Latest news with #PontiacLeMans
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
A burnt car, a body in a field, and a case split between three counties: Who killed Lois Ann Lloyd?
ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- In early April of 1985, 27-year-old Lois Ann Lloyd was last seen at her home in north Ector County. Just a few hours later, her car was found engulfed in flames off Interstate 20 near Midland. For ten long days, her family held on to hope. But that hope was shattered when her body was discovered in a rural field north of Andrews, 70 miles away. Forty years have passed, but Lois' case remains unsolved. Who Was Lois Ann Lloyd? Lois Ann Lloyd was born in Raton, New Mexico, in 1957. She was quiet but athletic, once setting a state record in the softball throw. After moving to Odessa in her early twenties, she worked for C.E. Vetco Services, a pipe inspection company off Interstate 20. She was known for being shy, thoughtful, and full of potential. Her friends describe someone who was trying, someone who still had dreams. But in April of 1985, those dreams were cut short. Lois was last seen alive on April 12. Later that night, her light blue 1976 Pontiac LeMans was spotted in Midland. The next morning, around 5 a.m., sheriff's deputies responded to a vehicle fire on Interstate 20. The vehicle, later discovered to belong to Lois, was fully engulfed. Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter later confirmed that a flammable liquid had been used to start the fire. And inside the trunk, investigators found blood, hair, and skull fragments. That DNA was confirmed to be from Lois. Investigators believed Lois had been killed at a remote Shell oilfield site in western Ector County. Her bracelet was found near the pumping unit, and the scene showed signs of violence. Authorities brought in a helicopter and heat-sensing equipment to search a 100-square-mile area for her body, but despite intense efforts, they came up empty. 'We presume the body is buried because we can't find it,' Ector County Sheriff's Capt. Gene Kloss said at the time. 'We've run out of places to check.' Eventually, a body was discovered in a field in Andrews County, 10 days after the vehicle fire. Investigators said she was likely beaten and then run over with her own vehicle. That site, just north of I-20 and east of FM 866, was soaked in blood and fragments of human remains. Due to decomposition, fingerprints weren't an option, dental records had to be used to confirm the remains were Lois. The fire, the field, and the final moments, all split between Ector, Midland, and Andrews counties. That jurisdictional maze has only added to the confusion and delay in finding answers. 'Someone moved her body after the murder,' said Susan Rogers, CEO of Odessa Crime Stoppers. 'It's believed she was killed in Ector County. Her car went one direction, her body the other. Three counties. Three crime scenes. One victim.' WATCH: In the video player below, Rogers shares insight into the emotions that surface as she and the Crime Stoppers team work closely with long-unsolved cases. Over 400 people were interviewed during the initial investigation. At one point, composite sketches of two persons of interest were released: a man and a woman who may have been with Lois around the time she disappeared. To this day, those individuals have not been identified. 'There's still a thick case file on this,' Rogers said. 'We don't know if those people are witnesses or suspects, but someone out there knows who they are.' Investigators from the Ector County Sheriff's Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and law enforcement in both Midland and Andrews were all involved in the original case. But despite their efforts, the case has gone cold. 'It's a case that never left us,' Rogers said. 'There was so much work done. Files inches thick. Detectives went place to place, trying to piece it all together.' Lois had ties to Ector County, and although we don't know if she had children or close family still in the area, investigators say they'd love to speak with anyone who knew her or her husband at the time. Lois was laid to rest in Fairmont Cemetery in her hometown of Raton, New Mexico. She was just 27 years old. Today, the case remains open with the Ector County Sheriff's Office. Rogers says new information could reignite the investigation, especially from someone who may have been too afraid to speak up back then. 'People change,' she said. 'Someone who was scared then may feel safer now. Maybe someone saw Lois with someone that day. Maybe someone heard about a burning car. Maybe someone knows who those people in the sketches were.' If you know anything about the murder of Lois Ann Lloyd, no matter how small, you're encouraged to contact Odessa Crime Stoppers at 432-333-TIPS or submit a tip anonymously at Tips can also be submitted through the P3 Tips app, and a cash reward is available for information leading to an arrest. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
1964 Pontiac GTO Being Sold by the Original Owner's Family on BaT
The '64 Pontiac GTO is the first of the muscle cars, and this one features a window-rattling V-8 and a four-speed manual transmission. The options on this example are extensive and include suspension and frame upgrades. Impressively, this car has been in the same family since new. For many a gearhead, automotive enthusiasm is a genetic trait, something passed down from your mom or dad. So just imagine being in grade school in the early 1970s and this black-on-black Pontiac GTO rumbling up on a Friday afternoon, just as the school bell rings. Hop in, kid, we're going for ice cream and Hot 1964 Pontiac GTO, up for sale on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos), is just about the coolest dadmobile ever. Bought new by the current seller's father in New Jersey, it's a great spec, with a four-speed manual, a heavy-duty frame, and a limited-slip rear was the first year for the GTO, which technically was an option package you could order on the Pontiac LeMans coupe. The LeMans was an intermediate-size car that