Wisconsin residents were shocked when Cora Jones, 12-year-old, disappeared while riding her bicycle close to her Waupaca County home. Although family members and authorities tried their best to find the girl, the case was turned into a murder investigation after her body had been found in Langlade County. Investigation Discovery’s ‘On the Case with Paula Zahn: Terror in Waupaca’ chronicles the horrifying incident and shows how the police managed to bring the perpetrator to justice. Let’s delve into the details of the crime and find out more, shall we?
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How did Cora Jones pass away?
Cora Jones, a 12-year-old lively and happy girl who lived in Waupaca County along with her family was an amazing 12 year old. While Cora was the apple of her parents’ eye, people who knew her described her as a brilliant student who had great aspirations for her future. Cora was also a popular friend because of her kindness and helpful nature. But all her hopes and dreams about the 12-year old ended when fate took her life.
Although Cora and her family were away on Labour Day, September 5, 1994 was a typical day at the Jones household. Cora wanted to have fun on her holiday so she took her bike out to ride around the neighborhood. But that was the last time anyone saw Cora alive. She disappeared into thin air, never to be seen again. When Cora’s loved ones realized that the girl had been gone for long, they raised the alarm and gathered a few neighbors to search the nearby areas. It soon became dark and Cora’s parents reported her missing to the police.
After launching their own investigation, the authorities searched the area with search teams. They used all available resources and tried to find Cora, but she was not found. On the other hand, even though Cora’s family held on to the hope of her safe return, they began fearing the worst as days began to pass. Ultimately, their biggest fear was confirmed when a few hunters discovered Cora’s body in a secluded location in Langlade County. While an initial investigation showed bruises and stab wounds all over the victim’s body, an autopsy soon determined that the killer sexually assaulted her before stabbing and strangling her to death.
Cora Jones Was Killed by Who?
Unfortunately, the initial investigation into Cora’s death was quite challenging as the police had no leads or witnesses to follow. The authorities searched the area where the body had been found, and even went to the site in search of witnesses. However, there was nothing they could use for their investigation. Her parents and friends were unable to understand why anyone would harm such a pure soul, as the victim was only 12 years old.
Quite surprisingly, the police reached their first breakthrough when they compared Cora’s abduction to another unrelated attempted kidnapping that occurred in the same area in July 1994. Cora was 12 years younger than the second victim. However, there were many similarities. Cora was riding her bicycle when she was robbed by the abductor and tried to take her. Thankfully, the woman escaped and provided the police with a detailed description, and authorities suspected the same person of being behind Cory’s murder.
Authorities eventually arrested David Spanbauer, a man he claimed was trying to rob a bank. However, once brought in for questioning, the police couldn’t help but notice the similarities between the arrested person and the description of the July attacker. They decided to interrogate David and he soon confessed that he had murdered Cora Jones.
Is David Spanbauer still alive or dead?
David Spanbauer pleaded guilty in Court to the murder of Cora Jones. He also pleaded not guilty to the July 1994 killing of Trudi Jeschke and the August 1992 murder, Ronelle Eichstedt. There were several other sexual assault or kidnapping allegations. As a result, in 1994, David was sentenced to three life sentences along with an additional 403 years in prison. David was behind bars when he died on July 29, 2002 at the age of 61.
Read more: Christa Worthington Murders: How Did She Death? Who Killed her?