From author Robert Scott
Hi Kbp:
I'm glad the time line helps. You're right - getting all the information from different sources, and trying to meld it all into a book isn't always easy. But as I said, before, you have a different kind of talent I don't have - and that is, taking this information and putting it in a context that helps Lisa in a structured format. I don't have the organizational skills that work best over the Internet. So it's great that our different skills compliment each other.
Here is the time line narritive, from where I left off.
March 31, 1980 - Detective Mike Losey of the Fortuna Police Dept. went to the cottage where John Annibel and Andrea lived. Annibel did not meet Losey there, as he had promised. Losey discovered from John's mother, that he had suddenly left the area for Denver, Colorado. Losey learned that John did not tell his employer, the Pacific Lumber Company, that he was leaving the area. Losey learned through the Humboldt Co. Sheriff's Office that John Annibel was the main suspect in the murder of Sherry Lynn Smith in 1976. Annibel had failed a polygraph test on this case, and there were several bits of evidence linking him to her murder. (More on this when I get to the Smith case).
April 1, 1980 - Detective Mike Losey obtained a search warrant to search the cottage shared by John and Andrea. The landlord of the cottage said that John had not paid for the upcoming month of April, nor had he collected a cleaning deposit if he intended to leave.
Investigators conducting the search
FPD Detective Mike Losey
Sergeant Silvers - (FPD?)
DA Investigator Floyd Stokes
Deputy DA Rick Moench
ID Evidence Tech Bud Thompson
Jack Morrison (Not sure which agency)
Later - I D Tech Joe Rynearson
Thompson photographed cottage
Losey looked for evidence, made sketches and measurements
Rynearson collected several pieces of evidence to be analyzed
1. Complete bed, mattress, box springs and frame
2. Mirror on south wall above bed.
3. A metal garbage can from outside
4. A black buck knife found on nightstand
5. A calendar hanging on north wall with all the dates through March 17th, X'd out.
After the search, Detective Losey wrote, "An amount of evidence was discovered which would substantiate the probability of a violent act having occurred in the residence."
(I'm not sure if it was at this time, but it does come into play at some point that Detective Losey said that he saw small blood stains on the wall and mirror).
April 3, 1980 - Detective Losey showed Lisa LaDeRoute a wallet removed from the bathroom in the cottage. Lisa said that Andrea always carried that wallet, and she had not seen it in the cottage when she had gone there in March. (I believe Lisa said that Losey told her the wallet had been found on the area on the back of the toilet. She knows she had not seen it there in March when she viewed Andrea's makeup, tooth brush and wrist watch in the bathroom).
Not sure of the date - But it is early April
John Annibel and his friend suddenly showed up at his twin brother's house in Denver, Colorado. (James Annibel is a good guy, and has had nothing to do with any of these crimes. He is incredibly sorry about the things John has done. James' wife is Pam Smith. John is suspected of killing Pam's younger sister, Sherry).
As soon as John arrived, Pam looked out the window and said to James, "What is he doing here?"
John told James and Pam that Andrea had left him, and he decided suddenly to come to Colorado.
Pam said later that John did not seem overly concerned about Andrea being missing.
The next segment will be about Lisa being questioned by investigators about John and Andrea, and the court order to arrest John Annibel in Colorado, and extradite him to California.
Robert Scott
Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged
04-03-2006 09:21 PM
rstruecrime01
Member
Registered: Feb 2006
Location:
Posts: 38
Time line
Here is where the narrative time line picks up on the case about John Annibel and Andrea LaDeRoute.
Lisa LaDeRoute's boyfriend at the time was Mike Cortopassi. He had recently moved from Humboldt County, California, to Colorado, and wanted Lisa to join him there. But she was too busy looking for Andrea in Humboldt County. Mike also knew John Annibel.
April 2 or 3, 1980 - Either John had contacted Mike, or Mike contacted John in Colorado. Mike phoned Lisa and said that John somehow knew that Lisa had been talking to the police about him. Mike said John was angry at her. Mike said that John had an airline ticket back to California, and that he was afraid that John was going back there to hurt her.
