Teen strangled, slit 9-year-old's throat
Friday, Jun. 5 2009 @ 11:45AM
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Cops in Ventura, CA don't know if they have a serial killer on their hands, but something strange is going on. On May 20, a mysterious, motorcycle-helmeted intruder entered the residence of Brock and Davina Husted and stabbed the couple to death. Fourteen days later, 9 miles from the Husted residence on Faria Rd, someone stabbed 61-year-old Wendy J. DiRodio to death inside the house she shared with her parents on Sailor Avenue in the Ventura Keys community. Sgt. Jack Richards of the Ventura police says no link has been found between the crimes, but sheriff's detectives are now on the case as well, "to see if there are any similarities with the Faria case." Police initially wondered if DiRodio had committed suicide, but they seemed to reject that possibility by Thursday.
These communities don't see much violent crime. They are all close to waterways. The Husted residence backed up to the ocean, and boats are docked in an inlet just across the street from where Wendy DiRodio was murdered. It is hard to not think something strange is afoot here, after all. True Crime Report commenters certainly seem to think so. A couple of comments even place the blame on a phantom from the past, the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker, or EAR-ONS. Portions of some comments left on the entry about the murders of Brock and Davina Husted:
jon smith said:
This sounds like the original night stalker, Sacramento's "east area rapist" This man is responsible for at least 50 unsolved rapes, 12 unsolved murders, and he's never been caught! His last murders were in SoCal years ago, these murders definitely match his m.o. It seems like he is trying to revive the fear he created years ago for his numerous rapes and murders.
Posted 06/01/2009 at 11:45:06 AM
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FoolsGold said:
Wouldn't the original night stalker be a geriatric case by now incapable of clibing up Mount Suribachi drive to get back to the highway area and return to his motorcycle?
Posted 06/01/2009 at 11:17:09 PM
Aardvark said:
The re-emergence of earons. . . Yes,that's one reason that LE is being circumspect in their statements. As to being geriatric,the earons has taken very good care of himself.When compared to what is already known(at least publicly)about earons' last 10 murders-in particular the M.O.-this is a sophisticated,more evolved M.O. Anyone familiar with the movie "Mr. Brooks"?He's back for one last time and relishing the moment,especially the public reaction which hasn't changed.See how they run. . . .
Posted 06/04/2009 at 07:54:42 PM
There's no guarantee that there is a multiple murderer at work here. Those of us who follow crime stories (I'm certainly guilty of this) are prone to see such patterns where they don't actually exist. As for EAR-ONS, his MO was quite complex. He sexually assaulted many of his female victims. EAR-ONS used elaborate knots to bind the people he victimized. He often killed couples, but not before piling household items on the male in the couple, so if the man moved while EAR-ONS was assaulting the woman, the killer would hear him.
The East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker was an intensely scary killer with a distinct method of operation. To say the most recent murders in Ventura are linked to him in any way is a big leap for many more reasons than just the killer's possible age - though he was young enough, according to witnesses, to certainly still be dangerous today.
That's not a connection I'm ready to make, personally. But the murders of the Husteds and now Wendy DiRodio are unusual enough to keep an eye on for now. They are also enough to terrify an entire community and make the rest of us wonder. Commenter "aardvark" has a point - if these murders were committed as part of a pattern and based on a compulsion more than aggression towards individual victims, the killer may very well be "relishing the moment."
Friends of Wendy Di Rodio have put together a tribute site for her with pictures, a message board and funeral information.
http://www.santabarbara.com/wendy/
Posted 06/05/2009 at 03:47:36 PMAlso, somebody in the local comments noted that both killings occurred on Wed nights. This is such a laid-back, easy going community, people walk their dogs, ride their bikes, skate, walk to the beach and get tans like Malibu Barbie. I can see the vulnerability.
Posted 06/05/2009 at 06:07:59 PMIt does make you wonder if it's not some sort of ear/ons copycat, as E channel just aired a THS show about ear/ons. The MO is all wrong for ear/ons, but there is that strange connection... home sales. The Husted's were buying/selling a home, Wendy had just bought one and some ear/ons victims were selling.
