REOPENED: Remains of Murder

Cold Case Files

Published: Thu Jan 02 2025

A mysterious set of bones is discovered in the California wilderness, more than a decade after a 13-year-old boy was reported missing. The new information sets detectives on a path to catch a dangerous predator. ZocDoc: Check out Zocdoc.com/CCF...

Summary

Cold Case Files: REOPENED – Remains of Murder

Hosted by Paula Barros

Introduction: The Disappearance of Jamie Trotter

In the April of 1979, Jamie Trotter, a 13-year-old boy, vanished under mysterious circumstances in Costa Mesa, California. On the morning of April 19th, after his parents' recent divorce, Jamie and his mother, Barb Trotter, spent a few nights in a local hotel. While Barb went to work and Jamie was supposed to attend school, he never made it to his classroom.

Barb Trotter recounts the last moments she saw her son:

[01:39] Barb Trotter: "He had his lunch money and his bus fare and a book bag and a skateboard. And last thing he said was goodbye and I love you mom. See you tonight. And that was the last time I ever saw him."

Initial Investigation: Police Response and Early Theories

Upon realizing Jamie was missing, Barb immediately contacted his friends and the police. However, due to the protocols of the time, Jamie was not officially reported missing until three days after his disappearance unless an abduction was reported.

Barb Trotter expressed her frustration with the process:

[02:20] Barb Trotter: "Back then it was 72 hours before they would take a report. And then if they wouldn't consider him a missing person unless they were seen being abducted, they were considered runaways."

Detective Dave Walker explains the typical handling of such cases:

[02:33] Detective Dave Walker: "A lot of times, you know, you get a case like this and if there is a typical runaway where they're gone for a few days and then one of their relatives or friends will spot them and you'll hear about them."

Despite extensive interviews and investigations over six weeks, no concrete leads emerged, leading Detective Walker to suspect foul play.

[03:27] Detective Dave Walker: "At that point, I'm thinking that there's probably foul play involved in the case, that someone has taken him against his will. That's based on the fact that he has not voluntarily contacted any of his friends or relatives."

As time passed without new information, Jamie's case went cold, leaving Barb without answers.

Barb Trotter:

[03:50] "That's the worst part is year after year of looking and not knowing."

The Cold Case and Reopening: Discovery of Remains

In January 1990, over a decade after Jamie's disappearance, a hiker named James Crummell discovered human remains in the mountains near Costa Mesa. Investigator Larry Nielsen received the call and, upon examination, identified a jawbone with braces—a potential link to Jamie.

Investigator Larry Nielsen describes the discovery:

[04:17] Investigator Larry Nielsen: "Crummel said that he had found what he thought were human bones because it was a jawbone with braces or dental appliances."

The remains were sent to forensic anthropologist Dr. Robert Hagler, who initially thought they belonged to a young female based on the braces and pelvic measurements. However, Dr. Judy Suchey later reclassified the remains as having an undetermined sex due to the unreliable nature of the initial assessment.

Dr. Judy Suchey explains the reclassification:

[06:22] "And this particular method, we're running around 80%, which isn't too good. An 80% method I would not use in forensic cases."

With the reclassification, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office reopened Jamie's case. Entering Jamie's dental records into the MUPPS database yielded a matching hit.

Investigator Larry Nielsen:

[07:38] "We immediately got a hit out of Orange County on Jamie Trotter."

Forensic ID specialist Dr. Doug Weiler compared the dental records to the remains. Despite incomplete jaw recovery, similarities in braces confirmed the identity.

Dr. Doug Weiler:

[08:06] "You couldn't tell anything definitive. You couldn't tell if it was him for certain, but you could not eliminate him."

Jamie's orthodontist verified the braces as his work, and DNA testing confirmed the remains were indeed Jamie.

Linking James Crummell: The Suspicious Hiker

A year after the remains were found, Detective Paul Cappuccilli made a routine traffic stop on James Crummell, the same hiker who discovered Jamie's bones. Recognizing the name from past criminal records, Cappuccilli delved deeper into Crummell's history.

Detective Paul Cappuccilli:

[11:21] "He got out of the car and gave me his driver's license and as I'm writing him this ticket, I looked at it and I said to him, Mr. Krummel, how do I know you? He says, I don't know. We never met before."

Investigations revealed Crummell's prior arrests for child molestation and a pattern of violent crimes against children.

Deputy D.A. Bill Mitchell:

[13:04] "What we looked at is his prior crimes. We looked to see were there any similarities there. And we were actually shocked to find that there were many, many similarities."

