True Crime On This Day December 18th

December 18th

On December 18th in true crime, riots, cold case murder, murder mystery, unsolved disappearance, and three unidentified bodies on the same day.

1978

In Contra Costa County, California, the East Area Rapist struck for the last time in 1978. A young woman was attacked near her home in the early evening and subjected to a violent sexual attack.

The suspect remained a mystery for 40 years until Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. was arrested on suspicion of multiple murders and crimes.

In mid-2020, DeAngelo pleaded guilty to 13 murders, 13 kidnappings and 161 other crimes including around 80 rapes.

1979

In Denver, Colorado, the body of 34-year-old Roxanne ‘Dixie’ Valverde was found just off a roadway in the city, she had been assaulted and strangled to death.

The evening before, she had been at several local bars with friends to watch a Denver Broncos game. It was unclear what happened to her throughout the night but after splitting up with friends, she never made it home. As of 2022, the murder remains a mystery and is an active cold case.

1980

In Kano, Nigeria, large riots began and lasted over 10 days. It marked the beginning of the Yan Tatsine insurgency which continues in some form to this day.

The riots were the first major religious conflicts in postcolonial Nigeria. At the time, there was the belief that Nigeria’s security and economy was under threat and this led to multiple fanatic groups combining to attack Kano.

The army was called in when thousands of protestors began killing police officers. 100 police officers were killed along with at least 35 soldiers and 4,500 civilians.

1981

In St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, the body of 14-year-old Dana Bradley was discovered in a wooded area. She had disappeared on December 14^th while hitchhiking back home after visiting a friend’s house.

Her family reported her missing immediately and an investigation began. One eyewitness claimed she had seen Dana get into a car with a male driver.

An autopsy showed she had been sexually assaulted and beaten to death with a blunt object. Her body had been displayed in the form of a burial with her arms crossed and her schoolbooks tucked underneath them.

The investigation into her death was one of the largest in Canadian history. Hundreds of people were interviewed along with thousands of tips and the examination of nearly 1,000 cars.

In 1986, after confessing to her murder, David Grant Somerton was charged with the murder. The charges were later dropped when it became known that he was coerced into giving a confession.

Despite an ongoing investigation, the murder has never been solved and the identity of the killer remains a mystery.

1982

In Elizabeth Field, Australia, 15-year-old German national Michaela Godau vanished without a trace. She had last been seen at her family residence at approximately 10pm, when she went to bed.

Her family were returning to Germany but Godau had voiced her concerns about going back and wished to remain in Australia. She was reported missing on the 19^th.

Despite claims that she had runaway, investigators believe that she was met with foul play. No trace of her has ever been found and her case remains unsolved.

1983

In Margate, New Jersey, the partial skeletal remains of an adult male were discovered at the water’s edge on Margate beach. His skull was never recovered.

In Kansas City, Missouri, the frozen body of a white male in his Forties was discovered in an abandoned trailer at 16^th and Campbell. He had passed away just two hours earlier but it remained unclear how he had died.

In San Francisco, California, a white man in his Fifties was found lying beneath a truck parked at 912 9^th Street. The man was rushed to hospital where he died of hypothermia.

There were no connections between the bodies but none of them have ever been identified.

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