California beach cold case murders continue to haunt
Cindy Cesare is a "48 Hours" producer. She reflects on her personal connection to Torrey Pines Beach and State Park in La Jolla, Califonia, the scene at the center of the "48 Hours" cold case mystery, "Blood in the Sand."
Torrey Pines Beach and State Park is arguably one of the most breathtaking places in San Diego perhaps even all of California. From high above the cliffs, the 2,000 acres of coastal reserve has expansive views across the bright blue ocean.
The Torrey Pine trees, which the park is obviously named for, are the rarest of the native pines in the United States. The trails through the reserve wind down to the beach past colorful wildflowers.
The only sense of danger are a few signs warning hikers to watch out for rattlesnakes in the spring and eroding soil close to the edge of the hundred foot cliffs. This beautiful park and beach is so well traveled by tourists and local residents that it's difficult to imagine anything dangerous or scary happening here.
As a female who frequents Torrey Pines for hikes with girlfriends at dusk after work, the park and beach have never felt threatening to me. But I saw the park in a different way when I first heard about the horrific 1978 murder of Barbara Nantais and the murder of Claire Hough six years later.
San Diego CBS affiliate KFMB had been following the haunting case for years. The cases intrigued me not just because Torrey Pines was a familiar and peaceful retreat for me but because I could identify with both of these young women.
They seemed to come from families like mine, and Claire Hough was my age and grew up on the East Coast. They were truly innocent victims enjoying the beach when they were attacked and killed in their teens. Who had killed them and why?
In 2013, investigators were trying yet again to answer that question, and announced that they had reopened the cases and that new DNA testing had been ordered. As an inquisitive journalist covering crime stories, I had a lot of questions when I first started looking into these cases.
Why hadn't the police department been able to solve these cases? Could new DNA technology now help solve these horrific crimes? Did the same person(s) really kill both Claire and Barbara?
More than a year later, the results from that testing would be revealed by the San Diego Police Department and it was so shocking that many people didn't believe it. Did the police get it right? This incredible case is our story Saturday.