Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
MODESTO, CALIFORNIA: A shadow cast over nearly four decades has begun to lift with recent developments in the case of missing California teen Susan Robin Bender as a longtime suspect in the case, Raymond Lewis Stafford, has been arrested.
Court documents suggest that Stafford may have confessed to burying Bender's body in Yosemite National Park.
Bender's last known whereabouts date back to April 25, 1986, when she was seen at the Modesto Greyhound station as she intended to travel to Carmel to visit friends.
The circumstances surrounding her disappearance raised immediate suspicions, as she was last observed making a call at the depot pay phone. A green van reportedly pulled up approximately 10 minutes later, and Bender entered the vehicle seemingly without any signs of resistance, according to SFGate.
Raymond Lewis Stafford has always been a person of interest in Susan Robin Bender's case
Law enforcement authorities had identified Raymond Lewis Stafford as a person of interest early on in the investigation after they found out that the green van had belonged to Stafford after he was arrested on unrelated burglary charges just a month after Bender vanished.
It later emerged that Stafford had a fleeting connection to Bender's mother, Patricia Chupco, having briefly worked alongside her. The possibility of a relationship forming between Stafford and Bender was raised after he allegedly called their home phone.
Moreover, previous reports indicate that Stafford had even run for Modesto City Council around the time police believe he may have been involved in the teen's disappearance.
In a Modesto Bee article from July 1985, Stafford defended his criminal record, claiming he was "in the wrong place at the wrong time." Despite his political endeavors, Stafford's campaign platform raised eyebrows as he emphasized an unconventional focus on child safety.
Having said that, it seems like the election was not in his favor.
Raymond Lewis Stafford has a history of criminal incidents
Raymond Lewis Stafford has had a string of criminal charges against him, including allegations of soliciting an undercover officer for sex and operating an unlicensed private investigator business.
He was even convicted of arson and falsely reporting a kidnapping. Stafford's past also includes a conviction as a registered sex offender for allegedly abusing a 13-year-old girl in California in 1994.
Recent revelations indicate that Bender's clothes and diary were found in the possession of an unnamed man, later identified in court records as Stafford.
Furthermore, a woman who had lived with Stafford in the 1980s alleged that he confessed to killing a "female" and burying her near the Big Oak Flat entrance to Yosemite National Park, as per SFGate.
Raymond Lewis Stafford's arrest in connection to Susan Robin Bender's cold case
The Modesto Police secured an arrest warrant, leading to Raymond Lewis Stafford's apprehension in Van Zandt County, Texas, where he resided. He remains in custody on a murder charge and is anticipated to be extradited to California to face trial.
The apprehension has brought a mix of relief and closure to Bender's mother, Patricia Chupco, who expressed gratitude for the progress in the cold case.
"It's a godsend. It is," said Chupco about the apparent breakthrough, adding, "I ask God to please direct somebody either to find her body or direct somebody to put this thing together and just let me get on with my life," as per CBS News.