April 4, 1980 - Lisa was contacted by Deputy DA Moench of Humboldt Co. , and asked to come over to the court house. Moench told Lisa that the blood found in the cottage that John and Andrea shared, matched Andrea's blood type. They went into the DA's office, and several investigators were there. Lisa told them about the new information from Colorado, and also about John abusing Andrea twice in the past.
An arrest warrant was presented by Mike Losey. In part it stated, "Based on the above evidence and information, probable cause exists to believe that LaDeRoute has been murdered. Further, the available physical evidence, as well as circumstantial evidence, indicates that John Annibel murdered Andrea LaDeRoute."
The arrest warrant was signed by a judge. Judge Buffington signed an extridition order for John to be brought back from Colorado to California.
March 5, 1980 - DDA Rick Moench and Investigator Mike Losey got on a plane and flew back to Denver, Colorado.
The next segement will be about the arrest of John Annibel and some of the things he said while being questioned in Denver.
Robert Scott
Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged
04-04-2006 09:17 PM
rstruecrime01
Member
Registered: Feb 2006
Location:
Posts: 38
Time Line
There is a correction for the last posting - It should read that on April 5, 1980 (Not March 5, 1980), DDA Rick Moench and Detective Mike Losey, got on a plane to go and arrest John Annibel in Denver, Colorado.
April 5, 1980 - Denver PD Detectives Peter Diaz and Charles Secord -Detective Mike Losey and DDA Rick Moench, and other officers went to arrest John Annibel at his brother's home in Denver. Losey recalled, "It was about 7:30 PM when we arrived. There were up to ten officers present. They immediately put John under arrest, handcuffed him, and placed him on a couch."
James Annibel gave the officers the right to search the house. They gathered up bags of John's clothing, a TV set and stereo receiver. John was then taken to the Detective Homicide Division Interview Room.
Detectives also spoke with James Annibel, Pam Smith Annibel and John's friend, Rick Malcomb.
John Annibel was Mirandized at the interview room. John said that Andrea had gone to the bus stop to catch the bus for the College of the Redwoods on March 17, 1980 at around 6:30 AM. He said that he went to work about 6:45 AM. Later he changed his story, and said that he did not go to work, because he and Andrea had a fight.
John admitted he never told his employer, the Pacific Lumber Company, that he was leaving the area. (According to Lisa, he did not even stick around to pick up his last paycheck).
The detectives wanted to know why John had recently bought a shovel and hoe. He said he wanted to garden around the cottage. He had not done these activities in the past.
They wanted to know why he bought a new garbage can. He said the old one had been stolen.
They wanted to know why he had done Andrea's laundry. He said he'd done it in case she came back. He put it in a locked storage shed. He admitted that Andrea did not have a key to that shed.
John spoke of a storage locker in Eureka, that Andrea had. According to Lisa, John was not supposed to know about that storage locker. Andrea had recently rented it, and put items in there, in case she left John in a hurry. Andrea had the bills for the locker go to a friend's residence.
John admitted about a remark that Andrea had recently made about him - "You're a Mama's boy," had made him a "little" mad. In his words - "I was a little mad. Not a whole lot."
Detective Losey - "Things just aren't adding up, John. You gave up on her, (Andrea) awfully quickly. Why did you come out to Colorado?"
John said he wanted to see his brother, James. That they were close. James would later say that he and John were not close. In fact, James and older brother, Ted, considered John to be "weird."
A detective (not sure which one) said, "We have evidence that Andrea has been killed. She's dead."
John replied, "Yes sir." (It is not possible from the tone of his voice to tell if he meant, Yes, sir, I know she's dead. Or yes sir, just to say that he understood what the detective was saying).
The detective said, "You tried to hide the body."
John said, "No, that's not it. I'm not sure she's even dead. I shouldn't say much more."
The interview was terminated around that point. It had lasted for more than an hour.
Next segment will be about the search of John's car, and the items found in there.
Robert Scott
Registered: Feb 2006
Location:
Posts: 38
Time line
April 6, 1980 - John Annibel's Camaro was searched at a Denver PD facility. Present were Detective Mike Losey and Denver ID Techs J.F. McKinney and J. D. Warren.
Possible evidence discovered in the car.
