Bio

Shelby Glenn Shamblin was born in 1964. He grew up in California and lived in Riverside County. His early life is not well-documented, but it is known that he faced some challenges during his teenage years. By the time he was 17, he was connected with local families as he did odd jobs for them.

Shamblin's life took a significant turn in January 1980. On January 17 of that year, a tragic event occurred in Hemet, California. He worked for a local RV business owned by Frank Crossman, who would later become a significant figure in a case involving Shamblin.

In the weeks following this event, Shamblin was reported as a runaway. He was noted to have a troubled youth, which included getting in trouble with the law. Throughout his late teenage years, he faced several legal issues, including issues related to drugs.

For many years after the incident in 1980, Shamblin continued to live in the San Jacinto Valley area. He worked on different odd jobs to support himself as he went through life. Despite having a known history and connections to the victims in his area, he remained an individual who slipped under the radar for many years.

His life continued quietly until 2010, when he was arrested on drug charges. This arrest led to the collection of his DNA, which would later play a crucial role in reopening the cold case from 1980.

Murder Story

On January 17, 1980, Elizabeth Crossman was found dead in her home in Hemet, California. She was 67 years old. Frank Crossman, her husband, discovered her lying on the bedroom floor when he returned home from work. He immediately called the police.

After the murder, police began their investigation. They learned that Elizabeth had been raped and strangled. Detectives found some signs of a struggle, including torn clothes. They also discovered that a wallet and cash were missing from the house. Witnesses reported seeing a teenager loitering near their home around the time the crime occurred.

At the time, Shelby Glenn Shamblin was a person of interest. He was 17 years old and had previously done odd jobs for the Crossman family. He had even been in trouble before, having stolen a coin collection from their other home. However, there was not enough evidence to charge him, and the case went cold.

In 2002, the Hemet police reopened the investigation. They sent biological samples from the scene to the Department of Justice for DNA testing. Yet, there was no match at that time, and the case remained unsolved.

In 2010, Shamblin was arrested on drug-related charges. As part of the process, he provided a DNA sample. In January 2011, authorities discovered that his DNA matched the samples taken from Elizabeth Crossman during the original investigation. This led to his arrest on February 2, 2011, over 30 years after the murder.

The trial for Shelby Glenn Shamblin began in 2013. On June 25, 2013, he was found guilty of first-degree murder. Three decades after the crime, justice was served. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on August 16, 2013.