FACTS ON RAMONA PRICE CASE
On the morning of September 2, 1961 Ramona Irene Price, age 7, told her father she was going to walk to their new home. That day, the Prices were moving from a home in Santa Barbara to one located in Goleta, approximately 5 miles away. Her father jokingly said go to it. He never saw her again.
At the time of her disappearance, Ramona Price was 4 ft. tall, 45 lbs. and had a dark pixie style haircut. She was last seen wearing a brown and white pull over sweater, brown pants with fine pin stripes and flip flops.
Ramona walked from Oak Ave. down Modoc Rd. and towards the entrance of the La Cumbre Country Club; police believe it was there that she disappeared.
Extensive searches proved fruitless. Bloodhounds hit on several sites although nothing significant ever emerged. One dog did show interest near an old house on a hill in the area and foot steps of a small child and adult were present. The handler said the scent could have been Ramonas but still for some reason they deemed this information inconclusive because the dogs were not being consistent. The dogs did indicate that her tracks went upward through the Hope Ranch area but went back towards the Country Club ultimately ending in the vicinity.
Along her route she was spotted by several people. One woman said that she saw Ramona dragging a stick behind her and many people said (foot steps in dirt confirmed this) that she stopped often to remove her sandals as they had pinched her feet. Searchers combed the entire area all the way to the beaches. No trace of her was ever found.
Several witnesses came forward with similar descriptions of a car. Some people claimed they saw a blue/grey Cadillac or Plymouth. A few people said they saw a man, 60s, thin face wearing a felt hat obviously interested in Ramona.
Modoc Rd. was a well known road but was typically only traveled by the locals. Within a few days two men were arrested for failing to register as sex offenders. Their names were Ray and William Panno. These brothers did admit they had been in their car across from the Country Club drinking. Their car fit the description given by witnesses.
William Panno had spent time in Mendocino State Hospital for molesting a girl in Isla Vista. When the brothers were arrested, their car was confiscated and processed for fingerprint/blood evidence. All tests came up negative.
The Panno brothers both gave polygraph and sodium pentathol tests. Police were slow to reveal that the tests were deemed inconclusive and later, according to the Newspress, tests indicated they had no knowledge of her whereabouts.
Two other suspects reported by the Newspress were questioned in Southern California. The first man named Edward Kreutz, 35, was a grave digger from Long Beach. He resembled the sketch and drove a similar car. Authorities found a bat, childs stalking, and coloring book. He denied being in Santa Barbara at the time of Ramonas disappearance. He had been living in his car for the past 3 weeks. Blood and hair found on the bat was said to be that belonging to a dog.
The second suspect from down South reported in the local paper was a man named Charles Deubert Jr. 34, of San Diego. He was arrested on a suspected DUI and fit the composite and make of car. I assume he was cleared although I have no other info on this.
Police apparently excluded a blue Plymouth found abandon in the Santa Barbara Mountains saying it had nothing to do with this case. I know nothing further on this incident or what made law enforcement come to this conclusion.
A few weeks after Ramonas disappearance Ventura Authorities reported a blue and white Plymouth 1953-1954 watching children playing near Meirners Oaks but the man left the scene before law enforcement could investigate.
In several articles a man named Morton Ortiz of San Francisco was wanted for questioning, due to his resemblance of the sketch and car. It is unclear whether or not authorities ever questioned him.
On August 1, 1966 a man by the name of Mark Williams 20, was arrested on suspicion of car theft. He told cops that he killed a girl on Goleta Beach. Police said they had no reports of a missing girl and believed his confession was a hoax. HELLO! Williams later recanted his statement. Interestingly Williams home was literally within a rocks throw to the Prices new home.