The views and opinions expressed in Cold and Missing are exclusively those of the hosts.
All parties mentioned are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Cold and Missing also contains adult themes and languages.
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I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin-Sulkowski.
And I'm your co-host, Eli Sulkowski.
And this is Cold and Missing, where we cover cold cases.
And missing person cases.
Hello everyone and welcome back.
Welcome back everyone.
I'm Ali.
And I am Eli.
And it's Cold and Missing.
We are on episode 42 this week.
Mm-hmm.
And I believe you have a cold case for us.
Yep, we are on cold cases.
Should we just go ahead and get into it?
Yeah, let's do it.
So today I have for you a cold case, but just as a content warning at the top, this case
does involve a young person and there is mention of sexual assault.
Today we are covering the cold case of Earl and Clarissa Gonzales.
And this takes place in September of 1999 in Questa, New Mexico.
But first a little bit about Earl and Clarissa.
Earl is 51 years old in 1999 and his daughter Clarissa is nine years old.
Together they live in the small village of Questa, New Mexico.
The village has a population of around 1,500 at this time.
The place is so small that the police department is made up of two people that take shifts
being on call in the evening.
Earl was born December 18th, 1947 and he would be 75 years old today.
He had been drafted into the Vietnam War and had served his time for the army.
His family had lived in Questa for generations and Earl was a beloved community member.
He was part of the volunteer fire department.
He worked as a handyman and as an educator for the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, which
was a program designed to help young folks find work in the community.
Earl taught construction.
His boss, Carl Colonius, says, quote, he was enthusiastic and committed.
He really gave a lot of thought to how to help his crews, how to provide more than just
the practical education, end quote.
He loved masonry work.
His uncle, Joe Cisneros, says, quote, he was a great mason, a hell of a mason.
It's terrible.
I'm shocked.
Everybody knew him, loved him.
He's a quiet guy, end quote.
Earl and Clarissa lived on Camino Sin Salina, which is street with no exit, on a house built
on a hill above Cabresto Canyon.
The home was also adjacent to an area often used by hikers and campers of the Kit Carson
National Forest.
Clarissa was born November 22, 1988, and she would be 34 years old today.
In 1999, she was an energetic fifth grader at Alta Vista Elementary School, where she
had won the top prize in the science fair the year before.
She loved being with her dad and went with him everywhere.
A resident of the town who asked to remain anonymous said, quote, she was a sweet little
girl.
She always smiled and she went everywhere with her dad, end quote.
She often tagged along with her dad to work, and Earl's boss, Carl, said, quote, she
was a little light.
She was one of those kids that was absolutely a pleasure to have kicking around your office,
end quote.
Clarissa had just celebrated her first communion in May of 1999, and her family remembers how
proud and excited she was.
And now a timeline of events.
Thursday, September 2, 1999.
After being unable to get a hold of Earl, his girlfriend decides to drive over to his
house.
Earl's girlfriend has never publicly been named by police or the media, so I'm going
to respect her privacy and not name her here.
But she told police that she had been trying to reach Earl by phone since August 31, but
she had not been able to get an answer.
She arrived at the home around 4 p.m.
She finds Earl dead and immediately calls the police.
Police arrive and notice a note attached to the door that says, why?
But there are no signs of forced entry.
Earl often left his doors unlocked.
Investigators find Earl dead on the couch of the living room.
Earl died of a gunshot to the left temple from a pistol.
And police are immediately able to rule out death by suicide since the gun of the correct
caliber could not be located in the home.
Investigators believe that he was shot in the head at close range and this likely happened
while he was sleeping.
At first, police are unable to find Clarissa in the home.
They're hopeful that she heard the gunshot and ran out of the house to hide in the nearby
woods.
Just as police are beginning to plan their search, they find Clarissa upstairs next to
the bed she was sleeping in.
Clarissa had died from a ligature strangulation.
Police begin processing the scene.
Everyone there described the scene as horrid and disgusting.
