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The Killer on the Beach: The Unsolved Murder of Barbara Nantais
Torrey Pines State Beach is located in San Diego, nestled between Del Mar and La Jolla. The landscape is picturesque and serene, surrounded by pine woods and ocean.
But in August of 1978, the sound of the crashing of the waves would come to mean something very different to one man.
James Alt and Barbara Nantais were a couple deemed very much in love. On that August evening, the teenagers had plans to sit at the beach and cuddle in their sleeping bag until they were asked to leave. But nobody would come to tell them that.
The next morning, San Diego police were dispatched to lifeguard stand 7. There, they found Barbara’s body. She’d been strangled and beaten. Nearby, James was discovered — alive. He’d suffered a severe head injury and had no memory of the attack that left his girlfriend dead.
Six years after Barbara died, another teenage girl was killed on Torrey Pines State Beach, and it was even in a similar manner. While police were able to solve that case, no evidence pointed toward the suspect being tied to Barbara’s murder. While this dashed the hopes of Barbara’s loved ones and San Diego police officers, there is still a chance for justice.
More than 40 years later, Barbara’s killer has not been found. James remains frustrated about the case and still lacks specific memories of the night.
Today, a reward remains for anybody who can provide information that helps solve the case. If you know anything about the death of Barbara Nantais, call Crime Stoppers at 888–580–8477.
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