Myra Elvira's Morbid Curiosities: Potential Other Victims of The Manson Family: Doreen Gaul and James Sharp [pt. 2]

After Doreen and James' murder, a note was found in Doreen's room at Thetan Manor. A carbon copy (aka photocopied paper printed on carbon paper back in the day) note in her room stated:

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN FOOL THE OLD KILLER HA HA

I KNOW ALL YOUR MOVEMENTS AND THE TIME THEY ARE MADE

TIME IS SHOT, ENJOY LIFE WHILE YOU CAN

YOU ARE TO BEAUTIFUL TO LIVE AND I MUST KILL YOU

THE ZODIAC KILLER

The detective on the scene, Lt. Deemer, made note of this, and he made some connections between Davis and the Zodiac Killer. Some people compare the police sketch with a mugshot of Davis and think that the two are uncanny. Beyond this though, there is no other connection between Davis potentially being the Zodiac Killer, and it is important to note that many of the Zodiac Killings happened around the San Francisco area. Even still, it doesn’t explain the note, though it is not uncommon for people to imitate killers for notoriety.

Zodiac Killer Sketch

Years later, when already incarcerated, Davis was asked about these murders, and claimed that he didn’t even know Doreen, though admitted to having intimate ties with 9 other women at Thetan Manor. It is unsure whether he knew James Sharp or not. Interestingly, he was offered immunity when asked about the murders.

Davis

One thing I find interesting is the timeline. Going back to when the Church of Scientology offered a 30k reward to anyone that could essentially clear their name of association, their first contention stated:

“Impeding investigation into the murders of Doreen Gaul, 19, and James Sharp, 15, found slain Nov. 5* in an alley. Both were members of the church.”

The date that they posted was incorrect, as James and Doreen were murdered on November 21^st. But you know who was killed on November 5^th of that very same year? John Haught, aka Zero.

Not to completely tell the story again, but when Zero died, Bruce Davis was there and admitted to cleaning the gun and wiping fingerprints off it. Granted, some people believe that one of the girls killed Zero, while others think it was Davis. Another crime that occurred on November fifth of that year was a victim having their neck slashed with a knife, and living. This crime seemed to have ties with Scientology as later in the police report John O. Harris was believed to be a suspect.

Zero

Even still, I wonder why The Church would have posted that date, it was probably a complete error, but intriguing still.

There are people that believe that Bruce Davis had a role in killing Zero, and I have read that some believe he killed Reet Jurvetson too. Essentially his whereabouts after Zero’s death are essentially unknown. Many people believe that Davis had a hand at killing Joel Pugh, though it was determined to be a suicide.

Descriptions of Doreen Gaul portrayed her as a good, but emotional kid. Her father stated that , “she was always looking for green grass and rainbows”. Doreen, born on May 16^th, 1950, was the oldest of four children, and hailed from Albany, NY. She was a former devout Roman Catholic and became enticed by Scientology at some point, going to California to study it. By the time of her death, she had been in California for six months, though the police report states that she had been in California since March of that year. Before her death, she had called her father asking for a flight ticket home since she had become convinced that Scientology was “all a bunch of crap”. Her father originally offered her a two way, but she stated that she only needed a one way ticket, since she had been offered a job by a friend back in New York.

James Sharp was born on July 2^nd, 1954, in Missouri. He came from an upper-class family, with his father being a well off salesman, and went to California at his father’s permission to study Scientology in June of 1969.

Supposedly the two had left the commune for the purpose of an auditing session, though there are basically no reports on what really happened. Beyond this, there was note in the police report of hair being in James’ right hand that is described as having either Indian or Mexican texture.

The police report stated some things that I found interesting, which include:

Page 10: Doreen had previously been questioned by police on September 10^th, of 1969. During this time she claimed to have been raped by two black men that had picked her up hitchhiking. Police noted that she looked high and had needle marks in her arms. She did not want to file a police report for the rape.

Page 11: A witness claimed to have seen Gaul and Sharp attempting to hitchhike, though Sharp didn’t want to. Not long later the two were in a car with what appeared to be two other people.

Page 14: Someone came into the Denny’s that both Doreen and James would frequent, claiming that they knew who killed them.

Page 16: John O. Harris was the person identified as coming into the Denny’s. Harris had a straight razor on him on him and stated that he met a ‘Russel Handy’, also a Scientologist, at the Denny’s on 11/25 of that year. Handy told Harris that Doreen and Jim's spirits came to him and told him that two male Negros (this is the word they used in the police report) picked them up hitchhiking and killed them. Handy said he had the license plate number. Police felt that Harris fit the description as a suspect that slashed the neck of a victim with a straight razor on 11/5 of that year. He was booked. He denied any involvement in that case (217 pc).

