February 14, 2007

On February 14, 2007, Jodine Elizabeth Serrin, a 39 year-old mentally challenged woman, was found murdered in her Carlsbad condominium located in the 1900 Block of Sallow Lane.  Jodine was highly functioning and lived independently.

Her parents, who checked on her almost daily, had been unable to reach her by telephone.  Concerned, they went to her condominium on Swallow Lane in Carlsbad to check on her at about 10 p.m.  Concern was elevated when she did not answer the door. The father entered and observed a man engaged in apparent intimate activity with Jodine in her bedroom.

The awkward situation gave the impression of an explanation to their worries, but the father was concerned that the man was taking advantage of his daughter’s vulnerabilities, so he told the man to get dressed. The parents waited in the living room to allow their daughter a moment of privacy. They expected an embarrassed couple to exit the bedroom, but no one did. The father entered to find that the man was gone and his daughter had been brutally murdered.

It has been 11 years since Jodine was senselessly murdered.  A tremendous amount of on-going investigative effort has taken place. Leads that have been developed through good investigative work and tips from the public have been pursued, advancements in the capabilities of forensic science have been utilized, and the Carlsbad Police Department has been assisted by multiple law enforcement agencies and the news media throughout this investigation. However, the efforts made in this investigation have not yet resulted in the arrest of the person responsible for this tragic murder.

The Carlsbad Police Department remains persistent in efforts to solve this case and we are asking anyone with information to contact us and to help us seek justice for Jodine Serrin.