LASD - HQ Newsroom (SHB), Los Angeles County Sheriff

Community: Sheriff's Homicide Detectives Honored for Solving 1985 San Marino Murder Mystery - LASD

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Sheriff's Homicide Bureau Sergeant Delores Scott and Sergeant Tim Miley were honored with Exemplary Service Awards Wednesday for their bulldog-like tenacity in the solving of a 1985 homicide.

While thanking and congratulating the investigators, Sheriff Lee Baca and top executives of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department heard the details of the dogged policework needed to bring the murderer of John Sohus of San Marino to justice. The body of his wife, Linda Sohus, was never found. Christopher Chichester, Also Known As (AKA) Christian Gerhartsreiter, AKA Clark Rockefeller, was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to 27 years to life in prison.

"This investigation shows that Sheriff's Homicide investigators are like bulldogs," said Sheriff Baca. "They never let go until the case is solved, and always remember that the victims and their families deserve our best efforts."

Below is the news 2011 LASD News Release from when the arrest warrant was issued:

1985 Cold Case warrant issued - San Marino murder suspect
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http://nixle.com/alert/4666859/

These are summary notes from the investigators about the progress of this difficult case, from beginning to end.

John and Linda Sohus, a recently married couple, disappeared from their residence on Lorain Road, in San Marino, on or about February 8th, 1985. They lived at that residence with John's mother, Ruth "DiDi" Sohus. The guest house was occupied by a tenant, "Christopher Chichester", a young man claiming to be of British Royalty, who had become entrenched in the wealthy society of San Marino.

Prior to their disappearance, the couple told several people they were going to New York for a job interview for a top secret Government job, arranged by the tenant, Chichester.

When they did not return, Linda's sister went to the San Marino Police Department and reported the couple missing. on 4-8-1985. When San Marino P.D. contacted Mrs. Sohus they were told that the couple was not missing, and that they were working on a secret government job.

On April 29th, 1985, post cards post marked from Paris, France, written by Linda, were sent to several friends and family members of Linda Sohus.

On 7-8-1985, Mrs. Sohus (John's mother) contacted SMPD, and told them that not only was the couple missing, but the tenant, who was in contact with them, disappeared also. Mrs. Sohus was in dementia at the time and a complete stranger took over her life. She disinherited John from her will, sold her house and was moved into a trailer park in La Puente, where she died in 1988.

In 1988, a person attempted to register the Sohus' Nissan pickup in Greenwich, Connecticut. Follow up concluded that the person in control of the truck was the man SMPD knew as Chichester. He was going by the alias of Christopher Crowe at the time. It was discovered that his real identity was Christian Gerhartsreiter, a German immigrant. Gerhartsreiter disappeared and the case went cold.

On May 5th, 1994, while excavating for a swimming pool at 1920 Lorain Road, the skeletal remains of a male adult were discovered in the yard behind the guest house. In 1994, the Coroner's office did not properly identify the remains as those of John Sohus. When investigators could not locate Gerhartsreiter, the case went cold. They obtained fingerprints from his immigration file.

In 2007, Unsolved investigators entered those prints into the wanted system for a want on Gerhartsreiter.

On August 4th, 2008, a man using the name of Clark Rockefeller was arrested for parental kidnapping by the FBI in Boston, after a much publicized search. When he was fingerprinted, it was determined that "Rockefeller" was actually Gerhartsreiter and the want was activated.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Sergeants Miley and Scott were assigned to reinvestigate the case. They found the evidence had not been properly stored, and there was no proof that the body recovered was that of John Sohus, as he had never been properly identified in 1994 and the remains had been cremated.

Facing a daunting task of reviving a very cold case with little physical and several key witnesses died or had limited memory; Investigators were faced with piecing together a completely circumstantial case.
Fortunately, the Coroner's office had kept the skull as a training example of blunt force trauma. It took 2 years and four laboratories to finally prove the skull belonging to John Doe #73 was that of John Sohus.
Investigators interviewed more than 300 witnesses and put together a compelling case, worthy of prosecution.

On March 15th, 2011, murder charges were filed on Gerhartsreiter by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

On July 5th, 2011, he was extradited to Los Angeles County.

On January 12, 2012, He was held to answer for murder at a preliminary hearing.

On April 11th, 2013, a jury found him guilty of first degree murder in a case prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
On August 15th, 2013 he was sentenced to 27 years to life.

Linda Sohus is presumed dead and her body was never located. Should her remains ever be found, Gerhartsreiter could face an additional murder charge.

Forwarded by:
Captain Mike Parker
Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau - Newsroom
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
323-267-4800
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Leroy D. Baca, Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

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