Still Missing CA - Michaela Garecht, 9, Hayward, 19 Nov 1988 *ARREST*

Good work if I was putting forward my suspect the Golden State Killer again who has just recently been arrested in California I would say the sketch on the left used by the FBI at their 2016 Press Conference has some similarities to one of the one shown in the above posts from this case. Just thoughts of course:

east-area-rapist-images.jpg


https://nottstv.com/nottingham-experts-could-reveal-the-face-of-notorious-american-serial-killer/

Sorry it is actually the middle one in the images at the link below:

fbi press conference east area rapist - Bing images

sketchesEBR_1466007208234_3082313_ver1.0.jpg


FBI announces $50,000 reward and national campaign to identify East Area Rapist/Golden State Killer
 
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Pontarelli had been kidnapping since at least 1967 and was apparently given only a few years prison sentences between those incidents for some strange reason (the first two he was convicted of involved shootouts with police).

Here is something else I found. A composite sketch of a potential suspect in the 1976-77 Oakland child killings in Michigan. He would have been 34 at this time. Compare the sketch to his photo in this article from his kidnapping five years prior.Woodland Daily Democrat Archives, Nov 10, 1971, p. 10. I haven't been able to determine if he was in prison during this time, but we know he was out at least by 82 when Tricia was kidnapped.

I know this has seemed to deviate from Michaela's disappearance a bit, but after a week of research, I really feel in my gut that she was the victim of this same group who may have been operating nation wide.
 

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Pontarelli had been kidnapping since at least 1967 and was apparently given only a few years prison sentences between those incidents for some strange reason (the first two he was convicted of involved shootouts with police).

Here is something else I found. A composite sketch of a potential suspect in the 1976-77 Oakland child killings in Michigan. He would have been 34 at this time. Compare the sketch to his photo in this article from his kidnapping five years prior.Woodland Daily Democrat Archives, Nov 10, 1971, p. 10. I haven't been able to determine if he was in prison during this time, but we know he was out at least by 82 when Tricia was kidnapped.

I know this has seemed to deviate from Michaela's disappearance a bit, but after a week of research, I really feel in my gut that she was the victim of this same group who may have been operating nation wide.
Pontarelli had been kidnapping since at least 1967 and was apparently given only a few years prison sentences between those incidents for some strange reason (the first two he was convicted of involved shootouts with police).

Here is something else I found. A composite sketch of a potential suspect in the 1976-77 Oakland child killings in Michigan. He would have been 34 at this time. Compare the sketch to his photo in this article from his kidnapping five years prior.Woodland Daily Democrat Archives, Nov 10, 1971, p. 10. I haven't been able to determine if he was in prison during this time, but we know he was out at least by 82 when Tricia was kidnapped.

I know this has seemed to deviate from Michaela's disappearance a bit, but after a week of research, I really feel in my gut that she was the victim of this same group who may have been operating nation wide.
This is interesting, eyeseestars. Do you have any more information about the group that was operating nationwide? Thanks
 
Ok, bear with me here....

1967: Pontarelli has first kidnapping arrest/shootout with police in Washington state. Never goes to prison, skips town for Chicago (where his family lives)

1971- arrested in San Bernadino, CA for kidnapping/raping 15 year old girl that he kidnapped from her friend's home, shooting the parents. Kept the girl for two days before police found them and talked him down. Goes to federal prison in CA where he meets and befriends a man named Larry Fassler.

Larry Fassler, in the late 60's, was known as the "king of smugglers" by U.S. Customs office in Tuscon, AZ. His planes flew at least 3 times a weeks carrying contraband (known to be toiletries, tvs, radios, etc.) to Mexico and bringing drugs back to US. His route was Culiacan, Mexico to Tucson, AZ to San Fran, CA. He was arrested for smuggling and for his part of murdering a fellow smuggler who double crossed him. He was convicted only for the smuggling part, although the body of the former partner was found later.

Marvin (and apparently Larry Fassler) is released from prison sometime around 79-80 from what I can piece together.

1982: Tricia Kellet is kidnapped from Chicago. By all accounts, Pontarelli was at least one of the perps involved (some accounts say there were two men). All three child witnesses identified him and this was confirmed with a witness recollection of the car and license plate (beat up four-door 69 model sedan). Police, from the beginning, suspect she has been kidnapped for child prostitution/*advertiser censored* purposes. It is revealed that Pontarelli has been giving the children drugs and shooting *advertiser censored* of them. A few weeks later, all witness children's parents are paid off with fancy new cars so they decide not to testify against him and all charges are dropped six months later. It appears that Pontarelli flees back to CA/AZ at this time.

1984: Tucson, Arizona. Pontarelli is overheard to want a "young blonde white girl" to be photographed having sex with Fassler for purposes of blackmail because Pontarelli owes him a lot of money (payoff for Tricia witnesses? Drugs?). When brought in and questioned by police, Pontarelli says Fassler was the last to have Tricia and that he had been taking "underage" girls to Mexico. He then freaks out and recants and says nevermind, one of his personalities may have killed her and buried her in Chicago. Police again let him go.

