More Than 300 Human Bones Recovered At Linden Well

February 12, 2012 11:45 PM

LINDEN (CBS13) – Death row inmate Wesley Shermantine claimed he could lead authorities to a “bone yard” filled with the remains of victims of him and his fellow murderer Loren Herzog. It appears he was telling the truth.

A map drawn by the convicted serial killer led authorities to an abandoned well, and investigators recovered at least 300 human bones, as well as a coat, shoes, a purse and jewelry by Sunday afternoon.

The remains will be sent to the Department of Justice in the hopes of identifying them through DNA testing, said San Joaquin Sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Les Garcia said.

He and his childhood friend, Loren Herzog, were called the “Speed Freak Killers” for a methamphetamine-fueled killing spree that had as many as 15 victims.

Shermantine was convicted of four murders and sentenced to death. Herzog was convicted of three murders and sentenced to 77 years to life in prison, though that was later reduced to 14 years. An appeals court tossed his first-degree murder convictions after ruling his confession was illegally obtained.

Herzog was paroled in 2010 to a trailer outside the High Desert State Prison in Susanville. He committed suicide outside that trailer last month after Sacramento bounty hunter Leonard Padilla told him Shermantine was disclosing the location of the well along with two other locations.

The discovery of the human remains Sunday are the fourth straight day remains have been found with the help of Shermantine’s map.

Garcia said dental records identified remains found Thursday in Calaveras County as those of 25-year-old Cyndi Vanderheiden, who disappeared in 1988.

Crews are expected to be searching the ranch in Linden for several days, at what Garcia has said would be a “slow and tedious” pace. The property, about 60 miles south of Sacramento, was once owned by Shermantine’s family.

Investigators have established a hotline for family members who believe their loved ones may have fallen victim to Herzog or Shermantine at (209) 468-5087.

rmcsticks

Shermantine. Do us a favor and hang yourself.
jesscvn

Although I agree, he’d be doing us all a favor by hanging himself. Please not until all the victims are found and every family has closure.
Ned Beatty

Great justice system, a mass murderer who confesses gets out on a snafu, his “childhood” friend (nice neighborhood) gets life, he also gets $33,000 dollars in extortion money to devulge the “boneyard’ so that the victim’s families have “closure”? is there ever really closure after a murder? but what’s amazing to me, the mass murdeerr gets 30 grand for being a worthless pc. of sh-t and the victim’s families get a lifetime of pain, how our liberal civil rights effed up legal system empowers this insanity instead of killing them is a miscarriage of “just us”!! simply beating the bark off this worthless pc. of sh-t when he confessed to these murders to extract any information he had years ago would have made sense instead of torturing the victim’s families for years, he gave up a “human rights/civil rights” the second he commited these murders,America the Beautiful….my ass
RC

run-on
anonamous

The day that they were found guilty a search should have been done on the monsters property, up there in the San Joaquin county wilderness, but then I rented an apt. to the Zodiac in Stockton, contacted the police, they said they could not go in his apt. without proof etc.. A friend and I went in(illegally) and found proof but the cops did nothing, he moved out and kept on killing. The only thing in that large apt. was a mattress, a hugh picture of wonder women,on the wall over the mattress, a card table and chair, typwriter, paper and newspapers with letters cut out, which is what Z did, he would send letters to newspapers , with cut out letters bragging about the murders, there was a horrible smell in the empty frig. He was only in the apt every other Sunday accoding to his neighbors, right after a killing spree. He was in the apt. for three months. He had great referances by the way. Great police work wouldn’t ya say.
mike

Yes there is some not all closure in being able to find,bury and know were your loved one is,and good or bad there is know more wondering what happen to them,how did it happen,staring out the window for days years hoping they come home when you know they won’t and alot more reasons that go along with closure.And heaven forbid it doesn’t take this happening to you or others to realize this.
Kelly Becker

Cindy Vanderheiden went missing in 1998, not 1988.
nothingchanges

Strap the degenerate to the gurney and release the chemicals now, He has already used up to much oxygen in this world.
Just Askin…

Who gets to pay for all the excavation and police overtime sifting through dirt?