Darren Dee O'Neall

Case record: Darren Dee O'Neall

Status

Darren Dee O'Neall was sentenced to life in prison in Washington on January 1989.

Background

Darren Dee O'Neall was born on February 26, 1960, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

O'Neall grew up as a drifter and pathological liar with a taste for violent sex. He traveled through the western United States and read the novels of Louis L’Amour. He assumed aliases based on favorite characters from Louis L’Amour’s books. Police and investigators also described him as having a taste for violent sex.

O'Neall’s parents were Darrell and Christa O'Neall, who resided in Colorado Springs, Colorado. O'Neall had two older brothers, Michael and Kevin, and one younger sister, Kristen.

Because his father was an Army career man, O'Neall traveled extensively in his youth. He was in Bad Tolze, Germany, until 1976, thereafter moving with his family to Fort Polk, Louisiana. He attended high school in the Fort Polk area.

O'Neall later married his high school sweetheart, June Hodges. O'Neall had one son by June, Christopher O'Neall, born November 20, 1981. Christopher was raised by O'Neall’s parents while O'Neall was on the run, and they legally adopted him after O'Neall ran afoul of the law in Colorado Springs.

Although O'Neall was not formally divorced from June, he had a common law wife who resided in Levittown, Pennsylvania. From that relationship another son, Jason, was born. Jason continued to live with his mother in Levittown.

After O'Neall enlisted in the U.S. Army, he served for a short time in Bremerhaven, Germany, and was discharged on February 28, 1982.

Investigators asked the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit to develop a psychological profile of possible characteristics of their suspect, and the FBI complied. O'Neall fit a classic profile of a serial killer, and investigators theorized that he might have been acting out a fantasy that stemmed from his affinity for Louis L’Amour’s westerns when he abducted and killed Robin Smith. Investigators also reported that additional witnesses said he frequently fantasized about living in the wilderness.

Pierce County authorities asked Louis L’Amour for help in their search for O'Neall, but Louis L’Amour had never heard of O'Neall and was not contacted by him.

Investigators noted that the Green River Task Force looked closely at O'Neall as a possible suspect in the Green River serial murders before ruling him out.

Investigators also said witnesses told them O'Neall knew very little about the outdoors despite the fact that he fancied himself a rugged outdoorsman. They uncovered information that showed that O'Neall claimed to have worked on a relative’s horse ranch in Montana and often spoke about moving to Alaska, Montana, Colorado, or Canada, but investigators said they could find no trace of him in any of those states.

Investigation and modus operandi

Investigators said O'Neall frequently obtained victims from country and western bars he liked to frequent.

Witnesses described O'Neall as a compulsive liar and braggart, while others said he appeared complimentary and charming to women.

O'Neall was portrayed as a heavy drinker, a cocaine user, and a Percodan abuser. Investigators said he was known to take drugs orally and intravenously.

Detective Terry Wilson and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department asked the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit to develop a psychological profile.

Investigators and police described a consistent identifying feature: a tattoo of the word "JUNE" across the knuckles of his left hand.

Police also said O'Neall frequently changed his hairstyle and appearance, adding and removing a mustache and beard, and sometimes wearing wire-rimmed glasses.

Timeline

• January 17, 1987 — O'Neall drove toward his destination in Portland, Oregon, and spotted an attractive 14-year-old girl walking across a freeway overpass; he positioned his truck so he could target her.
• January 17, 1987 — During the attack described in the record, O'Neall kidnapped the 14-year-old girl and raped her, with threats involving a hunting knife and that he had a gun.
• March 28, 1987 — Robin Smith left for a party with new acquaintance “Herb Johnson.”
• March 28, 1987 — Robin Smith was identified as 22 at the time of the party she attended with new acquaintance “Herb Johnson.”
• March 30, 1987 — A dark yellow Chrysler O'Neall was known to drive was found abandoned at a rest stop 15 miles north of Everett, Washington, north of Seattle, along the northbound lanes of Interstate 5.
• April 24, 1987 — A man identified as Mike James Johnson was hired as a bartender at the La Paloma Restaurant in Bellingham, Washington.
• April 25, 1987 — O'Neall and Wendy Aughe were last seen together leaving the La Paloma.
• May 25, 1987 — Skeletal remains were discovered by hikers near Greenwater, Washington.
• May 31, 1987 — Police found “Herb Johnson’s” car abandoned near Marysville, north of Seattle.
• June 9, 1987 — Lisa Szubert disappeared from a truck stop at Mountain Home, Idaho.
• June 13, 1987 — The body of Lia Elizabeth Szubert was discovered in eastern Oregon.
• June 25, 1987 — O'Neall’s name was added to the FBI “Most Wanted” list.
• February 3, 1988 — O'Neall was captured in Florida and returned to Washington for trial.
• January 4, 1989 — During jury selection, O'Neall announced he wanted to plead guilty to murdering Robin Smith.
• August 1990 — O'Neall was sentenced to 135 years in prison on charges stemming from the abduction and rape of the teenager; the sentence was ordered to run consecutively to the life sentence for Robin Smith’s murder.
• May of the following year — O'Neall was brought to Portland, Oregon, to face trial for the kidnapping and rape of the 14-year-old girl.

