MURDERED: Dorothy “Toby” Tate
The murder of 41-year-old Toby Tate is a case that no one thought would ever be resolved – one that spent decades collecting dust in a file box at the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office. Until two detectives decided to take another look… and all of a sudden, after 40 years, the hazy picture of a fatal 1983 burglary gone wrong started to come into focus, and preserved DNA evidence revealed a twist that no one saw coming.
Dorothy “Toby” Tate
Courtesy: Priscilla Tate
Dorothy “Toby” Tate
Courtesy: Priscilla Tate
Dorothy “Toby” Tate
Courtesy: Priscilla Tate
The area off Highway 1 where Dorothy “Toby” Tate was found murdered in November 1983.
Source: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
The blood droplets leading away from Toby’s van
Source: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
The Coke can recovered near the crime scene, pictured on the left side of the image.
Source: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
The fingerprints recovered from the Coke can found near the crime scene
Courtesy: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Detectives Jeff Robasciotti and Clint Cole
Credit: Audiochuck Staff
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office’s Forensic Specialist Shelby Liddell
Courtesy: Shelby Liddell
Steven Hardy
Source: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
Charley Sneed
Source: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
Timeline:
Morning
Toby Tate leaves her aunt’s home in the Bay Area and heads toward Los Angeles with her two dogs.
Afternoon
Toby checks into San Simeon State Park.
Evening
Toby is fatally shot.
Just before 11 a.m.: Sheriff’s deputies are dispatched to what appears to be a vehicle accident on a dirt road off Highway 1 near the beach. They find Toby shot inside her camper van.
Investigators learn that Toby’s stolen camera has surfaced at a pawn shop in Bakersfield, California.
Detective Clint Cole begins working Toby’s case. Testing blood droplets found leading away from Toby’s van produces an unknown male DNA profile.
Detectives Clint Cole and Jeff Robasciotti begin working with CeCe Moore on investigative genetic genealogy.
CeCe Moore identifies a possible match to the blood DNA recovered from the crime scene.
Moore verbally confirms that the blood DNA belongs to Steven Hardy.
Forensic specialist Shelby Liddell analyzes fingerprints preserved from the Coca-Cola can found near the crime scene and matches them to Charley Sneed.
The district attorney finds sufficient probable cause to prosecute Hardy and Sneed if they were still alive.
Authorities publicly announce the resolution of Toby’s case.
Highway 1, San Luis Obispo County, California
Where Toby and her van were found on a dirt road off Highway 1.
San Simeon State Park, San Simeon, California
Where Toby checked into a campground on the afternoon of November 14th, 1983.
Pawn Shop, Bakersfield, California
The pawn shop that reported someone had brought in Toby’s stolen camera.
Tips:
If you know anything about the murder of Dorothy “Toby” Tate or the movements of Charley Sneed or Steven Hardy, please reach out to the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office Detectives Division at (805) 781-4500 or, if you’d rather stay anonymous, you can call the San Luis Obispo County Crime Stoppers at (805) 549-7867.
We’d love to speak with you and see how we can support.
If you’re a law enforcement agency or family member of one of the people we mentioned in this episode, or if you’re looking for more coverage on a case, please reach out. You can email us at:
Episode Source Material
- Original reporting by Nicole Kagan
- San Luis Obispo County, Sheriff-Coroner’s Office. Coroner’s Report: Dorothy Alice Tate (File No. 8202). 15 Nov. 1983.
- Crime Stoppers “Homicide.” The Tribune, 17 Dec. 1983. Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/808468756
- Shrager, Chloe. “SLO County murder went unsolved for decades. Now, family finally has answers.” The Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026. https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/crime/article314386748.html
- Shrager, Chloe. “Cold case of body found in van solved after 40 years, SLO County sheriff says.” The Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026. https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/crime/article314385975.html
- Seguin Police Department. Crimes Against Persons Offense Report: Case No. 85-5597. Guadalupe County, TX, 28 June 1985.
- Gorin, Dmitry. “Key Changes to the California Felony Murder Rule (SB 1437).” Eisner Gorin LLP, 7 July 2025, www.egattorneys.com/changes-to-felony-murder-rule
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