Sable Alexandria Pickett, a 19-year-old from Compton, California, was last seen in Anaheim on February 14, 2014. At the time of her disappearance, Pickett was living between the homes of various relatives but had maintained regular contact with her mother. When these calls ceased, her family reported her missing. Pickett had attended Compton High School and later earned her GED with aspirations of joining the Air Force. However, these plans did not come to fruition, and she was involved in sex work at the time she vanished.
Investigators believe that on Valentine's Day 2014, Sable Pickett was abducted from the Beach Boulevard area of Anaheim by Steven Dean Gordon and Franc Cano. Both men were registered sex offenders who were wearing GPS ankle monitors at the time. Despite this, they were associating with each other, which was a violation of their parole. The investigation into a series of murders of women involved in prostitution led authorities to Gordon and Cano. The body of one victim, Jarrae Nykkole Estepp, was discovered at a recycling plant in Anaheim, which provided crucial evidence linking the men to the crimes.
During his trial in late 2016, Steven Dean Gordon, who represented himself, admitted to his involvement in the murders of four women and also confessed to killing a fifth unidentified victim. He stated that he and Cano had picked up a woman in the Beach Boulevard area and provided details that matched Sable Pickett, including her tattoos, her street name, and a description of her pimp's car. Gordon claimed that he and Cano had thrown the bodies of their victims in dumpsters. It wasn't until 2017 that authorities were able to officially identify Sable Pickett as the fifth victim. Gordon was subsequently convicted and sentenced to death. In December 2022, Franc Cano pleaded guilty to multiple counts of murder and rape and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Sable Pickett's body has never been recovered.
Last Seen: Feb 14, 2014
