MURDER
CASE #: 1977-29
Beth Ann Headrick
Status:
Open
Date of Offense:
Date of Offense:
Jurisdiction:
Offense Location:
Harrisburg, Illinois
Summary:
15-year-old Beth Ann Headrick was last seen in the company of William Charles Reinbold near her home in the 800 block of W. Raymond Street in Harrisburg, Illinois on 07-27-1977. She was reportedly planning to go to the Saline County Fair with Reinbold, but she disappeared after leaving with him. Reinbold was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and arrested, but he was later released. He then moved to California. On December 11, 1977, Beth Ann's body was located in a field.
Vital Statistics
Circumstances of Offense:
William Charles Reinbold is considered a suspect for this homicide. Reinbold has an extensive criminal history including an arrest as a 17-year-old in Elgin, Illinois in 1970. On 04-01-1970, he followed a nurse, Ann Ward, as she walked S/B on Route 31 in Elgin, before approaching her from behind, striking her on the head, and dragging her into a culvert where he attempted to remove her clothing and stabbed her 45 times with a pocket knife. He also took her purse. He served 5 years in prison for that case. Upon his release in May of 1975, Reinbold moved back to Elgin and was a suspect in multiple blunt instrument attacks, bleach attacks, paint and motor oil attacks, and hit-and-run incidents involving young, female victims in the Elgin area between May of 1975 and April of 1977 before moving to Harrisburg, Illinois. He also is a suspect in the murder of 16-year-old Lori Jean Bolger. Lori was found beaten to death and dumped in a field near Randall Road in Elgin on June 22, 1976. On July 27, 1977, Reinbold was the last person seen with 15-year-old Beth Ann Headrick before she disappeared. He was arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and released. Reinbold then moved to California. In December of 1977, Beth Ann's body was found in a field approximately 1 mile from her home. Reinbold lived in northern California from the fall of 1977 to approximately 1981. During his time in California, Reinbold was a suspect in multiple incidents involving young women. On August 31, 1980, Diane Rodriguez was walking in Lake Tahoe when an unknown person approached her from behind and beat her over the head before dumping her in a nearby wooded area. She survived and was unable to identify her attacker. Reinbold was in the area riding his motorcycle and was listed as a suspect, but never charged. He also was arrested for squirting motor oil on several women, for burglarizing a girl's car at a high school, and for beating Debbie Chessie with a tire iron in a parking lot, however that case was later dismissed. Reinbold then moved back to Illinois living in the Canton area. Upon his return to Illinois, Reinbold became a suspect in the disappearance of 17-year-old Kimberly McClaskey who disappeared near London Mills, Illinois on June 16, 1983. Her belongings were found in the spoon river and her skull was later found in a field; however she was not positively identified until 2006. While in Illinois, he frequented the Peoria, Galesburg, and Canton area as well as nearby eastern Iowa. Then, on December 26, 1988, Reinbold abducted 21-year-old Mary Clark from a laundromat in Farmington, Illinois. He beat her to death and dumped her body in a field. He was convicted for the abduction and murder of Mary Clarke and is currently serving a life sentence.
Case Last Updated:
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Share what you learnTimeline of Events
Beth Ann Headrick's body is discovered in a field near IL Route 45 and Feazel Road.
William Reinbold moved to Yuba City, California sometime after August 3, 1977.
William Reinbold is released into the custody of the Elgin Police for a criminal damage case and transported to Elgin, Illinois. He is subsequently released.
William Reinbold is charged with contributing to the delinquincy of a minor for Beth Ann Headrick's case
Beth Ann Headrick is seen entering a vehicle driven by William Reinbold in the 800 block of W. Raymond Street.
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