MURDERED: Melanie Howell
In 1976, a 22-year-old nursing student was murdered in her Los Angeles apartment, leaving behind just one clue: a bloody fingerprint. Decades later, that print was matched—and the case was quietly marked solved. But no one ever publicly announced who did it. So we set out to find the answer… and to uncover what else he may have done.
Detective Cliff Shepard
Source: Audiochuck staff
Paul Bustamante
Paul Bustamante Source: National Archives
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Episode Source Material
- Original reporting by Mallika Dhaliwal.
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Los Angeles Magazine (Los Angeles, CA): Who Murdered UCLA Medical Center Nurse Melanie Howell?, by Michelle McNamara. Published July 8, 2013. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://lamag.com/crimeinla/who-murdered-ucla-medical-center-nurse-melanie-howell/
- The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, CA): Student Killed in Home, by UPI. Published April 24, 1976. Accessed December 16, 2025 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/747644960
- Venice-Marina News (Santa Monica, CA): Police seek suspect in WLA murder. Published April 29, 1976. Accessed December 16, 2025 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/734306069
- Corsair (Santa Monica, CA): Her life was full……Till death came knocking, by Susan Pekea. Published May 5, 1976. Accessed December 16, 2025 via UCR.edu. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=CRS19760505.2.7&e=——-en–20–1–txt-txIN——–
- The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, CA): Teacher is slain on eve of new job, by McClatchy Newspapers Service. Published September 6, 1977. Accessed December 16, 2025 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/620888873
- The Times-Herald (Vallejo, CA): No murder clues, by Associated Press. Published September 7, 1977. Accessed December 16, 2025 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1180362225
- The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, CA): Clues sought in teacher’s fatal knifing. Published September 7, 1977. Accessed December 16, 2025 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/620892366
- The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, CA): Secret witness adds murder case of Davis teacher in her apartment. Published December 7, 1977. Accessed December 16, 2025 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/620957234
- The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, CA): Father of stabbing victim adds $10,000 to reward. Published December 14, 1977. Accessed December 16, 2025 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/620928382
- The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, CA): Murder victim’s parents boost reward to $25,000. Published June 28, 1979. Accessed December 16, 2025 via newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/620987172
- The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, CA): Killer says he struck Davis in ’77, by Max Miller. Published December 6, 1983. Accessed December 16, 2025 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/621378445
- The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, CA): Lucas’ guilt doubted in 2 south state killings, by Mary Crystal Cage. Published April 16, 1985. Accessed December 16, 2025 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/622490886
- The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, CA): Davis, Colusa convinced Lucas a killer despite doubts about other. Slayings, by Mary Crystal Cage. Published April 17, 1985. Accessed December 16, 2025 via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/622492834
- UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden (Davis, CA): New building honors daughter’s memory, by Katie Ferguson Hetrick. Published June 22, 2022. Accessed December 15, 2025. https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/blog/new-building-honors-daughters-memory
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