Page 17: The victim in 217 PC refused to identify his assailant and Harris was let go. Victim was Irving Evanse. Handy states that James and Doreen came to him in a dream, and stated that there was evidence in a trash can wrapped in a paper bag, possibly a tire iron with fingerprints on it. handy stated that he saw the angry face of a male negro suspect. handy claimed to be psychic and believed that all persons have lived prior lives in different bodies. handy stated that another psychic Scientologist had a dream with the license plate number of the car that picked up James and Doreen. it was either 'WTL 690' or 'WTZ 690'. He didn't want to identify the psychic, but eventually let it out that it was a Sheryl Kerlim, 20 years old, who had that dream.

The license places were:

WTL 690: a 1968 Mercedes sedan registered to Hermann and Evelyn Padst, of 1433 s. Belcher road, Clearwater, fl

WTZ 690: 1968 V/W, registered to Godfrey or Linda goldsmith, of 613 abbey st #4, Pomona, CA.

Page 18: Ex-Process member Leslie Ann Bouffard wanted to talk to the cops. Cops agree to interview Doreen's bf Jerry Hines from Scottsdale, AZ. James' clothing is examined, 12 holes were found in the back of his coat. 9 in the back of his shirt. cops also look into members of the Clanton and 18th st gangs. Many of the members of the 18th st gang live in the surrounding area of 1138 magnolia where the bodies were found. The Clantons have approximately 200 members. an interview with a Roland Mochary states that he was at a scientology get together on Dec. 1st of that year. A woman named Jerri Chen, 19, told Roland that, "You will be very surprised when they find out who killed Jim and Doreen.". It should be noted that Jerri was known to exaggerate things to impress people. Jerri was also a drug user that undergone psychiatric treatment in the past.

Page 19: Jerri Cohen casually knew Doreen, didn't know James. Denied any knowledge of the murders, and stated she told the group, "Scientology would be surprised if a Scientologist killed Jim and Doreen". Cohen stated that Terry Milner was conducting an investigation into the murders and if a scientology member was responsible.

Interview with Bouffard: she was a process member from may 1967-oct 1968. She witnessed 2 probable murders and knowledge of crimes the process and motorcycle gangs in the bay area are involved. Hair found in James' hand was proven not be to James or Doreen's. Hair was darker in color, thicker, and similar to Mexican or Indian (Native American?) hair.

Page 20: The report states that they felt that scientology and The Process were one in the same. Interviewed several nomads from the bishop area, which some claimed to be Scientologists (bishop is in Inyo county). Could not find a chain that matched the marks on the bodies. Went to 1946 Cerro Gordo dr. in LA, where apparently members of Manson's Family lived there. Unknown who could have been there exactly. None of them claimed to be Scientologists or Mexican. None knew Sharp or Gaul. Did not find any evidence in the house.

Page 21: Could not find insulation that was like on Doreen. Doreen was type a, James type o bloods. Nothing new from interviews or searching abandoned houses. Summary stated that they were last seen hitchhiking at 2135 hours, at 9th and alvarado. Bodies dumped at magnolia at 2300 hours. Police suspected that the killer(s) were probably of Mexican or Indian descent. Investigation directed at the clanton st. and 18th st. gangs, and known Mexican, and Indian suspects involved in crimes of violence in the alvarado, pico st. areas.

And from there, the trail seems to have gone cold. In the years since, there has been many people who speculated as to what happened, but sadly we have no proof. I have done some digging myself, and honestly, I feel like the true story is up in the air. If Bruce Davis really participated in the murders, who was the other person that was in on it too? Was John Harris and Cezak in on it too?

To me, and this is my personal opinion, I think that James and Doreen were surprised, somewhere, and attacked. I agree with the police report in that there seemed to have been at least 2 people that participated in the murder, and it appears that one person must have came behind and maybe went after James first. I theorize that James was attacked from behind so that he couldn't potentially help Doreen fight her rapist. I have read many theories that seem true, some not. Some people think that Tex Watson and Bruce Davis drove the car that picked up James and Doreen. Some think that it was Bruce himself. Others think that Bruce Davis is the Zodiac killer. Sometimes I don't know what to believe. Even though Davis claimed that he didn't know Doreen, I think that is false, and he is not exactly innocent when it comes to her murder. Somehow he dated 7 or so women in the manor that Doreen lived in, and yet he didn't see her once? I have my own speculations.

Marina Habe

One final contention I think is interesting, is that James and Doreen were seemingly hit with a motorcycle chain. Even though the police tried to find a similar chain to what they were abused with, they couldn't find one. A similarly unsolved murder is Marina Habe's, whose body was not far from a motorcycle frame, that was supposedly later impounded by the police.

Doreen Gaul is buried at Saint Agnes Cemetery in Menands, New York. James Sharp is buried at Butler County Memorial Park in Trenton, Ohio.