Investigators removed a telephone cord and an electric blanket cord as evidence from
the home.
The District Attorney, John Paterhoster, had this to say about the crime, quote, it's
beyond horrible, end quote.
The next day, Friday, September 3, Earl and Clarissa's autopsies are conducted.
It's believed that they were killed between 4 and 6 a.m. on September 2.
Investigators are able to confirm a sighting of Earl and Clarissa on September 1.
Earl was shot in close range by either a.44 or.45 caliber pistol.
The small village of Questa is shaken up by the double homicide, a neighbor who wished
to remain anonymous for fear the killer would come back.
And as a side note, every person who asked to remain anonymous in this case mentioned
that they had the fear that the killer was going to come to find them.
But this woman was a neighbor and she had a daughter around Clarissa's age and they
would often play together.
And she says, quote, I didn't sleep last night after I heard it happened.
It's shocking to think that something like this happened here in such a small, quiet
town, end quote.
Police say that at this time they have no suspects but are following up on leads.
The D.A., John Patterhoster, says, quote, we're working the case as quickly as we can.
Based on the outstanding police work that has been done at this point, we have confidence
that we are going to solve it, end quote.
Over the weekend, police continue to work the scene and to follow up on leads.
And they tell the media that they have turned up several strange combinations of facts in
the case, but don't go into detail about what any of those strange combinations are.
On Tuesday, September 7th, 1999, so this is five days after the murder, Earl is laid to
rest.
Clarissa's body is sent to Colorado, where her mother lived at the time, and she is ultimately
laid to rest in Los Animas, Colorado.
At Earl's funeral, the community turned out to show their respect.
It was noted that several of the youth that Earl had mentored over the years turned up
to pay homage.
Earl's boss, Carl, said, quote, that's pretty extraordinary in this day and age for
young people to go and pay their respects to an employer.
That says a lot about the connection and the impact Earl had, end quote.
When asked about the investigation, the media is told that the police are still chasing
down leads, and D.A.
Patterhoster says, quote, we are drawing the dragnet tight, end quote.
On Wednesday, September 8th, police continue to search for a possible motive in the murders.
Please note that nothing of monetary value was taken from the home, but do ask for the
public's help with any information about Earl's truck.
Earl's full-sized 1994 Black Ford pickup truck was reported missing four days before
the murder.
The truck had been stolen late on the evening of August 27th or early on the morning hours
of August 28th.
On October 9th and 10th, so this is just over a month since the murders, two high schoolers
are taken into custody and questioned about the stolen truck.
Police also questioned the boys about the murder, but ultimately they're not charged
with Earl and Clarice's murder.
Police say the teens just took the truck out joyriding and then hid it at a drug dealer's
house in the mountains.
They are only charged with the theft of the truck.
Earl and Clarice's family during this time have been raising money for the reward fund
for information leading to the arrest of the killers.
On Sunday, November 28th, so this is 12 weeks since the murder, police confirmed that they
have not been able to find the gun used in the murder or the ligature that was used.
Local residents are still on edge after the murder.
Josie Gonzales, this is Earl's mom and Clarice's grandmother, says, quote, I just feel sometimes
we're going crazy just waiting.
It's been very hard on us.
Ideally, we would like to know at least who did it.
I'm not out for revenge or have any bad feelings, but they destroyed a whole home, end quote.
And then the next update comes from September of 2000.
As the one year anniversary of Earl and Clarissa's murder comes and passes, police say they have
no suspects and no leads.
They also say the tips just aren't coming in anymore.
There's nothing to follow up on.
In April of 2003, so this would be three and a half years since the murder, police received
the results of evidence that was sent to the lab one and a half years prior.
So this would have been sent around October of 2001.
The reason for the delay is because the lab prioritizes evidence by trial date.
And since there weren't any arrests and therefore no trial, the evidence kept getting pushed
back in Earl and Clarissa's case.
Investigators are not specific about what was sent in or the test results, but it gives
police a new direction.
