Naman Shrestha
Investigation Discovery’s ‘Evil Lives Here: He Kept Her in a Tree Stump’ delves deep into the mysterious disappearance of a young woman named Lysandra Turpin in the spring of 1988 in Humboldt County, California. When the detectives could not get to the bottom of the truth or find the missing woman, the case went cold. More than two decades later, the investigators received a shocking lead that revealed the truth. Lysandra had been killed and buried by an alleged kidnapper. The documentary features the alleged killer’s son, who opens up about the alleged crimes of his father.
Lysandra Turpin’s Buried Remains Were Found in a Ditch in Fieldbrook
Lysandra Marie Turpin was born on December 20, 1963, in Eureka, California, where she grew up in a seemingly loving and supportive household. Known for her compassionate and energetic personality, she could light up even the dullest of rooms with her mere presence. Popular in her community, she had a lot to look forward to in her future when all of a sudden she disappeared in 1988. The 24-year-old woman (several reports also refer to her being 27 years old at the time) was reported missing to Humboldt County law enforcement on April 8, 1988.
After her disappearance, locals in Fieldbrook, California, joined the police to search for the missing woman. However, she was not found until more than two decades later, in February 2010. Following a surprising lead, the police discovered human remains in the form of 14 teeth, charred bone fragments, and clothing in a Fieldbrook ditch. A few months later, on April 7, the remains were positively identified as Lysandra Turpin’s by a forensic odontologist in Cloverdale, putting an end to the decades-long cold case.
Lysandra Turpin’s Killer Was Allegedly Responsible For Abusing Multiple Women
Despite trying their best, the authorities couldn’t crack the missing persons case of Lysandra Turpin due to a lack of evidence and witnesses. The cold case was cracked wide open when, in February 2010, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s office was contacted by a then 38-year-old man named Sam Christie (legally Ernest Samuel Christie, III). The caller claimed that he was 16 years old when he witnessed his father, Ernest Samuel Christie Jr., killing Lysandra in 1988. As per his account, Ernest kidnapped the woman and held her hostage in their Fieldbrook home for several weeks. Sam told the detectives that after abusing Lysandra for numerous weeks, his father killed her.
According to the alleged witness, Ernest also forced him to help him dispose of the woman’s remains in a nearby ditch. The alleged killer’s son was allegedly forced to cover the remains with tires, pour gasoline over them, and set them on fire. Sam guided the investigators to the ditch, where they eventually found her remains. Furthermore, he also claimed that Ernest was responsible for torturing several other women whom he allegedly picked up in Eureka and held hostage. He alleged that he used to keep multiple women prisoners, one of whom was allegedly kept in a hollowed-out tree stump, where the detectives found pieces of clothing, a hypodermic syringe, plastic jugs, and carpeting.
Sam told the authorities that his father, who allegedly used methamphetamine regularly, also tied up a woman on his fishing boat and threatened to kill her. Reports suggest that the woman managed to escape from his clutches and survive the alleged ordeal. After corroborating Sam’s allegations and finding key pieces of evidence that supported his claims, the police believed that Ernest Samuel Christie Jr. was responsible for Lysandra’s killing, as well as a couple of other drug-related kidnappings.
Ernest Christie Jr. Died in 2006 While Sam Christie Stayed Out of the Limelight
By the time Sam Christie reached out to the police and opened up about what he had allegedly witnessed during his teenage years, the alleged killer, Ernest Christie Jr., had already passed away. According to reports, the former fisherman and lifelong resident of Humboldt County died on March 20, 2006, reportedly of congestive heart failure. Although he was allegedly an accessory to Ernest’s crimes, Sam was not charged by the authorities, as they viewed him as a victim of abuse himself. As of 2010, he was residing in North Carolina and leading a private life.
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