Remains found on serial killer's, Wesley Shermantine's,tip identified as victim, authorities search for more

SAN FRANCISCO – Human remains uncovered in Northern California with the help of a convicted serial killer have been preliminarily identified as one of his victims, and authorities continued to search another site for the remains of as many as 10 people.
Dental records identified the remains found Thursday in Calaveras County as those of Cyndi Vanderheiden, 25, San Joaquin sheriff's spokesman Les Garcia said Saturday.
Authorities were still awaiting the results of a DNA analysis to confirm the identification, Garcia said.

Cyndi Vanderheiden's father, John Vanderheiden, said he is waiting the DNA results but he is almost sure the remains are those of his daughter.
"There will be closure after that," he said.
Searchers following a map prepared by convicted serial killer and death row inmate Wesley Shermantine have so far uncovered two sets of remains near property once owned by Shermantine's family about 60 miles south of Sacramento.
One set is believed to belong to Vanderheiden, who disappeared in 1998, and the other is believed to be 16-year-old Chevelle "Chevy" Wheeler.
Authorities have not positively identified the remains found Friday as those of Wheeler. But Wheeler's parents said they were notified that the remains were found in a spot where Shermantine said their daughter was buried after she disappeared in 1985.
"They said they found her wrapped in a blanket," Paula Wheeler, the girl's mother, told The Associated Press by phone from the family's home in Crossville, Tenn. "This is a happy day. We can finally have some closure."
Investigators believe Vanderheiden and Wheeler were among as many as 15 victims of Shermantine and his childhood friend Loren Herzog. They were called the "Speed Freak Killers" because of their methamphetamine-fueled killing spree.
Shermantine recently agreed to disclose the locations of bodies in return for a bounty hunter's offer of $33,000. He is giving hand-drawn maps to authorities, who are now turning their attention to a third site -- an abandoned well -- in San Joaquin County, which authorities continued to search Saturday.
The old cattle ranch well near the town of Linden, just outside of Stockton, has layers of backfill that have slowed down its excavation.
Shermantine has indicated up to 10 additional bodies could be there, according to authorities.
"We haven't located any remains as of yet, but we remain hopeful," Garcia said.
Shermantine was convicted of four murders and sentenced to death. Herzog was convicted of three murders and sentenced to 77 years to life in prison, though that was later reduced to 14 years. An appeals court tossed his first-degree murder convictions after ruling his confession was illegally obtained.
Herzog was paroled in 2010 to a trailer outside the High Desert State Prison in Susanville. He committed suicide outside that trailer last month after Sacramento bounty hunter Leonard Padilla told him Shermantine was disclosing the location of the well along with two other locations.
Padilla has promised to pay Shermantine as much as $33,000 to disclose the locations of the bodies. He said he hopes to collect on rewards being offered by the state of California for information about several missing persons suspected of being victims of Herzog and Shermantine.
Shermantine has said he wants the money to pay off an $18,000 restitution order that prevents him from buying the limited luxuries like candy bars that inmates with money in their accounts can afford. He also said he want to buy headstones for his deceased parents.


Read more: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Information on the victims:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

February 12, 2012

Bones of what could be several additional murder victims were found on Sunday in a remote area east of Linden, according to the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators from the sheriff’s office, county Public Works Department and the Sheriffs’ Team of Active Retired Seniors, also known as STARS, found more than 300 bones of an undetermied number of people, sheriff’s spokesman Les Garcia said. It can’t be determined how many victims there are until the California Department of Justice conducts DNA testing. Large and small bones were found at the site.

In addition to the bones, investigators found some shoes, jewelry and a purse in the well, located on Flood Road, east of Escalon-Bellota Road,

Crews have dug into a well 45 feet deep and have produced about 34 piles of dirt, Garcia said.

On Saturday, a piece of a human skull and bones were also found at the ranch.

Victims are believed to have been killed by Wesley Shermantine Jr., Loren Herzog or both. Shermantine is on death row at San Quentin State Prison after being convicted of four murders in 2001. Herzog committed suicide on Jan. 16.

There have been rumors that the remains of 10 to 20 victims being located in the Linden-area well, but Garcia won’t verify those numbers.

“I am not calling this a massive grave,” Garcia said.

Crews will continue searching for remains for several days.

“It’s tedious, and it’s going to be lengthy,” Garcia said.

