Summer of Terror
By: Sobiya & Luz
Synagogue Fire
June 18, 1999 the B’Nai Israel, Beth Shalom, and Kennesset Israel Synagogues were set on fire, with a combination of oil and gasoline accelerant, 45 mints prior to each other in Sacramento, California. The B’Nai Israel Synagogue was a total lost of their library but other than that there was no extensive damage.
Evidence:
Three black one gallon Mobil oil jugs with “Delvac 1300 Super” labels in two different colors . A torn piece of fabric was tied around the handle of the jugs. Tufts of trace debris could be seen adhering to the oily mouth of these jugs. and the fingerprinting of the jugs. In addition, a wooden crate with a newspaper in the bottom was recovered from the exterior of the synagogue.
In the jugs was found :
Paint chips with a light blue top coat over a red layer
Red plastic chip
White cotton strips of fabric
White and brown dog hairs
Numerous feathers primarily white and brown in color Nume rous miscellaneous fibers of various types and colors
Medical Clinic
July 2, 1999, an office building housing a medical clinic that preformed abortions in Sacra mento was burned by arsonists.
Medical Clinic Evidence:
- Paint on the blade of the Black Pry bar in the Williams’ vehicle
similar to the door from the medical clinic
- Paint on the broken glass of the door of the medical clinic similar
to the pry bar paint
- Glass on the pry bar similar in refractive index and semi
quantitative elemental analysis to the glass from the window in the
door of the medical clinic
- Glass on the floor of Matson vehicle similar in refractive index and
semi quantitative elemental analysisto the glass from the medical
clinic
- Glass on the jumpsuit recovered from the Palo Cedro residence
similar in refractive indexand semi qualitative elemental analysis to glass from the medical clinic
Murder of Gary Matson and Winfield Mowder
On the evening of July 1, 1999, Gary Matson and Winfred Mauder were murdered in bed while they asleep. They died in the town of Happy Valley, a small community located in theReddingareaofCalifornia.GaryandWinfredwereanopenlygaycouple. Their vehicle and some credit cards were also stolen during the commission of the homicide.
Evidence:
- The break in these cases came when the credit card of Gary Matson was used to order ammunition from Arizona. The police arrived at the store in Yuba City to investigate this lead, they observed brothers Benjamin Matthew Williams and James Tyler Williams picking up the ammunition. Both were arrested at this time for possession of a stolen credit card.
- Numerous weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition were recovered in subsequent searches of their vehicle and residence. One of the recovered weapons was identified as the murder weapon that killed Gary Matson and Winfred Mauder. The Williams brothers were then arrested for murder.