1.
Valentine's doe Big Pine Key, a part of the sunny Florida
Keys is home to not one but two unexplained female deaths.
Nicknamed "the horseshoe" this prime oceanfront spot was a magnet for sun kissed windsurfers
and campers, but the pale skin of the young woman found not but ten feet from the beach
was in stark contrast to the tan beachgoers dotting the shoreline.
Found at 8:15 in the morning of Feb 15th 1991, lying by the Bahia Honda Bridge with no clothes
or possessions, this young woman was estimated to be in her late teens or early twenties.
Her body was severely beaten.
At 5,5 and 140 pounds, she had brown hair cut short to just above her neckline, and
brown eyes.
The only thing found on her body besides the bruising was the tattered remains of her bikini
bathing suit, which had been used to asphyxiate her, and her two tattoos, which were non-professionally
done in blue ink: one was a heart with the word "love" inscribed on her left shoulder,
and another one was a small cross, between her thumb and index finger.
She was not believed to be a vagabond as her teeth were white and straight.
Her multiple ear-piercings indicated a free spirit, and the stretch marks on her stomach
indicated a previous pregnancy carried to term.
She also suffered from pelvic inflammatory disease, and had a large cyst on her right
ovary which would have caused her significant pain.
She likely sought medical attention for her condition.
Monroe Sheriffs Department found A trail of blood and drag marks in the dirt nearby lead
the detectives to her blue shorts, pink and peach halter top, and red and blue striped
sweater with the brand of "Forenza" on the sweaters tag.
Also found were her ankle-high, black, beaded turquoise moccasins.
Because of her lack of Tanlines detectives believe she was not from the area and had
recently arrived as anyone who spends any time in the Florida Keys would quickly develop
tan lines.
Detectives found one witness that reported seeing a woman matching hitchhiking in the
area.
Autopsy results would reveal extensive sexual assault.
The young woman was last seen alive near mile marker 17 of the picturesque Highway 1, which
was about 18 miles from where her body was found.
Two separate witnesses described seeing a white, older model pickup trunk with a camper
shell.
The pickup was reportedly being driven by two white males.
One of the witnesses saw the pickup on Feb. 14 and the other remembers the truck in the
area two to three days prior.
Because of her lack of identification, her heart shaped "LOVE" tattoo, and the fact
that they believe her to have been killed on Valentine's Day, investigators dubbed
the woman "Valentine Doe".
Her body remains in the Monroe county social services vault.
Many locals were quick to recall the circumstances of this girls death to another young females
passing, thirteen years earlier, on March 5th 1979.
Found in the tide pools at that very same beach, also on the southside of Bahia Honda
Bridge, was another deceased young woman, also unidentifiable.
Also 5'5, she too was estimated to be in her late teens.
Investigators believed she was a cigarette smoker, as she had early signs of emphysema.
With no visible marks of conflict or injury, some wondered if she just drowned.
Wearing jeans and a black "eclipse" brand tank top she was found shortly after her death.
Her teeth showed signs of dental work, including several fillings and porcelain crowns, a rather
expensive medical endeavor that indicated that this girl was not some orphan of the
streets.
Both cases are still open and being investigated.
Anyone with information about the 1991 "Valentine Doe" or the 1979 Jane Doe case is asked to
call the Monroe Sheriffs Department at 1-305-853-3211.
2.
The Rundle Family On the evening of Feb. 13, 1985, Rundle and
her children attended a school function.
The mother and son returned home together and the daughter was dropped off by a friend
around 8:30 p.m.
The next morning around 10:30 a.m. on Valentine's Day, Cassandra's second ex-husband, Douglas
Peltzer, showed up at the home to deliver her a record album as a Valentine's Day
present.
To his horror, he discovered that the entire family was brutally murdered.
At 10:37 a.m., Peltzer called the police.
According to the police, the killer first attacked Cassandra Rundle between 5 and 8
a.m. that day by beating her with a hockey stick.
He tied her up with her own clothes, raped her, then strangled her to death.
Next, he went to Melanie's room where evidence showed she tried to fight off the attacker.
She was beaten so badly that her skull was fractured and she too was raped and strangled.
Police believe Detrick walked in on the killings that day and he too was beaten.
Police found him face down on his bedroom floor, a bloodied hockey stick nearby.There
were no signs of a forced entry to the house.
The beds in each room had already been made, indicating the family had gotten up early
at their home.
Rundle had married twice, first with her childhood sweetheart Steve Sturm, the father of her
children.
however, later they divorced.
She then married and divorced Douglas Peltzer, who found her that morning.Peltzer would tell
the police that although he and his wife had divorced, he continued to see them frequently.
Peltzer as well as Rundle's first husband were ruled out as suspects.
In the months before her death, Cassandra had placed newspaper advertisements in a local
newspaper seeking male companionship.
She received more than 80 responses and made contact with several men, but no evidence
could be found to link any of them to the murders.
Police have interviewed more than 400 persons of interest and possible witnesses in the
case.
However, No arrests have been made.
It's is worth noting that Peltzer attempted to collect on a double indemnity insurance
policy taken out by his former wife, but withdrew his claim after the Rundles went to court
and demanded Peltzer not receive the $28,000 insurance payment.
She had named him as the beneficiary when they were married but neglected to take him
off the policy after their 1983 divorce.
Suspicion has also been directed at a former soldier named Philip E. Wilkinson, who is
currently sitting on death row in North Carolina for the 1992 triple slaying of a mother and
her two children.
