True Crime On This Day August 14th

August 14th

On August 14th in true crime, the mad killers of Brabant, cold case in Belgium, mass shooting, Playboy murder, mystery of Sahara Sue.

1978

In Santander, Colombia, members of the FARC killed 12 peasants in a mass shooting, as part of the Colombian Conflict that had begun in the mid-1960s.

The FARC (The Revolutionary Armed Forces and People’s Army of Colombia) was a guerrilla movement who believed in anti-imperialism.

In 2017, the FARC ceased to be an armed group and many of them handed over their armouries. But in August of 2019, the remaining armed FARC members announced a return to their previous activities.

1979

In Las Vegas, Nevada, the body of a 15 to 25-year-old white female was discovered face down in a car park near the Sahara Hotel.

She had been stabbed to death just a few hours earlier. For over 40 years, the identity of the female remains a mystery despite fingerprints and DNA recovered from the body.

She became known as Sahara Sue due to the location she was found in. As of 2022, the murder remains unsolved and an active cold case in the State of Nevada.

1980

In Los Angeles, 20-year-old Canadian Playboy Playmate, model, and actress, Dorothy Ruth Hoogstraten was raped and shot dead by her estranged husband and manager, Paul Snider.

Hoogstraten was the Playboy Playmate of the Month for August 1979 and Playmate of the Year in 1980. Her death went on to inspire the Red-Hot Chilli Pepper’s song ‘Californication’ and Bryan Adams’ ‘The Best Was Yet to Come’.

Her story was also made into two films, 1981’s ‘Death of a Centrefold’ and 1983’s ‘Star 80’. Snider took his own life on the same day by the same shotgun he had used to kill his wife.

1981

In Denver, Colorado, the body of 31-year-old Wilfred ‘William’ Swan was found in the car park of Mr. Gems Supermarket, located near the corner of East 30th Avenue and Downing Street.

He had been shot dead by an unknown assailant. He was rushed to hospital but died of his injuries shortly after.

Despite many possible witnesses, no suspect has ever been caught and his murder remains unsolved. It is an active cold case with the Denver Police Department.

1982

In Maubeuge, France, three men walked into a grocery store and robbed it at gunpoint. The robbers took their time loading many cases of wine and food into their vehicle.

While the goods were being loaded, two police officers walked in on the scene. A short gunfight ensued and both officers were shot and seriously wounded.

The armed robbers were known as the Brabant Killers, AKA: Mad Killers of Brabant. They were a small group of three men who killed 28 people between 1982 and 1985.

They also seriously wounded another 22 and carried out numerous attacks and robberies. Despite a large investigation that continues to this day, the case remains unsolved.

The Maubeuge robbery was one of the rare instances where they carried out a crime in France.

1983

In Bassenge, Belgium, 14-year-old blonde boy Marc Vanherf disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

He was last seen walking towards Eben-Emaal with his 10-year-old brother, his cousin, and a friend, after visiting his grandmother’s home. The boys split up and Marc never returned home.

A large investigation got underway but there was no evidence as to what happened to him. Tracking dogs were used but they lost the scent less than a kilometre from Marc’s family home.

At the time, a suspected paedophile was questioned but there was no evidence connecting him to the disappearance. Despite a lot of press in Belgium, no trace of Marc has ever been found.

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