Doug,
‘Limitations, there really are none. Only the ones we put on ourselves.’
Danny
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The headlines read, ‘The Last Good Deed Cost Daniel A. Walker Jr. His Life’ and ‘Murder Victim Was Always Doing Favors.’
The unresolved twist-of-fate story regarding the October 1, 1974, murder of Danny Walker has haunted his family and friends for nearly fifty years. What happened to the free-spirited, easygoing twenty-one-year-old as he crossed the Mojave Desert that fateful night?
Just hours before he was killed, Dan stopped near Cajon Pass to pick up a hitchhiker whose destination was Texas. Dan may have changed his route out of California to accommodate the young traveler. Shielded by Dan‘s gear in the back of the van, the eighteen-year-old hitchhiker was an ear-and-eye witness to Dan‘s final moments.
Only those closest to Dan knew the basic facts of his murder, which remains a cold case. Those further removed from available information were left to wonder, often forming their own interpretations based on hearsay.
Why was Dan in California? Did he know his killers? What did the police do to catch the two assailants? What did they believe was their motive?
The identities of Dan’s killers may remain a mystery, but what is known lies within.
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‘We are all very proud of you, my friend. Everyone speaks so highly of you, always and without exception.’
My Love,
Dad
Cuprins
Prologue 1
Just Another Tuesday 5
The Good Life in The Sixties 13
Daniel My Brother 17
The Trip to Abilene and Buffalo Gap 23
Digging Through Memories 29
The Connection 43
A Long-Overdue Meeting 47
Ken Robinson 55
Down on the Bayou 67
Home 75
The Homestead and Richard Menzies 81
Whizzing Around with ‘Wiz’ 99
The Attempt at College 109
Derrel’s House 125
Getting to Cajon Pass 139
The Killers and Speculation 149
Daniel My Brother Redux 161
Why So Long 169
Europe ’72 181
Back To Denver 189
Please Come to L.A. 193
Ear and Eyewitness 211
The World Tilts225
Sunday Morning 231
Danny Boy: A Blog by Richard Menzies September 29, 2011 235
Request 239
Acknowledgments 241