Crummell had a history of murdering young boys, including a 1967 murder in Arizona and an assault in Wisconsin, where he inflicted severe harm on victims.

Investigator Tim Johnson:

[16:26] "He learned that dead kids don't talk. He learned that the next time this happens, that he's going to make sure he kills the kid."

Crummell had moved to Costa Mesa in 1979, living just blocks away from Jamie's residence, increasing the likelihood of his involvement.

The Trial and Conviction: Building the Case Without Physical Evidence

Despite the lack of direct physical evidence tying Crummell to Jamie's murder, investigators leveraged his criminal history and behavioral patterns to build a circumstantial case.

Deputy D.A. Bill Mitchell:

[17:40] "The law, the evidence code, allows you to consider the defendant's prior crimes to even actually prove what they call the corpus delicti, or the body of the crime. And we can infer from his prior crimes and the types of sex acts that he committed against those other boys what he did to Jamie."

After a four-week trial, Crummell was found guilty of Jamie's murder. The prosecution sought the death penalty.

Deputy D.A. Bill Mitchell:

[18:12] "There is no more heinous crime, no one more deserving of the death penalty than someone like James Crummell."

Crummell was sentenced to death by lethal injection on June 7, 2004. While this brought a semblance of justice, Barb Trotter expressed that true justice remains elusive.

Barb Trotter:

[18:41] "Well, I don't think you ever feel justice is done when it takes the life of a loved one. ... Jamie, it was just like he deserves whatever he gets. That's my opinion."

Ongoing Mystery: Crummell's Motives and Final Days

Despite Crummell's conviction, questions lingered about his motives, particularly why he led investigators to Jamie's remains. Investigators speculated that Crummell may have sought attention or relished the psychological impact on those pursuing him.

Investigator Tim Johnson:

[19:15] "When you talk to people who study these people's minds, they'll tell you that a lot of times these guys will interject themselves into the investigation. They want to know what's going on. They can't leave it alone. Some of them like the attention."

Investigator Larry Nielsen:

[19:26] "He led us to the bones on his 45th birthday. I believe that he was giving us or giving himself a birthday present. ... I think he got a good laugh at us."

Crummell ultimately took his own life in May 2012 while in custody, leaving the full extent of his motives shrouded in mystery.

Conclusion

The case of Jamie Trotter highlights the intricate challenges of solving cold cases, the evolution of forensic technology, and the relentless pursuit of justice by dedicated investigators. While the conviction of James Crummell brought some closure, the enduring questions about his motives and the true circumstances of Jamie's death remain unanswered.

Notable Quotes:

Barb Trotter at [01:39]: "He had his lunch money and his bus fare and a book bag and a skateboard. And last thing he said was goodbye and I love you mom. See you tonight. And that was the last time I ever saw him."
Detective Dave Walker at [03:27]: "At that point, I'm thinking that there's probably foul play involved in the case, that someone has taken him against his will."
Deputy D.A. Bill Mitchell at [17:40]: "We can infer from his prior crimes and the types of sex acts that he committed against those other boys what he did to Jamie."
Barb Trotter at [18:41]: "I don't think you ever feel justice is done when it takes the life of a loved one."

Produced by: McKamey Lin and Steve Delamater
Associate Producer: Julie McGruder
Executive Producer: Ted Butler
Music by: Blake Maples
Distributed by: PodcastOne
More Information: Visit Cold Case Files on A&E or explore the AE RealCrime blog.

Summary

Cold Case Files: REOPENED – Remains of Murder

Hosted by Paula Barros

Introduction: The Disappearance of Jamie Trotter

Barb Trotter recounts the last moments she saw her son:

[01:39] Barb Trotter: "He had his lunch money and his bus fare and a book bag and a skateboard. And last thing he said was goodbye and I love you mom. See you tonight. And that was the last time I ever saw him."

Initial Investigation: Police Response and Early Theories

Barb Trotter expressed her frustration with the process:

[02:20] Barb Trotter: "Back then it was 72 hours before they would take a report. And then if they wouldn't consider him a missing person unless they were seen being abducted, they were considered runaways."

Detective Dave Walker explains the typical handling of such cases:

[02:33] Detective Dave Walker: "A lot of times, you know, you get a case like this and if there is a typical runaway where they're gone for a few days and then one of their relatives or friends will spot them and you'll hear about them."

Despite extensive interviews and investigations over six weeks, no concrete leads emerged, leading Detective Walker to suspect foul play.

