Do you know who murdered Barbara? Barbara Nantais was a vibrant and popular 15-year-old from Lakewood, California, with a life full of promise. A sophomore at her high school, the brown-haired, brown-eyed teen had just earned a spot on the varsity cheerleading squad. Loved ones remembered the White female as beautiful, smart, outspoken, and stubborn, with a mind of her own. She was one of four siblings in a close-knit family and had been dating her 17-year-old boyfriend, Jim Alt, for nine months after being introduced by her older sister, Sue. Jim, a popular surfer from Long Beach, was deeply in love with Barbara, and they were seen by friends as the quintessential all-American couple.
On the weekend of August 12, 1978, Barbara’s parents went out of town, leaving their children with a family friend. Barbara and Jim, along with their friend Rick Selga and his girlfriend, decided to drive to Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego for a party.
Before leaving, Jim had promised Barbara’s father he would keep her safe. After an evening spent with friends around beach bonfires, Rick and his girlfriend went to sleep in their station wagon in the parking lot around 9:30 p.m. Barbara and Jim sought more privacy, zipping two sleeping bags together on the sand near lifeguard tower #7 to spend the night under the stars. The last thing Jim remembered was holding Barbara in his arms as they fell asleep.
The next morning, August 13, 1978, Jim awoke alone, cold, and covered in blood. He was disoriented and couldn't see, his face severely swollen. He managed to feel his way up a sandy hill to the parking lot and rap on the window of his friends' car. When Rick Selga saw him, he was almost unrecognizable except for his blonde hair, his face was so badly injured. Jim could only manage to say, "Go find Barb." Rick ran down to the beach and made a horrifying discovery. Barbara’s nude body was lying on the sand. She had been brutally beaten, strangled, raped, and sodomized. The killer had also mutilated her, severing one of her breasts, and stuffed wet sand into her mouth.
Jim was rushed to the hospital with a crushed skull and traumatic brain injury. He underwent emergency surgery, spent days in a coma, and awoke with no memory of the attack. The life-threatening injuries, which required a titanium plate in his forehead, were inflicted with a rock and a log from a nearby fire pit. San Diego Police Department investigators, led by Sergeant Paul Ybarrondo, arrived at the horrific scene. Jim was briefly investigated but quickly cleared as a suspect due to the severity of his own injuries. The police collected evidence, but with the forensic technology available at the time, few leads emerged, and the case eventually went cold.
For years, the brutal murder haunted everyone involved. Six years later, in August 1984, the body of 14-year-old Claire Hough was found on the same stretch of beach, murdered in a strikingly similar fashion. Both girls had been beaten, strangled, sexually assaulted, and had their breasts mutilated. This led investigators to believe for a time that a serial killer was responsible. However, decades later, DNA evidence in the Hough case pointed to two men: convicted rapist Ronald Tatro and retired San Diego police criminalist Kevin Brown. Tatro died in a boating accident in 2011, and Brown died by suicide in 2014 as police were preparing to arrest him. Investigators ultimately concluded the two cases were not connected, and no evidence has ever linked Tatro or Brown to Barbara’s murder.
The attack left Jim Alt with lifelong physical and psychological scars, including severe post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and survivor's guilt. He has become an advocate for other survivors, creating a Facebook page called "Surviving Victims of Violent Crimes." Barbara’s family, including her sister Lorraine Nantais Thall, has also relentlessly pushed for answers, meeting with police over the years and hoping a fresh look at the evidence might finally shake something loose. In August 2015, police met with the family and Alt, informing them they had a person of interest who had been on their radar before, which brought a renewed sense of hope.
As of September 2017, the San Diego Police Department’s cold case unit was giving the files another review with a fresh set of eyes. Despite advances in DNA technology and periodic re-examinations of the evidence, the killer of Barbara Nantais has never been identified. The case remains unsolved, a lingering shadow over the picturesque Southern California beach. Police continue to urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. Anonymous tips can be submitted to San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. 
