James Richard Curry
California Serial Killer and Rapist
CLASSIFICATION: Serial Homicide
LOCATION
California, United States
TIME PERIOD
1982-1983
VICTIMS
4 confirmed
James Richard Curry, an American serial killer and rapist, committed a series of murders in California and Nevada between 1982 and 1983, with confirmed victims numbering between four and five. His criminal activities included the murder of Richard Lemmon Jr. on February 17, 1982, where Curry shot Lemmon in the head and concealed his body in a storage locker. Curry was apprehended on January 4, 1983, but died by suicide in his cell three days later, leading to a posthumous identification as the killer of the Sheep Flats Jane Doe, later confirmed to be Mary Silvani. Investigative findings revealed Curry's history of robbery and assault, as well as his ownership of a self-storage facility where he stored items stolen from his victims, providing crucial evidence linking him to the crimes.
Curry is suspected of being involved in the disappearance of James DeWitt Robinson, with theories suggesting he may have killed Robinson to steal his settlement money. Additionally, investigators believe Curry may have been responsible for more murders than the confirmed four to five, with speculation that his crime spree could have extended from 1978 to 1983. After his arrest and subsequent suicide, some theorize that Curry may have taken his own life to avoid facing the consequences of his actions.
The Haunting Crimes of James Richard Curry
The Shadowy Beginnings
James Richard Curry's life story begins in the heart of Texas. Born on November 16, 1946, in Bexar, he entered the world as the illegitimate offspring of a Dallas couple whose affair left only his mother to brave the challenges of single parenthood. As a young man in the late 1960s or early 1970s, Curry's path took a dark turn. He found himself entangled with the law, culminating in a conviction for robbery and assault that earned him a 20-year sentence at the Huntsville Unit. After serving his time, he left Texas behind in 1977, seeking a fresh start in California. Settling in the quaint community of Waukena, Curry secured work within a locksmithing company, but the urges that would soon define his life were already brewing beneath the surface.
A Trail of Murders
In Waukena, Curry crossed paths with James DeWitt Robinson, a fellow locksmith who had come into a $10,000 settlement from a personal injury lawsuit. The potential for easy money may have lured Curry into a sinister plan. Robinson vanished without a trace in 1978, but no one reported him missing, leaving his disappearance shrouded in mystery. Over the next few years, Curry expanded his operations, acquiring a self-storage yard in Santa Clara. This business would soon serve as a backdrop to his heinous acts.
In early 1982, Richard Lemmon Jr., a Bakersfield native, approached Curry to store his belongings, including motorcycles and a truck. Their business relationship soured, and on February 17, Curry's malevolence came to a head. With cold efficiency, he lured Lemmon to the storage locker and ended his life with a .38 revolver, sealing the lifeless body in a wooden crate.
Five months later, on July 17, Mary Edith Silvani's life intersected fatally with Curry's. Somewhere in the expanse of Washoe County, Nevada, Curry brutally assaulted and murdered Silvani, shooting her in the back of the head. Her body, left along the Sheep's Flat hiking trail, became the infamous "Sheep's Flat Jane Doe," a case that puzzled authorities for decades due to the absence of identifying information.
Curry's final victims were Gerald and Sharon K. Novoselatz, a couple he knew through their rival self-storage business. A dispute at a 1981 Christmas party festered in Curry's mind until January 2, 1983. Under the guise of selling a .45 revolver, he visited their San Jose apartment. There, he executed Gerald, stole $400, and subjected Sharon to a horrific assault before forcing her into his car. As they drove towards the San Francisco International Airport, Sharon attempted a desperate escape when Curry stopped along State Route 92. Tragically, Curry caught her, and with chilling finality, sexually assaulted and shot her, abandoning her body near the Crystal Springs Reservoir.
