Unknown Victim: Sable Pickett

In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers: On Valentine’s Day 2014, 19-year-old Sable Pickett vanished in Anaheim, California. For years, her disappearance remained a mystery—until a death row confession from a convicted serial killer cracked the case wide open. Anyone with information about this case should contact the Santa Ana Police Department at 714-245-8600. 

This is the story of Sable Pickett.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today we
delve into a case from Anaheim, California, is the story
of a nineteen year old woman who vanished on Valentine's

(00:20):
Day twenty fourteen. Her disappearance remained a mystery for years
until a chilling confession unveiled a serial killer's hidden victim.
This is the story of Sable Alexandria Picket. Sable was

(00:41):
born on April eighteenth, nineteen ninety four, in Compton, California.
Described as petit, standing five feet tall and weighing ninety pounds,
she had black hair, brown eyes, multiple tattoos, and pierced ears.
Sable attended Compton High School, but later obtained her GED,
aspiring to join the Air Force. Unfortunately, difficulties with the

(01:06):
math qualification test hindered that dream. Subsequently, she turned to
sex work to support herself. On February fourteenth, twenty fourteen,
Sable was last seen in Anaheim, California, near Beach Boulevard.
She had been living between various relatives' homes, but maintained

(01:28):
regular contact with her mother. When communication stopped, her family
grew concerned and reported her missing. In April twenty fourteen,
registered sex offenders Stephen Dean Gordon and Frank Canno were
arrested and charged with the murders of four women, Keanna Jackson,

(01:49):
Josephine Vargas, Martha Anaya, and Jerrey Nicole A step Jurey's
body was discovered at an Anaheim recycling plant, while the
others remained missing. Both men were wearing GPS ankle monitors
at the time, a condition of their parole, and were

(02:10):
not supposed to associate with one another. During a thirteen
hour confession, Gordon told Anaheim police detective Julisa Trapp, you're
missing one. He described a fifth victim, a young black
woman from Compton who worked alone. Gordon provided specific details,

(02:36):
including her tattoos in the description of her pimp's car,
which matched Sables. Detective trap was determined to identify this
unknown victim. Through meticulous investigation, she confirmed that the fifth
victim was indeed Sable Picket. In March twenty seventeen, Trap

(03:00):
informs Sable's family, bringing them some measure of closure. Sable's grandmother,
Michelle Malvaux, expressed relief, stating, my heart is light now.
I don't have to worry. I know she's in heaven.
Stephen Gordon was convicted and sentenced to death for the murders.

(03:22):
Frank Cano pleaded guilty to four accounts of rape and murder,
receiving a life sentence without parole. Despite these convictions, Sable's
body has never been recovered. Authorities believe she, along with
the other missing victims, may be buried in an Orange
County landfill. My thoughts and prayers are with the family

(03:47):
and friends of Sable Picket. Anyone with information about this
case to contact the Santa Anna Police Department. Their contact
information can be found in the description box below. As
we close out this episode, don't forget to hit the
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(04:10):
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for joining us on another episode until next time. Hunting

(04:38):
for Answers is a production of the Black Effect podcast network.
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