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Barker Ranch Grave Search, 2007There have been rumors for nearly forty years. Stories of bodies buried near Barker Ranch in Death Valley. Can a team of dogs finally solve this long standing mystery?
Sgt. Paul Dostie of the Mammoth Lakes Police Department is not only a forensic expert but the owner of a very rare type of dog. There are only about a dozen of these specially trained animals in the entire United States. Everybody has seen movies of bloodhounds trailing escaped inmates. Sniffing them out by the small molecules they leave behind. Another type of dog is trained specifically for finding recently deceased bodies. Dostie’s dog, Buster, is such a canine but he is something even more rare. Buster has been receiving training to find extremely old graves. These special dogs can find graves far older than a week, month or year. Known as Historic Grave Detection Dogs, they can sniff out graves well over one hundred years old. They’ve even been known to find thousand year old resting places.
If there are Manson Family victims buried at Barker Ranch, their graves are easily within the detection abilities of this handful of dogs. In 1998, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Department was led on a wild goose chase for just such a grave. Larry Melton claimed to have witnessed a murder and burial just outside the kitchen window of Barker Ranch. He pointed out the location and officials dug and dug under the hot Death Valley sun. There was nothing and Melton later claimed to have purposely misled the officers. Nearly ten years later, he has yet to name a different site and most Manson experts believe Melton was never involved with the cult at all.
Shortly afterwards, Sgt. Dostie ran into an Inyo Deputy who happened to mention the excavation. Dostie thought about the possibility of undiscovered bodies for years after. He studied the case and felt there could very well be truth to the long standing stories. One such tale said a girl wasn’t fitting in well with the group. Charles Manson and Charles “Tex” Watson supposedly led her away from the ranch. Later they returned without her. Another story involves a young man hiking through the area. He disappeared one night, leaving his equipment behind. Steven “Clem” Grogan supposedly stated “he got homesick.” There are also other stories which cannot be disclosed at this time, but prosecutors have often said there may be 35 to 40 victims although only a fraction of this has ever been proven.
Paul obtained Buster in December 2004 and began his training. He is a certified cadaver dog and is receiving training in historic grave detection. A local hospital provides bone and placentas for Buster’s training. Early in the regimen, Buster was trained to ignore the scent of animal graves. Today, he can be taken to the old cemetery in Ballarat and he’ll immediately pick out the final resting places of the old prospectors while ignoring patches where burros may be buried.
THE FIRST TRIP
On February 24, 2007, Sgt. Dostie headed an expedition to Barker Ranch with permission from the Inyo Sheriff's Department. Besides Buster, there were four certified Historic Grave Detection Dogs (Institute for K9 Forensics) and their handlers who traveled a great distance at their own expense. Since the site is located in Death Valley National Monument Park, Park Service and Bureau of Land Management personnel were involved. The site is in the jurisdiction of Inyo County, so officials from the Sheriff’s Department were also along.
Steve Groppe and Emmett Harder served as guides. Steve has not only made numerous trips to Barker Ranch but is well versed in the Manson case and Death Valley history. Emmett was a prospector in the area and had various firsthand experiences with the Manson Family.
Also along was a film crew from the Discovery Channel. Their footage was originally planned for their “Most Evil” series. At this time the film has not been included due to the open nature of the investigation.
Of course, in a single day only a certain amount of area could be covered but the dogs picked out four possible burial locations. The site Dostie feels best about is known as “Buster 1.” His dog was extremely insistent this spot was special. As each of the other dogs was brought to the area, separately, they all alerted. Guide Groppe said it was remarkable how the dogs were all so positive and enthusiastic about the location, even though taken alone at various times. Another spot, known as “Ness 1” produced similar results. Two additional locations produced alerts from some, but not all, of the canines. FROM “VALLEY OF THE DOLLS” TO DEATH VALLEY
Over the course of the year, Paul Dostie visited Barker Ranch seven times. Buster always liked those same spots. On one of his visits, Paul was accompanied by Debra Tate, who says Buster’s work makes an extraordinary impression on the viewer. Debra has a special interest since the Manson group murdered her sister, actress Sharon Tate.
Debra has followed in her mother and late sister Patti’s footsteps and attends many parole hearings of those involved in the Tate-LaBianca murders. A couple of the convicted killers have been bordering on winning parole for a number of years and Tate thinks additional murders could change matters. It would help to show the killings weren’t just two nights of temporary insanity or stupidity. It would help to further establish a pattern to the Family’s criminal activities. Additionally, it would show that even though the former members claim rehabilitation, they haven’t come far enough to tell all they may know.
FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU…
In November, while Dostie and Buster were elsewhere working on a research project, another crew traveled to the isolated property in Death Valley with Inyo County Sheriff officials. This time, the dogs were unsuccessful. Dr. Arpad Vass, a senior researcher at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, thinks he knows the reason. The humidity was far too low. It seems these dogs detect the volatile chemical compounds that comprise the components in human remains scent best when humidity is above 25 to 30 percent. During the November search, it ranged from 10 to 12.5 percent.
In the past, Inyo County officials have conducted extensive searches in the area. Due to the results of the autumn expedition, they are fearful of spending the resources required for a proper excavation. Plus, they were misled in recent years. Now that fabricated tale endangers a true investigation. Without financial backing, the dead and their families may have to wait yet again.
Paul Dostie feels Inyo County officials have made the correct decision given the mixed results, but he is not deterred. He would like to see financial backing for NecroSearch to explore the area. They are an organization of experts in this field. Dostie also says there is still much to be learned concerning old graves such as the exact combination of elements and chemicals that the dogs are able to detect. In the 1970s, there were no dogs trained in this area and there are still very few. He would also like to see funding for a search by ground penetrating radar.
The Barker Ranch investigation could draw much needed research. Dr. Arpad Vass has examined material from this search and is highly interested. Dr. Vass does research at the Body Farm, a research facility located at the University of Tennessee that studies the decay of human remains in various situations and provides extremely important information for murder investigations throughout the country.
NO STONE LEFT UNTURNED
Debra Tate believes "there are kids at the Barker Ranch that need to go home."
Paul Dostie says “Some on the killers are on one year parole reviews and they say they have been good... if they are so reformed, why did they not say anything?"
Meanwhile, killer Patricia Krenwinkel helps train dogs for the disabled while incarcerated in prison. Perhaps some day soon, another type of trained dog will insure the Manson Family killers stay behind bars.
For an exclusive interview with Sgt. Paul Dostie, click here.
For photos of the February 24, 2007 search,
click here.
FOOTNOTE
Paul Dostie has lectured on the use of advanced forensic techniques at the National Institute for Justice in Washington D.C. and the FBI's Advanced Homicide School for Indian Country in Phoenix, Arizona. On Februay 11, 12 and 13, he will be in Houston, Texas at the Conference for Crimes Against Women, making a presentation about the use of advanced forensic techniques including the use of forensic dogs in homicide investigation.
In January 2007, Sgt. Dostie contacted CharlieManson.com. After telling of his interest in the possible Barker Ranch murders and his dog’s abilities, the website’s owner offered any assistance possible. This included information, additional research, police documents, videos, suggestions, theories and a guide, Steve Groppe. Over the past year, the website’s owner has exchanged over 500 e-mails with Dostie, along with phone calls and packages.
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