Cold case killing of Cheri Jo Bates continues to haunt Riverside 6 decades later

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- Nearly 60 years after the killing of Cheri Jo Bates on the campus of Riverside City College, the case remains unsolved, with investigators still pursuing leads and family members continuing to search for answers.

Bates was found stabbed to death on Oct. 31, 1966 after she had been studying at the college library. Police said her car had been disabled, and her body was discovered about 100 yards away.

Ken Welty, a friend who attended Ramona High School with Bates a year earlier, said the crime left a lasting impact.

"To know that somebody brutally murdered her, it bothered me a lot," Welty said.

According to Welty, the nature of the attack reflected extreme violence.

"The number of stab wounds from what I understand and the brutality of the severed carotid, it was a crime of passion," he said.

Welty said he believes Bates may have known her attacker, pointing to evidence that she appeared to have walked away from her car with the person.

"I think it's somebody that I knew. It's somebody that she knew," he said.

A police report from 1982 identified a suspect, though authorities never made an arrest or filed charges. That individual's name has not been disclosed.

But interviews with people connected to the suspect indicated he wore a Timex watch similar to one found at the scene of the crime.

"It didn't just show up by itself, it came from the suspect," Welty said.

The report also referenced accounts from acquaintances who said the suspect admitted to having gone on dates with Bates shortly before her death. That suspect also matched the physical description of a man seen near the location the night of the killing.

And some acquaintances claimed the suspect often boasted about being able to beat police polygraph tests.

"I remember a newspaper article from around 1982 that said a local boy to be charged in Bates murder. No were names mentioned," said Welty. "That told me the D.A. was going to file charges. But charges were never filed. Why? I don't know."

Years later, investigators attempted to compare DNA evidence from the crime scene with that of the suspect, but no arrest followed.

"I don't know if the DNA that the police had was enough to match what they got from the suspect, because it could have been degraded to a point where it didn't match," Welty said.

Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez said the case remains active, with detectives continuing to use updated forensic technology.

"We are currently, on this case, testing DNA and fingerprint technology, the newest that's out there, to see what we can come up with," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said investigators agree with Welty, that the person responsible likely knew Bates.

"I think our first hope is that the suspect or suspects are still alive, so we can bring them to justice and bring some closure to the family," he said.

Bates' brother, Mike Bates, said the passage of time has made the lack of resolution especially painful.

"It seems like somebody should know something, and nobody knows anything. And that's always been a pain," he said.

He said over the years he has been contacted by numerous people claiming to have solved the case.

"I've had one person from Norway (who said he) had all these answers; I had the Zodiac.com guy call me, (he thought) had something figured out; another lady in Louisiana said it was her brother who did it," he said.

Welty questioned whether the case may ultimately depend on someone coming forward with information.

"People are going to die at some point," said Welty. "Is the suspect going to his grave with this?"

Mike Bates said the challenge of proving a case has only grown over time.

"There's going to a lot of problems trying to prove things after this many years," he said.

Now 78, both Bates and Welty continue to hope for answers. Welty has offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to justice in the case.

"This is one of those cases that haunts you," said Welty. "It's never been solved."