Posted 06/06/2009 at 01:06:38 PMIt turns out that Wendy was my daughter's therapist some 12 years ago. How tragic that such a vivacious person, who helped so many people and was no doubt invaluable to her elderly parents, should meet such an end. It makes me wonder if a client of hers might've become obsessed, as that is an occupational hazard in the mental health field. Oh, I really hope the detectives solve this one and that it is NOT the work of a serial killer.
Posted 06/07/2009 at 02:19:59 PMRegarding the real estate connection, the EAR/ONS would pose as a realtor or prospective home buyer when he terrorized Sacramento/Costa Contra Counties in the late 1970's.
Posted 06/08/2009 at 04:19:30 AMI researched the EAR/ONS case many years ago. He dressed like a Ninja Turtle carried a gun and a knife. He was very good at gathering intelligence and performing surveillance on his victims. The MO is different the EAR/ONS liked bondage. He would tie his victims up and taunt them and sexually assault them for hours. He would even take a break eat a ham sandwich then resume tauting and sexually assaulting his victims. When he was through with them he would take a stick of firewood or a wrench and beat their brains out. Very up close and personal not to mention very messy. His signature was the Chinese Decorative knot he used on his victims and it's a very complicated knot to tie. I'm convinced the EAR/ONS had a military background and used realastate (realator) as a cover to gather intelligence on his victims and not look suspicious. He knew when the husband or parent left for work. He knew their occupation and other information about his them.
Posted 06/11/2009 at 09:09:18 AMHe was very selective about the type of resisdence he choose. Always a single story house on a corner lot or next to house for sale or under construction. Most homes had privacy fences and he used this for cover when he window peeped. I hate to say that he's one of the best I've ever seen!
The EAR/ONS would be around 57 to 63 years of age if he's still alive imo. I think this killer targeted the woman and may have knew her in some way. He took the husband out because he came to her rescue. He did not harm the children.
The EAR/ONS had a lot more experiance and knew how to controll his victims. He would have done a much better job controlling his victims than this killer did. I really don't see this killer being the EAR/ONS but their are some simularities. The EAR/ONS was a mix between organized/disorganized serial killer. It appears this killer is very much disorganized. The EAR/ONS was credited with murdering 10 people in Southern California and possibly up to 50 sexual assaults in the greater Sacramento area. His first attacks occured near Martha Air Force Base. A young Air Force MP and his wife were shot to death near Martha Air Force Base and I think the EAR/ONS may have been responsible. Police have the EAR/ONS dna but have been unable to match it to anyone. The EAR/ONS took way to many risk and is very lucky he was never caught. In my opinion he's probably dead but who knows??? Larry Pool Orange County SD has been active to this date working on the EAR/ONS case.
LINK???
Posted 06/13/2009 at 05:52:59 PMHusted had recently listed their home for sale; DiRodio had recently purchased a home.
Does anyone know if they used the same brokerage firm?
This one keeps me awake at night. When the victim is somebody you've actually met and the crime area is one of your favorite places to visit, it feels a whole lot different than those anonymous slayings halfway across the country. Read some of the tributes on Wendy's page, listed above. What a terrible, tragic loss of such a meaningful life. So far the cops are playing their cards very close to their chest, we haven't heard a thing. They have GOT to solve this one!
NOTE FROM STEVE: You'd think after writing about this stuff for 5 years that I'd be a little immune to such things, but I'm right with you. I don't live anywhere near where this took place, but the murder of the Husteds and the possible connection to the Di Rodio murder really sticks with me. It's not just the whodunnit factor. With the Husteds it's the horror factor - both what the couple must have felt and the horrendous fear their poor kids surely experienced.
Posted 06/14/2009 at 02:19:57 PMThis in the local paper today, nothing new, really, except they believe Wendy was targeted and there doesn't seem to be any relationship to the Husted murders.
Posted 07/03/2009 at 07:57:14 PMhttp://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/jul/03/police-believe-killer-targeted-ventura-keys/