The offence

Attack on a 14-year-old girl in Portland, Oregon (January 17, 1987)

The record described O'Neall driving a big rig and spotting an attractive 14-year-old girl walking across a freeway overpass in Portland, Oregon, on the evening of January 17, 1987.

O'Neall waited for the girl outside a convenience store and then kidnapped her. He pulled on the outside handle of the sleeping compartment door, stepped onto the sidewalk to block her path, grabbed her by the front of her nylon jacket, pushed her into the truck’s sleeping compartment, and pulled the door shut behind her while brandishing a hunting knife for her to see. He told her he had a gun.

The girl could not take her eyes off the knife. O'Neall stuffed a gag inside her mouth and bound her hands and feet. The record said he told her: “If you scream or try to get away, I'll kill you.”

After removing her restraints, O'Neall commanded her to undress. The record included the command: "Go on, get the rest of those off," he commanded as he showed her the knife again. "What the fuck are you waitin' for?"

The record described O'Neall dragging the knife across her stomach, abdomen, pelvic area, and between her thighs, before forcing himself on top of her and entering her forcefully. The record said O'Neall raped the girl and continued to rape her over the next two hours.

The record described O'Neall using a bottle from the soda pop the girl had been carrying during the kidnapping. The record said he asked: “Bet you know what I'm doing to do with this, don't you?”

The record said O'Neall promised not to kill her and later threatened to find her if she told anyone. After the rape and sexual assault, the record said the girl pleaded with him not to kill her: “I promise I won't tell anyone what happened if you'll just let me go,” she cried. “Please don't kill me!”

The record said O'Neall replied: “I could sell you to pimps in California,” he said after several minutes of silence, an evil gleam in his eyes.

The record then said O'Neall agreed to let her go, drove her back to the city, and dropped her off where she could get home.

Robin Smith (March 28, 1987 party and subsequent murder)

Robin Smith left a Puyallup, Washington, tavern to attend a party with new acquaintance “Herb Johnson” on March 28, 1987. Police later found Johnson’s car abandoned near Marysville, north of Seattle, on May 31.

A search of the trunk turned up Robin Smith’s bloodstained jacket and several teeth. The vehicle’s registration revealed it had been stolen two weeks earlier in Nampa, Idaho. The owner was a trucker who recalled the thief’s details.

The owner described the thief as young and blond, with the word “JUNE” tattooed across his knuckles of his left hand. The trucker said he picked the thief up and offered him a place to stay overnight. The next morning, the thief was gone along with the trucker’s car and a .357 magnum revolver from the trucker’s home.

The record said that “JUNE” led law enforcement to identify O'Neall as the drifter running from child support payments after abandoning his wife and child six years earlier.

The record described Robin’s fiancé as Larron Crowston, 23, and said Crowston left the party at 5 a.m. to keep a fishing trip commitment. The record said that it would be “the last time he ever saw Robin,” and that Robin did not return home.

Robin’s relatives reported her missing to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. Police also said a missing person report was filed after deputies followed up on the initial reports called in by Edna and Larron, and that Robin was described as wearing blue jeans, a pink-and-white shirt, purple coat and white tennis shoes, and having a quarter-inch scar above her left eye.

The record also said APB descriptions were issued for O'Neall, including that he was described as 5 feet 11 inches, 170 pounds, medium build, blond hair, blue eyes, and a light complexion, and that it included a vertical scar on his right cheek, a six-inch surgical scar on his abdomen, a small barely visible five-point-tip star tattoo below his left eye, and the name “J-U-N-E” tattooed on the knuckles of his left hand.

On March 30, 1987, the dark yellow Chrysler associated with O'Neall was found abandoned at a rest stop 15 miles north of Everett, Washington. Investigators opened the trunk and found Robin’s blood-soaked jacket, two teeth, a bone fragment, and a heavily blood stained interior. Police suspected Robin had been beaten severely with a hammer or some other heavy instrument while held captive in the trunk.