The Arrest and Unraveling
Curry's spree unraveled swiftly. Two days post the Novoselatz murders, Curry voluntarily appeared for questioning, leading to his arrest. A search of his storage unit uncovered Lemmon's decomposing body. Faced with the evidence, Curry confessed to Det. Sgt. Robert Morse, pleading for Morse to end his life.
On January 6, while held at the Santa Clara County Jail, Curry attempted suicide with a mattress cover noose. A prison volunteer discovered him, but resuscitation efforts failed, and he was transported to the San Jose Hospital's intensive care unit. There, under constant watch, his life hung by a thread. The following day, his faint vital signs led doctors to disconnect life support, pronouncing him dead at 7:30 PM. The cause: suicide by hanging.
The Long Road to Closure
Though Curry's death brought a grim end to his immediate story, the enigma of the "Sheep's Flat Jane Doe" persisted until the mid-2010s. Inspired by a lecture on genetic genealogy by Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick, Washoe County Sheriff's Forensic Science Division joined forces with the DNA Doe Project and Identifinders International. Utilizing genetic genealogy, they uploaded a DNA sample from the victim to GEDmatch. This breakthrough connected Silvani's lineage to her 1974 misdemeanor arrest in Detroit, Michigan, confirming her identity.
Concurrently, Curry's DNA, with the help of his children, matched the perpetrator's, conclusively linking him to Silvani's murder. This revelation brought long-awaited closure to a haunting chapter in law enforcement history.
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First Murder Committed
James Richard Curry kills Richard Lemmon Jr. in a storage locker.
Second Murder Committed
Curry sexually assaults and murders Mary Edith Silvani in Nevada.
Third and Fourth Murders
Curry kills Gerald Novoselatz and rapes Sharon Novoselatz.
Curry Arrested
Curry voluntarily appears for questioning and is arrested.
Suicide Attempt
Curry attempts suicide in his jail cell.
Curry Dies
Curry is pronounced dead after being taken off life support.
Silvani Identified
Mary Silvani is identified as the Sheep Flats Jane Doe through DNA.
Curry Linked to Silvani
Curry's DNA is linked to the murder of Mary Silvani, closing the case.
James Richard Curry, an American serial killer and rapist, committed a series of murders in California and Nevada between 1982 and 1983, with confirmed victims numbering between four and five. His criminal activities included the murder of Richard Lemmon Jr. on February 17, 1982, where Curry shot Lemmon in the head and concealed his body in a storage locker. Curry was apprehended on January 4, 1983, but died by suicide in his cell three days later, leading to a posthumous identification as the killer of the Sheep Flats Jane Doe, later confirmed to be Mary Silvani. Investigative findings revealed Curry's history of robbery and assault, as well as his ownership of a self-storage facility where he stored items stolen from his victims, providing crucial evidence linking him to the crimes.
Curry is suspected of being involved in the disappearance of James DeWitt Robinson, with theories suggesting he may have killed Robinson to steal his settlement money. Additionally, investigators believe Curry may have been responsible for more murders than the confirmed four to five, with speculation that his crime spree could have extended from 1978 to 1983. After his arrest and subsequent suicide, some theorize that Curry may have taken his own life to avoid facing the consequences of his actions.
The Haunting Crimes of James Richard Curry
The Shadowy Beginnings
James Richard Curry's life story begins in the heart of Texas. Born on November 16, 1946, in Bexar, he entered the world as the illegitimate offspring of a Dallas couple whose affair left only his mother to brave the challenges of single parenthood. As a young man in the late 1960s or early 1970s, Curry's path took a dark turn. He found himself entangled with the law, culminating in a conviction for robbery and assault that earned him a 20-year sentence at the Huntsville Unit. After serving his time, he left Texas behind in 1977, seeking a fresh start in California. Settling in the quaint community of Waukena, Curry secured work within a locksmithing company, but the urges that would soon define his life were already brewing beneath the surface.
