Physical evidence at the McHugh Creek murder scene was pathetic at best. With the warming temperatures of Christmas Day, the ability to capture tire or boot prints was hampered by the thaw. The search for Beth’s missing clothing turned up nothing. All they had was the wire that bound her wrists and the scraps of clothing she still wore. But this much they knew: Beth was brought to the scene in a vehicle. The search for that vehicle now assumed heightened importance.
Soon enough, troopers impounded Robert Hansen’s vehicle and brought him in for questioning. [Ed. Note: This search resulted from Patty Roberts kidnap, not van Zanten]. They needed to search the minutiae of his life. But they missed at least one potentially crucial piece of evidence.
Accompanying Sgt. Hughes to the Hansen residence, where they impounded the vehicle believed to have been used in Patty Robert’s kidnapping, was Anchorage Police Detective Ron Rice. It was Rice who spied a spool of wire in Hansen’s garage. Rice who mentioned it to Sgt. Hughes. Rice who was told that they couldn’t seize that wire, because they lacked a search warrant for the garage or items other than Hansen’s vehicle.
INFORMATION: On 12/28/71, along with a warrant for the arrest of the suspect, Mr. ROBERT C. HANSEN, a search warrant was obtained upon probable cause for his vehicle, a 1967 Pontiac, Alaska License Number 36042. This warrant was executed at Mr. HANSEN’s address, 327 Thomas Circle, at approximately 4:30 p.m. on 12/29/71 and the seized vehicle was towed by a wrecker to the Anchorage City Police garage, where it was placed under guard until 12/29/71, at which time it was searched.
On 12/29/71 at approx. 8:30 a.m. at Anchorage Police Dept. Garage Warehouse a search warrant was served upon a ’67 Pontiac, license #AK 36042, for the purpose of obtaining numerous items which were listed upon the search warrant.
A complete examination of the vehicle was conducted by Lab Tech Suave, who removed numerous fingerprints from the outside and inside of the vehicle. Photographed the vehicle both inside and outside and the trunk area.
An examination of the inside interior of the vehicle revealed it to be moderately clean and free from debree [sic]. The front ashtray was full of coins and had the appearance of never being utilized by cigarettes. The back two ashtrays and the right rear contained the contents of numerous napkins and a Lark cigarette butt. The left rear ashtray contained the contents of a Marlboro cigarette butt.
Located in the glove compartment was miscellaneous personal papers and a folding pocket knife. On the floorboard of the front seat was a candy wrapper, Hershey. Located in the trunk of the vehicle were numerous items which would be utilized in hunting and camping. Among these items was a Buck hunting knife and one hammer. The latter two items were removed and confiscated as part of the search warrant.
Also, among the items in the trunk was a brown Army blanket, which was photographed and vacuumed for contents. The following items were removed from the vehicle which had been listed on the search warrant:
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- Vacuum sweepings.
- Ashtray contents.
- Folding knife.
- Vacuum sweepings.
- Vacuum sweepings.
- Ashtray contents.
- Buck hunting knife.
- Candy wrapper.
- One hammer.
Sgt. Hughes should have gone to a judge and amended the search warrant, so that it included items like the wire they saw in Hansen’s garage. Troopers already knew that Patty Roberts had been bound. Was there something that prevented him from acting? Perhaps and this showed in the caution Hughes displayed.
Patty Roberts had stipulated that she was bound with leather shoelaces, not the wire which was found on Beth van Zanten. That was enough difference to give a half-clever defense attorney plenty to work with. Still… There were enough other similarities between these two cases that a reasonable judge could probably have been convinced, if only because it was logical to presume that the evidence didn’t stop at the car.
Purchase Butcher, Baker