On May 25, 1987, skeletal remains were discovered by hikers in the area near Greenwater, Washington, previously searched by Edna and her family. The remains were scattered over an area near a running stream.

After a Pierce County medical examiner concluded that the bones belonged to a Caucasian female in her early 20s with blond hair, Edna pushed for further search. After hands and knees searches over nearly a two-week period, Edna found the additional bones needed, including a jaw bone, and a dental comparison was conducted. Authorities positively concluded the remains were those of Robin Smith.

Police said Robin had been beaten to death, likely with a heavy object such as a hammer. An additional search turned up a rusty hammer in a nearby stream.

A memorial statue of the Virgin Mary was constructed in Edna’s backyard, and Edna regularly placed flowers on the spot where most of Robin’s remains were found while the remains were kept in a Pierce County evidence locker.

The record stated that after Robin’s murder, murder charges were filed against O'Neall in part due to Edna urging the police to do something despite Robin’s remains not being found at the time.

The record further stated that Wanted For Murder posters were distributed to all stores selling books by Louis L’Amour and to beauty shops because O'Neall often had his hair permed, and to other locations throughout western Washington due to concerns he was still in the Puget Sound area.

Wendy Aughe (April 24-25, 1987; disappearance and later car discovery)

On April 24, 1987, an individual who identified himself as Mike James Johnson was hired as a bartender at the La Paloma Restaurant in Bellingham, Washington. The record said O'Neall, posing as “Johnson,” met Wendy Aughe, 29, a beauty school student and mother of two young children.

The record said O'Neall and Aughe were last seen together leaving the La Paloma on April 25 during the early morning hours. Aughe was not heard from again, and family members reported her unexplained disappearance to police.

A search of Aughe’s Bellingham apartment revealed signs of a struggle, pools of blood, and blood soaked bed sheets and linen, and “Peter tracks,” dried semen, was also found on the bed sheets. The record said evidence in the apartment suggested a sexual assault had occurred there.

After an APB was issued for O'Neall, a U.S. Customs agent reported having taken a photograph of O'Neall driving Aughe’s car as he came back across the border into the U.S. from Canada in the time frame when Wendy disappeared. The record said O'Neall was the only person visible in the spot check photo.

A week later, on Saturday, May 2, 1987, Aughe’s 1972 Ford Torino was found abandoned in Eugene, Oregon. The record said a man identified as O'Neall was reported as having been seen at several locations in downtown Eugene attempting to sell a gold chain necklace, according to Detective J.T. Parr of the Eugene Police Department.

Fingerprints taken from a food wrapper in Aughe’s automobile and from a job application submitted by “Johnson” were identified as Darren Dee O'Neall.

The record stated that the whereabouts of Wendy Aughe remained unknown.

Lia Elizabeth Szubert (June 9-13, 1987)

On June 9, 1987, Lisa Szubert disappeared from a truck stop at Mountain Home, Idaho. She was last seen with a young man with the tattoo "JUNE" across his knuckles. Her body was found on June 13, outside of La Grande, Oregon.

The record described that on Saturday, June 13, 1987, the nude body of Lia Elizabeth Szubert, 22, was discovered by a passing motorist along Interstate 84 in eastern Oregon about 12 miles east of the town of La Grande. The motorist reported the discovery to Oregon State Police.

After an autopsy, the cause of Szubert’s death was listed as strangulation.

The record included an account attributed to Detective James Howells of the Twin Falls, Idaho, police department: Szubert was traveling alone from Twin Falls to Boise on Tuesday, June 9, 1987, en route to the airport to pick up her fiancé, Duane Abbott, who was coming to visit her from San Diego, California. Along the way she developed car trouble and called a friend from a Gear Jammer truck stop near Mountain Home, Idaho, along Interstate 84. The last time anyone heard from her was that call, and she was reported as a missing person later that evening.

Several individuals at the truck stop described a male individual matching Darren O'Neall’s description as having been present in the area prior to Szubert’s disappearance. The record said he was also spotted several times a couple of hundred miles to the north in the Spokane, Washington area several hours after Szubert’s disappearance.

The record stated that Lia Szubert’s murder remained on the books due to a lack of physical evidence linking O'Neall to the crime, while detectives were equally certain he killed her.

Criminal linking and additional deaths

The record said O'Neall was linked with the bungled abduction of a woman in Burly, Idaho, and that his name was added to the FBI “Most Wanted” list on June 25.

The record said three women had been shot to death in Salt Lake City, Utah, over the past year, each killed with the same small caliber gun. Witnesses recalled seeing them last with a man bearing the “JUNE” tattoo on his knuckles, and the record said O'Neall was linked to those deaths.

