Shariea Lefern Johnson Patton, a 56-year-old woman, was found deceased in January 1981. Her body washed ashore near the Naval Net Depot in Tiburon, California. At the time of her death, she was a resident of the Bay Area and was searching for employment. Authorities determined that she had been strangled, and her body was discovered in two plastic bags on the rocky shore of San Francisco Bay.
The autopsy revealed ligature marks on her neck, and she had been bound in a fetal position using two pairs of pantyhose.
Investigators initially suspected Joseph Naso, a known serial killer, in connection with her death. Naso, who managed the residence where Patton had lived, had also taken a photograph of her. Despite being considered the prime suspect in 1981, he provided elusive answers to investigators, and no charges were filed against him at the time. Decades later, during Naso's murder trial, prosecutors presented evidence suggesting that Patton was one of his victims. However, he was never formally charged with her murder, as the investigation into her death had not been completed before his trial began.
During the penalty phase of Naso's trial, prosecutors argued that Patton's death bore similarities to the murders of other women for which Naso had been convicted. Testimony indicated that at least three of his known victims had also died from asphyxia due to strangulation. Despite these connections, Patton's case remained unresolved, and her name appeared on a list of potential victims that prosecutors believed Naso had compiled. The jury ultimately convicted Naso of four murders, but Patton's case remained one of the additional killings presented as evidence in the effort to secure the death penalty against him.
