Bio

Michael Jose Monert was born in 1966 and was raised in Oakland, California. He was a former grocer and bartender. Before his arrest in the murder cases, he was also listed as a registered sex offender living in Hayward, California.

Monert’s known crimes took place in Oakland between 1989 and 1991. Prosecutors later described him as a serial murderer who targeted women he believed were prostitutes. His murders remained unsolved for more than 20 years until forensic evidence connected him to one of the victims.

In 2012, Oakland cold-case investigators linked Monert to the killing of Pamela Sanders through fingerprint evidence found on plastic bags around her body. After that, he later confessed to other killings and gave details that helped police connect him to the murders of Debra Lynn Adkins and Janice Flahiff. 

Murder Story

Michael Jose Monert’s first confirmed victim was Debra Lynn Adkins, a 29-year-old woman killed on October 1, 1989. According to prosecutors, Monert picked her up on International Boulevard in Oakland and took her to his home. Once inside his room, he struck her repeatedly in the head with a hammer. After killing her, he moved her body and left it above Skyline Boulevard near the entrance to Roberts Regional Park. He then returned home and cleaned the blood from the room.

His second confirmed victim was Janice Flahiff, aged 37. She was killed on May 20, 1991. Prosecutors said Monert picked her up and drove her to Courtland Avenue in Oakland. While she was inside his truck, he struck her in the head with a small hammer. He then left her body outside the truck. Courtland Avenue was a dead-end street at the time, and while trying to leave the area, Monert ran over her body. Tire marks found during the autopsy later matched the account he gave to investigators.

His third confirmed victim was Pamela Sanders, aged 33. She was killed on July 28, 1991. Monert was working at a local market when he lured Sanders into the rear of the store. Once she followed him inside, he used a hammer to strike her repeatedly in the head. After the murder, he cleaned the crime scene and moved her body a few blocks away. Her body was later found wrapped in large garbage bags.

For many years, the murders remained unsolved. The case changed in 2012 when Oakland cold-case investigators connected Monert to Pamela Sanders through forensic evidence. He was arrested in September 2012. While awaiting trial for Sanders’ murder, he confessed to additional killings. Authorities used the details he gave to connect him to the murders of Debra Adkins and Janice Flahiff.

Monert also claimed that he had killed a fourth woman, but police were unable to identify that victim or confirm the killing. Because of that, the legally confirmed victim count remains three.

His first trial ended in a mistrial after questions were raised about whether he was mentally competent to stand trial. In November 2016, CBS San Francisco reported that a jury found him competent, allowing a second trial to proceed.

On December 14, 2016, an Alameda County jury convicted Michael Jose Monert of first-degree murder for the killing of Pamela Sanders and second-degree murder for the killings of Debra Adkins and Janice Flahiff. The jury also found the multiple-murder special allegation true, which made him ineligible for parole.

On January 20, 2017, Monert was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His attorney argued that Monert suffered from a delusional disorder and had falsely confessed, but the jury accepted the prosecution’s case and the forensic evidence connecting him to the crimes.