San Luis Obispo County Cold Case Murder of Dorothy ‘Toby’ Tate Solved After Forty Years

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – On Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office announced it has solved the 1983 murder of 41-year-old Dorothy 'Toby' Tate of Estes Park, Colorado.

On Nov. 15, 1983, deputies responded to a suspicious van parked at a Highway 1 turnout about three miles north of Hearst Castle stated a press release from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.

Detectives discovered the body of Tate who had been fatally shot in the head and blood samples of a potential suspect were recovered, but the initial investigation did not result in any suspects and the case has remained a cold case for more than forty years detailed the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.

A DNA profile of an unidentified man was generated from the sample, but it did not match any known offenders in law enforcement databases noted Othram, a forensic laboratory that partners with law enforcement to solve cold cases based out of Woodlands, Texas.

In 2023, Cold Case Detective Clint Cole reopened the case with a review of the original evidence collected at the scene using updated investigative techniques including genealogical analysis in a partnership with Othram shared the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators were able to identify two deceased Texas men, Steven Hardy and Charlie Sneed (pictured below), and, after a review by the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office, it was determined that there was probable cause to support of the prosecution of the men if they were still alive explained the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.

The 1983 case has now been officially declared exceptionally cleared added the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.

According to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, blood evidence originally recovered at the scene was submitted for forensic analysis and Steven Richard Hardy was identified and confirmed through a DNA comparison with a close family member.

Fingerprints discovered on a Coca-Cola recovered during the initial investigation placed Charley Sneed at the scene of the crime and no evidence collected at the time or since indicate the involvement of any additional suspects concluded the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.

Detectives in 1983 noted that Tate's camera was missing from her van and the murder is now believed to have likely happened during a burglary as Tate's camera was later pawned in California and exchanged hands multiple times shared the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.

"This case demonstrates the power of modern forensic science and the commitment of Detective Cole, who never stopped working to bring justice to victims and their families," said Sheriff Parkinson.