should have been restricted to a maximum engine size of 330 cubic inches, based on GM's internal regulations. The rule was, a car had to have 10 pounds of weight for every cube of displacement, as this would keep things from getting too gnarly. Pontiac was, at this time, establishing itself as a performance-oriented brand under the GM umbrella, and that image was not being helped by GM's 1963 ban on racing. So a young John DeLorean headed up an engineering team that aimed at squeezing out maximum street performance, hoping that would get buyers into showrooms. At the suggestion of Bill Collins, a member of the engineering team, the 389-cubic-inch engine from the larger Grand Prix was swapped creation is today considered the first of the muscle cars. DeLorean and his team got around GM's rulebook by offering the bigger engine as an option package, which included stiffer springs, an upgraded fan for better cooling, dual exhausts, and hood scoops that hinted that something fun was going on in the engine bay. This car has the triple two-barrel carburetors, which means it was good for a stout 340 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque when new. A three-speed manual was the base offering for the GTO, but this car has the aforementioned four-speed stick shift. There was an engine rebuild 25 years ago, and a tuneup done in 2019. The odometer shows 88K miles. The original owner of this GTO appears to have been a pilot with Pan Am, and the car comes with the kind of meticulous logbook you'd expect from that profession. The car itself also has an unusual specification in that it was ordered with the heavy-duty frame, quick-ratio power steering, and an additional handling package with stiffer shocks. Altogether, it's a true gearhead spec. You'd be hard pressed to find a better-optioned GTO, so it's little wonder that this one stayed with the original owner so long. The winning bidder on this Pontiac is getting a very original car with excellent specifications. Should that be you, you'd better roll up to your own kid's school on Friday. Ice cream and burnouts for everyone. The auction ends on March 18. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
CBS News
14-03-2025
- CBS News
Schoolmate arrested in Hawaii girl's 1977 murder released from Utah jail as prosecution stalls
A 66-year-old suspect in the 1977 killing of a Hawaii teenager was released from a Utah jail on Thursday after prosecutors in Honolulu said they weren't ready to proceed with a murder charge against him. Gideon Castro was arrested in January at a Utah nursing home on a fugitive warrant for suspicion of second-degree murder in the death of 16-year-old Dawn Momohara. He had waived the right to challenge his extradition during a hearing in Salt Lake City last month. Castro, who is ill, appeared by video from a hospital bed. While Castro was still awaiting extradition, Honolulu prosecutors told their counterparts in Utah this week that they were not proceeding against him because of "recent complications involving a material witness in this case and the state of the evidence." "Please understand we view this as only a temporary setback, and we remain fully committed to continuing our efforts to prosecute this matter in the near future," Kelsi Guerra, a deputy prosecuting attorney in Honolulu, wrote in a Monday letter to Deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney Clifford Ross. Utah District Court Judge John Nielsen ordered Castro's release late Wednesday afternoon. He was released Thursday, said Chris Bronson, spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. On March 21, 1977, shortly after 7:30 a.m., Honolulu police found the body of Momohara on the second floor of a building at McKinley High School. Momohara was partially clothed and lying on her back with an orange cloth tied around her neck, said Lt. Deena Thoemmes, of Honolulu Police. A subsequent autopsy ruled Momohara was strangled to death, and the medical examiner said there were signs of sexual assault. Castro graduated from the Honolulu school in 1976. An attorney for Castro had said during a hearing last month in Salt Lake City that he intended to fight the charges upon his return to Hawaii, where he is still a resident, according to jail records. It is unclear how long Castro had been in Utah when he was arrested at the nursing home in Millcreek, just south of Salt Lake City. A McKinley High School graduate who was the school's band teacher at the time of Momohara's death said he was disappointed to learn of Castro's release. "I guess they've got to make sure they have a rock-solid case," Grant Okamura said. "In a sense I'm disappointed that they couldn't at least go to trial but I can understand their nervousness that they don't want to just haphazardly go into something and have it thrown out." Authorities in Hawaii said Thursday that they were continuing with their investigation into Momohara's killing. No further information was being released at this time, Honolulu police spokesperson Michelle Yu said. Following Momohara's death, police released sketches of a person of interest and a possible vehicle described by witnesses as a 1974 or 1975 Pontiac LeMans. But they were unable to identify a suspect, and the case grew cold. Several days after Momohara was killed, detectives interviewed Castro. He said he met Momohara at a school dance that year and last saw her at a carnival on campus in February 1977. Police interviewed his brother, who also met Momohara at the dance In November 2023, Honolulu police went to Chicago, where the brother was living. They "surreptitiously" obtained DNA from one of the brother's adult children, police said. Lab findings excluded the brother as a suspect, but a DNA sample from Castro's adult son, and later from Castro himself, proved he was responsible, police said. Castro was arrested last month at the nursing home where he had been living in Millcreek, just south of Salt Lake City, on a fugitive warrant for suspicion of second-degree murder. Jail records indicate he is still a resident of Hawaii, and it is unclear how long he had been living in Utah.
