Case Details

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This person was missing Missing Since 11/02/1985

Missing Since:

Missing Since 11/02/1985

Missing From:

Missing From West Sacramento, California

Classification:

Classification Non-Family Abduction

Gender:

Female

Race:

Race White

Date of Birth:

Date of Birth 06/23/1982 (42)

Age:

Age 3 years old

Height and Weight:

Height and Weight 3’0 – 3’1, 38 pounds

Clothing/Jewelry Description:

Clothing/Jewelry Description Possibly a light blue nylon coat with white fur trim.

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Danyel has a rust-colored birthmark on her kneecap, approximately one inch by two inches in size. Her ears are pierced, and her hair was cut short at the time of her November 1985 disappearance.

Details of Disappearance:

In November 1985, Danyel Sparpana disappeared from her home in West Sacramento, California. Her mother, Cynthia, was found murdered in the house a few days later – she’d been beaten and shot. Danyel was last seen on November 2nd, and although some people reported seeing her wandering nearby after her mother’s death, she vanished without a trace. Only her coat was missing from the house.

Lionel Tholmer, a family acquaintance and Cynthia’s former boyfriend, became the prime suspect. Police believed he also killed another man, John Meadows, around the same time. Tholmer was convicted of Meadows’ murder in 1987. Later, he was also convicted of killing Cynthia and Danyel, though his lawyers claimed he was innocent of Cynthia’s murder and that Danyel was still alive. Tholmer was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Despite the conviction, Danyel’s body has never been found. Because of the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and her mother’s murder, police strongly suspect foul play. Some records might mistakenly show November 5th (the day Cynthia’s body was found) as the date of Danyel’s disappearance.

Agency:

West Sacramento Police Department 916-375-6474

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