A Trail of Murders
In Waukena, Curry crossed paths with James DeWitt Robinson, a fellow locksmith who had come into a $10,000 settlement from a personal injury lawsuit. The potential for easy money may have lured Curry into a sinister plan. Robinson vanished without a trace in 1978, but no one reported him missing, leaving his disappearance shrouded in mystery. Over the next few years, Curry expanded his operations, acquiring a self-storage yard in Santa Clara. This business would soon serve as a backdrop to his heinous acts.
In early 1982, Richard Lemmon Jr., a Bakersfield native, approached Curry to store his belongings, including motorcycles and a truck. Their business relationship soured, and on February 17, Curry's malevolence came to a head. With cold efficiency, he lured Lemmon to the storage locker and ended his life with a .38 revolver, sealing the lifeless body in a wooden crate.
Five months later, on July 17, Mary Edith Silvani's life intersected fatally with Curry's. Somewhere in the expanse of Washoe County, Nevada, Curry brutally assaulted and murdered Silvani, shooting her in the back of the head. Her body, left along the Sheep's Flat hiking trail, became the infamous "Sheep's Flat Jane Doe," a case that puzzled authorities for decades due to the absence of identifying information.
Curry's final victims were Gerald and Sharon K. Novoselatz, a couple he knew through their rival self-storage business. A dispute at a 1981 Christmas party festered in Curry's mind until January 2, 1983. Under the guise of selling a .45 revolver, he visited their San Jose apartment. There, he executed Gerald, stole $400, and subjected Sharon to a horrific assault before forcing her into his car. As they drove towards the San Francisco International Airport, Sharon attempted a desperate escape when Curry stopped along State Route 92. Tragically, Curry caught her, and with chilling finality, sexually assaulted and shot her, abandoning her body near the Crystal Springs Reservoir.
The Arrest and Unraveling
Curry's spree unraveled swiftly. Two days post the Novoselatz murders, Curry voluntarily appeared for questioning, leading to his arrest. A search of his storage unit uncovered Lemmon's decomposing body. Faced with the evidence, Curry confessed to Det. Sgt. Robert Morse, pleading for Morse to end his life.
On January 6, while held at the Santa Clara County Jail, Curry attempted suicide with a mattress cover noose. A prison volunteer discovered him, but resuscitation efforts failed, and he was transported to the San Jose Hospital's intensive care unit. There, under constant watch, his life hung by a thread. The following day, his faint vital signs led doctors to disconnect life support, pronouncing him dead at 7:30 PM. The cause: suicide by hanging.
The Long Road to Closure
Though Curry's death brought a grim end to his immediate story, the enigma of the "Sheep's Flat Jane Doe" persisted until the mid-2010s. Inspired by a lecture on genetic genealogy by Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick, Washoe County Sheriff's Forensic Science Division joined forces with the DNA Doe Project and Identifinders International. Utilizing genetic genealogy, they uploaded a DNA sample from the victim to GEDmatch. This breakthrough connected Silvani's lineage to her 1974 misdemeanor arrest in Detroit, Michigan, confirming her identity.
Concurrently, Curry's DNA, with the help of his children, matched the perpetrator's, conclusively linking him to Silvani's murder. This revelation brought long-awaited closure to a haunting chapter in law enforcement history.
Sources
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
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First Murder Committed
James Richard Curry kills Richard Lemmon Jr. in a storage locker.
Second Murder Committed
Curry sexually assaults and murders Mary Edith Silvani in Nevada.
Third and Fourth Murders
Curry kills Gerald Novoselatz and rapes Sharon Novoselatz.
Curry Arrested
Curry voluntarily appears for questioning and is arrested.
Suicide Attempt
Curry attempts suicide in his jail cell.
Curry Dies
Curry is pronounced dead after being taken off life support.
Silvani Identified
Mary Silvani is identified as the Sheep Flats Jane Doe through DNA.
Curry Linked to Silvani
Curry's DNA is linked to the murder of Mary Silvani, closing the case.