NQL Case File

Circumstances

Date of Disappearance

February 6, 1959

Notes

The victim's hair is decribed as "sandy" or "strawberry" blonde. He was working as an apprentice lather at the time of his disappearance. Jesse (20) and his girlfriend/friend Joyce Ramsey (15) disappeared together on the night of February 6, 1959. Following a party near Hemet that all three had attended, Jesse drove his convertible and dropped off their friend in Riverside before heading on with Joyce where he was dropping her off home. By now it was the early morning of February 7, and the two would never be seen alive after they drove away. The convertible was located later with no one inside on a dirt road close to Hemet the following day (February 7). A serial kidnapper and killer named Frank Phillip Kretz would later confess that he killed both of the teens, one in a string of crimes he committed during an 8hr spree and for which he was arrested for in July 1959. In February 1971, Kretz would admit to the deaths of Jesse and Joyce and take police to Joyce's remains around 4mi N of Indio (near Idyllwild) and about 50mi SE of Riverside where they were last seen. Despite him giving directions, police were never able to locate Jesse's body. According to Kretz, Jesse was buried somewhere along Highway 74 in between Hemet and Idyllwild, California but that spans about a 20mi distance in desert, mountainous, and rugged areas making any search difficult.

Location of the Disappearance or Crime Scene

Vehicle

Potential Circumstances

Murder & Abduction, Driving, With Others, Multiple Persons Killed, Married or Dating Couple, Night, Multiple Persons Abduction

Vehicle

Convertible

License Plate

Photo of Vehicle

Suspect

Man

Suspect Description

Frank Phillip Kretz

Photo of Suspect