Case 193

Suesan Knorr & Sheila Sanders

*** Content Warning: child victims, child abuse, domestic violence ***

On July 17 1984, the burnt remains of an unidentified young female were located in a deserted area near Lake Tahoe, California. Nearly one year later, the remains of another young female were found in a desolate area nearby. Both were given the status of “Jane Doe.” 

After a violent trucker named Benjamin “Herbert” Boyle was apprehended for murdering hitchhiker Gail Smith, authorities thought they had nabbed the killer of at least one of the Jane Doe’s. As detectives hunted for the identities of the deceased, a woman named Theresa Knorr had the answers to everyone’s questions, until two of her own children – Suesan Knorr and Sheila Sanders – mysteriously disappeared.

CREDITS

 

Casefile Presents

 

EPISODE:

Research & writing – Jessica Forsayeth

Creative direction – Milly Raso

Narration – Anonymous Host

 

MUSIC:

‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com

Audio production – Mike Migas 

Scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn

 

OTHER:

Logo and website design – Paulina Szymanska

 

PREMIUM

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RESOURCES

 

WEBSITES

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Theresa Marie “Terry” Knorr Walker

 

NEWS ARTICLES

Hearing is slated in Galt slaying – The Sacramento Bee

Murder charge is due in Galt death – The Sacramento Bee

Roadside Horror – The Sacramento Bee

Body found burning in Sierra – The Press-Tribune

Sheriff’s search for infant – The Auburn Journal

Placer releases rendering of female found burning – The Sacramento Bee 

Trucker being investigated in FW slayings – Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Trucker convicted of capital murder – Associated Press

Effort fails to link killing – Associated Press

Mother sought in grisly slayings: 1 daughter burned, 2nd starved – The Sacramento Bee

Murder suspect shot her husband – The Sacramento Bee

Woman, two of her sons charged with killing two of her daughters – The Fresno Bee

Brother admits killing in fear, cops say – The Sacramento Bee

Sheriff said woman died of strangulation – The Press-Tribune

Experts clash on sanity of mom accused of killing 2 daughters – The Sacramento Bee

Report: Accused mother ‘feigned mental illness’ – The Sacramento Bee

Man’s crime mitigated by horrific childhood, prosecutor agrees The Sacramento Bee 

Mom pleads guilty to killing daughters – The Sacramento Bee

Son who helped kill gets probation – The Sacramento Bee

50-to-life for mom in kids’ murders The Sacramento Bee

 

BOOKS

Mother’s Day – Dennis McDougal

Whatever Mother Says – Wensley Clarkson

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