1988- Michaela & Amber Swartz-Garcia are both kidnapped in the middle of the afternoon, out in the open just like Tricia Kellet.

I do not have a date for this yet, but Marvin Pontarelli is listed as at some point having an address in Vallejo, CA and has a record of arrest in Solano County, CA. So he was indeed connected to the area those girls disappeared.

1989, super creep and San Fran NAMBLA chapter member Richard Helwig is coming back across the Mexican border at San Ysidro, CA in his camper. According to Helwig, he goes to Puerto Vallarta every year for the winter and stays with his girlfriend and her two daughters there. Both daughters are hearing impaired and Helwig, who is noted by police to have a huge box of homemade child *advertiser censored* in his possession, apparently has a thing for hearing impaired children as they were themselves filmed. He also has cut out newspaper articles about the disappearances of Michaela and Amber, along with copies of country laws detailing pedophilia, etc. When questioned, the "girlfriend"'s children tell police they have seen both Amber and Michaela. There is conflicting evidence but some reports say the "girlfriend" had earrings like Michaela's and one of the girls' had a t-shirt like the one she was wearing. Helwig is arrested but someone in San Fran pays his bail for him and he skips town. Police track him down at an address in Tucson AZ and arrested him there.


I have been trying to no avail to get a complete chronological arrest record for Pontarelli, Fassler, and Helwig. I would love to know whose address Helwig was hiding out at in Tucson. From Congressional and Senate hearings that took place during the late 70's, early 80's, members of these pedo orgs like NAMBLA, the Delta Project, etc. "traded" their homemade kiddie *advertiser censored* but the ultimate goal (and what they would pay the most for) was to "meet" the models personally. I'm trying to find it again, but apparently there were "books" and "catalogs" of photos where pedos would "select" their victims.

I've also been completely unable to find any additional info on Gerald Battistoni. No arrest record, nothing. Since he was an informant I'm wondering if he was in the witness protection program or something like that. His face is so close to Michaela's abductor's composite sketch
 
@eyeseestars wow...this is some seriously good investigation work...I've often thought that Micheala's case could be related to the pedophilia rings...could she still be alive after being kidnapped for such purposes? The government and politicians deny any such groups even exist...they must think the American people are as stupid as they are...and I believe alot of politicians are more than involved...possibly running these groups and protecting the sickos that prey on our children!
 
One has only to read the Congressional hearings to know they were/are real. Sexual exploitation of children hearings before the Subcommittee on Crime of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, Ninety-fifth ...

When you look at the backdrop of what was going on in the late 70's, early 80's, a picture begins to emerge. You have the drug smuggling business flourishing across the border with the use of private boats/aircraft and laws being put into place that implement harsh penalties for child molestation/*advertiser censored* in the U.S.. Lots of "high ups" in the pedo world were going to prison for long(er) terms. They were starting to take "trips" to other countries so they wouldn't get caught.

Nowadays, it is openly known that the drug cartels are heavily involved in human trafficking. I'm sure that when you're moving large quantities of illegal drugs back and forth, throwing a few small children on board wouldn't be much of an additional risk.

https://spotlightonabuse.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/mirror31578.jpg Last part: "The most sombre warning to parents came from Lloyd Martin, the Los Angeles detective responsible for putting Cross (convicted pedo) behind bars. Could it happen here...I think it is bigger than you realize. But it's something you are going to have to find out for yourselves. And when you do, it's going to hurt." -1978

St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search- expanding pedo ring investigation nationwide, 1983.

Boca Raton News - Google News Archive Search. Cross (now known to be a head of pedo ring) was "pretending to be a globe-trotting producer and lured young girls with stories of future stardom. He pretended to be putting together a documentary about the foreign travels of a 10-year-old girl. - story dated 1986.
 
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@eyeseestars wow...this is some seriously good investigation work...I've often thought that Micheala's case could be related to the pedophilia rings...could she still be alive after being kidnapped for such purposes? The government and politicians deny any such groups even exist...they must think the American people are as stupid as they are...and I believe alot of politicians are more than involved...possibly running these groups and protecting the sickos that prey on our children!


You might be right and the theory has merits but for what it is worth I feel the crime is the work of a lone psychopath but I might be wrong.
 
I don't see this as a lone psychopath. Children are (sadly) too easy for these types of perps to access. Which is why the vast, vast majority of child sexual abuse victims know their abuser. They are someone the family knows and trusts. Child pedo groups advocated infiltrating such organizations as Boy Scouts, charities, etc. for those few who didn't have children around them already. A pedo simply looking for a child to molest has much easier avenues to make this happen than kidnapping their victim.

While there are some cases of stranger abductions, I believe these should be looked at in more of a serial killer type view. For one, when a child is actually abducted, something must be done with them afterward- you can't just drop them back on their doorstep and wave goodbye. Which is why most cases of stranger abductions see a body being found. Also, these types of perps are planning machines- I have never heard of a case where a stranger abducted a child in front of witnesses in broad daylight and kills them. It's too risky. They intend to continue their crimes in perpetuity so they are very careful not to be discovered.

