San Joaquin County Sheriff’s deputies search for human remains on Wes Shermantine’s family property on Jan. 30
CALAVERAS COUNTY, CA - San Joaquin County sheriff's deputies were in Calaveras County Wednesday, searching for human remains that may belong to two victims of convicted murderers Wes Shermantine and Loren Herzog.
Sheriff's spokesman Deputy Les Garcia said deputies are searching on land that belonged to Shermantine's family. Last week, deputies were searching another part of the property, just northeast of San Andreas on Leonard Road, for remains of Cyndi Vanderheiden and Chevelle Wheeler.
Shermantine and Herzog were convicted of four murders, including Vanderheiden and Wheeler's deaths, but the bodies of the victims were never found.
Neighbors took a news crew alongside a steep and narrow country road on land that once belonged to Shermantine's family that deputies are searching.
Several local residents said they have long-suspected the area held the bodies of several victims.
"We all knew he killed her here. We all knew he killed Chevy Wheeler back in - I moved here 21 years ago," said neighbor Sharon Johnson, who said they suspected Shermantine going back to killings in the 1980's.
Last month, Shermantine said he would show authorities the location of the bodies in return for a reduced sentence.
Garcia did not say what lead deputies to the location.
Others who live nearby in the hilly area of Calaveras County said they had tried to get authorities to search more carefully before.
"My dad witnessed Shermantine and Herzog on a quad-runner digging in the ground in a really strange area that my dad thought was suspicious. He notified Calaveras County Sheriff's and he was told, just stay out of it, leave it alone," said neighbor Curtis, who only wanted to give his first name.
Some residents wonder if Shermantine is playing a game with investigators in their search here, not far from the Shermantine's former home.
"Shermantine was teasing these guys, saying she was at the base of an oak tree," Curtis said, pointing out the area adjacent to the family's former home Wednesday night with a spot light.
Shermantine is on death row. Herzog committed suicide late January.
Johnson said she believes Shermantine does know where bodies are buried.
"Let him come down the road one last time," she said.
News10/KXTV