YAVAPAI COUNTY, Ariz. — On June 12, 1987, Cathy Sposito went out with her friends for dinner. The New York native was in Yavapai County for school, studying at Prescott College. She told her friends that she planned to go hiking in the morning but they didn't realize they'd never see her again.
It's a decades-old mystery that still haunts Arizona’s high country.
On June 13, 1987, Sposito, 23, was murdered in broad daylight while hiking on the Thumb Butte Trail about 10 minutes outside of downtown Prescott.
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said she rode her bike to the trailhead around 7 a.m. and started hiking. Later that day, she was found dead on the trail.
"You never want to give up hope," said Sal Sposito, Cathy Sposito's older brother.
Sal Sposito still lives in New York but came out to Arizona a few years ago to see the spot his sister was killed for himself.
Investigators have yet to find the person responsible.
"It was shocking," Sal Sposito said, remembering the day he heard the tough news. "Something nobody wants to go through."
The trail is in part of the Prescott National Forest and is still is a popular hiking spot in the area. The terrain is dense which meant that people could hear Cathy screaming for help, but no one could reach her in time to save her, according to investigators.
"This was no accident," Sal Sposito said. "Somebody with a lot of rage and anger wanted to put an end to her life."
Over the years, investigators said that there could be more than one suspect. A motive has never been made clear.
In 2012, former detective Ross Diskin told Verde Valley TV that there was evidence to suggest the suspect talked to people about the case.
YCSO and Silent Witness are still asking for anyone who knows anything to come forward. There's a $10,000 reward for a tip that leads to an arrest.
For the past decade, investigators have been trying to pull DNA with new technology to try and fill in some gaps. YCSO has been tight-lipped about any new leads and couldn't talk with 12 News for this story this week due to wildfires.
Cathy Sposito has now been gone longer than she was ever alive.
Sal Sposito said their dad died in 2010 without answers and their mother passed away a few years after that.
"I always said she died of a broken heart because the last 27 years of her life — she took it the worst," he said.
Sal Sposito is still hoping for a break in the case during his lifetime. The tragedy in a place that’s supposed to bring tranquility, still tormenting him.
"Somebody has to know something," Sal Sposito said.
If you know anything, you can call Yavapai Silent Witness at 1-800-932-3232 or submit a tip at www.yavapaisw.com. All tips are anonymous.
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