Mom Murder Mystery Haunts Daughters

California police are still trying to identify about two dozen women, all aspiring models, who were photographed by a killer.

"What we have here is a very large group of pictures of women that we do not know, for the most part, who they are," said Capt. Ray Peavey from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, standing in front of a large board with photos.

There is a big mystery behind most of these pictures. Who are these women? What happened to them? What investigators do know is that each of these photos was taken decades ago, and were found in the possession of William Richard Bradford, who claimed to be a freelance photographer. He's now on death row for luring two would-be models from bars and killing them.

As for all the others, Peavy says: "Many of them could have likely been homicide victims themselves. Many of them may have just been women that he met in bars and took home and took photographs of."

Police have now identified half the women, and say most are alive. But at Bradford's sentencing for the double murder, he old jurors, "Think of how many you don't even know about."

Now, authorities wonder how many others may have suffered the same fate as Donnalee Campbell Duhamel, who was murdered in 1978. Duhamel met Bradford in a bar — her body was found a few days later in a canyon in Malibu, Calif. Bradford was not charged for that murder and Donnalee's family is seeking justice.

Donnalee's daughters, Lori Duhamel and Lisa Mora, and their attorney, Gloria Allred, joined The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen Tuesday to talk about their mother's murder.

William Richard Bradford took photographs of Donnalee and was one of the last people seen with her.

Asked if there is any doubt in her mind that he is responsible for her mother's death, Lori says, "I do believe that he, you know, is responsible, but you know, until he's convicted then, you know, we have to wait until he's charged."

Lori's sister Lisa agrees. "I don't have all the evidence in front of me. It would appear that way because he was the last person to be seen with her and from the same way he did things," she says. "Hopefully, he'll be charged and convicted and then we'll know for sure."

"Given the chance to speak with him, what would you say?" Chen asks Lisa.

"I really wonder what makes somebody turn like that and how they could just not have any value for life and strangle the life out of people. I wonder what happened to him. As far as saying anything about my mom, I don't really — I don't feel he would have any sympathy toward me. I don't think he cares because, otherwise, he wouldn't do these types of things."

"Lori, what was your reaction when the L.A. County sheriff's department released that poster of the various women he had taken photos of and your mom was one of those photos?" Chen asks.

"Well, I first found out from a reporter, a phone call from a reporter, so, yes, I was very shocked," Lori recalls. "It's really amazing how life, you know, sometimes takes a full circle while you're still alive to be there and see it all unfold. So I'm hoping that this all comes out and that he is convicted of my mom's murder."

Asked where the investigation stands, Gloria Allred says it's uncertain if Bradford will be charged.

"But I'm appealing to Bradford. I mean, he said, as you quoted earlier in the story, you don't know how many others there are. Something to that effect," she says. "Well, if Mr. Bradford has any information about what happened to Lori and Lisa's mother, they were only 7 and 11 years old when their mother went missing and, ultimately, was murdered. If he has any information, this is the time for him to come forward and provide it to them.

"You can't give back the life that he has taken from any murder victim, but he can give some comfort to the families and he said that he's looking forward to death, he is, of course, on death row, having been convicted of killing two other women but there is not any comfort for him unless he can provide some answers to at least the murdered victims' families and don't they at least deserve that?"

Asked what the L.A. County sheriff's department is telling her about where the case stands, Allred says: "Right now, they're conducting an investigation and we don't know whether or not they will feel there is enough to refer it for prosecution to the district attorney's office but we're encouraged because this has been a cold case and if they are now looking for more information, which we know that they are, then perhaps this will lead to some sort of justice for them.

"Again, they don't know who killed their mom. But these are very suspicious circumstances and we think that maybe Mr. Bradford has some answers, either about their mom, or about some other women who have gone missing and this is the time for him to provide those answers."