Post by HeadMarshal on Nov 16, 2013 16:28:15 GMT -5
(Above: Left: Michaela, circa 1988. Right: Sketch of suspect abductor Photo Credits: Charley Project0
Missing/Child Person Profile as of September 3rd, 2014 (from missingkids.com):
Missing Since: Nov 19, 1988
Missing From: Hayward, CA
DOB: Jan 24, 1979
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Blue
Height: 4'8"
Weight: 75 lbs
TIPS: If you have any information on this case please contact Hayward Police Department (California) - Missing Persons Unit - 1-510-293-7000 Or Your Local FBI
Michaela Garecht has been missing since 1988, this Tuesday will be the 25th anniversary of her abduction. AMW aired the case in 1989 and 2009.
Michaela and a friend were at a market in Hayward, California on Nov 19, 1988. Michaela went to retrieve her friend's scooter when a man abducted her and drove off with her in a tan, gold or cream-coloured American-made sedan. Her abductor was described as white, 18-24 years old, dirty-blonde hair and with a pock-marked face. The abductor has never been identified and Michaela has never been located.
Several theories range regarding what happened to her.
-- The one I personally feel is most likely to have happened is that she was abducted by Loren Herzog, who along with Wesley Howard Shermantine were known as the Speed Freak serial killers, who killed several females in the 80s and 90s. Herzog was paroled in 2010 and committed suicide in 2012. Shermantine claimed that Herzog was responsible for Garecht's abduction.
The similarities between Herzog's 1988 mugshot and the sketch of the abductor are striking, keeping in mind that the sketch is probably not near 100% accurate. What physical similarities I notice is the similar chin and the length of hair at the back. I also notice that the abductor was believed to have been between 18-24 years old, and Herzog would have been 23 at the time of the abduction. Herzog and Shermantine also used meth and I've read that meth use can cause acne.
I personally believe that Herzog abducted and killed Garecht and I wonder if Shermantine may have been involved as well. Herzog's 1988 mugshot is shown below. There are photos of him with both brown and dirty blonde hair in the link I provide after the mugshot photo.
murderpedia.org/male.H/h/herzog-loren-joseph-photos.htm
-- Another possibility is that Timothy Binder may have been involved. He was looked into in connection with the disappearances of other young girls and was suspected of luring two young girls to his van. He would approach families of missing girls, including the family of Garecht and offer assistance.
-- James Daveggio and his former girlfriend Michelle Lyn Michaud who were sentenced to death for a 1997 sex slaying were also looked into.
-- Curtis Dean Anderson who was convicted of kidnapping and molesting a California girl was also looked into.
-- Phillip and Nancy Garrido (the abductors of Jaycee Dugard) were also looked into. The abductions of Dugard and Garchet were similar however I really do not believe that Phillip Garrido resembles the sketch of the abductor in any way.
-- Finally, Garecht's mother believes that her daughter was abducted and taken to Mexico, and then the United Arab Emirates in a human trafficking ring. She claims to have received tips suggesting this. Bizarrely enough, she also claims that the similar theories in the Johnny Gosch disappearance do not make sense. Even more bizarrely is that I think at once point, Noreen Gosch had the sketch of Michaela's abductor on her website. I don't believe any of this is accurate and I think that Garchet's mother is trying to come up with any theory to give herself hope that her daughter is still alive while not trying to have herself labeled as a conspiracy theorist like Noreen Gosch.
www.examiner.com/article/is-michaela-garecht-the-uae
Thoughts? I personally feel that Loren Herzog is responsible for this. However there's a good chance we're never going to know the full truth, regardless of whether Herzog was involved or not.
www.charleyproject.org/cases/g/garecht_michaela.html
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