The record stated that speculative body counts were climbing into double digits by the time FBI agents captured O'Neall in Florida on February 3, 1988.

Arrest and capture

O'Neall was captured in Florida on February 3, 1988 and returned to Washington for trial.

The record said O'Neall was placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list.

It said that he assumed the name “John Mayeaux” and had a girlfriend in Tennessee, lived with her for a while, then ditched her in Louisiana, stole her car, and fled to Lakeland, Florida.

Following a high speed and an eventual foot chase following a traffic violation, the record said O'Neall was arrested on September 22, 1987. The record further stated that, after extradition to Louisiana, authorities learned his true identity because a rookie female officer asked to have his prints examined by the state Bureau of Criminal Identification in February 1988 after acting on a hunch that “Mayeaux” was a fictitious name.

Investigators from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, Bellingham Police Department, and the Oregon State Police traveled to Louisiana to try to talk to O'Neall and plan strategy. The record said O'Neall refused to talk to any of them.

The record stated that Louisiana wanted to keep O'Neall until after his trial on stolen car charges, but Edna Smith pushed for his return to Washington to stand trial for Robin’s murder, sending letters and a petition to Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer until she got what she wanted.

The record stated that Deputies Ed Troyer and Ben Benson videotaped an interview with O'Neall as part of a weekly public service show on KMO Radio in Tacoma used to educate the public about police procedure. The record said he waived Miranda rights and agreed to talk freely. It said he acknowledged that he had murdered Robin Smith but refused to say anything about Wendy Aughe and Lia Szubert.

A note in the record stated: “In the face of tragedy struck again when Larron Crowston, Robin Smith's fiance and the state's star witness against O'Neall, unexpectedly died from ingesting an overdose of prescription drugs and alcohol.” The record said Crowston’s death was officially ruled an accident, and that Edna Smith said Crowston died of “a broken heart” after more than a year of being depressed and despondent.

Trial

Guilty plea to murder of Robin Smith (January 4, 1989)

During jury selection on Wednesday, January 4, 1989, the record said O'Neall abruptly and to the surprise of everyone announced that he wanted to plead guilty to murdering Robin Smith.

The record stated that to Edna’s dismay, after being robbed of the right to a trial in her daughter’s death, O'Neall received a life sentence.

Sentencing

Washington murder case (life sentence)

The record stated that the life sentence in Washington resulted in a maximum sentence of 27 years and 9 months. The record said O'Neall could be released after serving as few as 18 years with time off for good behavior.

The record stated that Edna had wanted prosecutors to seek the death penalty and had been pushing for it, and she viewed the guilty plea as an attempt to keep details of the crimes from becoming public knowledge.

The record stated that O'Neall was serving time at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.

Oregon kidnapping and rape case sentence (August 1990)

The record stated that in May of the following year, O'Neall was brought to Portland, Oregon, to face trial for the kidnapping and rape of the 14-year-old girl, and he maintained his innocence.

After attempting to shift the blame onto the girl for what had happened, the record said he was convicted of most of the charges.

At the sentencing hearing in August 1990, defense lawyer Scott Raivio claimed there was a connection between O'Neall’s criminal history and his abuse of cocaine and methamphetamine. The record included the statement: “Whenever he is away from drugs, said Raivio, O'Neall has "polite middle class values."”

Despite Raivio’s efforts, the record stated that O'Neall was sentenced to 135 years in prison on a variety of charges stemming from the abduction and rape of the teenager. The record also said Judge Kimberly Frankel ordered that the sentence run consecutively to the life sentence received for the murder of Robin Smith in Washington.

Appeals and outcome

The record stated that the disposition of O'Neall’s case was pending at one point, but it also stated final sentences were imposed.

The record stated that:

• The whereabouts of Wendy Aughe remained unknown.
• Lia Szubert’s murder remained on the books due to a lack of physical evidence linking O'Neall to the crime, while detectives were equally certain that he killed her.
• There were also other unsolved homicides in a number of states that authorities believed he may have committed.
• The record stated that O'Neall expressed no remorse for any of his crimes and reportedly had resigned himself to spending the rest of his life in prison.

Other details

Charge set mentioned in the record (Oregon kidnapping/rape-related charges)

The record stated that O'Neall eventually would be charged with:

• two counts of first-degree kidnapping,
• three counts of first-degree rape,
• sexual penetration with a foreign object,
• three counts of third-degree rape,
• single counts of first-degree sodomy,
• third-degree sodomy, and
• sexual abuse.

