toadgas
Trad climber
los angeles
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Dec 25, 2012 - 06:44pm PT
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someone said he used to serve chili in C4 --all meat no beans
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zBrown
Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
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Dec 25, 2012 - 10:50pm PT
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I tend to agree with Herr Braun here. Not sure what the point is.
However, since there were some rather notorious family killers in Chula Vista, I'm always somewhat interested in killers.
Just realized this thread started in 2007. Oh.
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Scole
Trad climber
Joshua Tree
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Dec 26, 2012 - 01:48pm PT
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Luke "The Fluke" was what we called him. Luke had been around the valley off and on for several years, repeatedly suspected, but never caught in the act of, a number of Gear rip-offs on El Cap and in Camp 4. Bob Williams and I lost all of our gear from a coffin in the rescue site once, and we were pretty sure it was Luke behind it, but no proof.
When I saw Luke at the top of the Zodiac talus moments before dark with an empty expedition pack I figured he was headed to work, so I elbowed Larry Zulim, my partner for Zodiac, sharply in the side and said for Luke's benefit,; "we'd love to stay and talk Luke, but we're headed to the Mtn. Room for a send off, and we want to get down the talus before dark, see ya later. We headed off into the trees below Tangerine Trip where our bivy was setup prior to lift-off in the AM and I explained the sit. to Larry.
It was never our intention to descend that evening so we waited as it grew darker, then crept out and watched a shadowy figure ascend our lines. With three pitches fixed, we figured it would take at least an hour for Luke to finish his job, so we went back to our camp and welcomed our friends who had come to see us off. We told everyone what was going down, and quietly waited until the time was right, then crept back to the base of the ropes.
We didn't have to wait long. Larry and I saw a dark blur above us getting closer and closer, and then reaching the ground two feet away from us. Luke began un-clipping from the rope and suddenly sensed our presence.
Luke was a little surprised that we were there, and he fell backwards into the boulders, his now full pack pulling him over. Larry and I stood up and said "we decided to come back up and sleep at the base, come on over to our camp, we have some beer and stuff". Playing it cool Luke followed us to camp where we stoked the fire, and rolled a joint. As we passed the dub around, people started to appear out of the darkness until there were five or six of us, and one Luke.
Luke was starting to look a little concerned when we asked him what was in the pack. He denied that he had our gear in the pack, and had just been retrieving some gear of his own. At about this point Roy began quietly chanting "kill him, kill him", which he continued to do for the next couple of hours. The crazed look in Luke's eyes should have been an indicator as to his potential for violence, and we should have done as Roy suggested, but we opted not to bloody our hands and marched him down the approach, pinned next to the wall and surrounded, then drove him to LEO, where he was arrested.
Luke spent some time in jail over that, and the cache of stolen gear the rangers found above camp 4. Eventually,as the story goes anyway, Luke decide it was time to return to the valley and settle the score with Larry and I, who had ruined his life. He asked granny to borrow her car, but she refused, so he killed her, cut her body into pieces, stuffed her in the trunk, and headed for the ditch.
If the cops hadn't seen blood dripping from the trunk there may have been a few more murders. I heard he got life, but that was long ago. It would be interesting to know where he ended up.
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Dec 26, 2012 - 01:58pm PT
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Nice job fleshing out (pun intended) the summary version I heard from you bitd Scott.
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Dec 26, 2012 - 02:25pm PT
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Whenever Luke would walk up to you and start addressing you on a first name basis, even though you'd never met before or even been introduced, I always thought it was suspicious. People who utilize familiarity they aren't entitled to as an entre always make me nervous about their bad intentions. I wonder why no one so far has pointed out Luke's odd physiognomy: large boned, large hands, with a big strange over-sized head and a blank stare. I know there's not supposed to be anything that one could classify as a criminal skull shape, but Luke looked like the classic 19th century definition of a criminal. Always felt I needed to take out some calipers and measure his skull shape, especially when he came up without warning and started calling me by my first name. Maybe those 19th century French criminologists were on to something that modern forensics have overlooked? In any case, Luke sure had a way of making you feel uneasy.
Thanks for that well-penned story, Scott!