To me, this looks like a "job" more than a personal abduction. I know Michaela's mother has stated she feels this guy was an amateur but I have to disagree. I think anyone that brash and brazen has definitely done this before and has either gotten away with it or got away with a very light punishment. With criminals, confidence is usually gained by experience. And the fact that he wasn't concerned with showing his face makes me think he was planning on handing her off to someone else quickly.
 
I don't see this as a lone psychopath. Children are (sadly) too easy for these types of perps to access. Which is why the vast, vast majority of child sexual abuse victims know their abuser. They are someone the family knows and trusts. Child pedo groups advocated infiltrating such organizations as Boy Scouts, charities, etc. for those few who didn't have children around them already. A pedo simply looking for a child to molest has much easier avenues to make this happen than kidnapping their victim.

While there are some cases of stranger abductions, I believe these should be looked at in more of a serial killer type view. For one, when a child is actually abducted, something must be done with them afterward- you can't just drop them back on their doorstep and wave goodbye. Which is why most cases of stranger abductions see a body being found. Also, these types of perps are planning machines- I have never heard of a case where a stranger abducted a child in front of witnesses in broad daylight and kills them. It's too risky. They intend to continue their crimes in perpetuity so they are very careful not to be discovered.

To me, this looks like a "job" more than a personal abduction. I know Michaela's mother has stated she feels this guy was an amateur but I have to disagree. I think anyone that brash and brazen has definitely done this before and has either gotten away with it or got away with a very light punishment. With criminals, confidence is usually gained by experience. And the fact that he wasn't concerned with showing his face makes me think he was planning on handing her off to someone else quickly.

Interesting stuff. I still think it is possibly a lone offender as there is one suspect sketch. There is another good suspect in this case as I understand but my suspect unfortunately is the Golden State Killer. As I say I may be wrong but it is worth looking at. This is because it is a California crime, the resemblance to some sketches and the pock marked skin. The witnesses description of the age of the offender does not fit with the Golden State Killer although these can be off at times. What I will say although the LE investigating this case will know more than I do it may be difficult to get definite answers in this case know although of course I hope I am wrong to think this. What I have just said means it is easy for people like myself to put a suspect out there but it may be difficult to prove one way or the other.
 
Regarding the pockmarks: Men who have worn a beard for a while will often have pock-like marks on their skin after shaving off the beard. Perhaps the suspect cut his hair and/or re-grew his beard after the kidnapping?
 
Regarding the pockmarks: Men who have worn a beard for a while will often have pock-like marks on their skin after shaving off the beard. Perhaps the suspect cut his hair and/or re-grew his beard after the kidnapping?

This may be true but I feel the offender likely just had a bad complexion. Good work and thanks for the interest.
 
Regarding the pockmarks: Men who have worn a beard for a while will often have pock-like marks on their skin after shaving off the beard. Perhaps the suspect cut his hair and/or re-grew his beard after the kidnapping?

I don't think so, the abductor was described as having severe acne that resembled boils. He was also described as being between 18-24, and that type of acne usually continues into that age range. If left untreated it will leave permanent scarring.
 
I don't think so, the abductor was described as having severe acne that resembled boils. He was also described as being between 18-24, and that type of acne usually continues into that age range. If left untreated it will leave permanent scarring.

Good points from all posters. This sketch is of a suspect from another crime in Washington State. Although the victim was a little older the victim was still a child at school. I am posting the composite sketch from the case because the suspect was described as having bad acne. Although witnesses said the suspect was likely in his twenties I think it was more likely he was in his mid to late thirties at the time of the crime. I do not of course know if the crimes are related but I believe I know who the offender in the Washington case likely was:

colonialsketches_story.jpg


DNA evidence links 1991 Sarah Yarborough murder to Colonial Mass. family
 
Good points from all posters. This sketch is of a suspect from another crime in Washington State. Although the victim was a little older the victim was still a child at school. I am posting the composite sketch from the case because the suspect was described as having bad acne. Although witnesses said the suspect was likely in his twenties I think it was more likely he was in his mid to late thirties at the time of the crime. I do not of course know if the crimes are related but I believe I know who the offender in the Washington case likely was:

colonialsketches_story.jpg


DNA evidence links 1991 Sarah Yarborough murder to Colonial Mass. family


If the offender had a bad complexion later in life people might think he was a little younger than he was but on top of this I think the offender in the Washington State murder likely looked on the younger side and his is reflected in the witness statements at times.
 
If the offender had a bad complexion later in life people might think he was a little younger than he was but on top of this I think the offender in the Washington State murder likely looked on the younger side and his is reflected in the witness statements at times.

My suspect in the Washington State murder was listed as being five feet eight tall after his arrest in 2010. The point I want to make there is some discrepancies in the height descriptions of the suspects in these two cases my suspects actual height of five feet eight tall but again this might be witness perceptions and to an extent due to the type of footwear he was wearing.
 

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