No Suspects Yet in Death of Woman, 19

While charges are expected to be filed today against the man suspected of killing 14-year-old Oak View resident Kali Manley, detectives continue to pursue leads in the death of another Ventura County teenager.

Unlike the Manley case, in which authorities were led to the body by their prime suspect, David Alvarez, 22, homicide detectives have had a tough time in their search for the killer of Simi Valley resident Melinda Brown, 19.

“Any time you have a case like this, where there are no witnesses and the body’s been in the forest, it’s going to be difficult,” said Capt. Mike Regan of the major crimes division of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. “We’ve put hundreds of hours into this case and have made considerable progress, but we need more.”

The investigation, which has been ongoing since Brown’s body was found Nov. 27 by hunters in the Hungry Valley area of Los Padres National Forest, has not identified any key suspects.

However, investigators said they are getting close and hope to resolve the case soon.

Though more than a dozen detectives were assigned to the case in the days immediately after the discovery of Brown’s body, that number has been scaled back to two. They are being assisted part time by detectives from the department’s homicide and sex crimes units.

Investigators have focused on a handful of people who either may be connected to Brown’s death or have information relating to it, Regan said.

They will also be conducting evidence tests in the coming month, in hopes of establishing physical links between a possible suspect or suspects and the crime.

“We’ve come a long way, but there’s not enough proof of anything right now,” Regan said. “We hope the results of those tests will bring us to where we want to be.”

Because the investigation is ongoing, authorities declined to elaborate on the nature of the evidence or the kinds of tests that will be performed.

Brown was last seen about 10 p.m. Nov. 13 at a Simi Valley gas station, where she apparently bought a soda and a pack of cigarettes.

Like Manley, the young woman phoned her father to tell him where she was and that she would return home shortly.

When she didn’t arrive, her family became worried and filed a missing person’s report with authorities before circulating fliers printed with the young woman’s picture.

Two weeks later, a group of hunters discovered Brown’s body in a remote area, accessible only by dirt roads, off the Golden State Freeway near Gorman. Brown died of a single gunshot in the torso.

Since then, Brown’s family has spent an agonizing month waiting for news on the investigation.

“No matter how long it takes, I want them to make sure that they’ve got a good, solid case,” said Rita Brown, the victim’s mother. “As long as this person is out there, other girls are at risk, and I don’t want to see someone get off on a technicality.”

Despite similarities between the Manley and Brown cases, neither investigators nor Brown’s family believe there is a connection.

However, the Browns can relate to the Manleys’ loss.

“It’s an awful experience,” Rita Brown said. “It’s the most devastating thing that can happen to a family, and it’s not something that any of us will ever get over.”

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