A California woman suspects her grandfather was a serial killer

US News

by olivia land

A California woman believes her grandfather may have been the monster behind the unsolved murders of several young women in the 1970s.

Sierra Barter always knew that her mother, Shannon, hated her stepfather, Jim Mordecai, so much that she was estranged from her mother, Judy, for 10 years. Fox News Digital reported.

But it wasn't until several years after Mordecai's death at age 67 in 2008, that Barter herself learned that the man had sexually abused several girls and women in his life, including one of his stepdaughters.

“Hearing my aunt’s stories had a huge impact on me,” Barter told the outlet to reveal the truth about her grandfather, which is documented in Max’s new four-part film, “The Truth About Jim.”

“It was hard to hear how these women, the women who I laughed with, who dressed me like a doll and all that, were enduring such suffering behind closed doors. “It was heartbreaking,” she added. “It was sad to hear what was taken from them.” “Their father's hand.”

Eventually, Barter began to suspect that Mordecai was the predator behind the Santa Rosa Murders, a series of at least seven unsolved murders of young women in the area north of San Francisco between 1972 and 1973.

Three of the known victims were bound, and two others were bound — something Mordecai allegedly often threatened to do to the women in his life.

When his second wife asked for a divorce, he told her: “If you try to get the girls, I will slaughter them,” referring to their young children.

Mordecai also had a random collection of cheap women's jewelry.

Barter gave some of Mordecai's personal belongings that may contain DNA to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.

The investigation is ongoing.

“These cases are very old,” Barter told Fox.

“There is a lot of evidence that is no longer there. There is a lot of follow-up that needs to happen. A lot of people have died,” she explained. “But I remain optimistic.” Maybe there's a chance we can finally get some answers for these families.

While they were still waiting for answers, Barter said she felt free from Mordecai's shadow.

“I'm really happy I have my family back,” Barter said. “It's no fun having a family torn apart. … But I'm grateful that I don't have to live with Jim lurking at the ball anymore. … And I'm so grateful to be surrounded by a group of women who remind me to speak up.

Not much of Jim's childhood survives. “I can only assume that people who get hurt tend to hurt others,” she added.

“But I don’t want to make excuses for him. There is always a chance he could get help, which he didn’t choose to do. I’m not sure why he did the things he did. I think he felt helpless, and that’s why he took his anger out on people and tried to take their power.” .