Offender Record · OFF-2026-059
Jon Scott Dunkle (photo from the Radford University biography)
Jon Scott Dunkle
Sex
Male
Race
White
Born
1960
Custody
Incarcerated
States
CA, OR
Distinguishing featuresDescribed as short with dirty blond hair, pimples, dirty teeth with retainer (per California Supreme Court opinion).
Custody
Incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, death row unit · #D30423
Custody record at the facility
Death sentence imposed January 10, 1990 (per Wikipedia and California Supreme Court opinion S014200, affirmed August 4, 2005). Life sentence imposed December 30, 1994 for Dannehl murder. As of 2016, Dunkle described as 'gravely disabled' and appointed legal guardian in 2002 due to mental incompetence.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Jon Scott Dunkle was born October 11, 1960, in Los Angeles, California. He was convicted of the first-degree murders of 15-year-old John Davies (stabbed in 1981) and 12-year-old Lance Turner (stabbed 23 times in 1984) in Belmont, California, and pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of 12-year-old Sean Dannehl (stabbed in 1985) in Sacramento County. Dunkle was sentenced to death in 1990 and to life without parole in 1994. He remains incarcerated on death row at San Quentin State Prison.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Nov 08, 1981, Belmont, California
First-degree murder
San Mateo County District Attorney · San Mateo County Superior Court · Docket C-17651-01 · California Penal Code §187 · Arrested Oct 03, 1986 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death penalty via lethal injection; sentenced January 10, 1990
John Thomas Davies, age 15, was lured from his Belmont home by Dunkle on November 8, 1981. Dunkle stabbed him with a paring knife and buried his body. The victim's family became advocates for missing and abused children after his disappearance.
SourcesPeople v. Dunkle, S014200; Jon Dunkle; Dunkle gets life in prison
Offense date Nov 05, 1982, San Mateo, California
Attempted murder
San Mateo County District Attorney · San Mateo County Superior Court · California Penal Code §187 · Arrested Nov 05, 1982 · Charged (pending) Charged (pending) · Sentence: Charged as felony hit-and-run; disposition status unclear from public records
On November 5, 1982, Steve Murphy, age 16, was struck by Dunkle's car while walking home from a party in San Mateo. Dunkle placed him in the car trunk, drove him to Belmont, and dumped him in a ravine. Murphy suffered internal injuries requiring spleen and kidney removal and spent weeks in the hospital. He survived.
SourcesPeople v. Dunkle, S014200; Jon Dunkle
Offense date Dec 31, 1982, San Mateo, California
Attempted murder
San Mateo County District Attorney · California Penal Code §187 · Sentence: Police treated as New Year's Eve brawl; no criminal charges documented in public records
On December 31, 1982 (New Year's Eve), Monte Hansen, age 16, invited Dunkle to his home while his parents were out. Dunkle arrived under the influence and struck Hansen multiple times with a wooden board to the head and forearms. Dunkle was smiling during the attack and produced a knife before fleeing. Hansen survived by blocking blows and screaming. The incident was initially treated as a brawl by police.
SourcesPeople v. Dunkle, S014200; Jon Dunkle
Offense date Oct 02, 1984, Belmont, California
First-degree murder
San Mateo County District Attorney · San Mateo County Superior Court · Docket C-17651-01 · California Penal Code §187 · Arrested Oct 03, 1986 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death penalty via lethal injection; sentenced January 10, 1990
Lance Turner, age 12, was stabbed 23 times by Dunkle on October 2, 1984, near Waterdog Lake in Belmont. The boy was found with fatal heart and lung wounds. Court records describe this as a crime motivated by thrill-seeking and the defendant's delight in causing suffering.
SourcesPeople v. Dunkle, S014200; Jon Dunkle; Dunkle gets life in prison
Offense date Jul 02, 1985, Fair Oaks, California
First-degree murder
Sacramento County District Attorney · Sacramento County Superior Court · California Penal Code §187 · Arrested Oct 03, 1986 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment without possibility of parole; sentenced December 30, 1994
Sean Dannehl, age 12, was chased on his bicycle and rammed by Dunkle on July 2, 1985, in the American River area of Sacramento County. Dunkle forced the boy to remove his clothing before stabbing him fatally. Dunkle pleaded guilty under negotiated arrangement with prosecution.
SourcesPeople v. Dunkle, S014200; Dunkle gets life in prison
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
3
Victims convicted
3
Victims confessed
0
Victims suspected
Active years
1981–1985
Stated motive
Sexual, Thrill
Range from home
local
Confessed
Yes
Cooperated with investigators
Yes
Education
high school
Marital history
Never married
Children
0
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
CA
Los Angeles, California
approx. 1960 – 1980 · Born here; childhood residence
Belmont, California
approx. until 1978 · Carlmont High School; graduated 1979
Belmont, California
approx. 1980 – 1985 · Primary residence during active crime period
Belmont, California
approx. 1980 – 1985 · Toys R Us, Belmont Lapidary, Pinkerton Security (fire detection), The Bubble Machine, gas station, Carl's Jr., IRS warehouse
San Mateo, California
approx. 1983 – 1983 · San Mateo County jail; 120 days for DUI (fourth offense in 1983)
San Luis Obispo, California
approx. 1985 – 1986 · California Men's Colony; serving burglary sentence where he confessed murders to cellmate Charles Rice
San Mateo, California
approx. 1986 – 1990 · San Mateo County jail; held pending trial and during trial for Davies and Turner murders
San Quentin, California
1990 – present · Death row unit; inmate D30423; continues to present day
OR
Oregon
approx. 1981 – 1981 · Youth for Christ training camp; claimed to have left due to excessive work demands
Known Vehicles
Vehicles and approximate dates of ownership or use, as reported in the cited records. A photo next to a vehicle is the vehicle itself as published.