1. A rust-colored petit-sized jacket found in the trunk. (John had described Andrea as wearing this jacket on the morning he last saw her). The jacket had been wrapped in a blanket and the blanket had dirt, leaves and twigs on it. There were also leaves and twigs in the trunk.
2. One woman's boot. Possible blood stain on boot.
3. One green/gray black throw rug.
4. One Tam hat.
5. Three women's socks.
6. One trunk mat.
7. One hand drawn map. (What was on the map was not on record. But it seems to be important enough, so that it is mentioned).
8. One hacksaw. Some kind of stain on blade.
John Annibel waived extradition and on April 7, 1980 he was flown back to California. Detective Losey and DDA Rick Moench were along on the flight.
April 7, 1980 - John Annibel was booked into the county jail on a charge of murder. Bail was set at $100,000. John did not make bail, and stayed in jail.
April 9? - John, through his lawyer, William Ferroggiaro, enters no plea.
April 10 - FPD Chief William Terry sends letter to Denver Police Dept. thanking Pete Diaz, Charles Secord and Leroy Dominguez for their assistance in executing the arrest warrant. Terry requests that evidence seized from John's car be sent to the FPD, via UPS.
April 11 - Investigator Floyd Stokes writes a request to the FBI - Attention Special Agent Robert Holt, Serology Lab - Washington, DC. (According to Lisa, the evidence collected in the cottage in Fortuna was sent to the DOJ lab in Redding, California, be could not be analyzed because they did not have sufficient equipment necessary to perform testing. Stokes indicated that the perp was awaiting trial, and that the testing results were critical. )
April 22 - (Only one day before John is scheduled for his preliminary hearing. Items are finally sent from Humboldt County to the FBI lab. It is obvious at this point, they will not be back in time for John's hearing the next day).
Items sent to FBI lab.
1. 20 cc of whole blood from John Annibel.
2. Two pieces of blood-stained mattress.
3. One fitted bottom sheet with possible blood stains.
4. One pillow case with possible blood stains.
5. One rust-colored jacket with possible blood stains.
6. One high-topped woman's boot with possible blood stain.
7. One hacksaw with unknown substance in teeth of blade.
(Note - this is the hacksaw and blade found at the cottage in Fortuna - not the hacksaw and blade found in the trunk of John's car).
April 23, 1980 - John Annibel's preliminary hearing.
Present - DDA Rick Moench
Judge John Buffington
John's defense lawyer - William Ferroggiaro
John Annibel.
Because evidence items have not been analyzed and returned from the FBI lab in Washington D.C. - Rick Moench declares, "People unable to proceed." The case is dismissed peruant to PC 859 (b). Defendant, John Annibel discharged from custody. District Attorney Bernard DePaoli tells a reporter that the case will be re-filed when evidence comes back from the lab.
The next segment will deal with new evidence discovered in 1980 - after April 23, 1980.
Robert Scott
rstruecrime01
Member
Registered: Feb 2006
Location:
Posts: 38
Time Line
The time line picks up sometime in late April 1980. An anonymous phone caller phones in to the Fortuna PD. It's either an elderly woman, or someone disguising their voice.
Caller - "I don't want to get involved."
Officer - "That's fine. Which girl are you talking about?"
Caller - "The one they've been looking for in Fortuna."
Officer - "Andrea LaDeRoute?"
Caller - "Yeah. I found a note in my mailbox that said that her body was behind a rock on Table Bluff."
Officer - Where was the letter postmarked from."
Long silence
Caller - "It wasn't mailed."
Officer - "Then how did you get it?"
Another long silence.
Caller - "I found it in my mailbox. I only live a few blocks from where she disappeared."
Officer - "Okay. I understand you don't want to be involved. Would you mind sending us the note?"
Very long silence
Caller - "I can't."
Officer - "Why not?"
Caller - "Because I don't have it any longer."
Officer - "What happened to the note?"
Caller - "I burnt it."
Then the caller hung up.
Andrea LaDeRoute's body was not found at Table Bluff, but her purse and a leather key ring, with the Letter A, was found there. Lisa recognized Andrea's purse.
Acid-sensitive probes were used in the area to try and locate Andrea's body. Her remains were not found.
A police forensic pyschic, Carole Lynn Grant, was used to hypnotize Lisa and see if she could recall any valuable information. The authorities promised to show Lisa their findings from the session. To date, they have not done so.
