Justine Vanderschoot murder: Family fights to keep killers in prison
CBS News’ 48 Hours revisits the 2003 killing of the California teen and her family’s repeated parole battles.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
The Justine Vanderschoot murder still sends her family back to court more than two decades after the 17-year-old vanished from Auburn, California, and was later found dead in a remote area, according to CBS News’ “48 Hours.”
Justine disappeared in the early hours of Sept. 2, 2003. Her mother, Lynnette Vanderschoot, found her bedroom empty and her truck missing from the driveway, CBS reported. More than two weeks later, on Sept. 18, her remains were discovered.
“48 Hours” reported that Justine had been strangled and buried alive. Her convicted killers, Danny Bezemer and Brandon Fernandez, had once been close to the family. Now, the Vanderschoots are fighting to keep them behind bars as parole hearings continue.
What happened in the Justine Vanderschoot murder?
According to CBS News, Justine was a high school senior with plans tied to fashion and beauty. Her family described her as energetic and creative, and her sister Christine said the two had been best friends, only 18 months apart.
Bezemer had dated Justine after meeting the family through Fernandez, CBS reported. He became a regular in the Vanderschoot home, and Justine’s father, Don, helped him get a job at an auto dealership.
Family members and friends later told “48 Hours” they saw warning signs in the relationship. Christine Vanderschoot described Bezemer as controlling, while Lindsey Morris, who had dated Fernandez, told CBS that Justine had confided in her about jealousy and possessiveness.
Retired Placer County Detective Angela Ford told CBS that tension rose after Justine met a Navy sailor during a spring break trip to Florida in 2003. Investigators later interviewed the sailor and determined he was not involved in her disappearance, CBS reported.
Justine’s family and the community searched Auburn after she disappeared. Don Vanderschoot told CBS they posted missing-person flyers and tied pink ribbons because pink was Justine’s favorite color.
Investigators found Justine’s truck at a park-and-ride about five miles from the family home, according to CBS. A horse rider, Matt Scribner, later told “48 Hours” he had noticed a freshly dug hole along a nearby trail about a week earlier, then saw that the hole had been covered with debris.
Detectives also focused on phone records. Retired Placer County Sheriff Ed Bonner told CBS that the last two incoming calls to Justine’s phone on the night she was killed came from Fernandez.
Why is her family still going to parole hearings?
CBS reported that Bezemer and Fernandez were convicted in Justine’s killing and have made repeated attempts to get out of prison. Bonner said the Vanderschoots have returned to court seven times in the past seven years because of parole proceedings.
For the family, the case remains both a memory and an ongoing fight. Outside Justine’s bedroom window, her parents maintain what they call Justine’s Garden, with mementos and a dogwood tree planted in her memory, CBS reported.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.