I recently received an email from Kristen's dad. He was writing to say that he liked what I was doing thus far with this site. He only had one objection, "I just wish it were a novel and not our familiy's true story."
On Monday, June 23rd, 1997, Kristen Modafferi rose from bed very early and walked the route I described in the previous chapter and made her way to the Crocker Galleria. She was working the 7:00am - 3:00pm shift.
Here is something that I have always wondered about. The Bay Area has roughly 4 million people. Everyone else who went to work that day made it home....what was so special about Kristen. I wonder.
Keep this in mind because it is important:
Kristen arrived in the Bay Area of June 1st. Her photography class was to begin at Berkeley on June 24th. On June 21st and June 22nd, Kristen worked her first and only shift at Cafe Museo.
After she got off work at 3:00pm from Spinelli's on that Monday, Kristen was basically looking at her last shot to have any free time for herself.
"What should I do tonight," Kristen asked her coworkers.
Nathan Judkins, John Burkehalter and Alan Beauregard threw out several different options. The problem was that Kristen had been so active that she had already done everything they suggested.
Nothing was ever confirmed, but her coworkers said that Kristen hinted that she was leaning towards going out to the Cliff House area at Ocean Beach.
Her shift ended and the only thing I want to point out here is that her supervisor, Bernadette Melvin, told me that Kristen left work that day and forgot to punch out. It is probably nothing but just something you pick up along the way as you search for answers.
For Bob and Debbie, this is the point where everything turns. Kristen left work at 3:00pm. For some reason, she was seen be her coworkers Alan Beauregard and John Burkehalter, forty five minutes later on the 2nd level of the mall directly across from Spinelli's, which was located on the first floor.
The photo to the right was taken from the exact location the coworkers were standing when they saw Kristen. That's me, Dennis, on the second floor. The picture is misleading somewhat because when you are there in person...you can VERY EASILY see who is on the second floor. The photo here doesn't reflect the reality.
Blonde Haired Woman
The Mod's don't have much to go on, but here is one of them. Early on the investigators didn't put much stock that this blonde-haired woman was in any way connected.
"It was a mall, Dennis," private eye Desvernine told me in his office one day. "it was more than likely just a cooincidence. The blonde was probably just in the same area as Kristen"
When I got out to San Francisco, I personally spoke to Alan Beauregard, John Burkehalter and Nathan Judkins. There is no substitute for being there.
John Burkehalter told me that at 3:45pm on that Monday, the mall was dead. He said that the two young women were walking shoulder to shoulder and seemed to be talking.
Even if they weren't talking, people don't walk shoulder to shoulder with total strangers. I could see if the mall was crowded, but not if the mall is empty.
That tells me that Kristen knew this young blonde.
When the story broke in San Fran, it broke big. It is not fair that some missing people get more attention than others, but that is life. Kristen got alot of media and pleas went out for this blonde haired woman to contact authorities.
She never did. I have my theories on who can help us identify this woman..but I'll get to that later.
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