May 19, 1980 - Some results from the FBI lab.
1. From three pieces of mattress - human blood, type A, identified. Andrea had type A blood.
2. Fitted bed sheet - human blood identified.
3. Pillow case - human blood identified.
4. Hacksaw - unknown material present.
One thing I forget about earlier was that on April 24, 1980 - John Annibel was allowed back in the cottage he had shared with Andrea. One of the officers there, and I don't recall his name, but Lisa might, made the following report. "I stood at the corner of the room, formerly where the bed was located. Mr. Redmond (Not sure who that is), showed me an envelope addressed to Andrea. 'You keep this,' he said. I stuck it in my pocket. They began to move a large multi-drawer chest. I noticed a black folding knife on the floor next to where the chest was. The white male, (not sure who) said, 'It belongs to John Annibel. He got it for Christmas. You'd better take it.'
"I took the knife and stuck it in my jacket. I remained at the scene until all the items were removed. I returned to the Fortuna Police Dept. and placed both items into evidence."
Though I've looked, I don't see any documentation that the black knife or envelope were sent to the FBI lab.
Next segment - authorities looking at evidence, once again after John Annibel murdered Debbie Sloan in 1998.
Robert Scott
rstruecrime01
Member
Registered: Feb 2006
Location:
Posts: 38
Time line
Because of John Annibel's arrest for the murder of Debbie Sloan, in 1998 in Mendocino County, there was a new flurry of activity on the Andrea LaDeRoute case in Humboldt County.
Sergeant Rogers of the Fortuna Police Dept. was now handling the LaDeRoute case. He sent many of the items that had been stored in evidence, to a California Dept. of Justice Lab. (Technology was of course at a higher degree in 1999 than it had been in 1980 - including the use of DNA). Besides the items already mentioned, that had been sent to the FBI lab in 1980, there were some new items listed.
1. A pillow case from the trunk of John's car.
2. A pair of brown suede shoes. (I don't know if they are for a man or woman)
3. A black folding knife. (The one that had been given to John as a Christmas present. However, there is a notation that this knife must have made it to the FBI lab at some point. Because the note says they listed it as item Q-12 and they wrote, "Blood found on knife - not further characterized.")
March 24, 1999 - DOJ Tech Kay Belchner had this report on items sent to the DOJ lab by Sgt. Rogers.
1. Left woman's boot - positive for blood on top inner side -strongly positive.
B. Side of boot - strongly positive
C. Instep of outside - weakly positive.
2. Left shoe of pair of tan and suede shoes - "Has a stain on the upper outside giving a positive presumptive test for human blood."
3. Fitted sheet from cottage in Fortuna - "The staining is located within a several inch area, and includes some stain spatter."
4. Flat sheet - "Several small stains on both ends and one toward the center."
5. Pillow case from cottage (not from the car) - "At opening - some splatter."
6. Mattress pieces - "At least one is similar in size and appearance to a stain on the bottom sheet."
7. Three carpet pieces
A. Stain on the smaler piece tested positive for human blood.
B. On larger piece - weak positive for blood.
For some reason there is this notation about the knife - "The large knife is in pieces, apparently having been cut." (I believe there were two knives in evidence).
Eventually Lisa had a DNA sample taken from her. There was a match to the blood, proving that the blood present on the items from the cottage came from Andrea LaDeRoute. (However, I don't know if this applies to the one item - the tan and suede shoes).
Next segment - The Discovery of Andrea's remains in 2002.
Robert Scott
rstruecrime01
Member
Registered: Feb 2006
Location:
Posts: 38
Time line
August 9, 2002 - Forestry workers, replanting an area off of Redwood House Road, on Pacific Lumber property, discover a human skull. (And other remains or evidence- which have not been disclosed). John Annibel, was a Pacific Lumber Co. worker in the 1980s, working out of the Carlotta Division near here. His brother James, also said that John used to go hunting on that road with him and his dad).
Between 8/9/02 and 8/12/02 - a preliminary exam on the skull must have been performed, because Lisa says, "I was notified on 8/12/02 that the remains were Andrea's. The first dental exam was on the 12th.")
