Lynn Vest and Jeremy Pickens:1980, Columbus, Ohio



Jeremy Pickens

Lynn Vest

   Lynn Vest and her 2 year old nephew, Jeremy Pickens were at Lynn’s home on Wednesday November 12th, 1980. Lynn often watched her nephew while her sister worked. Lynn had a 1 ½ year old boy named Shane and the two children played well together. 


  Lynn’s husband was home at 4012 East Fulton as well that day. He was supposed to head to work in the afternoon.


  Lynn needed to go to the bank and Jeremy went with her. She left Shane home with her husband and Lynn and Jeremy got in the car for a quick trip to the bank at Main and Hamilton Road. 


  Lynn’s husband grew increasingly worried when they did not return home quickly. He had to leave for work. Lynn would not just forget that. He called Lynn’s Dad who was a police detective in Columbus. 

  

   Patrol cars were alerted to be on the lookout for the Vest’s Blue 1979 Mustang Cobra. 


   Police found the car in an overgrown vacant lot near E. Main Street and Berkeley. Lynn and Jeremy had been strangled and placed in the back seat. There was an attempt to conceal the bodies by placing clothing and a sheet over them. These were items that were already in the car.


    The car had only been driven a couple miles west of the bank. 


   Neither Lynn nor Jeremy had been sexually assaulted according to the newspaper reports of the murders. 

  

   Lynn and Jeremy may have been targeted because they had just left the bank. Christmas Club savings accounts were a big deal in those days. People were encouraged to save up a little each payday so that they would have Christmas shopping money to spend. The money would have been withdrawn in November. Lynn’s purse was missing so robbery could have been a strong motive here. 

 

   Lynn might have been depositing a paycheck into the bank as well. People got paid by a paper check then. You had to go to the bank to deposit that check. Usually you’d ask for some cash back for groceries, gas and other bills. It’s very likely that she left the bank with some cash.


   But, why strangle BOTH of them? Jeremy was only two. Most two year olds have very limited speech skills. It’s unlikely that Jeremy could have described the killer. But, that killer may not have known much about child development. 


   I think that Ralph Richard Howell might be responsible for this crime. 



    He traveled all over Ohio distributing newspapers. He is now known to be a serial killer who strangled his victims. We know for sure that he killed Cheryl Thompson in 1978. DNA linked him to the crime in 2022.  I think he strangled Mary Susan Jacobs Carter in April of 1980 in Cincinnati. He left her two young children alive. The oldest described him pretty well and described his truck. 


   In this murder, I think he decided it was safer to leave no witnesses. Many of his prior crimes had gotten a lot of attention. Two other serial killers were caught and jailed in 1977 (Larry Ralston  and 1978 (Gall).  Maybe he is starting to think about being more careful so he won’t get caught. Ralph Richard Howell had gotten married in 1979 and now he had a wife and her family and friends around. He wouldn’t want any of them to find out what he really was. 


    So, perhaps he saw an opportunity there in that strip mall near the bank. He saw a woman that he wanted to victimize. He forced his way into her car. Drove to a spot a few miles away to murder her and the child. But he stayed on the same street so it would be easy to get back. He could have walked those few miles or even taken the bus. He also took all her cash. It was cold out. He could have taken her handbag as well and just tucked it into his jacket. If it was new and nice looking it might have been a Christmas gift for his wife. 


   In his earlier crimes he left the cord behind that he used to strangle victims. In this crime no cord or rope was left behind. That could be because he is reading those newspapers he delivered. The cord was discussed as a clue that would be examined in Nancy Ann Theobald’s 1977 murder. 

  (Columbus/Akron area Serial Killer Gustave Sapharas was incarcerated at the time of this murder. So, it can’t be him.)



   The case is still unsolved. If you have a tip please use the link below:

https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Law-Enforcement/Investigator/Cold-Case/Homicides/Vest


Share the YouTube video:https://youtu.be/KNRGpFljQbo?si=7ArfClS06t4IF8CG

 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Laurie Jo Lopez and Gerald E. Bunche III: 1975, Gary

Image
    On the evening of April 6th, 1975, two teenagers went on a date. The eighteen year olds were Laurie and Gerald. They borrowed Laurie’s Mom’s car.  It should have been a fun night out. But, the two teens never made it home.    Laurie Jo Lopez graduated from Kankakee Valley High. She lived southeast of Gary, Indiana at 10 Windsor Drive, outside of Demotte, Indiana.    Gerald Ellsworth Bunche III was born on January 3rd 1957. He went to Lew Wallace High in Gary and lived at 1145 Whitcomb Street. He was the son of Erdell and Gerald Bunche Jr.  He was an active highschool kid. He played basketball and was pretty good.    Laurie Lopez was the daughter of Frank Lopez. Her mother’s name is not known to me. (Her mother is not listed on her death certificate and I was unable to find any information about Laurie’s Mom or possible siblings.) Laurie’s stepfather was Sgt. James E. Rodriguez.    I usually am ab...
Read more

Donna Marie Lanier: 1984: North Liberty, Indiana

Image
   Donna Marie Husband was born on March 11th, 1956 in South Bend, Indiana. She was the daughter of Eloise and Joseph Husband. She grew up in South Bend and married a man named Lanier. (I was unable to find his full name.)    She was 28 in 1984.  Her life had been a difficult one. Her mother had been killed in the years before.  The man suspected of that crime was later murdered as well. Donna and her children lost everything but their lives in a fire in 1979. Still, she kept going.     Donna had four children. Three were still living at home in 1984. It is not easy to make a living as a single mother.  If your kids get sick you have to be home with them. They never get sick all at the same time. Children have school breaks and snow days but most jobs do not. It’s impossible to find a workplace that will be flexible like that. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. If you have ever been poor then you know.  ...
Read more

Jayne Friedt, Daniel Davis, Mark Flemmonds and Ruth Ann Shelton:1978, Speedway, Indiana

Image
        Police were called to the restaurant by the morning shift. Earlier, when the employees had arrived they were shocked that the restaurant was unlocked and empty. Two female employees had left their purses and coats behind. Closing duties had not been finished. All the money was gone from the safe. All the cash in the registers had been taken except the coins. An empty roll of tape was sitting on the safe. None of the young employees who closed on November 17th, 1978 could be reached.   The local police concluded that the staff had just taken the money and skipped out. They weren’t worried about it. They took no photos. They did not dust for fingerprints. The police said that the crew probably bought booze with the money and went out and partied. They instructed the opening staff to just clean up and they’d talk to those thieving kids later. The opening staff protested that something was very wrong. The local police dismissed their concerns. The staff...
Read more