The Placer County Sheriff’s Office has renewed efforts into the unsolved case of Cherilyn Hawkley, a beloved elementary school teacher who met a tragic end in 1993. Hawkley’s death has haunted the local community for over three decades, but advances in technology might finally bring her killer to justice. According to an update from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, a Cold Case team is revisiting the evidence with the hope that DNA advancements and new investigative tools could provide answers which were out of reach in the past.
Cherilyn Hawkley, who was in her early forties at the time of her death, had recently started a new chapter of her life by purchasing a home in Roseville and was praised as a dedicated mother of three. On October 29, 1993, she was seen for the last time at Eureka Elementary, where she worked. The following day on Halloween, Hawkley was found dead in her minivan, parked a mile from the school, with a rope discovered near her body. The vehicle is considered the only known crime scene in a case that has remained unsolved, but not forgotten.
In a renewed call for assistance, authorities believe there may be individuals with information pertinent to Hawkley’s death. “We believe someone out there has information, no matter how small it may seem, that could help solve this case,” a statement on the Placer County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page implored…