Episode 147: Kerry Patterson

This week's story is about a 15-year-old teenager named Kerry Patterson, who vanished from Fullerton, California on June 26th, 1980 after meeting with several other teenagers at a local ice cream store called the Ice Cream Castle.


She was last seen leaving with three boys named Danny Wozab, Michael Cruz and Troy LeClear. According to Wozab, Carrie climbed on his handle bars. They boys then escorted her home on their bicycles. The boys said that after leaving Kerry, she walked home and that was the last time they ever saw her again.


For this week's episode, I spoke to attorney Michelle Patterson Ludwig, who is Kerry's younger sister and Detective Bob Taft with the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
He is the current detective assigned to finding out who killed Kerry Patterson over 40 years ago.


The family had only moved into their new home two weeks before Kerry ultimately disappeared on June 26th, 1980. The family was expecting their furniture to be dropped off. Chrystal Patterson told her daughters to stay home and wait for the furniture as she had to work. Kerry ignored her mother's order and left her younger sister Michelle to wait for the furniture alone. After Kerry left to meet up with friends at a local ice cream shop, she never returned home.


Because Kerry wasn't considered a crime victim, law enforcement didn't question construction workers or the furniture delivery workers. After speaking to Michelle and Detective Taft, I learned that law enforcement never visited the ice cream shop to confirm that Kerry and the three boys were ever there. For six months, the family was left wondering what happened to Kerry.


They would find out months later. On December 27th, 1980, an oil worker found Kerry's skeletal remains. If you have any information about this unsolved case, please contact Detective Bob Taft of the Orange County Sheriff's Department at (714) 713 - 1342. And if you would like additional information about this story, please visit the Who Killed Kerry Patterson Facebook page.


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