Who were the victims of Speed Freak Killers? Details explored ahead of Evil Lives Here on ID
The Speed Freak Killers, a serial killer duo from Linden, California, were active during the late 1980s and 1990s. Loren Herzog and Wesley Shermantine began with minor offenses, but they quickly spiraled into a spree of murders and rapes.
The Speed Freak Killers are suspected of being involved in numerous cases of missing persons and murders. Loren and Wesley were responsible for the murders of Chevy Wheeler, Howard King, Paul Cavanaugh, and many more.
Watch Evil Lives Here on February 23, 2025, at 9 pm EST on Investigation Discovery to know more about the story of Loren Herzog and Wesley Shermantine. As reported by CBS News, below is a list of some of their known victims, along with several missing people who are suspected to be mudered by them.
The victims of Speed Freak Killers
- Chevy Wheeler: 16-year-old Chevy Wheeler left her high school and ran away with 19-year-old Wesley Shermantine in a truck. She was last seen then.
- Henry Lee Howell: 41-year-old vehicle driver Henry Lee Howell from Santa Clara suddenly pulled over his car, and as he stepped out in an intoxicated state, Shermantine allegedly attacked him with a shotgun.
- Howard King and Paul Cavanaugh: Herzog stated that Shermantine shot and killed Howard King on November 27, 1984, at Roberts Island, while he was in the driver’s seat. He then pulled Paul Cavanaugh out of the passenger seat and shot him in the head as well.
- Kimberly Ann Billy: Kimberly Ann Billy disappeared from Stockton, California, on December 11, 1984, with the Speed Freak Killers identified as the suspects.
- JoAnn Hobson: 16-year-old Joann Hobson disappeared from Stockton, California in 1985, with the Speed Freak Killers identified as the suspects.
- Robin Armtrout: On September 8, 1985, Herzog and Shermantine met 24-year-old Roberta Ray Robin Armtrout at a park in Stockton. They had planned to go out for drinks, but instead, they drove to a farm near Linden, close to where both men lived.
- Susan Robin Bender: 15-year-old Susan Robin Bender left her family home on April 25, 1986, to stay with friends in Carmel, California. She was last seen talking on the phone at the Greyhound bus depot.
- Sylvia Lourdes Standly: 31-year-old Sylvia Lourdes Standly disappeared from Modesto, California. She called her family and said she would be home soon, but she never returned. She was last seen getting into a green and blue truck.
- Gayle Marie Marks: 18-year-old Gayle Marie Marks disappeared from Stockton, California, and in 2012, Shermantine and Herzog were questioned regarding the case.
- Phillip Cabot Llyod Martin: 47-year-old Phillip Cabot Lloyd Martin was last seen on September 30, 1993, in North Stockton, California. That day, he forgot to pick up his daughter from school, and after that, no one saw him again.
- Tracy Diane Melton: 32-year-old Tracy Diane Melton disappeared on May 6, 1998, and her remains were identified in Linden in 2003.
- Cynthia Ann Vanderheiden: 25-year-old Cynthia Ann Vanderheiden disappeared from Clements, California, on November 14, 1998. Later, Herzog and Shermantine were found guilty of her murder.
What is the story of Speed Freak Killers?
Born and raised in Linden, California, Loren Herzog and Wesley Shermantine became childhood friends, according to a documentary on the YouTube channel, True Lives. They were inseparable from a young age, and their bond grew stronger as they moved through Linden High School. This close relationship eventually led to their involvement in a series of crimes.
As graduation approached, their paths took a darker turn. They became notorious for bullying, drinking, and getting caught in the grip of drugs, with methamphetamine being their drug of choice.
As time went on, their crimes escalated, turning into a twisted game of torturing and killing people. Wesley Shermantine and Loren Herzog were initially convicted of the murders of four individuals, but they are believed to be responsible for the deaths of as many as 72 people, according to Sky News.
In 2012, Loren died by suicide, while Wesley is still on death row at San Quentin State Prison in California.
There were many other cases in which the Speed Freak Killers were involved.
