Chapter 8

Day 8 (15 October 2018) Notes for Taxi Driver Task Force initiated on 8 October 2018

(Detective Trish Cavanaugh Badge 3446 SFPD)

I wanted to mention that this chapter will contain the victim case file summary for victims 7 and 8. The victim case file summary for victims 9 and 10 will be in the Day 9 (16 October 2018) entry. The victim case file summary for victims 11 and 12 will be in the Day 10 (17 October 2018) entry. The final cut off victim case file for victim 13 will be in the Day 11 (18 October 2018) entry.

It is already known to the Task Force unit that a victim has already been confirmed earlier this month from reliable DNA evidence as victim number 14 and that victim case file summary will be in the Day 12 (19 October 2018) entry.

I know I should not mention this disturbing bit of news in the middle of my official journal but I have to write it down somewhere just to make sense out of it.

My fifteen year old daughter was caught by a mall security cop stealing panties at a large retail store right in the fitting room and stopped at the exit door in a way that made it seem like she was resisting arrest. Of course, the guard was not armed and was not a real cop or deputy but it was official enough for the school to suspend her for the next ten school days until the thing was adjudicated in the juvenile court. As an officer of the law I was shocked beyond belief that my own daughter had done something so stupid as a petite crime right out in the open like some female offspring of a destitute mother with no father around to administer some parental guidance. In a way, I blamed myself because of my rotten marital problems but I understood that she had probably done it on a dare and it gave her a rush of adrenaline to risk her future on something that was more a prank than a real crime by a dedicated criminal.

My asinine ex-husband took the opportunity to file a suit against me for being an unfit mother and demanded equal custody instead of just the once a month weekend already agreed to by all parties.

I didn’t know if I was more disappointed, angry, embarrassed or just plain sad and guilty for not having more time to spend with my daughter at a dangerous crossroad of her life. I knew deep down inside that the problem was my failed marriage and my demanding job in law enforcement, but I could not afford to be too lenient and give her an excuse to continue down the wrong road in her formative years.

In any event, I took her out of the public school and got her enrolled in the Catholic school downtown where the nuns were keeping a close watch on the girls with that spark of adventure. It was more a siren call than a spark that often caused them to make mistakes at an early age with no chance of making amends when they reached their maturity at least in a legal sense of the word.

Then, my mentor Captain Veronica made the announcement that she was retiring to San Diego in the Sun and Fun Southland. I was saddened because she was always there to give me a little boost when the job got me down. Now, I would have nobody to cover my back and it was a bit of a wake-up call to be all on my own.

The Task Force got the unwelcome news that the FBI was going to assume control of the unit with the approval of the City Commissioners because the heat of the voters wanting some sort of results was just too much for some of them at a time when the current administration was ripe for getting kicked to the street at the voting box. That was all I needed to top off a whale of a day when things seemed to go wrong at every turn.

VICTIM REFERENCE: (TDVIC07) (201611271134)

NAME: Holly Sweet

AGE: 35

RACE: Black (Mixed, light brown skin)

BODY DISCOVERY LOCATION: Confessional in rear of St. Anthony’s Church on Pacific Circle

CRIME SCENE LOCATION: Unknown

WITNESSES: Father Jim Brown

REPORTED BY: Father Jim Brown (Stated that person or persons unknown had deposited the body in his confessional as he heard confession on the other side.) He did not see the other person or persons and was only aware of the situation when he got up and went around to the booth to find the deceased. He administered last rites and called the police.

OFFICERS ON SCENE: Patrolman Shawn Reilly and Recruit trainee Alicia Adams working out of the Mission training center.

INITIAL INVESTIGATOR: Detective second class “Ricky” Ricardo attached to the serious crime unit at the Presidio and Golden Gate sector.

VICTIM EMPLOYMENT: Steno typist at the Family Affairs, office located in the Market Street complex for the City of San Francisco

NEXT OF KIN: Mother Janis Johnson currently residing in the Twin Oaks Villas, 14 Front Street, Oakland, CA (see statement in file and confidential telephone number)

COLOR HAIR: Bleached Blonde (natural brown tone)

COLOR EYES: Hazel

BODY TYPE: Slender and toned for professional modeling second job for fashion magazines. This sideline is strictly above board and for reputable stores.

MARITAL STATUS: Never married according to mother

ADDRESS: Bel-air Apartments, 52 Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA (long-term lease on single studio apartment on ground floor with separate side door and small bath.) Owner of building stated that the apartment had been leased to her older sister who now resides in Sacramento with the forwarding address in file. Mother also confirms that the subject victim had taken over the lease for basically the same rate as the older daughter with the stipulation she not have overnight guests into the studio apartment.

PETS AT HOME: None allowed

AUTO INFO AND LOC: Subject victim has a Yamaha scooter registered in her name and she is allowed to keep it in the rear garage of the listed home address.

PRIORS: None

CORONER’S REPORT: Death by Homicide

CAUSE OF DEATH: Excessive loss of blood

INVENTORY VALUABLES: See listing on attached worksheet. All located in safe three at the Annex.

LAST 24 HOURS SUMMARY: Subject victim reported to work at 0800 hours on the day of demise. She worked until 1600 hours and attended a baby shower at the Majestic Steakhouse on Geary Street with several other female workers at the Family Affairs office for a Ms. Tiffany Jones, City employee number SF24556. Ms. Jones was reportedly a co-worker of the victim but not a close friend with any sort of contact other than at the office. After the baby shower, the victim Holly Sweet joined a Ms. Alice Andrews and a Ms. Faye Black for a drink at the nearby Geary Pub and Sports bar. They were joined by a Mister Horace Green, 3445 Mission Blvd, San Francisco; CA. Mister Green is a professional boxer and close friend of Ms. Alice Andrews. (See statements in file) Ms. Andrews and Mister Green had an argument and she left the others behind in the pub. Subsequently, Ms. Black joined her fiancé Oscar Harding and left for a previous engagement in Daly City. They both have alibis for the remainder of the evening. The bartender stated that Mister Green and the subject victim left the Pub and Sports Bar at approximately 2300 hours together and entered a taxi right outside the door. Mister Green’s statement indicated that they only shared the cab and that he was let off at his girlfriend’s house at 2330 hours. His girlfriend Ms. Andrews confirms his alibi and his is not a suspect. The last time she was sighted was at 2330 hours driving off in the taxi which has never been identified by any witness as to the company of origin or the identity of the driver. This is one of the strongest indicators that the presumed killer was finding his victims by posing as a taxi driver and taking them to an isolated location to kill them and then transporting them to dump sites of his choice to conceal his crimes.

FORENSIC INVENTORY: All items are in the evidence locker at the annex.

MURDER WEAPON: Unknown

MISSING ITEMS: Panties, shoes, purse and cell phone

NOTES AND COMMENTS: A yellow cab was spotted outside the church where the body was discovered but that was not unusual for that time and that location as people “hailed” a cab on the street there quite often. There was also a hotel across the street that had a Taxi stand spot that was often where the drivers parked whilst waiting for a fare.