Lisa's notes - Preliminary ID Exam - 8/28/02
August 30, 2002 - Eureka Times Standard reports on events of August 29th - "Skull identified as Fortuna woman missing since 1980. John Annibel reported her missing and was a suspect in her disappearance, but he was never charged." (Not true - he was arrested in Colorado and charged with murder). "More details are expected to be available after a press conference at the Fortuna Police Department today."
Lisa was stunned when she read that. No one in authority had told her of a press conference. She, and her husband, and aunt showed up at the conference unannounced. She said later that the authorities did not look pleased by her presence there.
Press Conference of August 30, 2002, as reported in the following day's Eureka Times Standard. "22-year-old murder case reopened." (I won't quote the entire article - just some areas within it). "The Humboldt County Coroner's Office was in the process of attempting to match the dental records from local missing persons to the skull when it received a call from Sgt. Steve Rogers of the Fortuna Police Department.
"Rogers asked the coroner's office to see if the skull matched up with Andrea LaDeRoute, who was reported missing by her boyfriend, John Arthur Annibel, on March 18, 1980.
"The skull was positively identified as LaDeRoute on Thursday. For years there was no activity on her Social Security numbers, leading investigators to believe she was dead.
"Technical advances allowed the department to re-examine blood found in LaDeRoute and Annibel's apartment, which turned out to be LaDeRoute's
"Coroner Frank Jager said materials other than the skull and jawbone were found, but would not say what else.
"Jager said the cause of death is unknown and an expert forensic anthropologist from the San Francisco Bay area will be assisting in further examinations."
It is interesting the authorities went out on a limb, on August 30, 2002, declaring that the skull was in fact Andrea LaDeRoute's. Final dental examinations on the teeth were not done until January 7, 2003. At that time, a forensic dental consultant made these conclusions
1. All restorations matched radiographically.
2. Many unique aspects of the dental anatomy matched radiographically.
3.Positive identification of Andrea LaDeRoute was made based upon multiple concordant points of uniqueness.
The last segment will be about the similarities in the murders of Andrea LaDeRoute, Sherry Lynn Smith and Debbie Sloan. It is a known factor how, when, where etc., Annibel murdered Sloan. Annibel also knew Smith and LaDeRoute.
Robert Scott
Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged
04-07-2006 11:33 PM
rstruecrime01
Member
Registered: Feb 2006
Location:
Posts: 38
Time Line
Here are similarities that concern the murders of Sherry Lynn Smith (May 1976), Andrea LaDeRoute (March 1980), and Debbie Sloan, (November 1998).
1. John Annibel knew all of these victims
a. Sherry Smith's sister, Pam, was John's twin brother (James), girlfriend at the time. Pam later became James' wife.
b. Andrea was John's girlfriend. They lived together in a cottage in Fortuna, California.
c. John met Debbie Sloan at a bar in Laytonville, California. They went out to dinner, to an Indian casino and finally to his motel room in Laytonville.
2. All victims were close in age to John at the time of their deaths.
a. Sherry was 15 years old in 1976
John was 18 in 1976.
b. Andrea was 20 years old in 1980.
John was 22 in 1980.
c. Debbie was 42 in 1998.
John was 40 in 1998.
3. All of the victims were brunettes. Andrea had dyed blond hair at the time of her death. Lisa said that John never did like Andrea with blond hair.
4. All victims were murdered in the early morning hours.
a. Sherry was murdered sometime between 2:15 AM and 3:15 AM.
b. Andrea was last seen for sure on the afternoon of March 16, 1980. She may have been spotted about 9 PM or 10 PM on March 16. She was murdered sometime before 6 AM on March 17, 1980.
c. Debbie Sloan was murdered between midnight and 2 AM.
5. Blunt force trauma to the head.
a. Sherry was severly beaten around the face and head.
b. A coroner's report on Andrea's skull suggests that she sustained some kind of blunt force trauma to the head.
c. Debbie was hit in the head before being strangled to death.
d. When John was 14, he hit a girl in the head with an ax handle. She didn't know why he did it, other than he was drunk and seemed to be angry about something.
