The Press newspaper, November 1st 1966 A clue to the identity of Cheri Jo Bates' murderer may have been present in the newspapers all along. Dennis Earl Highland (19) was the long time boyfriend of Cheri Jo Bates, but 6 weeks prior to her murder he had moved to San Francisco to attend college, where he played on the football team. Investigators ruled him out fairly quickly. On the weekend prior to her murder, Cheri Jo Bates and Dennis Highland's parents (Mr. and Mrs. George E. Highland) had traveled to San Francisco on October 22nd 1966 to visit him. This is why the statements of two friends of Cheri Jo Bates are extremely noteworthy - who were interviewed and taped by a Los Angeles television station shortly after her murder. The Riverside Press newspaper, published in the evening, reported on November 1st 1966 that these two girls had spoken to Cheri Jo Bates, and that they were informed by Cheri she was going to the library "to meet her boyfriend". The interview with the two girls was therefore conducted no later than one day after her body was found alongside the Riverside City College library on October 31st 1966.
The Los Angeles television station were clearly interviewing friends of Cheri Jo Bates to acquire information on the young girl's background and her possible movements on the day she was murdered Knowing that they were being interviewed because of the October 30th 1966 murder and discovery of her body, why would these friends of Cheri be referring to anything else different than October 30th 1966, when they stated she was going to the library "to meet her boyfriend". It appears that their recollection created some confusion with investigators, who stated "We have talked to the parents of this boy in Riverside (Dennis Highland), and they have no knowledge of his being in this city Sunday".
The two friends of Cheri specifically said "library" when interviewed about the Sunday murder of Cheri Jo Bates near the library, so how would their recollection of Sunday, October 30th 1966 (just two days before being interviewed) be mistaken for Cheri meaning anything else? It is clear that the "boy friend" Cheri was referring to wasn't Dennis. Cheri Jo Bates certainly wasn't saying she was traveling to San Francisco to meet her boyfriend on October 30th 1966, because she wasn't. And San Francisco has no relevance to the word "library". If Cheri Jo Bates had informed these two girls she was going to the library "to meet her boyfriend", she very likely meant "boy friend" as a male acquaintance or friend of the opposite sex. It is not realistic that the two friends of Cheri would confuse Sunday, October 30th 1966 with any other date. And certainly not the Sunday on October 23rd 1966, which had no relevance to why they were being interviewed. If these two girls were not lying (and why would both of them do so), then Cheri Jo Bates was going to the library to meet a male friend on October 30th 1966 (which wouldn't have been Dennis because he was in San Francisco). The police stated "There must be persons who talked to the girl or had contact with her Sunday afternoon or night, and we would like very much to talk to such persons".
The Los Angeles television station were clearly interviewing friends of Cheri Jo Bates to acquire information on the young girl's background and her possible movements on the day she was murdered Knowing that they were being interviewed because of the October 30th 1966 murder and discovery of her body, why would these friends of Cheri be referring to anything else different than October 30th 1966, when they stated she was going to the library "to meet her boyfriend". It appears that their recollection created some confusion with investigators, who stated "We have talked to the parents of this boy in Riverside (Dennis Highland), and they have no knowledge of his being in this city Sunday".
The two friends of Cheri specifically said "library" when interviewed about the Sunday murder of Cheri Jo Bates near the library, so how would their recollection of Sunday, October 30th 1966 (just two days before being interviewed) be mistaken for Cheri meaning anything else? It is clear that the "boy friend" Cheri was referring to wasn't Dennis. Cheri Jo Bates certainly wasn't saying she was traveling to San Francisco to meet her boyfriend on October 30th 1966, because she wasn't. And San Francisco has no relevance to the word "library". If Cheri Jo Bates had informed these two girls she was going to the library "to meet her boyfriend", she very likely meant "boy friend" as a male acquaintance or friend of the opposite sex. It is not realistic that the two friends of Cheri would confuse Sunday, October 30th 1966 with any other date. And certainly not the Sunday on October 23rd 1966, which had no relevance to why they were being interviewed. If these two girls were not lying (and why would both of them do so), then Cheri Jo Bates was going to the library to meet a male friend on October 30th 1966 (which wouldn't have been Dennis because he was in San Francisco). The police stated "There must be persons who talked to the girl or had contact with her Sunday afternoon or night, and we would like very much to talk to such persons".
We know that initially Cheri Jo Bates wanted to do some studying in the library, because she had phoned her friend Stephanie Guttman at 3:45 pm and invited her to accompany her to the Riverside City College. She wouldn't have done this if her intention was to just check out three books and immediately go home. According to Stephanie, Cheri wanted to have some company that evening. Unfortunately for Cheri, her friend Stephanie declined the offer.