That crime bore some similarities to the Rundle murders, but Wilkinson has never been connected
to the case.
Cassandra Rundle's father, Richard Rundle, a former prosecutor from West Virginia, offered
a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer.
The case remains unsolved.
3.Valentine Sally On February 14th 1982 just 11 miles west of
Williams, arizona and just off of the 1-40 highway a young woman's body was found,
in a wooded area deceased.
She had been deceased for about ten days, and was unrecognizable.
She was found lying face down under a cedar tree about 25 feet from the interstate.
It appeared that she had been dragged to the location by the belt loops of her jeans.
The stretch of Interstate where she was found was a long incline where trucks would frequently
pull over and stop to cool their brakes.
If her body was transported there in the cab of a semi, no one would have been suspicious
of a truck driver being pulled over in the area.
Her body had been discovered by a public safety officer.
She had been murdered, perhaps by strangulation/suffocation, and had not been sexually assaulted.
By the time of her discovery, animals had eaten most or all of the flesh from her face,
along with her right ear.
The young woman, approximately 15-20 years old had strawberry blonde shoulder length
hair and was wearing a red and white striped sweater, which caught the attention of a waitress
of a local diner that police were canvassing.
The waitress said she remembered seeing a young girl with the same red striped sweater
and designer jeans come in to her restaurant with an older man, probably in his 60s, who
was wearing brown leather vest decorated with feathers.
The pair entered the truck stop at approximately 3:00 AM and left an hour later.
The man, she recalled ordered food but the girl simply asked for an aspirin.
The waitress recalls the girl complained of her tooth hurting her and she was applying
pressure to her left jaw.
The unidentified body found had a half finished root canal on the girls left side.
Although this remarkable lead fills in some details as to the timeline of the case, the
girls identity has never been discovered, and she remains filed under the name, valentine
Sally.
In 1984, she was misidentified as a Florida runaway named Melody Eugene Cutlip.
A forensic odontologist compared Valentine Sally's teeth to the teeth exposed in a smiling
photo of Melody, and claimed they were one in the same.
Valentine Sally's tombstone was replaced with one reading "Melody Eugene Cutlip".
However, in 1986, Melody Eugene Cutlip went back to her family alive and well.
Melody later died in a vehicle accident in 1998.
Valentine Sally's grave was never replaced, and still has Melody's name on it.
Valentine Sally had long straight to wavy blonde hair and blue eyes.
She was about 5'5 and 120 lbs.
She wore a red-and-white striped sweater and a pair of size 9 Seasons brand designer jeans.
She was barefoot and wore no jewelry when found.
She wore a 36C bra.
She carried a white handkerchief in her jean pocket.
She had pierced ears.
4.
Antonio Saldivar Antonio, 17, had asked and received permission
to borrow his mothers car the night of Valentines Day to deliver a teddy bear gift to his girlfriend.
After staying out too late and breaking his cerfew, Connie Netro, his mother texted Antonio
repeatedly, texts that he ignored , but he finally answered her texts at 10pm and promised
to come home.
Unfortunately he would break that promise, and around 4am after more calls and texts,
Antonio finally responded to his mother, and acknowledged that because of his actions he
had been grounded and would come home right away.
But he never made it.
That would be the last time anyone talked to young Antonio.
In the early hours of Feb 15th Antonio's mothers car, a green Hyundai Sonata was found,
wrecked against a concrete pillar on Harrisburg Road in Houston.
Strangely enough, within the wreckage were Antonio's brown boat shoes which had been
removed and set on the passenger seat, but no sign of Antonio.
He was last seen wearing a white muscle shirt, a purple leopard print hoodie, and khaki shorts.
He was identifiable by two tattoos: a female jester removing her shirt and the other an
outline of the state of Texas with the city "Houston" written within the shape.
Initially a missing persons case, police interviewed a witness that reported seeing a dark colored
SUV intentionally run Antonio's vehicle off the road, resulting in him crashing directly
into the pillar, head on; however no information was given that would identify the vehicle.
In the wake of the car being found empty, Antonio's parents passed out more than 2,000
fliers in a desperate attempt to find the missing teen, but two weeks later a parents'
worst nightmare would come to life.
On Thursday February 27th, Antonio was found in a restricted area of the Houston Ship Channel.
He was found in the water pinned between two freight barges, with the Valentine's Teddy
bear still in his possession in his pants between his legs.
The removed shoes and the fact that the teddy bear was oddly stuffed down his shorts perplexed
investigators, who had previously thought Antonio had visited his girlfriend to drop
a gift off but seeing the gift The teddy bear still on his person the timeline was brought
into question.
A subsequent autopsy was performed and the primary cause of death was drowning.
Speculations abound as to what exactly happened that fateful Valentine's Day evening.
Where exactly had Antonio gone and why was the teddy bear never delivered to his girlfriend?
Also, what did mysterious dark SUV has to do with the fact that Antonio walked away
from the car crash?
Why did he have possession of the teddy bear in the water?
And why were his shoes in the totaled car?
As Antonio's body was not found until almost 2 weeks later, police were unable to determine
drug or alcohol levels.
Some wonder if he may have sustained a concussion in the crash and stumbled into the nearby
water, although how he got past the restricted area is unknown.
No additional information has ever been obtained on the SUV that allegedly ran Antonio off
the road.
His family believe this is a homicide and are still asking the public or any information
about that night.
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