SFPD To Announce Update On Unsolved 1970s 'Doodler' Case
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – San Francisco police are set to announce an update Wednesday in the Doodler case, in which several assaults against gay men were thought to be connected to five homicides in the mid-1970s.
Although police did not reveal what the update will be, back in June police said they had developed a sketch of a possible suspect, which shows his age progression. That sketch, however, was not released to the public.
According to police, the investigation into the Doodler case began when in the mid-1970s, officers investigated several violent assaults of victims who were gay, white males. One of the victims was able to provide police with information, which led to a forensic sketch of a possible suspect in 1975.
A victim also told investigators that the suspect said he was a cartoonist and was doodling when the victim met with him one night for dinner.
In 1976, officers detained a suspect in connection with the assaults, however that person was never charged with an offense, police said.
Around the same time, four male victims were found slain at Ocean Beach. A fifth male victim was found slain near Golden Gate Park, police said.
All of those victims were also gay, white males.
Police said they were never able to positively link the Doodler assault cases to the five slayings. However, in June, police said investigators with the Police Department's homicide/cold case unit were working on a connection.
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