“May 1973 Amy BellThis assault was a vehicle abduction, not typical of known EAR attacks, and not linked to EAR/ONS until it was brought to the attention of reporter Michelle McNamara in 2015. It is believed to be a proto-EAR assault.In the weeks prior to her assault, Amy Bell’s apartment was broken into. A toddler sized doll had been moved. Clothing was moved; the burglar had masturbated on clothing, and stolen small items.Around Mothers Day, Amy Bell, a student-nurse at American River Hospital, whose Mustang had broken down that morning, walked home from work. After she turned off Engle onto Watt Avenue, a guy in a green Corvette pulled over and offered her a ride. He was 5’9″, wore light cords, a white tee, and shiny black shoes. He mentioned a common acquaintance.She accepted a ride, but he passed their turn. Amy tried getting the attention of other drivers. In ’73 the driver’s button to lock all doors was a new feature. He locked her in, masturbated in the vehicle, had a tiny penis, and said immature things. He drove to a location near Lake Natomas, a remote area on the Sacramento outskirts.

Amy Bell’s ordeal lasted 6 hours. She has PTSD as a result of this assault. She still has flashbacks. She got back in the vehicle and refused to leave it, which may have saved her life. EAR dropped her off in an unfamiliar area of the city, and she walked back to her apartment.

Ms. Bell made a police report. LE officers located a home where the Corvette had been seen. It was at a home on Marconi Avenue at Fulton. It was near where Amy had been picked up. LE also told Ms. Bell that the suspect had just had the new, green Corvette painted black by a friend who owned an auto-paint shop. The friend had alibi’d the Corvette driver the evening of the rape. LE told Ms. Bell that the DA wouldn’t prosecute the case because it might be too hard on her. DNA was not used in U.S. criminal cases for another 3 years.

In spite of her trauma, Ms. Bell spied on the home where the green Corvette had been parked. She saw a blue Volkswagen there on occasion. This car was repeatedly associated with EAR in the 1976/77 attacks.

Traumatized, Amy Bell relocated and did not hear of the EAR assaults until she saw a news piece by the late reporter Michelle McNamara. In 2015, Amy Bell contacted Michelle McNamara regarding the EAR/ONS case. Both women believed that the 1973 Corvette driver was EAR/ONS.

McNamara contacted Ret. Det. Shelby who discovered that a young man named Bruce had lived in the Marconi Ave home with his mom in the early 70s. His mother had since died, and Bruce had moved away. Attempts to find Bruce were unsuccessful. Amy Bell has seen pictures of Bruce and was certain he was not her assailant. Bruce would have been approximately 22 at the time. He has not come forward.

The automotive paint shop was located east of there several blocks in a commercial complex on the south side of Marconi. Shelby spoke with the paint shop owner. In their first conversation, the owner remembered many of the cars he had painted. In a later phone call, the paint-shop-owner told Shelby he couldn’t remember anything. Shelby believes he’s lying and possibly covering for this rapist, who is now believed to be EAR/ONS.”