Murder of Christina Marie Williams

Christina Marie Williams was a 13-year-old American girl who was kidnapped in Seaside, California, on June 12, 1998, while walking her dog Greg in an area of Fort Ord. Life: Williams was born in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, to a Filipino mother and an American father who was a chief petty officer in the United States Navy. She attended Fitch Middle School in Seaside, California, at the time of her abduction. Before moving to California, Williams and her family lived at Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan. It was the first time the family had lived in the mainland United States. Kidnapping: Williams left her home at around 7:30 p.m. PDT. Greg returned home an hour later trailing his leash. The case attracted widespread, national media attention. Exactly seven months later, a body was found on the former Fort Ord Army Base about 3 miles (4.8 km) from the Williams' home on January 12, 1999. The remains were positively identified as those of Williams. The area where she was found had been searched previously, but nothing had been found. Sketches of people suspected of the abduction, a man in his late teens and one in his early twenties, were widely released in the media but they did not help identification of the suspects. Aftermath: Several celebrities, including Clint Eastwood, Mariah Carey, and Reggie Jackson, made a public service announcement for Williams. Her case was also aired on America's Most Wanted. Williams was survived by her parents and two siblings. Many people, including Williams' former friends in Japan, were affected by her abduction. Her family later moved to Florida. Investigators focused their efforts on finding a 1980s Mercury Monarch or Ford Granada car. In 2006, the still-open case was featured on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360°. Up to US$100,000 has been offered for information leading to those responsible for her death. The City of Marina erected a memorial in Williams' honor located at 15520 Imjin Road, across from Preston Park. At University of California, Berkeley a scholarship in her name was established by a philanthropist. Suspect and arrest: It was reported that Charles Holifield was a suspect in Williams' murder. He remains in prison for attempted kidnapping; he had raped teenage girls in the past. In 2011, an ex-girlfriend of Holifield recanted an alibi for Holifield she made in 1998, saying she had previously been threatened with harm if she withdrew it. In 2016, DNA found on Williams' clothing was found to match Holifield's DNA. On April 6, 2017 the District Attorney of Monterey County announced that Holifield would be arrested and charged with the murder. A death penalty trial for Holifield was orignally set for October 2019 but has since been delayed to March 2020.