Bakersfield man arrested, charged in 1986 Burbank murder investigation
Photo: Horace Vaultz Jr.
After 33 years, the Burbank Police Department announced a breakthrough in a cold case murder –
“The Burbank Police Department is announcing the arrest of a Bakersfield man in connection with the 1986 murder of Mary Susan Duggan, and the 1981 murder of Selena Keough.
Shortly after midnight on June 9, 1986, Mary Duggan was found deceased in the trunk of a vehicle parked near a closed business in Burbank. Her death was ruled a homicide by asphyxiation. Ms. Duggan was 22 years old at the time of her death.
Although the investigation into Ms. Duggan’s murder remained unsolved for over 33 years, her memory and the brutal act committed against her weighed heavily on the minds of investigators from the Burbank Police Department.
Throughout the years, Burbank Police Detectives continued to investigate Ms. Duggan’s murder in hopes of identifying the person, or persons responsible. As part of the investigation, forensic evidence was examined and analyzed, which recently led investigators to identifying a suspect in the case.
On November 14, 2019, at about 7:40 A.M., Horace Vaultz Jr., a 64-year-old man from Bakersfield, was taken into custody in the City of Inglewood, California, for the 1986 murder of Mary Duggan. In addition to the murder of Ms. Duggan, Mr. Vaultz is also believed to be the person responsible for the 1981 murder of Selena Keough in the City of Montclair, California.
On November 15, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed two counts of murder with special circumstance allegations against Horace Vaultz Jr. He is currently being held without bail and is due in court for arraignment on Monday, November 18.
The investigation into the murders of Mary Duggan and Selena Keough has spanned more than three decades. The Burbank Police Department is still investigating these crimes. Anyone with information about Horace Vaultz Jr., these cases, or other details that could help investigators is asked to call our 24-hour tip hotline, at (818) 238-3086. You can remain anonymous.”
