KPBS Midday Edition

10 Years After Murder Of Poway Teen Chelsea King

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Brooke Ruth / Senior Producer, Radio News

Published February 27, 2020 at 9:41 AM PST

This story was published more than 4 years ago.

Mourners hold up candles in memory of 17-year-old Chelsea King during a vigil at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Poway on March 2, 2010.

This month marks 10 years since the murder of Poway teenager Chelsea King shocked San Diego. King, 17, was raped and murdered while on an afternoon run around Lake Hodges.

This month marks 10 years since the murder of Poway teenager Chelsea King shocked San Diego. King, 17, was raped and killed while on an afternoon run around Lake Hodges.

We were soon to learn that a disappearance the year before, of Escondido teenager Amber Dubois, was also part of the tragic story.

John Gardner III pleaded guilty to raping and murdering King and Dubois. He was sentenced to life in prison.

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King's death led to the creation of Chelsea’s Law, which increased penalties for sex offenses against children. Now her family has created an organization to remember their daughter, Protect the Joy. It’s dedicated to advocating for all aspects of childhood safety.

Caitlin Rother wrote about the murders of King and Dubois in her book "Lost Girls" and joined Midday Edition on to revisit the case.

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Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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Brooke Ruth

Brooke Ruth is the senior producer for KPBS Radio News. She previously served as a producer for "KPBS Midday Edition" and a web producer. Before joining KPBS, Brooke was a web editor for four newspapers and a local television station. She began her career in news at the Imperial Valley Press. She has also been part of the web teams at the Napa Valley Register, North County Times, and U-T San Diego. While pursuing her undergraduate degree at UCLA in psychology, she worked on the student newspaper, the Daily Bruin.

See stories by Brooke Ruth