6. Strangulation of victims.
a. Primary cause of death to Sherry - strangulation.
b. It's impossible to know at this point how Andrea was murdered. However, Lisa said that prior to Andrea disappearing, John had tried strangling her. If John's father had not pulled him off, Andrea believed he might have strangled her to death.
c. Debbie was strangled to death.
7. Anger issues.
a. Pam Smith believes that John was angry at Sherry, because he was supposed to give her a ride home from a dance. He wanted to leave early, and she wanted to stay.
b. There are several reports of Andrea bad-mouthing John in the month prior to her death. Also, he may have found out that she secretly had rented a storage locker, and filled it with some items, in case she had to leave him suddenly.
c. Some people at the motel heard a loud argument in the motel room that John and Debbie were in.
8. Use of John's car
a. John was supposed to give Sherry a ride home from the dance.
Tire tread marks, near where he body was found, matched well to John's Ford Mustang.
b. Several items belonging to Andrea were found in the trunk of John's Chevy Camaro, when he was arrested in Denver, Colorado. Her rust colored jacket and one of her high topped boots were found in the trunk. John had said that she had been wearing these items when he last saw her leaving for college on the morning of March 17th. So why were these items in his car? Also, found was a blanket, covered with dirt, twigs and leaves.
c. Debbie Sloan's body was removed by John from the motel room in a blanket and his sleeping bag, to his car. A guest at the motel had stepped outside to smoke a cigarette about 2 AM. They saw John carrying something heavy in a blanket about that time, and walking toward his car.
9. Killed in one location and dumped in another.
a. Sherry's broken necklace was discovered on Eel Rock Rd., not far from where John lived at the time. Her body was found down a small, un-used logging road that only a local would know.
b. Andrea was most likely killed in the cottage that she and John shared. Her skull was found 22 years later by forestry workers, near a logging road about 15 miles away. John had worked in the area in 1980.
c. Debbie's murder occurred in the Laytonville motel. Her body was dumped down a ravine off of a small two lane road, about 15 miles away. John used this road every work day, going from his residence to work.
10. Personal items dumped elsewhere
a. Sherry's luggage was discovered about 2 miles from where her body was found.
b. Andrea's purse and a key ring were found about 15 miles from where he skull was found.
c. Debbie's clothing was tossed off a cliff side toward the ocean by John. This was about 10 miles from where her body was found.
11. All of the bodies were discovered by chance.
a. Sherry's body was discovered by a motor cycle rider, who just happened to pick that small logging road as a place to urinate.
b. Andrea's skull was discovered 22 years after her murder, by forestry workers who were in the area replanting trees.
c. Debbie's body was found by a road crew who happened to be out after a storm, checking for storm damage.
All of these similarities are not some kind of attempt to railroad John Annibel. Rather this is an attempt to try and make the Humboldt County District Attorney's Office move forward on the cases concerning Sherry Lynn Smith and Andrea LaDeRoute. Pam Smith Annibel has waited almost 30 years for justice for her sister, and Lisa LaDeRoute L..., 26 years for her sister. It is up to a jury of John's peers to decide whether he is guilty or not for these crimes. If he is found innocent - so be it, but Sherry Smith and Andrea LaDeRoute deserve their day in court. And Lisa deserves to have Andrea's remains removed from a cardboard box on a shelf, and returned to her for a proper memorial service. Common decency demands it for Andrea, who was a loving sister, dutiful daughter, and lovely young woman, who had her whole life ahead of her until it was snuffed out in March 1980.
Robert Scott
Guest
Registered: Not Yet
Location:
Posts: N/A
Just wondering...
Now that all the information about the book and the name of the victim(s) and suspect have been revealed, I was wondering if you would re-post the links to the various articles and information on the case that had been removed from posts earlier on... or e-mail them to me? (hinsdalechickie@Adelphia.net)
First and formost, I am completely outraged for your family and the family of Sherry Lynn, and would like to get involved in the effort to push the Humboldt Co. DA's office to finally ACT on this matter, but...
I must admit, I have a personal interest in this case, as well. I am Rick Malcomb's daughter.
My best wishes for your family and for your fight to bring your sister's death to justice.
Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged
05-02-2006 06:19 PM
Guest
Registered: Not Yet
Location:
Posts: N/A
Posted by Robert Scott on 04/03/06
"The next day, - John Annibel does not go to work. He quickly packs his car and leaves with a friend, for Colorado... (As far as we know, and all indications point that way, the friend had nothing to do with Andrea's disappearance). "
Not only do I believe my father had nothing to do with Andrea's murder, I also know my parents BOTH felt as James did, that John was "weird". I have actually heard my mother use this exact word to describe him.
My father was (is still) great friends with James, which brought him into regular contact with John over the years, but I wouldn't say they were "friends". I have not been in regular contact with my father for several years, and I am not sure how it came to be that he left Humboldt County with John to go to Colorado, but I intend to do my best to find out... for my own piece of mind as well as for any possibly useful information I may be able to glean.
Last edited by on 05-02-2006 at 06:50 PM
Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged
05-02-2006 06:46 PM
rstruecrime01
Member
Registered: Feb 2006
Location:
Posts: 38
Rick
Hi
I'm glad to hear from you, and I'm sure Lisa is as well. I totally agree with you that your dad, Rick, had nothing to do with Andrea's disappearance and murder. When Rick spoke with a detective in 1998 (and I'm not sure if it was with Mike Losey or Sgt. Rogers), here is what he had to say about the events of March 1980.
Rick said that he had known John Annibel since they were kids. He was a friend with James, more than John. Rick was between jobs in March of 1980. At that time, he would sometimes go to the Town Club in Fortuna. John met him there in late March 1980, and started pestering Rick to go with him to Colorado. Since Rick had nothing tying hm down at the time, he agreed to go with John.
In a separate report, and this one was to Sgt. Steve Rogers, Rick said that he was living in Hydesville, Humboldt County in 1980. John Annibel started hanging out with Rick again after Andrea's disappearance. It was kind of a surprise to Rick, because he had not kept in touch with John for years. Apparently John had lied to Rick about the murder of Sherry Lynn Smith, because Rick was always under the impression that Sherry had been murdered down in the San Francisco Bay Area, not near John's home.
Rick was at the cottage that John and Andrea shared, after Andrea was missing. He did not see blood spatters there, but neither had Lisa when she went there. (They may have been swiped with a rag. There are indications that there was some attempts at clean up).
This next report was with Rick and Detective Losey in April 1980 - in Denver, after John had just been arrested. Rick said he was with John at the Town Club, and John told him that he had called Lisa about Andrea being missing. (Lisa has said that John never called her, and didn't even know her phone number). John also said that Andrea had between $400 and $600 on her when she went missing. (Andrea did get a $400 check for college aid, but her last check of that amount was never cashed). There is some confusion about what day John and Rick left for Denver in John's Camaro. But Rick remembers they left about 11 PM at night. They stopped at John's cousin's house in Grass Valley, California, to sleep for awhile. Then they drove straight through to Denver from there.
Rick told Losey _ "John always spent a lot of time on back roads." He also said, "John lied to me about going to work the day that Andrea went missing. I found out later he did not go to work that day."
During the trip out to Colorado, John did not talk about Andrea's disappearance very much. Rick thought John was somewhat upset about it, but not a whole lot. Rick recalled the backseat and trunk of John's car being crammed with stuff.
Rick said, "John has always been kind of a strange person."
If you talk to your dad, here is one question you might ask. John, when he was questioned by the detectives in Denver said, "I went to Circle K about 9 PM (on March 16, 1980) and got some milk. Then I went to the Town Club. That was the first time for me. I know that Andrea never went there."
But Andrea's old boyfriend, Billy, would say later that he saw John and Andrea there that night - March 16th. And John would later say that he and Andrea had a fight on the night of the 16th. He was supposedly so upset by it, he did not go to work on the 17th. And of course, she had "disappeaered" on that day. I was wondering if your dad would know anyone who had ever seen Andrea at the Town Club - especially on March 16th. Was the fight about her old boyfriend? About something else? At this point, anything your dad can remember would be helpful to Lisa.
Thanks for posting. I hope all is going well for you.
Best,
Robert Scott
PS. I think there is more concerning Rick's statements back in 1980 - but I'll have to try and find them. Also, he wasn't being singled out for questioning then. Both Pam and James were also questioned about why John had suddenly decided to drive all the way to Denver, Colorado.
