Sheila Renee Huff (July 12, 1968 - May 1, 1987) was a young woman who was shot to death outside a service station in Banning, California in 1987.
Case[]
Sheila left her home in Birmingham, Alabama when she was 15, often staying with friends or at homeless shelters. She was described as being borderline mentally disabled, with an IQ of 68, which left her very vulnerable.
Her mother officially reported her missing in February 1987, but got a call from her on April 24, 1987. Her mother stated that Sheila said she was in San Bernardino with a man. Her mother said that Sheila sounded "distressed" and was asking her to tell the man how old she was. The man then took the call and claimed that he was a police officer named Smith. Sheila's mother later contacted the San Bernardino police to find out who the man was, only to be told that they had no officers by the name of Smith.
Six days later, on May 1, an attendant at a service station in Banning, California called police stating that a man had shot a girl inside a parked van before speeding away. Sheila's body was found later that day three miles south of the service station.
On April 25, 1988, convicted sex offender James Stark was arrested in Ann Arbor, Michigan in connection to the murder. An abandoned van was discovered on a ranch in the general area of the murder, which contained Stark's drivers licence.
Sources[]
- The San Bernardino Sun
- Sheila Huff at Find a Grave