NBC News
14-03-2025
- NBC News
Utah judge orders release of suspect in 1977 Hawaii killing after prosecution stalls
SALT LAKE CITY — A 66-year-old suspect in the 1977 killing of a Hawaii teenager was released from a Utah jail on Thursday after prosecutors in Honolulu said they weren't ready to proceed with a murder charge against him. Gideon Castro was arrested in January at a Utah nursing home on a fugitive warrant for suspicion of second-degree murder in the death of 16-year-old Dawn Momohara. He had waived the right to challenge his extradition during a hearing in Salt Lake City last month. Castro, who is ill, appeared by video from a hospital bed. While Castro was still awaiting extradition, Honolulu prosecutors told their counterparts in Utah this week that they were not proceeding against him because of 'recent complications involving a material witness in this case and the state of the evidence.' 'Please understand we view this as only a temporary setback, and we remain fully committed to continuing our efforts to prosecute this matter in the near future,' Kelsi Guerra, a deputy prosecuting attorney in Honolulu, wrote in a Monday letter to Deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney Clifford Ross. Utah District Court Judge John Nielsen ordered Castro's release late Wednesday afternoon. He was released Thursday, said Chris Bronson, spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. On March 21, 1977, shortly after 7:30 a.m., Honolulu police found the body of Momohara on the second floor of a building at McKinley High School. She was lying on her back, partially clothed with an orange cloth wrapped tightly around her neck and had been sexually assaulted and strangled, police said. Castro graduated from the Honolulu school in 1976. An attorney for Castro had said during a hearing last month in Salt Lake City that he intended to fight the charges upon his return to Hawaii, where he is still a resident, according to jail records. It is unclear how long Castro had been in Utah when he was arrested at the nursing home in Millcreek, just south of Salt Lake City. A McKinley High School graduate who was the school's band teacher at the time of Momohara's death said he was disappointed to learn of Castro's release. 'I guess they've got to make sure they have a rock-solid case,' Grant Okamura said. 'In a sense I'm disappointed that they couldn't at least go to trial but I can understand their nervousness that they don't want to just haphazardly go into something and have it thrown out.' Authorities in Hawaii said Thursday that they were continuing with their investigation into Momohara's killing. No further information was being released at this time, Honolulu police spokesperson Michelle Yu said. Following Momohara's death, police released sketches of a person of interest and a possible vehicle described by witnesses as a 1974 or 1975 Pontiac LeMans. But they were unable to identify a suspect, and the case grew cold. Police used advances in DNA technology to connect Castro to the killing. They had interviewed Castro and his brother in 1977, but they were unable to conclusively link Castro to the killing until obtaining DNA samples in recent years.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gene Hackman's 'French Connection' Car Chase Is One Of The Best And Most Reckless Movie Stunts Of All Time
As we mourn the death of Hollywood legend Gene Hackman, I thought now would be a good time to look back on how he and director William Friedkin changed movie car chases forever with his unforgettable sequence in 1971's "The French Connection." Not only is it one of the most iconic movie car chases of all time, but it's also perhaps one of the most dangerous. Friedkin insisted on shooting the scene as cheaply and with as few safety precautions as possible, guerilla style. Despite ripping through the elevated subway tracks of Brooklyn, Friedkin said he had "no permits to do the chase scene," according to The Telegraph. All he did was pay "the guy from the transit department" $40,000 to shoot on the elevated tracks," adding that he "broke all the rules" and put his life and others in danger: "I really didn't care. I just felt that nothing was going to go wrong, and, by the grace of God, it didn't." For most of the chase, Hackman was not behind the wheel of his 1971 Pontiac LeMans. Instead, it was stuntman Bill Hickman who reached up to 90 mph in some sections of the chase while bashing into cars, buildings, and other debris in the road. Of course, Hackman--playing the titular role of NYPD Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle--was behind the wheel for some of the chase, including what could have been a very bad accident. Read more: Red Bull Was Ready To Fire Christian Horner, But He Threatened Legal Action To Keep His Job: Report Throughout the five weeks it took to shoot the 15-minute sequence, there were only five staged stunts, including a near-miss with a woman and a baby carriage, narrowly dodging cars in an intersection, and driving the wrong way down a one-way street. One stunt didn't go as planned when Hackman was behind the wheel: instead of a near miss at the corner of Sitwell Ave and 86th Street, Hackman and a student driver collided, according to Hagerty. Friedkin decided to keep the crash in the film because he dug the way it looked. Here's how Hackman's car chase scenes were shot, according to Friedkin's post on the Director's Guild of America website: Whenever we made shots of Hackman at the wheel, all three mounted cameras were usually filming. When Hackman was not driving, I did not use the over-shoulder camera. For all of the exterior stunts, I had three cameras going constantly. Because we were using real pedestrians and traffic at all times, it was impossible to undercrank, so everything was shot at normal speed. In most shots, the car was going at speeds between 70 to 90 miles an hour. This included times when Hackman was driving, and I should point out that he drove considerably more than half of the shots that are used in the final cutting sequence. The world lost a movie icon with the passing of Gene Hackman at 95, but at least we've got a legendary body of work to remember him by. If you're trying to brush up on your Hackman films, might I suggest watching "The French Connection" (obviously), "The Royal Tenenbaums," Hoosiers," and "The Conversation" as great places to start. Read the original article on Jalopnik.
