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West Flora Street, Stockton, CaliforniaJames and Lauren Willett had been associated with the Manson Family for at least a year. On November 8, 1972, the body of James Willett was found in Guerneville, CA. Three days later, the body of his wife, Lauren ("Reni") was discovered buried in the crawl space of a house on West Flora Street in Stockton, CA. Present in the house were Nancy Pitman, Michael Monfort, James Craig and Priscilla Cooper. Monfort and Craig were both prison escapees who had been associating with the Manson Family. Cooper claimed Lauren had died while playing Russian Roulette (much as "Zero" had previously died). Monfort pleaded guilty to Lauren's murder and was given a sentence of seven years to life. Pitman, Craig and Cooper all pleaded guilty to being accessories after the fact. Later, Monfort and William Goucher pleaded guilty to second degree murder for the death of James Willett. They received five years to life for this case. Craig also pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact in James' death. Of some interest, two years before the deaths of the Willetts, a couple drove attorney Ronald Hughes to the place he drowned. This couple was named James Forsher and Lauren Elder. This mystery couple seem to have disappeared and many wondered if they actually were the Willetts due to similar names. In reality, the timing makes it impossible. James was still in Vietnam while Lauren was on the other side of the country. William Goucher went on to marry Family member Maria "Crystal" Alonzo. Six years after the Willett deaths, James Craig was also murdered. At the time, he was living with Priscilla Cooper. For additional information, click here. The house is a private residence. Please, do not contact or bother the residents.
This photo is Copyright 2003 by Steve Groppe and used with his permission. |
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