held and blood-typed.
A toxicologist took a blood sample and screened it for alcohol content. His reading was low: .08%.
A forensic chemist checked the body. He found small white carpetlike fibers under the victim’s right middle fingernail and bagged them as evidence. He took the two garrotes, the victim’s dress, right stocking and brassiere to the Sheriff’s Crime Lab. He noted that the unraveled strangling cord was 17 inches long—yet had tightened to 3 inches around the victim’s neck.
Dr. Ridge called Ward Hallinen and summarized his findings. He confirmed asphyxia as the cause of death and said that the victim had been struck in the head at least six times. She may have been unconscious when she was strangled. She’d engaged in recent sexual intercourse. She had probably eaten a full meal one to two hours before her death. It was most likely Mexican-type food—she had partially digested beans, meat and cheese in her stomach.
Hallinen wrote the information down and called Sheriff’s Metro. He laid out his case to the squad lieutenant and requested two men to canvass bars and restaurants in the El Monte/Rosemead/Temple City area. The lieutenant said he’d send out Bill Vickers and Frank Godfrey. Hallinen said they should stress three things:
The victim ate Mexican-style food Saturday night or very early Sunday morning. She might have been out with a Mexican or a Latin-type Caucasian—possibly named Tommy. The victim was redheaded—the two probably stood out.
The lieutenant promised priority service. Hallinen said he’d be out canvassing himself. Lawton and Hallinen connected at the El Monte Station. They split up and started working separate canvassing beats.
Jim Bruton teamed up with Captain Al Etzel. They drove to 700 Bryant and reinterviewed George and Anna May Krycki. Mrs. Krycki stuck to her Jean-didn’t-drink/Jean-didn’t-go-out-with-men story. She said that Jean answered a newspaper ad and rented the little back house impulsively Jean liked the fenced-in yard and thick foliage. She said the place felt safe to her. The Kryckis had a hunch that Jean was hiding out in El Monte.
Jean did not have a telephone. She used the Kryckis’ phone for local calls and made her other calls at work. The Kryckis received a few calls
Bruton asked Mrs. Krycki if she had any more photos of Jean. She gave him six Kodachrome snapshots. Etzel asked her to go through the bungalow with them. They needed to inventory Jeans things and determine the shoes and purse she had with her Saturday night.
Mrs. Krycki walked Bruton and Etzel through the house and examined the victim’s belongings. She drew a blank on the purse and said Jean’s clear plastic high heels were missing.
Bruton and Etzel drove to the El Monte Station and dropped the snapshots off for reprinting.
Hallinen met up with Lawton.
Their canvassing runs were unsuccessful. They hit numerous bars and nightclubs—but nobody recalled a redhead and a dark man out Saturday night.
They drove to the Airtek Dynamics plant. It was just south of downtown L.A.—a big six-story structure. The personnel director was named Ruth Schienle.
She’d heard about the killing. She said the news was buzzing all over Airtek. She said she was friendly with Jean. Jean was a well-liked Airtek employee.
Airtek was a division of the Packmeyr Gun Company. They manufactured window casings for military planes. Jean was the plant nurse. She hired on in September ’56.
Mrs. Schienle said she knew very little about Jean’s private life. Hallinen and Lawton pressed her.
She said Jean had very few close friends. She was not much of a socializer and only an occasional drinker. Her friends were mostly older couples, dating back to the time of her marriage.
Hallinen and Lawton described the blonde and the dark man. Mrs. Schienle said they didn’t sound like Airtek people— or any of the friends Jean told her about. The name Tommy did not ring a bell.
Hallinen and Lawton left her a card and said they’d be in touch. They told her to call if she picked up on anything suspicious.
Mrs. Schienle assured them she’d cooperate. Hallinen and Lawton headed back to El Monte.
The Metropolitan Detail was a loan-out unit. It had one function: to assist the Headquarters Detective Bureau in major investigations. The assigned deputies wore plainclothes and were skilled at canvassing.
Frank Godfrey locked in to the Ellroy case on Monday afternoon. Bill Vickers was set to start soon.
Godfrey canvassed with a photo of the victim. He queried waitresses, carhops, bartenders, restaurant and cocktail lounge managers. He stressed the redhead, the blonde and a dark man who might be named Tommy. He said the redhead ordered Mexican food or a chili size with cheese.
He hit Staat’s Cafe at Meeker and Valley. A waitress said the redhead looked familiar. She said a party of four came in Saturday night and ordered chili sizes. Pearl Pendleton waited on them.
Pearl was off today. Godfrey got her number from the manager and called her. Pearl listened to his questions and said that none of her Saturday-night customers resembled the people he described.
Godfrey hit Dick’s Drive-in at Rosemead and Las Tunas. Nobody there was working Saturday night into Sunday morning. The manager was not on the premises.
A carhop gave him some names: Marlene, Kathy, Kitty Johnson, Sue the counter girl. They were all working Saturday-Sunday graveyard and would be rotating back on duty Wednesday.
Godfrey walked across the street and checked out the Clock Drive-in. The manager said none of his on-duty crew was working late Saturday night or early Sunday. He checked his 6/21 roster and kicked loose some names and numbers: two dining-room girls, one hostess, one counter girl and four carhops.
Godfrey circled over to Five Points and hit Stan’s Drive-in. The manager said his Saturday-Sunday girls were all off now. Godfrey wrote down their names and home numbers:
Eve McKinley / ED3-6733; Ellen “Nicky” Nichols / ED3-6442; Lavonne “Pinky” Chambers / ED7-6686.
