True Crime On This Day April 15th

Last Updated on September 23, 2022 by Ben Oakley

April 15th

On April 15th in true crime, missing person, Herman Hill riots, murder in Aurora, murder for hire, executions, and vanished without a trace.

1978

In Benton County, Oregon, 12-year-old Ann Marie Ellinwood disappeared while taking part in a fundraising walk. The schoolgirl from Highland View Junior High vanished around 1pm while walking along a bike path beside Marys River.

She hurt her foot and told two friends to go on without her and was last seen near the Pioneer Park playing field close to Highway 34.

A known sex offender was arrested a week later and questioned by police but he committed suicide shortly after bringing the investigation to a halt. Ellinwood has never been seen since nor her body discovered. It remains unclear whether or not the sex offender was the assailant.

What is clear is that Ellinwood’s suspicious disappearance remains a mystery to this day and an active cold case in the State of Oregon.

1979

Easter Sunday in Wichita, Kansas, saw the Herman Hill Riots take place after an illegal rock concert in Herman Hill Park.

Over 500 police were confronted with 3,500 angry fans, after following up on noise and drug complaints. Tensions rose when police requested the attendees to remove their vehicles from the surrounding fields.

The resulting violence saw over 50 people injured, along with 80 arrests. Tear gas and firearms were used in the confrontation, which caused the event to gain nationwide media coverage.

Questions were later raised about the conduct of Wichita law enforcement. It remains one of the largest riots in the Wichita area.

1980

In Aurora, Colorado, police officers responded to a disturbance call at an apartment block. They entered the residence of 55-year-old Rolly H. Gonzales and found him dead on his sofa.

He had been strangled to death by an unknown assailant during a suspected robbery. Gonzales was known to carry his rent money with him just before it was due and may have been noticed by someone else in the apartment block.

Despite numerous leads, no suspect has even been caught and the murder remains unsolved.

1981

In Volusia County, Florida, Robert Clemente was murdered buy a hitman-for-hire in attempt to claim life insurance. Jerry Wright had got himself into debt and took out a key-man life insurance on Clemente so he would be able to claim the insurance himself.

A friend, named Jack McDonald, arranged a meeting between Wright and Peter Ventura, who confirmed he would kill Clemente.

On the day of the murder, Ventura pretended to be a new customer and set up a meeting with Clemente at the Barnett Bank in DeLand.

They then drove to an abandoned site where Ventura shot Clemente in the head. By June 25^th, all three men involved in the murder had been arrested. McDonald spent five months in jail but was released due to lack of evidence.

Wright was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison where he died in 2008. Ventura was sentenced to death and died on death row in January 2014.

1982

In Egypt, four men who took part in the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1981, were executed at the same time.

Sadat was killed while watching the Armed Forces Day parade in Nasr City. A military vehicle had stopped in front of the stands as a jet formation flew overhead.

Six men jumped out and opened fire at Sadat and those around him, they also threw multiple stun grenades into the crowd. Sadat was hit by two bullets and died in hospital of his wounds shortly after.

Seven others, including two of the attackers, were killed in the attack. The four surviving assassins were arrested at the scene and convicted of the murders.

1983

In Carpentersville, Illinois, 23-year-old computer programmer Karen L. Schepers disappeared after a night out celebrating her recent promotion with a group of co-workers.

She had been the last person to leave the bar after her co-workers had moved on. Her bright yellow Toyota Celica has never been found and it remains unclear if she had driven off in it.

No trace of Schepers has ever been found. There has also been no activity on her bank accounts or social security number and she left behind over $7,000 (USD) in savings. Her disappearance remains unsolved.

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