Cora

*Warning – The information you are about to read may include discussions of true crimes, graphic details, and crime scenes, this may be too graphic for some people, please use discretion when reading*

On labor day 1994, Wisconsin was horrified when a 12 year old girl, Cora Jones, went missing while riding her bike. Her body was found five days later in a remote area. The investigation would lead to a serial rapist and murderer, David Spanbauer.

Cora Jones, was born in December 1981. She was the older sister to her brother Zack. Cora faced serious medical problems when young and had one of her kidney’s removed at three years old. Because of this, she wanted to be a kidney specialist when she grew up.

Cora was active in church and girl scouts, she was a kind and friendly kid, always willing to help others. It is sadly ironic, that one of her greatest fears was that she would be kidnapped. This fear began when she was around seven years old and to calm herself, Cora would watch a video for kids on how to avoid strangers. After time, her parents made her stop watching it, but Cora’s fears persisted.

September 5, 1994, Cora was at her grandmother’s house and went to go on a bike ride in the afternoon. She did not return, and a search for her began. Cora’s bike would be found lying in the middle of the road close to her grandmother’s house.

Sadly, the search for Cora ended on September 10, when two hunters found her body in a ditch along an isolated road, 75 miles away from where she was taken. Cora had been sexually assaulted, beaten, stabbed, and strangled.

In November of 1994, a sex offender named, David Spanbauer, was arrested when he attempted to burglarize a home. He confessed to numerous rapes and assaults and three murders, including the abduction, assault and murder of Cora Jones.

On December 8, 1994, when Cora would have turned 13, David Spanbauer plead guilty to murdering Cora. Cora’s mother, Vicki, stated, “Maybe this was our present to her, to get this guy.”

Cora’s legacy lives on, where people are trying to prevent this type of crime happening again to another child or adult. Please hug your family a little closer, and keep them safe.

Please be ever alert, make good choices, and stay safe