Personally, I believe that the test results that came back are DNA related.
As state police agent Chad Davis says, quote, this case will come down to DNA evidence and
quote agent Davis also says that the test results reaffirm his suspicion of the perpetrators,
but there is still no motive in the case.
He says, quote, I have been re interviewing some people and have found conflicting stories.
I am actively working on this case.
I feel there are people out there that may have been giving false information, but no
more.
The case has never been closed.
It's a terrible crime and the case will never be closed until the day we find the person
or persons responsible and bring them to justice.
End quote.
Police confirmed that there were no witnesses to the crime and that the note left on the
door, the one that just said why had nothing to do with the crime.
And then the last update that I could find on this case, as far as media goes, comes
from May of 2004.
So this would be around four and a half years after the murders.
And this comes during the election for district attorney.
Jeffrey Shannon of the Green Party was running for district attorney and he was asked a series
of questions.
All the candidates were.
And one of the questions was, what would you like to comment on that you're not being asked?
And Jeffrey Shannon's answer was, quote, the cold case investigator recently hired
by Gallagos can start with one of Gallagos's former clients, a young man from Questa who
was a victim in two separate cases I defended.
The victim was stabbed New Year's 2003 and stabbed again New Year's 2004.
An investigator at the DA office said the victim is a person of interest in the double
homicide of Earl Gonzales and his nine year old daughter.
End quote.
That is all we know about the cold case of Earl and Clarissa.
Now when I was searching this case just in Google, I did come across some rumors that
I just wanted to address.
So that way, if any listeners out there who want to look up this case later, if they come
across this, we've addressed it here.
So the first one is that Earl was shot with his own gun, a 45 ruger Blackhawk that was
missing from the home.
I couldn't find any media reports that Earl was shot with his own gun or the police saying
that.
But I did find the one quote where police say that nothing of value of monetary value
was taken from the home.
So maybe he was maybe he wasn't.
But that's one.
The second rumor is that Clarissa was sexually assaulted during the attack.
Again, police never mentioned this, but we do know that they have DNA in the case.
We do not know the source of the DNA or where the DNA came from, but we do know we have
DNA.
But again, police have never said that Clarissa was sexually assaulted.
And the third rumor that I had found was that Earl had confronted and threatened people
about the theft of his truck, including the two teens who were ultimately arrested for
it.
Again, no mention of this by police or local media.
On the other hand, I kept reading about how mellow of a guy Earl was, and he was someone
who kept his house unlocked for his friends and family.
So again, I don't know if he did or didn't, but there I just could not find any other
evidence to say that he did.
None of these rumors have been confirmed by police.
But again, I just wanted to address them since if you look this case up online, the little
information that is out there, these rumors will pop up about it.
But if you know anything about the murder of Earl Gonzalez and Clarissa Gonzales in
September of 1999, please call the New Mexico Cold Case Homicide Unit at 505-827-9066.
And the sources for today's timeline come from the Albuquerque Journal, the Santa Fe
New Mexican, and the Taos News.
So that is the case of Earl and Clarissa Gonzales.
Thank you so much for finding this and for bringing it to our podcast.
I definitely feel like it was a necessary case to cover.
And again, I know we've mentioned various times before, but it's just shocking to me
that we didn't know about this, you know.
And pretty instantly, you know, Clarissa and I are only a few days apart in age.
So I would say instantly, I was just because of that mention, the age and, you know, near
my own birthday, I was able to align myself with, you know, where I was at, at her age
then and to now.
And to think about how much time I've had, the gift of time.
And that was taken from her and from Earl.
And it's just, it's a heartbreaking case.
But I think I don't, I don't have like specific questions.
I may be more for you, you might be able to answer.
I just don't understand how there is evidence and information, but it's all like stuck
or has dead ends or maybe you can expand on it a little bit more.
Yeah, it does seem like there were a couple of times in this investigation where it seems
like it was heating up and that maybe charges were going to be brought.
