Mothers of missing women anxious for results | Crime

STOCKTON, CA - Two women from the Central Valley are watching the search for human remains east of Stockton very closely.  Both of them have daughters who've been missing for years.

Susan Bender of Modesto was just 15 when she disappeared in 1986.  Although a family acquaintance was long suspected, he was never charged, and now Susan's mom Patricia Chupco can't help but wonder.

"I've been keeping tabs on letters that Shermantine's been writing.  He said from '84 to '86, there are people from Modesto buried out there," said Chupco.

After more than 10 years on death row for four murders, Wes Shermantine is finally offering information about where victims can be found. 

Two sets of remains were found a week and a half ago in Calaveras County.  Those remains have been tentatively identified as Cyndi Vanderheiden and Chevelle Wheeler.  Near Linden in San Joaquin County, about a thousand bones and bone fragments have been uncovered.

Sue Kizer of Stockton is also very anxious to learn identifications of victims being located in an abandoned well.  Her 18-year-old daughter, Gayle Marks, disappeared from downtown Stockton in 1988.

"My gut tells me she's dead.  Who did it, I don't know.  I'm very curious and impatient, I want to know right now," said Kizer.

But she's not happy with the arrangement that's paying Shermantine more than $30,000 for that information.  Even though she may finally learn the whereabouts of her daughter, she'd rather live in doubt.

"If I have to live the rest of my life without knowing where her body is weighed against the money, I'll live the rest of my life without knowing," said Kizer.

The search Monday was suspended because of the holiday.  The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department is expected to be near Linden again Tuesday to continue the search for more remains in another abandoned well.

By tdaly@news10.net