Chetwynd, British Columbia — Andrea Scherpf, 23, and Bernd Goricke, 26, were German tourists hitchhiking through Chetwynd. It is believed that the couple met their demise when they took a ride from a man in a 1960's Chevrolet Pickup truck in early October of 1983.
The unidentified driver of the vehicle shot both victims and dumped the bodies 32 kilometers west of Chetwynd. The killer stole the victims' property and dumped a pair of blood-spattered jeans in a nearby trashcan.
Andrea and Bernd's bodies were found approximately 20 miles from where they were picked up in Chetwynd, close to British Columbia Highway 97 and the Pine river. They had each been shot. Their estimated time of death occurred on or near October 3rd, considering Andrea's travelers checks had been used to purchase fuel on October 4th and 5th in Prince George, Quesnel, McLeese Lake, Lac La Hache and 100 Mile House.
A man named Andy Rose was falsely accused of the crimes by a coworker and subsequently served nearly ten years in prison for murders he did not commit. He was exonerated thanks to DNA testing in 1996.
Vance Hill, originally from California, was another suspect who wound up getting arrested for separate charges on October 21, 1983. After his short prison stay, he moved back to California to be near his estranged wife and children. His wife, Willadeen Hill, told her nephew that Vance confessed to the murders before committing suicide in 1985. The nephew later turned the information into the police. Vance Hill was later exonerated as well, thanks to DNA evidence.
Andrea and Bernd's murders remain unsolved. If you have any information regarding the murders of Andrea Scherpf and Bernd Goricke, please contact the Royal Canadian Mountain Police at +1(250)-788-9221.
