CA CA - Don Baker, 15, & Brenda Howell, 12, San Gabriel Canyon, 6 Aug 1956

anthrobones

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http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2123dfca.html

Brenda Jo Howell
Missing since August 6, 1956 from the San Gabriel Canyon, Los Angeles County, California
Classification: Endangered Missing





Vital Statistics
  • Age at Time of Disappearance: 11 years old
  • Distinguishing Characteristics: White female.


Circumstances of Disappearance
Brenda was last seen on August 6, 1956 bicycling together with Don Baker down a road to San Gabriel Canyon. An extensive, months long search, including divers in the reservoir, failed to turn up anything except their bicycles and Brenda’s jacket. Not one trace has ever been found of Don Baker or Brenda Howell.
Brenda lived in Fort Bragg and was on vacation in the area.
Mack Ray Edwards confessed to killing the children, but never was charged because the bodies were never found.




http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2256dmca.html

Don Lee Baker
Missing since August 6, 1956 from the San Gabriel Canyon, Los Angeles County, California
Classification: Endangered Missing




Vital Statistics
  • Date Of Birth: January 1, 1941
  • Age at Time of Disappearance: 15 years old
  • Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'1"; 100 lbs.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown hair; brown eyes.
  • AKA: Donnie
  • Clothing: White t-shirt, blue jeans burgundy jacket with stripes on sleeve.
  • Dentals: Not available


Circumstances of Disappearance
Don was last seen on August 6, 1956 in the San Gabriel Canyon area near Glendora Mountain Road, riding his bicycle near the reservoir. He was bicycling with Brenda Howell. An extensive, months long search, including divers in the reservoir, failed to turn up anything except their bicycles and Brenda’s jacket. Not one trace has ever been found of Don Baker or Brenda Howell.
Mack Ray Edwards confessed to killing the children, but never was charged because the bodies were never found.
 
Mack Ray Edwards (1919-1971)

Authorites did not relize that they had a serial murderer in their midst when Mack Ray Edwards walked to the front desk of a Los Angeles police station on March 5, 1970, handed the suprised duty officer a loaded handgun, and confessed to the triple-kidnapping of three young girls that had occurred on the previous day. Two had already escaped and the other was recovered safely when Edwards directed officers to the Angeles National Forest where she awaited.

Edwards was not finished confessing. He immediately detailed his six previous mureders of children. Edwards told authorities he killed Stell Nolan, 8, in 1953, and had committed the double-murder of Don Baker, 13, and Brenda Howell, 11, in 1956.

Edwards insisted that he had not killed again until his slaying of 16-year-old Gary Rochet in November of 1968. The child-killers last two victims were Roger Madison, 16, just three weeks after Rochet, and Donald Todd, 13, on May 16, 1969.

Edwards led detectives to Nolan's remains, but was unsuccessful in locating where he had disposed of the bodies of his other five victims.

Though detectives scoffed at Edward's supposed twelve year hiatus from killing, the murderer insisted there were no more victims and demanded immediate execution after being sentenced to death for three of the murders.

Unable to wait his turn, Edwards took his own life on his third attempt on October 30, 1971.

Source:
Serial Killers A-Z; Mack Ray Edwards

LINK:
http://www.geocities.com/verbal_plainfield/a-h/edwards.html
 
Bump

Brenda and Don have been missing 54 years today.
 
I could say this for pretty much any kid that goes missing/is killed but....just looking at those pictures they just look so cute and innocent. Why??? It's so f-ing sad!

Sigh...
 
Brenda on NamUs - https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/4626/7/

5805


Don't see one for Don.
 
Mack Ray Edwards (1919-1971)

Authorites did not relize that they had a serial murderer in their midst when Mack Ray Edwards walked to the front desk of a Los Angeles police station on March 5, 1970, handed the suprised duty officer a loaded handgun, and confessed to the triple-kidnapping of three young girls that had occurred on the previous day. Two had already escaped and the other was recovered safely when Edwards directed officers to the Angeles National Forest where she awaited.

Edwards was not finished confessing. He immediately detailed his six previous mureders of children. Edwards told authorities he killed Stell Nolan, 8, in 1953, and had committed the double-murder of Don Baker, 13, and Brenda Howell, 11, in 1956.

Edwards insisted that he had not killed again until his slaying of 16-year-old Gary Rochet in November of 1968. The child-killers last two victims were Roger Madison, 16, just three weeks after Rochet, and Donald Todd, 13, on May 16, 1969.

Edwards led detectives to Nolan's remains, but was unsuccessful in locating where he had disposed of the bodies of his other five victims.

Though detectives scoffed at Edward's supposed twelve year hiatus from killing, the murderer insisted there were no more victims and demanded immediate execution after being sentenced to death for three of the murders.

Unable to wait his turn, Edwards took his own life on his third attempt on October 30, 1971.

Source:
Serial Killers A-Z; Mack Ray Edwards

LINK:
http://www.geocities.com/verbal_plainfield/a-h/edwards.html
This is EXCEEDINGLY minor, but...Edwards was born in 1918, not 1919.

P.S. Don is in NamUs now.
 
I totally agree - always thought that case was odd considering the exact date is unknown and nobody came forward to say that their kids had been playing in the area or wondered if it could be their children. It would make a lot more sense to me if they had already been reported missing, but the does possibly went unnoticed since the info on them is so vague. Has anyone submitted anything? Would it be worth it to? There is no NAMUS case file, which is the only way I know to submit potential matches or see rule outs.
 
Any possible connection between these two 1956 victiums and the following two unknowns?

225UFCA

Related thread at Donald Lee Baker (15) and Brenda Jo Howell (12) - San Gabriel Canyon CA, 1956 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

I would think "no." The upper range of the years of the deceased is not close to the year that Howell and Baker went missing. Furthermore, the lower range of the estimated ages do not cover Howell's age. Penultimately, if two kids/teens were known to die in an explosion in the area at the same time two youths disappeared in the area, someone would connect the events. Lastly, you would have to ignore the serial-killer confession. For me, it's all too much to swallow.
 

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