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T Hocking
Trad climber
Redding, Ca
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Dec 26, 2012 - 03:02pm PT
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Scary sh!t,
Glad I never had to rope up with a kook like that.
Tad
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Cragman
Trad climber
June Lake, California....via the Damascus Road
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Dec 26, 2012 - 05:34pm PT
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Bruce Morris, now that you have added that description of Luke, I actually DO remember this guy!
I had run into he and John "The Scrutinizer" (talk about an interesting looking pair) at the base of Pinched Rib one day. I was climbing with Tim Wagner at the time, and as we walked away, I remember being startled by some words Tim had for that guy....as Tim NEVER talked down about anyone.
Clearly, the looks of that guy creeped Tim out...and as I said, paired with The Scrutinizer, that was a sideshow to behold.
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Cosmiccragsman
Trad climber
AKA Dwain, from Apple Valley, Ca. and Vegas!
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 26, 2012 - 05:59pm PT
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John Hayward,(the scrut) and I were good friends, Crag.
Remember the green capri he drove around in?
The guy never did much leading but he sure could follow.
Someone has deleted a couple of post, on this thread since it was
last viewed before the recent revival.
They were saying if I remember right,
That Luke was out of the crazy house and among us.
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Cragman
Trad climber
June Lake, California....via the Damascus Road
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Dec 26, 2012 - 06:04pm PT
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Yeah, Dwain, I recall his green Capri very well...with the old beater recumbent bike with the plywood seat, strapped to the roof of that car.
Also recall his diet....dried oats and a raw egg.....weird.
I never saw him lead either....but he gave me LOTS of belays back in the day. He was a very patient belayer.
Last time I saw John was up here....ran into him out at Bachar Boulders in the mid-90's.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Dec 26, 2012 - 06:04pm PT
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Cosmic...I wouldn't worry about Luke coming after you especially if you are wearing your scary clown costume...RJ
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Cragman
Trad climber
June Lake, California....via the Damascus Road
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Dec 26, 2012 - 06:06pm PT
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Scary clown costume??
You mean he dresses up like you, RJ?
:)
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Cosmiccragsman
Trad climber
AKA Dwain, from Apple Valley, Ca. and Vegas!
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 26, 2012 - 06:06pm PT
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Don't forget the babyfood, Dean.
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Ron Anderson
Trad climber
Soon to be Nipple suckling Liberal
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Dec 26, 2012 - 06:07pm PT
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and some call gun nuts dangerous??
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Cragman
Trad climber
June Lake, California....via the Damascus Road
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Dec 26, 2012 - 06:08pm PT
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I had heard that he ate that stuff, Dwain...but thankfully never witnessed it.
I do recall that he used to eat ALL of my gorp that I was fond of back then...by the BAGFULL he would eat that stuff!
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Dec 26, 2012 - 06:14pm PT
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Cragman..Yeah i got a clown suit...Got a problem with that...? How bout some more of that Gorp...? RJ
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Jim Brennan
Trad climber
Vancouver Canada
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Dec 26, 2012 - 06:14pm PT
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Well put about him just suddenly being there, Bruce.
I was in the back of a group of friends heading to the Mountain Room Bar at dusk, when this guy appears and falls in like one of the gang. "Hi I'm Luke" he says.
I tend to take people as good until proven otherwise, so I said hi. I was immediately given admonishment from friends who knew the score, to not talk to him, he was a thief, he was weird, buzz off Luke, etc,etc.
I had heard the story Scott posted and how the rangers were incredulous that he didn't "trip" once or twice down the trail before being delivered to them.
Walt Shipley's well deserved rep for telling stories was extra chilling one night when he was talking about "remember that Luke guy ? he got busted and you won't see him anymore. Guess who was in the trunk ? HIS GRANNY!"
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Cragman
Trad climber
June Lake, California....via the Damascus Road
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Dec 26, 2012 - 06:16pm PT
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No problem at all, RJ...I was just confirming, as I saw the WANTED poster in the post office.
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Dec 26, 2012 - 06:21pm PT
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Hey, anyone got a mug shot of Luke from the papers back then? That would be the icing on the cake!
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pyro
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Dec 26, 2012 - 06:38pm PT
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cosmic thank's for the read.
sound's like luke the fluke skywalker was a lost human :(
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