Murder of Cara Knott

Cara Evelyn Knott, a 20-year-old San Diego State University student, was murdered on the night of 27 Dec 1986 while driving south on Interstate 15 from her boyfriend’s home in Escondido toward her parents’ house in El Cajon. On-duty California Highway Patrol officer Craig Alan Peyer directed her onto an unfinished Mercy Road offramp, then strangled her and threw her body from a bridge into a dry creek bed about 65 feet below. Her white Volkswagen and body were found the next morning after an overnight family search.