The informants say all information was told to them by Jose William Lara including how he killed Thompson, when and where he buried her body, the documents say. During an interview, one informant told officers that Lara said he was at a party called a “Diablo Party” on the night of Jan. 7, 2012.

Lara told the informant that he was assaulted by three individuals who said he was not welcome and told him to leave, according to the documents. Lara then went home before returning to the area near the party and parked in hopes of finding the people who allegedly assaulted him.

Documents say while Lara was waiting in his car he saw two people walking away from the area and followed one of them in his truck believing that it may have been one of the individuals that “disrespected” him.

But documents tell a completely different story; one which has nothing to do with her estranged husband. Instead, they mention California City resident Jose Lara, 60.

Documents say informants told California City Police Department officers that Lara had been talking about, in detail, how he killed a woman with the same description as Thompson and buried her in the backyard of 20310 86th St. in California City, a residence Lara was renting at the time of the killing.

In The News - Merrell Fankhauser Inducted into Marquis' World of Who's Who - SmithBits for April 23 2020

SMITHBITSBy SDC RADIOWORKSApr 23, 2020