On Sunday June 15th, 1997, Staff Sergeant Ron Parkhurst inexplicably abandoned his job as a recruiter at his office in Huntington Beach and drove to Las Vegas, Nevada. Six days later, he was found dead, floating in Lake Mead with a gunshot wound to the back of the head. To this day, his murder is unsolved. In this episode, we explore Ron’s possible state of mind when he decided to leave California, what in his background may have led to him seemingly abruptly walk out on his life, what happened in the days leading up to his death, and how he ended up dead in Lake Mead. I have had a chance to speak to Orange County Register Journalist Keith Sharon who has written just about the only article out there on this case, and will be talking to him further about it. Please check the links below to read his article from November of 2019.

Introduction Promo Courtesy of The Crime Beat Podcast hosted by Keith Sharon

https://www.ocregister.com/2019/11/17/cold-case-sister-wants-answers-in-1997-murder-of-oc-based-marine/

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/dy5unw/following_a_week_of_gambling_in_las_vegas_marine/

https://lasvegassun.com/news/1997/jul/03/few-clues-left-in-death-of-awol-marine-recruiter/