[03:27] Detective Dave Walker: "At that point, I'm thinking that there's probably foul play involved in the case, that someone has taken him against his will. That's based on the fact that he has not voluntarily contacted any of his friends or relatives."

As time passed without new information, Jamie's case went cold, leaving Barb without answers.

Barb Trotter:

[03:50] "That's the worst part is year after year of looking and not knowing."

The Cold Case and Reopening: Discovery of Remains

Investigator Larry Nielsen describes the discovery:

[04:17] Investigator Larry Nielsen: "Crummel said that he had found what he thought were human bones because it was a jawbone with braces or dental appliances."

Dr. Judy Suchey explains the reclassification:

[06:22] "And this particular method, we're running around 80%, which isn't too good. An 80% method I would not use in forensic cases."

With the reclassification, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office reopened Jamie's case. Entering Jamie's dental records into the MUPPS database yielded a matching hit.

Investigator Larry Nielsen:

[07:38] "We immediately got a hit out of Orange County on Jamie Trotter."

Forensic ID specialist Dr. Doug Weiler compared the dental records to the remains. Despite incomplete jaw recovery, similarities in braces confirmed the identity.

Dr. Doug Weiler:

[08:06] "You couldn't tell anything definitive. You couldn't tell if it was him for certain, but you could not eliminate him."

Jamie's orthodontist verified the braces as his work, and DNA testing confirmed the remains were indeed Jamie.

Linking James Crummell: The Suspicious Hiker

Detective Paul Cappuccilli:

[11:21] "He got out of the car and gave me his driver's license and as I'm writing him this ticket, I looked at it and I said to him, Mr. Krummel, how do I know you? He says, I don't know. We never met before."

Investigations revealed Crummell's prior arrests for child molestation and a pattern of violent crimes against children.

Deputy D.A. Bill Mitchell:

[13:04] "What we looked at is his prior crimes. We looked to see were there any similarities there. And we were actually shocked to find that there were many, many similarities."

Crummell had a history of murdering young boys, including a 1967 murder in Arizona and an assault in Wisconsin, where he inflicted severe harm on victims.

Investigator Tim Johnson:

[16:26] "He learned that dead kids don't talk. He learned that the next time this happens, that he's going to make sure he kills the kid."

Crummell had moved to Costa Mesa in 1979, living just blocks away from Jamie's residence, increasing the likelihood of his involvement.

The Trial and Conviction: Building the Case Without Physical Evidence

Despite the lack of direct physical evidence tying Crummell to Jamie's murder, investigators leveraged his criminal history and behavioral patterns to build a circumstantial case.

Deputy D.A. Bill Mitchell:

[17:40] "The law, the evidence code, allows you to consider the defendant's prior crimes to even actually prove what they call the corpus delicti, or the body of the crime. And we can infer from his prior crimes and the types of sex acts that he committed against those other boys what he did to Jamie."

After a four-week trial, Crummell was found guilty of Jamie's murder. The prosecution sought the death penalty.

Deputy D.A. Bill Mitchell:

[18:12] "There is no more heinous crime, no one more deserving of the death penalty than someone like James Crummell."

Crummell was sentenced to death by lethal injection on June 7, 2004. While this brought a semblance of justice, Barb Trotter expressed that true justice remains elusive.

Barb Trotter:

[18:41] "Well, I don't think you ever feel justice is done when it takes the life of a loved one. ... Jamie, it was just like he deserves whatever he gets. That's my opinion."

Ongoing Mystery: Crummell's Motives and Final Days

Investigator Tim Johnson:

[19:15] "When you talk to people who study these people's minds, they'll tell you that a lot of times these guys will interject themselves into the investigation. They want to know what's going on. They can't leave it alone. Some of them like the attention."

Investigator Larry Nielsen:

[19:26] "He led us to the bones on his 45th birthday. I believe that he was giving us or giving himself a birthday present. ... I think he got a good laugh at us."

Crummell ultimately took his own life in May 2012 while in custody, leaving the full extent of his motives shrouded in mystery.

Conclusion

Notable Quotes:

Barb Trotter at [01:39]: "He had his lunch money and his bus fare and a book bag and a skateboard. And last thing he said was goodbye and I love you mom. See you tonight. And that was the last time I ever saw him."
Detective Dave Walker at [03:27]: "At that point, I'm thinking that there's probably foul play involved in the case, that someone has taken him against his will."
Deputy D.A. Bill Mitchell at [17:40]: "We can infer from his prior crimes and the types of sex acts that he committed against those other boys what he did to Jamie."
Barb Trotter at [18:41]: "I don't think you ever feel justice is done when it takes the life of a loved one."