Investigation case numbers and identification timeline

The record described a police case number 87-12-37738 for the evening of the Portland attack and stated that it would be nearly six months before the girl would positively identify her attacker as one Darren Dee O'Neall.

Identification and linkage via “JUNE” tattoo and evidence

The record stated that fingerprints from Wendy Aughe’s automobile and job application submitted by “Johnson” were identified as those of Darren Dee O'Neall.

The record stated that police found skeletal remains near Greenwater and that Edna searched until additional bones, including a jaw bone, were found and a dental comparison was conducted, resulting in a positive conclusion that the remains were those of Robin Smith.

The record said a rusty hammer was found in the stream after an additional search of the area.

Stolen car and the name Jerry Zebulan Macranahan

The record described the Chrysler being stolen from a long-haul trucker in Nampa, Idaho, and described that the thief was identified as Jerry Zebulan Macranahan in that account.

The record said:

• the trucker traced through his employer to Portland, Oregon;
• the trucker picked up a hitchhiker while driving to Nampa in the previous October;
• the hitchhiker identified himself as Jerry Zebulan Macranahan;
• he resided with the trucker’s family from October 15 through November 2, 1986;
• on November 2, the hitchhiker left for a job and the trucker entrusted the Chrysler to Macranahan;
• on November 4, the trucker returned home and found the vehicle, a .357 Ruger, $200, and Macranahan missing;
• the trucker promptly identified Macranahan as Darren O'Neall from a photo throw down.

Prior criminal history described

The record said O'Neall’s extensive criminal history included arrests and citations:

• March 12, 1982 — arrested in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for obstructing police and disturbing the peace.
• September 1982 — cited for damaging private property and committing third-degree assault.
• October 1982 — cited for drinking in public.
• November 1984 — charged with first-degree sexual assault, later reduced to aggravated robbery; those charges were ultimately dismissed because the complaining witness, a prostitute, could no longer be located.
• July 1986 — committed a second-degree sexual assault for which he was arrested and later skipped bail.
• Public indecency offenses on his record, including urinating and defecating in public.

Human teeth, jacket, and suspected hammer beating

The record included that police found:

• Robin’s bloodstained jacket and several human teeth in the abandoned car trunk.
• two teeth, a bone fragment, and a heavily blood stained interior in the Chrysler’s trunk when it was opened after being found abandoned on March 30, 1987. The record stated police suspected Robin had been beaten severely with a hammer or other heavy instrument.

Search and witness details for Robin’s disappearance

The record said more than 50 people volunteered to search for Robin despite overnight snowfall and overwhelming odds against finding her in wilderness where the family believed her body had been dumped.

It described searchers tying yellow ribbons to branches to mark places where Robin was not found.

It named Robin’s sister Brenda Baker as five months pregnant, and Robin’s brother Robert as among those searchers.

The record said the psychic consulted by Edna directed her to search the Greenwater area near Mount Rainier and said Robin was in or near an area where there was running or dripping water.

It said police theorized that if Robin was still alive, she had lost a great deal of blood and that each night in the mountains would reduce the chance of finding her alive.

Edna’s efforts regarding remains

The record stated Edna threatened to get a court order to enable her to bury Robin’s remains but was told that if and when O'Neall was apprehended, his lawyer could request forensic experts examine the remains, requiring them to be dug up.

Due to that, Edna decided to wait to bury her daughter and began praying at a memorial with a statue of the Virgin Mary for Robin in her backyard.

Interview and Miranda waiver

The record stated that after Deputies Ed Troyer and Ben Benson videotaped an interview with O'Neall for KMO Radio, he waived his Miranda rights and agreed to talk freely.

The record said he acknowledged murdering Robin Smith but refused to say anything about Wendy Aughe and Lia Szubert.

“Wanted For Murder” posters distribution

The record said Wanted For Murder posters were distributed:

• to all stores selling books by Louis L’Amour,
• to beauty shops because O'Neall often had his hair permed,
• and to other locations throughout western Washington due to concerns he was still in the Puget Sound area.

Quoted statements included in the record

• The threatened warning to the 14-year-old girl:
• Commands and sexual coercion descriptions included: "Go on, get the rest of those off,"
• O'Neall’s question about the bottle:
• The victim’s plea: “Please don't kill me!”
• O'Neall’s threat:
• Defense counsel’s statement about values: “polite middle class values.”
• The defence lawyer’s connection claim was attributed to Scott Raivio in the record.
• The fiancé’s funeral/relationship statement attributed to Edna Smith: Crowston died of “a broken heart,” per Edna Smith.