1980s. The suspect demanded that Hursell's mother donate $6000 to his legal defense fund or supply him with various appliances. She refused.

The suspect confessed to Hursell's murder while imprisoned in 1999, twelve years after Hursell disappeared. The suspect drew a map of the location where he claimed to have disposed of Hursell's remains in 1987. Authorities located the area, but an extensive search in 2001 produced no clues as to Hursell's whereabouts.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: El Dorado County Sheriff's Department
Agency Contact Person: Detective Kenneth Barber
Agency Phone Number: 530-621-6600
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: P873512
NCIC Case Number: M-595592007
NamUs Case Number: 23007

Information Source(s)
NamUs
CA DOJ
KOVR 13
619DMCA - David Robert Hursell

Refreshing the thread...

David Hursell is my brother. Thank you all for refreshing the thread on his case. Here is the link to El Dorado County's Missing File:

David Robert Hursell | Cold Case | El Dorado DA (eldoradocoldcase.com)
David Robert Hursell

Please note that there is no doubt that Robert killed David. What is questionable is who is still alive that knows where he dumped David's body? It's been over 30 years. I am not looking to go after anyone else involved, I just want to find his remains so that we can give him a proper burial and end the suffering of those of us that: lost a son, lost a brother, lost a friend.

If someone knows where David's remains are and wants to remain anonymous, they can provide information at the link above. Thank you all for helping in any way you can.

Not sure how to edit my post, so am updating the links here:

To report a tip on David's case, here is the EDC tip email (current as of 21Aug2022)
da-cold-case-taskforce@edcda.us

To read about David's case, use this link:

FindingDavid said:

David Hursell is my brother. Thank you all for refreshing the thread on his case. Here is the link to El Dorado County's Missing File:

David Robert Hursell | Cold Case | El Dorado DA (eldoradocoldcase.com) (no longer active link - 21Aug2022)
David Robert Hursell (no longer active link - 21Aug2022)

Please note that there is no doubt that Robert killed David. What is questionable is who is still alive that knows where he dumped David's body? It's been over 30 years. I am not looking to go after anyone else involved, I just want to find his remains so that we can give him a proper burial and end the suffering of those of us that: lost a son, lost a brother, lost a friend.

If someone knows where David's remains are and wants to remain anonymous, they can provide information at the link above. Thank you all for helping in any way you can.

Click to expand...

• 
• 
• 
• 

Hursell, circa 1987; Robert Comer, circa 1987; Comer in the 2000s

• Missing Since 01/12/1987
• Missing From El Dorado County, California
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Male
• Race White
• Date of Birth 04/08/1962 (61)
• Age 24 years old
• Height and Weight 5'9, 150 pounds
• 
  
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue eyes. The tip of Hursell's right index finger has been crushed. His nickname is Dave.

Details of Disappearance​

Hursell was last seen in El Dorado County, California on January 12, 1987. He has never been heard from again. Robert Charles Comer (sometimes spelled "Corner") has been the prime suspect in Hursell's disappearance for many years. A photograph of Comer is posted with this case summary.

Comer confessed to Hursell's murder in 1999 while on death row. He claimed he forced Hursell from his truck at gunpoint and placed him, in handcuffs, tied his shoelaces together, and forced him to walk away from him on a dirt road in Georgetown, California. Comer said he killed Hursell with a gun shortly thereafter.

Comer was apprehended by authorities in Arizona shortly after Hursell's January 1987 disappearance. He was driving Hursell's truck at the time of his arrest and was connected to his disappearance at that time. In 1988, Comer was convicted of an unrelated Arizona murder and sentenced to death.

He offered to divulge details regarding Hursell's case to his presumed victim's mother in the 1980s. Comer demanded that Hursell's mother donate $6,000 to his legal defense fund or supply him with various appliances. She refused. Hursell's mother also turned down another prison inmate's offer to murder Comer in the late 1980s.

Hursell's mother appeared at the end of the broadcast of the made-for-television movie Terror In The Night in the late 1980s. The film depicted Comer's crimes in Arizona. Hursell's mother pleaded with the public for information regarding her son's disappearance.

Comer confessed to Hursell's murder while imprisoned in 1999, twelve years after Hursell disappeared. He drew a map of the location where he claimed to have disposed of Hursell's remains in 1987. Authorities located the area, but an extensive search in 2001 produced no clues as to Hursell's whereabouts. Investigators said that they were unsure if the body remained at the site after so many years.

Police do believe that Comer was truthful in his account of Hursell's death. He wrote to Hursell's mother and apologized for his actions. Comer eventually withdrew all his appeals and asked to be put to death as soon as possible, although his attorneys said he was incompetent to make this decision. He was executed in May 2007.

Hursell resided in Auburn, California in 1987. His case remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency​

• El Dorado County Sheriff's Department 530-621-6600

Source Information​

• California Attorney General's Office
• KOVR 13
• The Sacramento Bee
• Clark County Prosecutor's Office
• ABC 15

Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated November 13, 2015; picture added.