Assemblywoman Frustrated By Lack Of Action In Search For Victims

STOCKTON (CBS13) — A state Assemblywoman wrote a letter to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on Thursday expressing frustration in the lack of action regarding a search of victims from the "Speed Freak Killers."

In a letter addressed to CDCR Secretary Matt Cate, Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani called on Cate's department to work with law enforcement agencies to resume searching for victims of a killing spree carried out by Wesley Shermantine and Loren Herzog in the 1980s and '90s.

Shermantine has recently said he knows of victims' whereabouts and will lead investigators to them. Herzog committed suicide Jan. 16 after learning from bounty hunter Leonard Padilla that Shermantine was speaking with investigators about victims' locations.

Padilla speculated that Herzog was distraught about the possibility of going back to prison and took his own life instead.

Herzog was out on parole after much of his case was overturned on appeals. Shermantime remains on death row at San Quentin after being convicted in 2001 of killing four women but he has indicated there are many more victims.

San Joaquin County Sheriff Steve Moore announced last week that his department, along with the Calaveras County sheriff's and San Joaquin County district attorney's office, would request that CDCR assist them on resuming searches with information from Shermantine but provided no specifics on when that might happen. On Thursday, San Joaquin County sheriff's spokesman Deputy Les Garcia said there was no update on search efforts.

On Friday, CDCR released a statement to CBS13 saying, "We are cooperating with local law enforcement agencies, and will not discuss anything that will jeopardize an active, ongoing investigation."

Galgiani, whose 17th District includes areas where victims are from, said in her letter to CDCR that she's "chagrined by the lack of action. If you are unable to move forward, please advise me what law enforcement agency I can contact that can."

Shermantine himself has expressed frustration by the lack of action. He maintains he never killed anyone and only helped his longtime friend Herzog dispose of the bodies. He wrote a letter to The Record newspaper of Stockton that prompted a new search Thursday in Calaveras County led by Padilla but not attended by law enforcement officials. Nothing was found.