GUILTY CA - Elias Sorokin, 29, Santa Cruz, 20 July 2009

hoppyfrog

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http://www.kionrightnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=10808301

29 July 09

The search for a missing man across California is focused on the Central Coast.

Elias Sorokin disappeared more than a week ago and clues are leading police to Santa Cruz. Where his family says he was last seen on July 20th to meet a friend.

Central Coast News talked to Elias's mother Anna who says that her son is honest, loyal and a non-violent person, who made friends where ever he went and he wouldn't disappear without calling.

When Elias Sorokin didn't show up for work on July 21st his business partner knew something was wrong.

and

Elias Sorokin drives a 2007 beige/gold Toyota Tacoma with a camper shell.

His California License Plate number is 8H92932.

video at link
 
Truck of missing L.A. man Elias Sorokin found burned near Bonny Doon

A pickup belonging to a Los Angeles man missing for more than a week was found burning just off Empire Grade Road late Tuesday, but authorities have not located Elias Sorokin.

Friends last heard from Sorokin, 29, on July 20, when they think he was driving from Oakland to Santa Cruz to meet an acquaintance. His plans were to return to L.A. the following morning, friends have said.

Two days later, a couple tried to use his credit card at the Target store in Watsonville and, on Friday, a woman tried to cash a $4,500 check from Sorokin's business at a Santa Cruz bank.

http://www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_12943257?nclick_check=1
 
It appears clear this poor young man is dead and I hope the individuals involved are quickly caught. Watsonville is not very big. They should search the rugged coastline. Bonnie Doon is north of Santa Cruz and Watsonville and is kinda remote. Clealry the individuals involved in this live in or around Santa Cruz. Lots of druggies in the area. It's very hilly too. I haven't seen any suspect descriptions on the news or in the paper. I wonder if they have accessed his cell phone records yet or emails.
 
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12968042

Two Santa Cruz men arrested in disappearance of L.A. man

By Jennifer Squires

jsquires@santacruzsentinel.com
Posted: 07/31/2009 04:04:21 PM PDT
Updated: 07/31/2009 04:18:24 PM PDT

SANTA CRUZ — Two Santa Cruz men have been arrested and a third is wanted in connection with the disappearance and presumed death of a Los Angeles man last heard from July 20.

Friends last heard from Elias Sorokin, 29, as he drove from Oakland to Santa Cruz. . . Sorokin's body has not been located though police believe he was killed before his truck was dumped.

Santa Cruz police Capt. Steve Clark said Kenneth Clamp, 29, and Stewart Skuba, 31, are being held in Santa Cruz County Jail. Skuba, who identified himself as a hair stylist, is being held on $1 million bail. Clamp, who identifies himself as a construction worker, was arrested early Friday at 407 Liberty St. in Santa Cruz and is being held without bail.

Skuba was arrested Thursday night at the Santa Cruz police station on charges of kidnapping with intent to hold for ransom or extortion, robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime with another person. Clamp is being held on a drug-related parole violation and thought to be "peripherally involved," Clark said. Skuba has no local criminal record.

A $1 million arrest warrant has been issued for 29-year-old Adam Hunt of Watsonville, Clark said. He is considered to be dangerous, but it is unknown if he is armed.

Police believe that the men had a prearranged meeting to sell a large amount of marijuana and that the deal went sideways at a condominium at [REDACTED] Felix St. in Santa Cruz. Thursday, the FBI and Department of Justice were at the Felix Street location collecting and cataloging evidence.

"We have evidence that pretty strongly leads us to believe it's a homicide," Clark said.

. . .

Much more at the link. Rest in peace Elias and I hope you are found soon.
 
A massive wildfire was reported evening of 12 Aug NW of the area where Elias Sorokin's truck was found - wonder if there is a connection - perhaps now that suspects are in custody, someone went back to try and destroy the body by burning and the fire got out of hand. If authorities can find the point of origin, they might find his remains? :waitasec:

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_13052532
 
Santa Cruz Police Arrest Third Murder Suspect Adam Hunt

A 29-year-old Watsonville man was arrested early this morning, the third suspect arrested in connection with the disappearance of a missing Los Angeles man in what is being treated as a homicide investigation, according to Santa Cruz police. Adam Hunt surrendered at the Santa Cruz Police Department at about 12:40 a.m. today and was arrested for his alleged involvement in the
kidnapping and robbery of Elias Sorokin, who was last seen on July 20, police said. Hunt was arrested after Stewart Skuba and Kenneth Clamp, both 29-year-old Santa Cruz men, were arrested Thursday for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping and robbery of Sorokin, according to police. Santa Cruz police Capt. Steve Clark said Friday that investigators believe Sorokin was kidnapped and robbed during a marijuana deal at a home in the 200 block of Felix Street in Santa Cruz. Based in part on evidence recovered from the home, authorities are treating the case as a homicide investigation, and are continuing to work to
locate Sorokin...More...





Police may renew search for Elias Sorokin's body


Law enforcement officers from several agencies will meet Tuesday morning to review information about the disappearance of Elias Sorokin, a Los Angeles man whom police believe was killed in a drug deal gone bad last month, and may again send out cadaver dogs to look for the 29-year-old's body, Santa Cruz police said Monday...More...
 
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15026205?nclick_check=1

By Jennifer Squires jsquires@santacruzsentinel.com
Posted: 05/05/2010 07:23:58 PM PDT
Updated: 05/06/2010 06:23:35 AM PDT

SANTA CRUZ - FBI crime scene analysts found Elias Sorokin's hair and blood in the garage of a Felix Street home where investigators suspect the Los Angeles businessman was badly beaten during a botched drug deal in July, according to evidence presented in court Wednesday.

Eric Halsing, a state Department of Justice criminalist, testified that the biological matter collected last summer was a match for a sibling of Nina Sorokin, the sister of the murder victim, and for a child of Nick Sorokin, the victim's father.
 
R.I.P., Elias. :(

Remains found near Bonny Doon linked to murder victim Elias Sorokin
By Stephen Baxter
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Posted: 09/30/2013 11:29:46 AM PDT


Snipped:

Sorokin was beaten in a garage in Santa Cruz and his Toyota pickup was dumped and burned in the Santa Cruz Mountains, yet his body remained missing since his disappearance.

Sept. 6, a skeleton was found by a utility worker near Smith Grade Road and Warren Drive. DNA extracted from it matched Sorokin, police said Monday.

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/sa...ns-found-near-bonny-doon-linked-murder-victim
 
The perps were all convicted before the body was found, but just to be neat and complete, from March 2012:

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ge...o-85-years-to-life-in-murder-of-elias-sorokin

A judge denied a motion for a new trial Thursday and sentenced Kenneth Clamp to 85 years to life in state prison for the murder of a Los Angeles man. Clamp, 41, was convicted in August of murder and robbery for the death of Elias Sorokin...

Another man, Stewart Skuba, is believed to have been the mastermind. He was convicted of murder in December and later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole...

A third man, Adam Hunt, also was tried on murder charges along with Clamp. He was acquitted of murder but convicted of robbery. A key prosecution witness, Kristin Roberts, was sentenced in December to two years in custody for robbery in connection with the Sorokin case.
 

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