CA CA - Coast Fiend Killer, San Diego, 1931-1938

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I've tried to figure out who he was, but as far as I can tell he was never publicly named. The papers all report he was the son of a wealthy man..maybe he was wealthy enough to keep his name out of the papers. What was reported at the time was that he was apparently 18, had a record and was on probation for "attacking" a young girl, and had not been previously questioned in the Brooks case until her mother made a stink about it. She alleged that he would hang around outside a local library and ogle the young girls. She was fairly adamant in her feeling that he was the murderer, but police released him after they said he provided a complete alibi. I think it's interesting that they never named him publicly because they certainly had no problems naming every other man they dragged in for questioning, some were for the craziest reasons too.
Kerin
 
How many prominent families were there in the area at that time? Were juvenile records sealed then?
 
It looks like the Historical Society has the court records, and criminal records for the time. I might try to get down there maybe next week. This conversation has renewed my interest, and I found a few interesting things. Let me know what you think:

Camp Kearny mesa was used as a dump spot at least one other time. A dismembered body of a young boy named Nicholas Esparza was dumped there in 1927. His death was attributed to Gordon Stewart Northcott. He murdered a series of young boys on his chicken ranch in Riverside County, with the help of his mother and a boy he kidnapped and repeatedly sexually violated. He was hanged in october of 1930. He dismembered the bodies of those he killed and buried them with quicklime. I'm not sure why Nicholas' murder was deemed to be the work of this guy, it looks like he exclusively did his torturing and killing on his ranch. You might have seen the movie "The Changeling", apparently it's based on this story in small part.

I looked into Nicholas Esparza, starting with the 1920 census, and there are only 4 hits, 1 in Long Beach, but he's far too old (born in 1873) and the others all in San Diego. One is a nephew living with his uncle's family, and the others are father and son. That Nicholas is 5 years old in 1920, living on National Avenue, which is further west than the Brooks' family in 1930. Anyway, I haven't been able to find him in 1930, he's not with his family. Maybe this is the Nicholas that was found at Camp Kearny, it's possible. For all I know he wasn't even in the US in 1920, but I'm not done checking it out.

The funny thing is I find an article, dated March 11, 1931 (Woodland Daily Democrat) that says a "feeble minded character" Nicholas Esparza, was questioned in the Virginia Brooks slaying. Ok so if hypothetically this is the right family, and the late Nicholas' father is also named Nicholas, and let's say they held him for questioning..that's kind of wierd. Especially if he was known as being "feeble-minded". That could mean anything, right?

Well, anyway thanks for renewing my obsession with this case as well as all the 1931 cases :) Let me know what you think..
Kerin
 
No problem, I am just glad to have someone to talk about this with. I wish people would be as interested in the old cases I have posted.
I highly doubt Northcutt killed that kid. He never wandered off that ranch. How far is that ranch from the Mesa?
Also, why would the historical society have the records? It's a cold case-the cops should still have them. Are the records intact?
 
It would take a good 1 hr 40m to 2 hours from Kearny Mesa. The area of Northcott's farm was called Wineville, which was renamed (in part because of all the negative publicity due to the murders) to Mira Loma. It's just south of Rancho Cucamonga, near Fontana. It's really a stretch (in my opinion) to think a man who had sort of a specific method up there, would venture down here and dispose of a body down this way.

As far as the Historical Society, I was referring to the juvenile's records, (the one who was bothering little girls at the time, the wealthy man's son) they house the Register of Actions 1928-1937 as well as offenses prosecuted by the county district attorney 1913-1951. They also have the San Diego Tribune on microfilm 1922-1992. I thought it might be a good place to start :)
I have been wondering though how intact the files and evidence would be for Virginia's case, tho. It's been so long..
Kerin
 
Probably not too intact. Is there any chance you could see Louise and Virginia's files?
 
Probably not, I wonder if they are still around who could look at them. I finally found Virginia's family in 1930, they were living in Portland,OR. They had moved to San Diego within a year. It makes it even sadder to me somehow. It looks like the family returned to Oregon soon after.
 
Why wouldn't you be able to see the files? They aren't classified. There was a woman who did a book on NYC cold cases and she got to see their files
 
I didn't know that. I saw someone talking about cold case files on another website. It was in a different state but they were saying you have to fill out a form. I just wasn't sure if it was possible here, too. Well, I would definately be interested in that, then. On the San Diego PD website they have a cold case section, they give little synopsis (synopses..?) of the victims and suspects but the cases profiled only go back to 1973. Still, interesting reading.
Kerin
 
Maybe you should contact them-see about Louise and the other cases
 
How did you make the connection? What makes you think it could be another victim?
 
You can add my great great grandmother Laura Ellen Straw to the list of 1930s San Diego Murders. She was put on the list for the Coast Fiend Killer but her case was solved in 1934 (she was murdered 16 Oct 1933) and her killer was hung at Folsom Prison. I'm currently writing a book about her life and murder including all the 1930s cases because they overlapped one another. Interesting to read this thread!
 
I'm trying to confirm that the Nicholas Esparza case is still unsolved. His murder took place in 1927 so possibly not covered on this forum.I know Northcott was linked to the murder but he was never tried for it.
 
BooshSlooth said:
I'm trying to confirm that the Nicholas Esparza case is still unsolved. His murder took place in 1927 so possibly not covered on this forum.I know Northcott was linked to the murder but he was never tried for it.
Click to expand...
I seem to remember reading that Northcott recanted, (he had originally confessed to killing Nicholas) and so the case remained unsolved. I am responding from memory, but I thought it wasn't even an actual confession to killing specifically Nicholas, but just some "mexican boy" somewhere south of his ranch. You may already know the details of Nicholas' disappearance/murder, but I'll just mention that he was playing near some man-made caves near his neighborhood where he was forbidden to play at. I thought the other children who played there said that there was a man living in or near the caves, but I dont remember if they ever found this guy or whether he was a suspect. I had been in contact with a family descendent of his ages ago through Ancestry who was looking into his murder. So, I am pretty sure it is still open.
 
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