When a series of women vanished from the streets of Orange County, their families were convinced something terrible had happened. At first, police were slow to move. They thought the women might have left town on their own. Then a young woman’s body was found at a trash-sorting plant in Anaheim, a scene so cold it gave even veteran detectives pause.
The lead investigator was Julissa Trapp, who promised the victim’s mother she would find the killer. Trapp did not know if, or how, the cases were related. She didn’t know how large the investigation would become, or how it would consume her for years. In the end, after scores of other cops had moved on, solving the final mystery would be her job alone.
Subscribe to “Detective Trapp” on Apple, Spotify or Stitcher.
When a young woman’s body was found at a trash-sorting plant, Anaheim Police Department homicide Det. Julissa Trapp promises the victim’s mother she would find the killer.
At a serial killer’s trial, a Times reporter met the homicide detective at the center of the case — and found a story of tenacious policework and obsession.
In fall 2013, women began disappearing from the streets of Orange County. Read more about the cases that inspired Christopher Goffard’s new podcast, “Detective Trapp.”
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