If Cheri was determined to have somebody study with her that evening, then the statement of the two girls to the Los Angeles television station that she was going to the Riverside library to meet a "boy friend", may have greater significance. When Cheri's father (Joseph Bates) tried to phone her twice at their 4195 Via San Jose resistance at approximately 5:00 pm and 5:15 pm, the line was busy on both occasions. Was Cheri Jo Bates speaking on the phone with a male acquaintance to arrange a meeting with him at the library, having been disappointed in her earlier call to Stephanie? Or had she arranged this shortly after finishing the phone call with Stephanie Guttman at 3:45 pm? There was a 2 hour 15 minute window between 3:45 pm and 6:00 pm, when the library opened its doors
If Cheri Jo Bates had told the two girls her intentions to meet a "boy friend" at the library on Sunday, then it realistically must have occurred in this 2 hour 15 minute window. Did she speak to the girls on the phone, outside her residence or in the neighborhood, someplace on the way to the library, or on the Riverside City College grounds? The approximate time and place the two girls spoke to Cheri is absolutely crucial to the movements of Cheri Jo Bates that afternoon and evening.
Investigators stated "We don't know what boyfriend these girls are referring to, but we are checking into it". Is this one of the reasons why investigators latched onto their long-time suspect "Bob Barnett". who it is believed dated Cheri Jo Bates in the weeks prior to her murder? DNA tests in 1999 on hair found at the base of Cheri Jo Bates' right thumb produced no match to "Bob Barnett". So if it isn't "Bob Barnett", it could be another male acquaintance of Cheri's, who she arranged to meet at the library over the phone on October 30th 1966. A "boy friend" whose phone number could have been in her diary or address book. A "boy friend" who Cheri may have spent upwards of 4 hours with after she checked out the three books from the library, who hasn't come forward to this day.
If Cheri was determined to have somebody study with her that evening, then the statement of the two girls to the Los Angeles television station that she was going to the Riverside library to meet a "boy friend", may have greater significance. When Cheri's father (Joseph Bates) tried to phone her twice at their 4195 Via San Jose resistance at approximately 5:00 pm and 5:15 pm, the line was busy on both occasions. Was Cheri Jo Bates speaking on the phone with a male acquaintance to arrange a meeting with him at the library, having been disappointed in her earlier call to Stephanie? Or had she arranged this shortly after finishing the phone call with Stephanie Guttman at 3:45 pm? There was a 2 hour 15 minute window between 3:45 pm and 6:00 pm, when the library opened its doors
If Cheri Jo Bates had told the two girls her intentions to meet a "boy friend" at the library on Sunday, then it realistically must have occurred in this 2 hour 15 minute window. Did she speak to the girls on the phone, outside her residence or in the neighborhood, someplace on the way to the library, or on the Riverside City College grounds? The approximate time and place the two girls spoke to Cheri is absolutely crucial to the movements of Cheri Jo Bates that afternoon and evening.
Investigators stated "We don't know what boyfriend these girls are referring to, but we are checking into it". Is this one of the reasons why investigators latched onto their long-time suspect "Bob Barnett". who it is believed dated Cheri Jo Bates in the weeks prior to her murder? DNA tests in 1999 on hair found at the base of Cheri Jo Bates' right thumb produced no match to "Bob Barnett". So if it isn't "Bob Barnett", it could be another male acquaintance of Cheri's, who she arranged to meet at the library over the phone on October 30th 1966. A "boy friend" whose phone number could have been in her diary or address book. A "boy friend" who Cheri may have spent upwards of 4 hours with after she checked out the three books from the library, who hasn't come forward to this day.
If the two girls were interviewed on Tuesday, November 1st 1966, one day after the body of Cheri Jo Bates was found in the driveway by the library, then their statement of "she was going to the library to meet her boyfriend" can only be pertinent to that weekend. If Dennis Highland was proven to be in San Francisco, it should be obvious that Cheri Jo Bates was planning to meet another male at the library that evening. A male friend close enough to her, that she felt comfortable to leave the library with him to a secondary location (in absence of her vehicle) for upwards of four hours. Somebody that may have escorted her back to her Volkswagen Beetle in the dark and wanted more than she was prepared to offer. And sadly, somebody she should never have placed her trust in. The murderer of Cheri Jo Bates could be written in the pages of her address book or diary. A killer who has escaped justice for nearly 60 years.
RSS Feed
