Barbara Nantais

Citizen Detective

Episode 8 Barbara Nantais
In the early morning hours of August 13, 1978, 15 year-old Barbara Nantais and her boyfriend, 17 year-old James Alt were brutally attacked as they slept in their sleeping bag on Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego, California. Barbara was sexually assaulted, and her breast mutilated. She was strangled and beaten to death. James was also bludgeoned leaving him with severe head wounds and no recollection of the attack or the killer. After he regained consciousness, he stumbled to get help unable to see clearly from the attack.
When first responders arrived, they found evidence of a sadistic and bloody attack.
Jim was rushed to the hospital and doctors raced to save him and repair the terrible wounds he had suffered. Eventually, metal plates had to be put in Jim's skull. As Jim recovered in his hospital bed from his wounds, shockingly, he soon found himself on the suspect list, a list that he claims he is still on to this day.
News of the 1978 attack shocked Torrey Beach area residents, but it wouldn't be the only shocking crime to occur there. Just over 6 years after the murder of Barbara Nantais, 14 year-old Claire Hough was murdered on Torrey Pines State Beach just a couple hundred yards from where Barbara Nantais was murdered. And as in Barbara's case, Claire's breasts were also mutilated. Despite DNA pointing to possible suspects, one a known sex offender, and one a San Diego Crime Lab employee, there has been no official resolution in either murder.
In this episode, the team dives into the clues in both murders to see if there is anything that actually links them, and they are joined by Jim Alt who walks us through the awful details surrounding the attack on him and Barbara, and he discusses his efforts to see justice done, as well as his frustration with police investigating the case.
If you have information about the murders of Barbara Nantais, or Claire Hough, call the SDPD Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293. For anonymous tips, call Crimestoppers at 888-580-8477
Visit Jim Alt's advocacy group Surviving Victims of Violent Crime Facebook page
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Continue the conversation about this case with fellow Citizen Detectives over at Websleuths:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/forums/citizen-detective-true-crime-podcast.719/
The Citizen Detective team includes:
Co-Hosts- Mike Morford, Alex Ralph, and Dr. Lee Mellor
Writing and Research- Alex Ralph
Technical Producer- Andrew Gray
Production Assistant- Ashley Monroe