1980 white Honda Civic
approx. 1980 – 1985
Gift from father; used in multiple crimes including the attempted murders of Steve Murphy and Monte Hansen and possibly in the murders of the three boys
Timeline
Oct 11, 1960
Jon Scott Dunkle born in Los Angeles, California.
Nov 08, 1981
Dunkle murdered 15-year-old John Davies, stabbing him with a paring knife after luring him from his Belmont home to Edgewood Park.
Nov 05, 1982
Dunkle attempted to murder 16-year-old Steve Murphy by hitting him with his car while Murphy was walking in San Mateo, then placing him in the trunk and dumping him in a ravine in Belmont.
Dec 31, 1982
Dunkle attempted to murder 16-year-old Monte Hansen by striking him repeatedly with a two-by-four board at Hansen's home on New Year's Eve while under the influence of alcohol.
Jul 1983
Dunkle arrested for driving under the influence (fourth DUI offense); sentenced to 120 days in prison and license revoked for three years.
Oct 02, 1984
Dunkle murdered 12-year-old Lance Turner by stabbing him 23 times near Waterdog Lake in Belmont, California.
Apr 04, 1985
Dunkle broke into the home of Richard Renne with intent to commit burglary.
May 1985
Dunkle arrested for burglary of Richard Renne's home; sent to California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo to serve burglary sentence.
Jul 02, 1985
Dunkle murdered 12-year-old Sean Dannehl by ripping him from his bicycle on the American River bike trail in Sacramento County, forcing him to remove his clothing, and stabbing him fatally.
Oct 03, 1986
Dunkle arrested in connection with the 1985 burglary; while in custody, he confessed to the murders of John Davies and Lance Turner to a cellmate at California Men's Colony.
Oct 03, 1986
Dunkle arrested following confessions and transferred to San Mateo County jail to face charges for the Davies and Turner murders.
May 27, 1987
Dunkle examined by defense psychiatrist Dr. George Wilkinson.
Jun 02, 1987
Dunkle transferred from San Mateo jail to Chope Hospital under 5150 hold due to experiencing hallucinations and expressing suicidal ideation; discharged back to jail with diagnosis of acute paranoid disorder.
Jan 05, 1988
Dunkle examined for competency by defense psychiatrist Dr. George Wilkinson.
Aug 03, 1989
Jury found Dunkle competent to stand trial after hearing testimony from multiple psychiatrists regarding his mental state.
Oct 10, 1989
Trial began for the murders of John Davies and Lance Turner in San Mateo County Superior Court.
Dec 06, 1989
Dunkle convicted of two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of John Davies and Lance Turner by San Mateo County jury; multiple-murder special-circumstance findings included.
Jan 10, 1990
Dunkle sentenced to death by lethal injection for the murders of John Davies and Lance Turner.
Dec 30, 1994
Dunkle pleaded guilty to first-degree murder of Sean Dannehl and sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole.
1995
Dunkle transferred to San Quentin State Prison death row unit to serve death sentence.
Jul 2002
California Supreme Court appointed legal guardian Conrad Petermann for Dunkle due to his mental incompetence to assist in his own appeals; first adult California death row inmate to receive such appointment.
Aug 04, 2005
California Supreme Court voted unanimously to affirm Dunkle's death sentence in People v. Dunkle, S014200, rejecting all appellate challenges to conviction and sentence.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
Other · Radford University, Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Dunkle, Jon Scott“Compiled biographical and case timeline from public records including crimes, arrests, convictions, psychiatric evaluations, and incarceration.”
Other government record · Wikipedia / California DOC ·
List of current inmates at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center“Jon Dunkle | D30423 | Murdered three boys in the 1980s.”
News report · Murderpedia ·
Jon Scott Dunkle“Former San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Judith Whitmer Kozloski declined to find Dunkle incompetent for trial and the jury convicted him on two counts of first-degree murder Dec. 6, 1989.”
News report · Wikipedia ·
Jon Dunkle“Jon Scott Dunkle (born October 11, 1960) is an American serial killer who murdered three young boys in Belmont, California, between 1981 and 1985.”
Court record · California Supreme Court ·
People v. Dunkle, S014200“A jury convicted defendant Jon Scott Dunkle of the first degree murders of 15-year-old John Davies and 12-year-old Lance Turner, finding true a multiple-murder special-circumstance allegation and weapon-use enhancement allegations.”
News report · SF Gate ·
Dunkle gets life in prison“Jon Scott Dunkle, already sentenced to die for the murders of two Peninsula boys a decade ago, has been given life imprisonment without parole in the slaying of another youth.”
Discussion
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