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Pittsburg serial murders

UNSOLVEDPittsburg, California2 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Between November 9, 1998, and January 9, 1999, five people were killed in or near Pittsburg, California. The victims were Michael Tan, 27, who was beaten and drowned; an unnamed 15-year-old who disappeared after leaving a quinceañera rehearsal and was later found strangled; Jessica L. Frederick, 27, who was found stabbed; Rachael Cruise, 32, who was found strangled; and Valerie Dawn "China" Schultz, 27, who was found dead in a ditch. Another woman survived a serious assault in nearby Bay Point and gave police a limited description of her attacker.

The proximity and timing of the deaths prompted concern that some or all might be connected, but contemporaneous police statements said investigators had not established such a link. The FBI assisted local investigators, and then-Governor Gray Davis offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the killing of the 15-year-old.

In January 1999, police arrested two men on suspicion of killing the juvenile victim. Prosecutors declined to file charges, and both were released the following day. In March 1999, police arrested an adult victim's former partner as a suspect; further forensic analysis in 2001 excluded him as the killer in that death and the other cases.

Investigators later examined other persons of interest, but searches and follow-up inquiries did not produce evidence linking them to the five deaths. The killings remain unsolved.

Key facts

Victims
Rachael Cruise, Jessica L. Frederick, Valerie Dawn Schultz, Michael Tan, Lisa Diane Norrell
Date
Year on file
Location
Pittsburg, California
Case status
unsolved

Case timeline

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Best coverage

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People

  • Rachael Cruise

    VICTIM

    32-year-old woman found strangled in a ditch, December 1998

  • David Michael Heneby

    CHARGED

    Arrested in January 1999 in connection with Lisa Norrell's murder

  • Nancy Garrido

    CHARGED

    Arrested alongside Phillip Garrido in August 2009 for the 1991 kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard

  • Jessica L. Frederick

    VICTIM

    27-year-old woman found stabbed to death December 5, 1998

  • Valerie Dawn Schultz

    VICTIM

    27-year-old woman found dead in a ditch on January 8, 1999

  • Phillip Garrido

    CHARGED

    Added to list of suspects in 2009 after arrest for the 1991 kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard; no evidence found linking him to these murders

  • Michael Tan

    VICTIM

    27-year-old man found beaten and drowned in a ditch on November 9, 1998

  • Mohammed Ismil Niaz

    EXONERATED

    Arrested in March 1999 as a suspect in Jessica Frederick's murder; excluded by forensic testing in 2001

  • Mitchell Lynn Bacom

    CONVICTED

    Convicted killer of Suzanne Bombardier; investigated for the Pittsburg killings with no established connection

  • Garry Lee Walton

    CHARGED

    Arrested in January 1999 in connection with Lisa Norrell's murder

  • Lisa Diane Norrell

    VICTIM

    15-year-old girl who disappeared November 6, 1998, and was found strangled

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Pittsburg, California

38.0280, -121.8847

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Between November 1998 and January 1999, one man and four women were killed in and around Pittsburg, California. Investigators considered whether the deaths were connected, but did not establish a single offender, and the killings remain unsolved.
Where did the murders happen?
Pittsburg, California.
Who was convicted?
Mitchell Lynn Bacom (Convicted killer of Suzanne Bombardier; investigated for the Pittsburg killings with no established connection).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: unsolved.
More cases in California

Sources

  1. PRESS4th Woman Found Slain In Pittsburg / Passer-by finds Bay Point prostitute in a ditchSan Francisco Chronicle · 2026-07-11
  2. ENCYCLOPEDICPittsburg serial murdersWikipedia · 2026-07-10