Penny Rickenbaker was 30 when she died on June 11, 1974, in Santa Cruz, California. Her death was initially reported as a suicide from a gunshot wound to the head, and it occurred at the household of her fiancé, bail bondsman Gary Childs. Suspicious circumstances led to further investigation rather than a straightforward conclusion of suicide.

Decades later Terry Childs, Gary’s son, became a central figure in inquiries connected to Penny’s death. Terry, later identified as a serial killer and convicted for other murders, confessed while incarcerated that Penny had not killed herself and that he was involved in her death. Investigators faced difficulty corroborating his confession with physical evidence; the case remained largely circumstantial despite his admission and his history of violent crime.