Pearl Larson, 76, was murdered in her San Leandro home on June 24, 1987. She lived in a corner house on Wake Avenue with her teenage grandson; that morning the grandson left on a skateboard and later a neighbor saw a man, identified as Franklin Lynch, in the yard and walking along the side of the house. Larson was found late that evening on a bed with her hands bound by nylon stockings, her housecoat pulled over her head and no underwear; investigators reported no evidence of sexual assault.

The autopsy determined Larson died of asphyxia from a garment tied around her head. She had extensive blunt-force injuries including bruising around the left eye and a deep contusion on the back of her head extending to the bone. Her left ring finger showed marked abrasion and bruising consistent with an attempted removal of a ring. Nearby were the cardholder portion of a wallet and some coins.

Franklin Lynch, a 32-year-old with prior robbery and drug convictions, was later linked by investigators to a series of brutal daytime break-ins and attacks on elderly women in San Leandro. He was arrested in October 1987 and convicted for Larson’s murder along with other killings and attacks; the conviction relied largely on circumstantial evidence, including stolen items from Larson found in his residence. If anyone knew Pearl, her routine, or saw activity on Wake Avenue that day, please share what might help clarify the timeline.