Crime & Safety

No Motive, No Suspects in Unsolved 2001 Murder of Oceanside Woman

Those who knew Rachel Pauline Rivera say she was the nicest person in the world. Help authorities find her attacker.

Friends of an Oceanside woman murdered in 2001 were heartbroken by her death, saying Rachel Pauline Rivera didn't have enemies. 

A clerk in the Circle K store on South Coast Highway that Rivera frequented daily told UT San Diego, "She was the nicest person in the world." The 48-year-old woman, who shared a home with her aunt, was found dead about 8:49 p.m. Jan. 25, 2001, in an alley not far from the store. She had been stabbed and shot. A motive for the killing is not clear. 

The clerk, who was not identified in the news report, may have been the last person to see her before she was killed. He told investigators he chatted with Rivera for about 15 minutes, then she told him she was heading home. Information gathered from store surveillance tapes suggest she was killed a short time later. 

Another witness told police she saw two men she didn't recognized loitering in the alley that evening. Authorities need the public's help to solve this crime. There is a $1,000 being offered. 

Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers:

—Oceanside Police Department at 760-435-4900
—Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477
—Information call also be submitted using an Online Tip Form (Crime Stoppers)

About this series:

Scores of cases throughout San Diego County go unsolved by local law enforcement investigators each year. A teen thought to be a runaway has still not come home. A dangerous parolee goes missing. A parent in a custody dispute kidnaps the children. A family member who is homeless and mentally ill disappears off the street. A loved one is murdered and there are few clues or no suspect.

No matter what the circumstances, police and relatives continue to search for those who are missing and wanted. They want the son, sister, or husband home. They want justice for the victims of crimes. They want the bad guys behind bars.

Each day in October, our Patch sites will feature a different person who is missing and wanted in San Diego County. Look at their pictures. Have you seen them? Do you have information that might help them be located, or identify a suspect?

Each profile will have a phone number for you to call to provide information. Let’s help investigators close these cases!

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