A hotline for people to call who believe they have a missing person who may have been murdered to Shermantine or Herzog may call 209-468-5087 or send an email to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. Include your name, phone number, the missing person and case number.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Report: Serial killer says more bodies are out there
Published February 18, 2012

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sacramento television station CBS-13 has received a letter it says is from serial killer Wesley Shermantine claiming he knows of sites where the bodies of additional victims were dumped.
The station reports that in a letter with Shermatine's signature from San Quentin State Prison, the convicted killer says there are two locations where his accomplice, Loren Herzog, disposed of two victims.
Shermantine says he hasn't revealed the locations because he hasn't been paid $33,000 promised by bounty hunter Leonard Padilla.
Padilla, who recognized Shermantine's handwriting in the letter, says he's working to establish a trust account before paying. Padilla says San Joaquin County sheriff's officials have a copy of the letter. They didn't immediately return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment on it.
Shermantine and Herzog, known as the "Speed Freak Killers," are suspected in as many as 20 murders. Herzog committed suicide last month after being told Shermantine was cooperating with authorities.
Authorities have been searching a farm in Linden based on information provided by Shermantine.

Read more: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

More remains linked to 'Speed Freak Killers' found in Northern California
Published February 24, 2012

SAN ANDREAS, Calif. – More human remains were recovered Thursday near the Northern California site where two victims of a convicted serial killer were recently found, authorities said.
Crews using cadaver dogs located the remains after expanding a search area near the Calaveras County community of San Andreas, said San Joaquin County Sheriff's spokesman Les Garcia.
Investigators have been searching the area after Wesley Shermantine led authorities to the site earlier this month. The search area is on property that Shermantine's family once owned.
Authorities are investigating if the newly found remains are from another victim of Shermantine and Loren Herzog, dubbed the "Speed Freak Killers" for their killing spree in the 1980s and 1990s. Garcia said the remains will be sent to the California Department of Justice Bureau of Forensic Services for analysis.
Shermantine has also led authorities to a well in San Joaquin County where investigators have found hundreds of human bone fragments.
Shermantine began disclosing where victims were buried after bounty hunter Leonard Padilla offered him money for the information.
Shermantine was convicted of four murders and sentenced to death. Jurors found Herzog guilty of three murders, but those convictions were later overturned after a judge determined his confession was illegally coerced. He instead struck a plea deal on one count of voluntary manslaughter and was paroled in 2010.
Herzog died in an apparent suicide last month, hours after receiving a call from Padilla to warn him that Shermantine planned to reveal the burial locations.
Using maps roughly drawn by Shermantine from his San Quentin State Prison cell, authorities first searched a remote Calaveras County property once owned by his family and found two sets of human remains. Tests have confirmed they belong to Cyndi Vanderheiden, 25, who disappeared in 1998, and Chevelle "Chevy" Wheeler, 16, who disappeared in 1985.
Shermantine was convicted of both murders in 2001, and Herzog's voluntary manslaughter plea was for Vanderheiden's death.

Read more: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Death row murderer leads police to remains of victims from decades-old killing spree
Published September 02, 2012


A convicted killer has been allowed to leave his death row cell to help lead police to the remains of victims of his killing spree decades ago.
Convicted murderer Wesley Shermantine was released recently from California’s San Quentin State Prison to help investigators locate more victims near his family’s property in the town of Linden, Fox 40 News reports.
According to the station, Shermantine's tips have led FBI agents to recover the bodies of four victims, one unidentified woman and one unidentified fetus.
In a letter to bounty hunter Leonard Padilla, Shermantine writes from his San Quentin cell that he showed officials four wells last week.
Inside those 45-foot-deep wells, San Joaquin County Investigators found pieces of human skull, other bones, clothing and jewelry. The bones are believed to belong to numerous possible victims of Shermantine and Loren Herzog -- the so-called “Speed Freak” killers, Fox 40 reports.
Shermantine and Padilla set up a $28,000 deal last year – Padilla sends him money and Shermantine gives him information.
According to CBS News, authorities say childhood pals Shermantine and Herzog went on a methamphetamine-fueled killing spree in the 1980s and 90s. Shermantine is on death row for four murders. Herzog was convicted of three murders, but the verdict was overturned and he was released in 2010.
Herzog hanged himself in January after he learned Shermantine was disclosing locations of victims.

Read more: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Wow, such a long time to be finally opening up and money is the motivator. He wants money for candy bars??????