John Sapp

Serial Killer

John Sapp: California Killer Linked to Four Murders

Background and Pattern of Violence

John Sapp was a California drifter, drug dealer, and convicted serial killer whose known crimes stretched across more than a decade. His victims included longtime friends, a former girlfriend, and, according to evidence presented during his trial, his own mother. The murders occurred between 1975 and 1985 in Northern California, primarily in Contra Costa, Colusa, and Butte counties. Sapp commonly relied on personal relationships to gain access to his victims, after which he transported them to isolated locations and shot them. Money, drugs, revenge, and personal resentment were recurring elements in Sapp's crimes. He claimed that two of the killings were contract murders, although he refused to identify the people who allegedly hired him. In other cases, he described becoming angry with victims because of failed drug transactions, accusations of informing police, or deteriorating personal relationships. His willingness to discuss his crimes after his arrest eventually helped investigators resolve cases that had remained mysteries for years.

Victims

• John Abono, 22 disappeared December 22, 1975 Mount Diablo area, Contra Costa County, California: Abono was living in Concord when he went to purchase marijuana from Sapp on December 22, 1975. His exact date of death was never independently established because his remains were not recovered, but Sapp confessed that he killed Abono within days of the disappearance. Sapp said he forced Abono at gunpoint to walk into an isolated area near Castle Rock on Mount Diablo, shot him several times in the head, covered the body with brush, and later returned to bury it.
• Elizabeth Duarte, 24 killed January 25, 1981 Lime Ridge area of Mount Diablo, Contra Costa County, California: Duarte was Sapp's former girlfriend and a coworker he had met while employed at Chevron Research in Richmond. She disappeared after arriving at the home of another man late on January 24, 1981. Sapp later admitted attacking her, transporting her to a grave he had prepared near Mount Diablo, and shooting her around sunrise on January 25. Her remains were recovered in April 1986 after Sapp directed investigators to the burial site.
• Geraldine Sapp, 67 believed killed June 4 or June 5, 1985 near Oroville and Gridley, Butte County, California: Geraldine was John Sapp's mother and was living with him near Oroville when she vanished. A neighbor last saw her on June 4 or June 5. Her purse, wallet, clothes, vehicle, and other belongings remained at her home. Prosecutors argued that Sapp killed her and disposed of her body in a remote area near Gridley, although he denied responsibility and was not separately convicted of her murder.
• Robert Weber, approximately 34 or 35 killed in August 1985 Walker Ridge, Colusa County, California: Weber was a friend of Sapp's and a small-scale cocaine dealer who reportedly owed money to several people. He left Concord with Sapp on August 13, 1985, carrying approximately $17,000 and two firearms for what he believed was a drug transaction. Hunters found Weber's body on August 18 on a hillside near Walker Ridge, about 18 miles from Clearlake. He had been shot repeatedly in the head, chest, throat, back, and arms. The available evidence did not establish a precise date of death, but investigators determined that he had been dead for at least 24 hours when discovered.

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Confirmed Victims: (4)

John Abono Age: (22), Date of Death: 1975-12-22

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