A cold case that’s been haunting Highway 1 for more than 40 years has finally been solved, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday.
On the morning of Nov. 15, 1983, officials responded to a report of a suspicious van parked at Vista Point along Highway 1, just 3 miles from the sprawling Hearst Castle. When they arrived, they saw that the cream-colored van’s windows were broken, likely from gunshots. Two Australian cattle dogs were also jumping in and out of the vehicle and didn’t appear to have an owner.
When officials looked inside, they discovered the body of Colorado resident Dorothy “Toby” Tate, who had been shot, likely while trying to flee from her killers. She was reportedly vacationing alone at the San Simeon Creek Campground at the time of her death, and despite assistance from the public and the offer of a cash reward, her case remained cold for years. She was about 40 years old.
In 1983, officials discovered the body of Colorado resident Dorothy “Toby” Tate, who had been shot, likely while trying to flee from her killers.
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
However, after sheriff’s office detective Clint Cole reopened Tate’s case and reexamined the original evidence found at the scene — including recovered fingerprints on a Coca-Cola can — he was finally able to determine two suspects: Steven Richard Hardy and Charley Sneed. Cole previously investigated the murders of Kristin Smart and Nancy Woodrum, officials wrote, and used advanced DNA genealogy analysis to bring closure to Tate’s case.
Texas residents Hardy and Sneed are now deceased, and evidence suggests they killed Tate during a robbery, since her belongings were later pawned off in California, the sheriff’s office said.
“This case demonstrates the power of modern forensic science and the commitment of Detective Cole, who never stopped working to bring justice to victims and their families,” said Sheriff Ian Parkinson in the release. The case is now closed.
