WebStationLogos3 CBSSports1140-Horizontal-SMALL

Local

Shermantine Warns He Won’t Help In Search If Conditions Not Met

View Comments
laura-cole-talent-web-photos

Reporting Laura Cole

Features

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A serial killer’s latest letter from death row comes with a warning and a demand if investigators want his help unearthing the remains of murder victims.

A two-page letter sent to Sacramento-based bounty hunter Leonard Padilla spells out Wesley Shermantine’s demand. The former FBI agent and special agent from the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation who interviewed the San Quentin death row inmate must be included in the search for Cyndi Vanderheiden’s remains.

Shermantine writes: “If I don’t see them as part of this recovery team, I will not leave the prison on any transport.”

And the serial killer takes aim at the San Joaquin County sheriff who put a halt to search efforts last month. The original plan was for Shermantine to lead investigators to burial sites where he says his “Speed Freak Killers” partner Loren Herzog had him dispose of victims’ bodies.

“I see they are fighting over whom gets the glory,” Shermantine writes. “Look, the Stockton sheriff Moore can go (expletive) himself.”

In the letter to Padilla, Shermantine warns that the sheriff needs his help, saying “San Joaquin County loses all hope of finding Herzog’s boneyard. I memorized Herzog’s map, and flushed it in the county jail toilet. Now with Herzog dead, I know I hold all the information.”

Herzog committed suicide Jan. 16 outside the High Desert State Prison in Susanville, where he was living after being release on parole.

Padilla says Shermantine is still working with him, and even if the convicted killer is never transported, Padilla says he’ll still find Cyndi’s remains.

“Is this a huge stepback? No, no, absolutely not,” Padilla said Monday. “With or without Wesley, me and (partner) Rob (Dick) have a good understanding of where cyndi’s remains are.”

CBS13 did talk with the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department Monday night, and officials there said they would gladly welcome a meeting with Padilla and the former FBI agent in order to find the remains and bring about closure for the victims’ families.

View Comments
  • bubba

    Who’s holding out for the most glory Shermantine,Padilla,or sheriff Moore starting to sound like there all in this together to see who’s the first one to sign off for a movie.What a bunch of B.S.if you know where cyndi,s burried then for heavens sake quit dragging this sht out Padilla and quit dragging these family members threw this media hype for your own attention.PUNK

  • WisenCynical

    You guys at CBS13 really are coming across as dirt merchants now. Please stop glorifying this drama as something worthwhile. All it does is add credability to a deathrow murderer and his illusion of control over his victims. For shame, tsk tsk, naught, naughty!

  • Teresa Arvello

    i agree,we all want to put cyndi at rest and her family needs closure already!

  • DONNA

    IAM CONFUSSED WESLEY WANTED TO DISCLOSE WHERE CINDYS REMAINS WERE BECAUSE CINDYS DAD WAS ILL, BUT IN THE NEXT BREATH HE’S DEMANDING HIS WAY AND IF HE DONT GET IT HE WILL NOT LEAVE THE PRISON. ALL OF A SUDDEN HE WANTS A AWARD FOR BEING A SINCERE PERSON LOL HE KILLED MY FRIEND CHEVY AND BUIRIED HER FOR 26 YRS SHE LAID IN THAT GRAVE. YES WHAT PADILLA IS DOING WITH THE MONEY IS GREAT A LOT OF FAMILIES GET CLOSURE, BUT I THINK THE MONEY SHOULD GO TO THE VICTIMS FAMILIES AND WHATS LEFT IF ANY LEAVE THAT FOR WES INSTEAD OF SIGHNING A CHECK FOR 2000.00$ AND PUTTING IT ON HIS BOOKS…… MY OPINION MAKE HIM WAIT FOR ANY $ HOW LONG DID ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WAS BURIED LAY IN THEIR GRAVES? THIS IS UPSETTING ME SO BAD ALL THE DRAMA, PADILLA WANTS NOTHING BUT THE SPOTLIGHT I LEFT 2 EMAILS 2 WEEKS AGO THAT HE SAID HE WOULD RESPOND TO AND STILL HAS NOT,,,,, BECAUSE THERE’S NOTHING IN IT FOR HIM,,,,,AND HIS SIDEKICK JEFF RINEK FORMER FBI THATS FORMER WAS HE PART OF THIS INVESTAGATION FROM THE BEGINNING. I BET ANYTHING THOSE 3 BUDDIES ARE GOING TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE MONEY OFF THIS… PADILLA FROM THE BEGINNING WAS OFFERING WES MONEY.

blog comments powered by Disqus
Listen Live!

Follow CBS Sacramento