Charles Thurman Sinclair: The Coin Shop Killer
Overview
Charles Thurman Sinclair was an American robbery and murder suspect commonly known as the "Coin Shop Killer." Investigators believed he traveled throughout the United States under false names, carefully studying coin and antique businesses before robbing them and killing the people inside. His suspected crimes stretched from 1980 to 1990 and crossed numerous state lines, including Washington, Indiana, California, Missouri, Utah, and Montana.
Sinclair was never convicted of murder. He died while being held in Alaska before prosecutors could bring him to trial. Nevertheless, investigators linked him to a series of remarkably similar killings in which coin dealers or antique-shop employees were shot in the head and valuable collections were stolen. Authorities also connected him through physical evidence and stolen property to the presumed murders of a California couple who disappeared during a camping trip.
Background and Knowledge of the Coin Business
Charles Thurman Sinclair was born on November 24, 1946, in Jal, New Mexico. He grew up with an interest in coins and eventually operated a coin and gun business in Hobbs, New Mexico. His experience gave him specialized knowledge of rare coins, precious metals, firearms, shop security, and the habits of coin dealers. Investigators later believed he used that knowledge to identify businesses holding valuable inventories that could be carried away and sold without being easily traced.
Sinclair's business burned in 1985. Although authorities investigated the possibility of arson, no one was charged. He faced financial problems and eventually began moving frequently with members of his family. During the following years, he reportedly used aliases, altered his appearance, carried false identification, and represented himself as a farmer, businessman, investor, or serious coin collector.
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