The Tehama County Sheriff’s Office disclosed that evidence points to Johnny Coy as the perpetrator. Coy had been incarcerated since 1989 and passed away in custody in 2019.
After four decades of investigation, authorities have finally resolved the case of Rashell Ward, a 14-year-old girl from northern California who was tragically murdered in 1983
Rashell Ward was abducted while en route to school in Red Bluff on March 3, 1983, between 8 and 8:30 a.m. Later in the morning, detectives responded to a report of a deceased female, identified as Rashell Ward. Rashell Ward was found bound, sexually assaulted, and shot.
Initially, the investigation overwhelmed authorities with tips, leading to exhaustive interviews and vetting of numerous suspects. The “Confession Killer,” Henry Lee Lucas, initially claimed responsibility, but inconsistencies in his confession led to his elimination as a suspect, consuming valuable time and resources.
Rumors and speculations further complicated the case, including unfounded allegations involving the then-sheriff. The investigation spanned decades, with multiple suspects interviewed and DNA samples collected. Despite advances in technology, DNA analysis yielded no breakthroughs.
A breakthrough emerged through investigative genealogy, focusing on a hair strand recovered from the victim
This led to the identification of Johnny Lee Coy, a Red Bluff resident with a violent criminal history. In 1989, Coy committed a heinous crime, further cementing his violent nature.
Following this revelation, detectives sought out Coy’s relatives in the area, obtaining DNA samples for comparison. The results strongly indicated that the DNA retrieved from the evidence in 1983 was a close relative of the living family members. Additionally, a recent CODIS confirmation revealed a match between Coy’s DNA and the evidence from Rashell Ward’s case.
With this overwhelming DNA evidence, both the sheriff’s office and the district attorney’s office concurred that had Johnny Coy still been alive, he would have been charged for the crimes committed against 14-year-old Rashell Ward in 1983.