On June 29, 1984, 19-year-old Veronica Perotti was found dead in her college apartment in Chico, California. More than four decades later, her case has still not been solved.
Veronica was living alone in her apartment during the summer of 1984. She was enrolled in a five-year nursing program at Chico State University, taking a summer class and working as a hostess at a local Italian restaurant.
Veronica’s friends planned to move in with her when the fall semester started. They had already visited and brought some of their belongings.
But then, on June 29, Veronica did not show up for her scheduled shift at noon. Her boss called, but Veronica did not answer, so her boss called one of her friends.
That friend biked over to the apartment to check on Veronica. The night before, she was talking to a friend on the phone and said that she was going to read a book in bed.
Through the front window, the friend noticed that Veronica’s bedroom door, which was on the first floor, was closed. When she walked around to the back of the apartment, she saw Veronica sprawled across the floor of her bedroom.
She screamed, catching the attention of nearby construction workers. They opened the window to get to Veronica and found that she was dead.
Veronica had been brutally murdered. She was beaten to death and partially disrobed. She also may have been attacked with a knife or other sharp object.
According to Veronica’s mother, Jan, the mortuary recommended against opening Veronica’s casket for the funeral. Police believe that Veronica knew her killer, who was likely a white male between the ages of 20 and 26.
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He had entered through the unlocked back window.
Around the time of Veronica’s case, other murders occurred, and authorities looked into any possible connections.
A 29-year-old woman was stabbed inside her home in Chico, California, shortly after Veronica’s death, and a golden Labrador retriever was killed and buried on the same night Veronica died. However, the police couldn’t tie the crimes together.
At least 700 people have been interviewed in Veronica’s case, but nothing new was ever discovered. Over time, her case grew cold.
Jan became involved in multiple organizations, working with other families of murder victims. In April 1994, she started her own organization, Citizens Against Homicide, which raises money to pay for DNA processing.
Additionally, Veronica’s family has been awarding a scholarship in her honor at her high school for 41 years. She attended Marin Catholic High School in Kentfield, California.
Veronica’s case is an active murder investigation. In 2009, the California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, signed a proclamation offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Veronica’s killer.
If you have any information about her homicide, you are urged to contact the BCSO Felony Investigations Unit at 530-538-7671.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
