Donna Gentile, a 22-year-old white female from East County, California, was found murdered on June 23, 1985, her body discovered by a man walking his dog along a remote turnout off Sunrise Highway, north of Interstate 8. The young woman had been brutally killed—her nude body was left in the brush, with her undergarments and dress cut off and placed on top of her. Investigators noted that brush had been used to obscure any footprints or tire marks, a technique known as a "brush out."
The cause of death was asphyxiation, with gravel forcibly packed down her throat. She also suffered a fractured neck at the second cervical vertebrae, indicating a violent assault.
Donna Gentile, a 22-year-old white female, had worked as a sex worker along El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego during the early 1980s. She had multiple encounters with law enforcement and was arrested several times for prostitution. In the weeks leading up to her death, she had testified before the San Diego Civil Service Commission about her relationship with San Diego police officer Larry Avrech. During her testimony, she stated that Avrech had visited her apartment and that they had engaged in sexual activity. Her statements contributed to Avrech’s dismissal from the police force. Gentile was also reportedly working with the San Diego Police Department’s internal affairs division, providing information about misconduct among officers.
The timing of her death—just five weeks after her testimony—raised suspicions about possible retaliation. Although no one has ever been arrested or formally charged in connection with the murder of 22-year-old white female Donna Gentile, speculation has persisted for decades. Retired homicide detective Tom Streed, who was at the crime scene, has publicly stated that he believes police involvement is a possibility, given Gentile’s role as an informant and her recent testimony. Despite this, law enforcement officials have not named any prime suspects, and the case remains officially unsolved.
Officer Larry Avrech, the subject of Gentile’s testimony, has consistently denied any sexual relationship with the 22-year-old white female and any involvement in her death. He later authored a book titled Who Killed Donna Gentile? The Real Story, which reignited public interest in the case. Meanwhile, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has acknowledged that both Avrech and another officer, Lieutenant Carlton Black, were considered persons of interest early in the investigation, though neither was ever charged. The murder of Donna Gentile remains one of the most haunting unsolved cases in San Diego’s history.
