Valerie Schultz, 27, was found dead January 6, 1999, in an industrial area of Pittsburg, California. Her body showed both stabbing and strangulation, and the location and condition of the scene matched other killings in the same period — bodies left in ditches or near industrial sites — prompting concern that a serial offender may have been operating.

Schultz, who was reported to have worked as a sex worker, was one of several women killed in similar ways between late 1998 and early 1999, a series that caused significant fear in the community. Investigators at one point named Phillip Garrido as a person of interest because of his proximity to the scenes and his criminal history, but no conclusive evidence has linked him to Schultz’s murder.

Valerie Schultz’s killing remains unsolved, and the connections among the Pittsburg cases have not been fully established. If anyone knew Valerie or has information about those cases, please come forward.