Name: Brenda Jo Howell
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: August 6, 1956
Location Last Seen: San Gabriel Canyon, Los Angeles County, California
Date of Birth: August 19, 1943
Age: 12 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 4'9"
Weight: 95 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown
Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Available
Clothing: Aqua "pedal pushers" (capri pants) and gray plaid jacket.
Jewelry: Yellow metal watch; white metal ring.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
Brenda Howell was last seen on August 6, 1956, in the San Gabriel Canyon area near Glendora Mountain Road, bicycling with Donald Lee Baker. An extensive search found only their bicycles and Donald's jacket. Brenda lived in Fort Bragg, California and was visiting her sister in the area.
On March 6, 1970, Mack Ray Edwards surrendered himself to Los Angeles police and confessed to molesting and murdering 6 children between 1953 and 1970. He was arrested, pled guilty to three of the killings, and was sentenced to death. Before committing suicide in his cell on death row in 1971, he claimed to have murdered 18 children.
Two of the six confessed killings included Brenda Jo Howell and Donald Lee Baker, but Edwards was not convicted of their murders because their bodies were never found. Edwards was convicted of the murders of Gary Rocha (also seen in news articles with the last name of Rochet), Donald Allen Todd, and Stella Darlene Nolan. He also confessed to killing Roger Dale Madison. He is suspected also in the disappearances of Bruce Kremen,Thomas Eldon Bowman, and Karen Lynn Tompkins, Ramona Irene Price, and the murder of Dorothy Gale Brown.
Agency Name: Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department-Monterey Park-Homicide Bureau
Agency Contact Person: Det. Tamar Abraham
Agency Phone Number: 323-890-5500
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 006-00105-3100-400
NamUs Case Number: 4626
NCIC Case Number: M-255934671
NamUs
Pasadena Independent Star News - Jul. 13, 1958
Los Angeles Times - Mar. 17, 2007
Added: 10/06/2006; Last Updated: 01/05/2024 - By: hb
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information is from the time of disappearance.
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