Friend seeks killer after 60 years

Ken Welty wants answers. He is 78 years old, and the 1966 stabbing of his friend Cheri Jo Bates remains unsolved. On October 30, 1966, a janitor found Bates, an 18-year-old student, in an alley on the Riverside City College campus. Her body was discovered between Terracina Drive and Fairfax Avenue. A man’s wristwatch lay nearby, torn from the suspect during a struggle.

Bates was a Ramona High graduate who moved to California from Nebraska in 1958. She worked as a cheerleader and dreamed of becoming an airline stewardess. Her brother, Michael Bates, was watching the movie Walk, Don’t Run at Naval Air Station Jacksonville when he learned of her death. He served in the Navy until 1970.

Welty, a retired Los Angeles Police Department homicide lieutenant, has collected case files and police reports for decades. He recently helped establish a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. "Somebody needs to keep this story alive," Welty said. "Somebody knows something."

Police detectives are now re-examining DNA and fingerprint evidence using new technology. Chief Larry Gonzalez told KABC/7 that the department is applying modern tools to the cold case. The Police Department declined to provide further details to reporters this month.

Early in the investigation, authorities identified a primary suspect. That person remains the focus of the case. Bates’ boyfriend was cleared because he was out of town on the night of the murder. A handwritten letter received in 1967 suggested the Zodiac Killer was responsible, but the author recanted that claim in 2016.

Michael Bates, 79, has assisted with the investigation for 30 years. He said the case receives many tips, some of which he finds puzzling. One sender from Louisiana claimed his son committed the crime, then died. Another from England sent a package of theories. "It’s kind of almost ridiculous in a way," Bates said.

Welty believes Bates knew her assailant. He noted that she was seen walking willingly with someone away from her disabled car near the library. "I can sleep at night," Welty said, "knowing that I’ve done everything I could.. to keep your memory alive."