Shivangi Sinha
The Speed Freak Killers, Loren Herzog and Wesley Shermantine were a deadly duo who terrorized California in the 1980s and 1990s. Allegedly fueled by methamphetamine, their killing spree involved kidnappings, assaults, and brutal murder. As they were arrested in March 1999, they quickly turned on each other and gave a detailed account of the crimes they had been involved in over the years. In ID’s episode of ‘Evil Lives Here’ titled ‘My First Love Hunted People,’ the details of their criminal activities and how they were captured have been featured.
Wesley Shermantine and Loren Herzog Were First Investigated After the Disappearance of a Girl
Loren Joseph Herzog was born on December 8, 1965, and grew up in Linden, California. Wesley “Wes” Howard Shermantine Jr. was born on February 24, 1966, and was also raised in the same neighborhood, just down the street from Herzog. Unlike Herzog, Shermantine had a more privileged upbringing, as his father was a contractor and real estate developer. The two quickly became friends, often playing together and bonding over outdoor activities. Shermantine’s father would take both boys on hunting and fishing trips, making them well-acquainted with the wilderness of San Joaquin County. After graduating from Linden High School in 1984, they moved into an apartment in Stockton, California.
It has been alleged that since their school years, Herzog and Shermantine were notoriously troublesome, engaging in bullying, heavy drinking, and allegedly consuming large amounts of methamphetamine. Detectives who later investigated them suspected that their criminal behavior, including murder, had begun long before they were formally scrutinized. It wasn’t until 1999 that law enforcement closely examined them in connection with the disappearance of Cyndi Vanderheiden. The latter was the sister of Kim Vanderheiden—who had briefly dated Herzog—and she was last seen on November 14, 1998. Cyndi had disappeared after spending time with both men. As suspicions grew, police focused on them, and by mid-January, Shermantine’s car was sent for DNA analysis.
Wesley Shermantine and Loren Herzog Were Convicted of a Long List of Crimes
In the meantime, authorities brought Loren Herzog in for interrogation and considered him an accomplice. It didn’t take long for him to turn on Wesley Shermantine, and he provided a detailed account of the murders while placing the entire blame on his friend. He accused Shermantine of killing Henry Howell in 1994, Robin Armtrout, and Chevelle “Chevy” Wheeler, a 16-year-old who had been missing since October 16, 1985. He also claimed Shermantine was responsible for the murders of Howard King and Paul Raymond in 1984. When forensic reports from Shermantine’s car came back, traces of Cyndi Vanderheiden’s blood were discovered inside.
During the March 1999 interrogation, Shermantine initially denied all accusations, particularly regarding Cyndi’s murder. However, upon hearing his friend’s detailed conversations with the police, he suggested that if Herzog knew so much about the killings, then he must have been the one who committed them. Despite this, the former was ultimately charged with the first-degree murders of Wheeler, Cyndi, Cavanaugh, and King. In 2001, a jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to death. Herzog, on the other hand, was charged in 1999 with five counts of murder, including those of Cyndi, King, Cavanaugh, Howell, and Armtrout. He was convicted on three counts—Cyndi, King, and Cavanaugh—while being found guilty as an accessory in Howell’s case and acquitted in Armtrout’s case. He was sentenced to 78 years in prison.
In August 2004, when Herzog appealed his sentence, his convictions on three counts were overturned. His defense team successfully argued that his confession in three cases had been coerced and he had been deprived of his rights. A retrial was ordered for Cyndi’s case, but before it could take place, Herzog struck a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, furnishing amphetamine, and being an accessory to murder in the cases of Cavanaugh, King, and Howell. His sentence was reduced to 14 years, with credit for six years already served. By 2010, he was eligible for parole, and despite strong protests from the victims’ families, he was released on September 18, 2010. He was placed in a modular home on the grounds of High Desert State Prison and had to follow strict parole conditions.
Loren Herzog Passed Away in 2012, While Wesley Shermantine is on Death Row Even Today
While Loren Herzog had regained his freedom, in December 2011, Wesley Shermantine claimed he would reveal the locations of their victims’ remains. He referred to the areas as Herzog’s “party spots” and never took responsibility for the crimes. This came after bounty hunter Leonard Padilla offered him $33,000 in exchange for the information. Shortly after this, on January 17, 2012, Herzog was found dead in his trailer. It was determined that he had died by suicide from hanging. The following month, in February 2012, Shermantine provided maps to five burial sites where he claimed Herzog’s victims were buried.
At one of the identified locations, the remains of Cyndi Vanderheiden and Chevelle Wheeler were found. Additional sites were investigated based on Shermantine’s correspondence with the bounty hunter, which led to the discovery of 1,000 human bone fragments in a well in Linden, California. In March 2012, he wrote to a television station and claimed he knew of 72 more victims but would only provide details if the bounty hunter paid him. However, on February 22, 2013, the FBI announced it was ending the search, as many of the locations the convict pointed to yielded no results. Now 58 years old, Shermantine remains on death row at California State Prison, Sacramento, with no execution date set. The police believe them to be involved in more murders and that the answers will keep coming in slowly.
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