NUNES

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 05:27:33 :

The Marin Journal
Thursday, February 9, 1928
Page 1

Manuel Nunes Jr., of Stinson Beach, Buried; Murdered in South

Manuel Nunes, Jr., son of Manuel Nunes, rancher of Stinson Beach, was buried this morning from St. Raphael’s church, where a solemn requiem mass was held for the repose of his soul.

That young Nunes was murdered was established Sunday when the father identified a picture of his son, who left January 10th, and had not been heard of since. The body was found near Los Olivas, Santa Barbara county. Nunes met his death, presumably, while on his way to Los Angeles.

Press dispatches from the south revealed that the body was found on January 28 in a field adjoining the highway. A bullet from a .45 automatic pistol had caused death. Twenty miles further on along the highway an abandoned automobile was picked up. Checking the license number of the car, the Santa Barbara county sheriff’s office discovered it belonged to a man named Manuel Nunes, Jr., of Stinson Beach. Sheriff J. J. Keating of San Rafael took the photograph of the body and of the automobile to Stinson Beach, where Nunes’ father completed the identification.

It was thought by the police, according to Sheriff Keating, that the young man had picked up a highway companion and that he had been shot in an attempt to rob him. The murderer drove into the field, partially concealed the body, and drove on later to abandon the automobile. The father told Sheriff Keating that he understood his son was going to make this trip alone.

The fact that Nunes had been dead less than twenty-four hours when discovered has led Sheriff Keating to start an investigation to learn where the murdered man was from the date of his departure from home on January 10 to the estimated time of his death on January 27.