Was Jim Mordecai Behind the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders? His Granddaughter Thinks So
After he died, Jim Mordecai's stepdaughter found a mysterious jewellery field filled with jewelry that obviously belonged to teenagers.
By Jennifer TisdaleFeb. 15 2024, Published 3:01 a.m. ET
Jim Mordecai
On March 6, 1972, citizens of Santa Rosa, Calif., unfolded their replica of The Press Democrat and had been met with a scary headline. Slain Woman Found, it stated in huge font that dwarfed the ghastly story beneath it. The body of a lady was discovered on Enterprise Road by means of two highschool scholars, one in every of whom initially concept it was a model. Unfortunately this was best the starting, as six extra lifeless ladies would quickly be found.
These deaths would in the end be known as the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders, and as of this writing they remain unsolved. However, a new suspect has been recommended in a February 2024 Max docuseries titled The Truth About Jim. In it, Sierra Barter searchers for solutions to questions on her sadistic step-grandfather. Could Jim Mordecai were the man accountable for those crimes? Here's what we know.
Judy Mordecai and Jim Mordecai
What makes Sierra Barter suppose Jim Mordecai may well be behind the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders?
Barter's grandmother Judy was Mordecai's third wife. They met as a result of he was a instructor at her daughter Shannon's school, however what Judy didn't know was that Shannon already had several upsetting run-ins with him. "Everybody knew he was off. He was bad," said Shannon in the docuseries. One day whilst sitting in his elegance, Mordecai referred to as Shannon to the front of the room and mentioned to the rest of the scholars, "Let's grade Shannon's a--." Sadly, that was certainly one of his extra tame incidents. Things best were given worse.
Not much is published about Mordecai's first wife, however his 2d, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, fell for his great man persona. When they met at a Methodist church, she had two youngsters from a previous marriage. Soon after their wedding, Kirkpatrick stated he was a "sexual deviant," seemingly getting off on the risk of being stuck. He was very into violence and chaos which manifested itself when he sexually assaulted Kirkpatrick's daughter Christi in 1964 when she was just a young person.
They would move directly to have two kids of their very own while Mordecai endured to torture Christi for a number of years. When Kirkpatrick worked up the braveness to ask for a divorce, Mordecai threatened to kill her, saying, "If you try to get the girls, I will slit their throats." Assaulting younger ladies was a pattern which prolonged to scholars at the faculty where he taught.
In an effort to understand a person who Christi described as a narcissist and bully, Barter began doing research about Mordecai and the other people he harm. Along the manner, she made shocking discoveries which led her to believe he could be the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murderer. Specifically, he would ceaselessly threaten to hog-tie women and "throw them into a ditch." Upon googling that phrase, Barter stumbled throughout crimes during which that came about.
Sierra Barter
Did Jim Mordecai fit the profile of any person who may just dedicate those crimes?
Several occasions in the docuseries, Mordecai is described as a serial rapist. Barter says that it stands to explanation why no longer all of his victims lived to stay that secret. Three of the seven Santa Rosa Hitchhiker victims were sexually assaulted, two had been hogtied, and 3 have been sure in another method.
Perhaps the maximum frustrating side of the docuseries is a lacking jewellery box Barter's mother Shannon discovered while cleaning out Mordecai's things after he died. Inside were items of inexpensive jewellery that seemed as if they could have belonged to youngsters. In December 1972, a single earring was found via considered one of the Santa Rosa our bodies. It's described as "gold or brass, with a filigree lace-like pattern from which several clear, orange beads are hanging," per The Press Democrat. Shannon recollects seeing a single earring that matched that description.
Barter introduced the proof she amassed about Mordecai to FBI profiler Raymond Carr who in moderation seemed issues over. Without realizing anything about Mordecai, he laid out a profile that sounded shockingly familiar to Barter and her mom. He didn't see anything that urged Mordecai could not be a suspect. In fact, he clearly stated, "I think it's very possible that Jim Mordecai is the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker killer."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pbXSramam6Ses7p6wqikaKhfn7auecyoqZ2dk5a2br%2FAp6uaZaKkwKJ5x6KrnKCYnrimvoymrKuclafA