Joan Leslie Mack, 28, was found dead at Beer Can Beach in the Aptos area of Santa Cruz County on October 11, 1984. Authorities determined she had suffered multiple stab wounds and her body was discovered on the coastline south of Santa Cruz. The homicide remained unsolved for decades, with few contemporary details available about the initial investigation.

A break came when convicted serial killer Terry Childs later admitted responsibility for Mack’s killing, saying he had persuaded her into his vehicle, taken her to the Seascape Beach area, restrained and assaulted her before her body was abandoned. Childs was already serving long prison terms for other murders when he accepted responsibility for Mack’s death; investigators reinvestigated and the case was prosecuted. On April 7, 2017, Childs pleaded guilty to Mack’s murder and received an additional life term without parole. Mack’s then-five-year-old daughter Alexis later spoke at the court proceeding about the lasting trauma and the sense of closure the guilty plea provided.

Does anyone have memories of Joan, or information about her life in the Aptos area that could add context to this case?