At one point, this would have been in the fall of 1999, so not too long after the murders
took place.
But the state police meets with the district attorney's office to discuss the case.
And the media says that it's ramping up and, you know, there's heat coming, but then it
just all fizzles.
You know, arrests are made.
The only person of interest that has not even publicly been named just mentioned in this
election interview that I found for the district attorney's office.
So there is evidence in 2003, they get those test results back that at the time the person
working the case said, you know, this reaffirms my suspicion of the perpetrator.
So it sounds like police have an idea of maybe who it was, but they just can't quite pin
it on them.
And I don't know, there's the comments about conflicting stories, where in my experience
in doing this and just in learning about investigations, if there's conflicting stories, like you
really need to go back in and hammer out those details, because somebody's story shouldn't
change if they're telling the truth.
So if their story is changing, there's lies.
So yeah, I mean, you hear that time and time again, especially with cases that stay open
for a really long time.
It's like, you know, when they're pretty sure someone is not the perpetrator, but it's being
pointed in their direction, they usually say, well, I know, we think it's possibly them.
But again, their story has never changed.
Like you hear that quite a bit.
Like, so I agree with you, the fact that there are stories and that they're changing and
many years have passed now, like, I think it just echoes the sentiment of like, you
don't forget a story like that, when it's true about someone dying or having information
about being murdered.
I mean, yeah.
I mean, if you tell the truth, it never changes, because you're telling the truth, you don't
have to remember exactly what you said, or, oh, maybe they're not believing me.
So let me add a little bit extra take away a little bit.
Yeah.
Like if you're telling the truth, you just tell the truth, there's nothing else for you
to say.
So that particular comment stuck out to me, I think if I was an investigator, like getting
handed this case today, the first thing I would do is go back and re-interview everybody.
And if their stories didn't match what they said in 1999, you know, with some wiggle room,
because people might not remember every single detail they said in 1999.
But yeah, but for the most part, again, unless you've like, you know, some traumatic like
injury, it shouldn't change.
It shouldn't change.
So that's where I would start.
And anybody whose story had changed, I would want to look at them more.
And depending on what those test results are, I do think they are DNA based off of the comments
of police, you know, trying to get the subpoenas to get DNA tests from the people who you needed,
especially if you have an idea or a person of interest, at least to eliminate them if
it's not them just to get them out of the way.
Do you think that there's possibility that people's stories would change specifically
surrounding this case, because fear was mentioned so often, like maybe people are changing their
stories because they're like, that the bad person got wind that I had said something.
So now I'm changing it this time, even if it's five years later, it's because I'm still
scared.
Totally.
I think that is something that could be happening in this case.
And again, from like, just an investigator standpoint, so like if the story is changing,
then what's that?
Why is it changing?
What's that information?
Who has a reason to lie?
And being scared in this small town, you know, in 1999, they had around 1500.
And I think the most recent census had it around 1700.
So really a small town that everybody probably does know everybody's business.
And here's everything.
Because every person in the paper who wished to remain anonymous specifically said, I do
not want the killers to come looking for me or my family.
Like they were genuinely worried about their safety.
So I think there is reason for that.
And a good investigator would be able to pick up on that and then also get the truth of
what happened and the truth as to like, why you're scared now and who you're scared of
now.
Mm hmm.
It's sad.
I mean, like, especially if it is fear based, I imagine that if you have information and
you feel the necessity, like the need to lie or cover up, like, I would imagine that you've
got to be pretty scared and have been dictating your entire life around this like fear and
why for a really long time, you know.
It's just it's unfortunate.
In this case, like, like how much time and space in between everything.
I feel that one pretty strongly with Earl and Clarissa.
Yeah, as soon as I saw this case, I knew that it was one that we had to cover.
And again, if you know anything about the murder of Earl Gonzales or Clarissa Gonzales
in September of 1999, please call the New Mexico Cold Case Homicide Unit at 505-827-9066.
And this week we've had a flood of positive reviews on the podcast.
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