On October 13, 1972, Lawrence 'Whitey' White, a 55-year-old white male transient originally from Oklahoma, was found murdered off Highway 9 in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California. White had been released from a local jail earlier that day and was walking alone when he encountered Herbert Mullin, who would later be identified as a serial killer. Mullin stopped his vehicle under the pretense of car trouble and lured White into assisting him.
As White leaned over the engine, Mullin struck him from behind, killing him instantly. Mullin later claimed that he believed White was a reincarnation of the biblical figure Jonah and that White had telepathically requested to be killed to prevent an impending earthquake.
At the time of White's death, authorities were unable to identify any suspects or locate his relatives. His body was interred at Oakwood Memorial Park in Santa Cruz. It wasn't until months later that Mullin was arrested and confessed to multiple murders, including that of Lawrence White. Mullin's killing spree, which lasted from October 1972 to February 1973, resulted in the deaths of 13 individuals. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
