MURDER ON THE BEACH

252 THIRTEEN YEARS AFTER A SENSELESS DOUBLE MURDER, A SURPRISE CONFESSION BROUGHT THE KILLER TO JUSTICE 

-  Ruth McCarthy

With its tiny population, the coastal town of Jenner in Sonoma County, California is a hidden gem nestled off the Pacific Coast Highway. The few that know about it visit to take in the jaw-dropping views of the spectacular rock formations, crashing surf and abundant sea lion population. And in August 2004, for 22-year-old Lindsay Cutshall and her fiancé, Jason Allen, 26, a secluded stretch along Fish Head Beach seemed the perfect spot to lay their heads for the night.

Camping on the beach was prohibited but not uncommon, and after trying to check into one of the town’s hotels and motels only to find them fully booked, the couple figured spending just one night there would be OK. Unfortunately, for the lovebirds, who had their whole lives ahead of them, it was a decision that meant the night of August 14 would be their last.

Ohio native Cutshall and Allen from Michigan met at Bible college in 2002. It was love at first sight and the pair were engaged six weeks later. That summer, they were working as river guides and counsellors for an outdoor Christian youth adventure camp called Rock-N-Water in Northern California, and with the season coming to an end, they decided on a three-day getaway to explore the tourist sites before their wedding the following month.

Cutshall’s wedding dress – a gorgeous white gown with glittery pink flowers and beads on it – was hung up at home ready and she was counting down the days until she would be walking down the aisle into the arms of the man of her dreams.

The final leg of their trip was past Jenner, and since they had their camping gear with them, the pair decided to set up at Fish Head Beach, leaving their red Ford Tempo in a nearby layby.