US News
Published March 2, 2024, 12:03 PM ET
A California woman believes her step-grandfather may have been the monster behind the unsolved murders of several young women in the 1970s.
Sierra Barter always knew that her mother, Shannon, disliked her stepfather, Jim Mordecai – so much so that she was estranged from her own mother, Judy, for 10 years, Fox News Digital reported.
But it wasn't until several years after Mordecai's death at age 67 in 2008 that Barter himself learned that the man had sexually abused many girls and women in his life, including one of his stepdaughters.
Sierra Barter unearthed family secrets in new documentary The Truth About Jim. MAX
“Hearing my aunt's stories had a huge impact on me,” Barter told the station, which uncovered the truth about her step-grandfather, documented in the new four-part Max film, “The Truth About Jim.”
“It was hard to hear these women, women I giggled with, who dressed me up like a doll and so on, endure such suffering behind closed doors. It was heartbreaking,” she added. “It was devastating to hear what was taken from them at the hands of their father.”
Eventually, Barter began to suspect that Mordecai was the predator behind the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders, a series of at least seven unsolved murders of young women in the area north of San Francisco between 1972 and 1973.
Three of the known victims were tied up and two others were bound – something Mordecai was said to have frequently threatened the women in his life with.
When his second wife filed for divorce, he even told her, “If you try to get the girls, I will cut their throats,” referring to their young children.
Mordecai also had a seemingly random collection of cheap women's jewelry.
Barter turned over some of Mordecai's personal items that may contain DNA to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.
Sierra Barter gave some of Mordecai's possessions to the police. MAX
The investigation is ongoing.
“These cases are very old,” Barter told Fox.
“There is a lot of evidence that no longer exists. There is still a lot of work to be done. A lot of people died,” she explained. “But I’m still hopeful. Maybe there’s a chance we can finally get answers for these families.”
While they're still waiting for answers, Barter said she feels free of Mordecai's shadow.
Barter also wondered if Mordecai was a serial killer. MAX
“I’m really glad I got my family back,” Barter said. “It’s no fun having a fragmented family. …But I'm grateful that I no longer have to live with Jim lurking in the sphere. …And I'm so grateful to be surrounded by a group of women who remind me to speak up.
“Not much remains from Jim’s childhood. I can only assume that people who are hurt tend to hurt other people,” she added.
“But I don’t want to make excuses for him. There is always the possibility of getting help, but it is not the one he chose. I'm not sure why he did the things he did. I think he felt powerless, and so he took out his anger on people and tried to take away their power.”
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