The Orange Sock: The Murders of Bobbie Jo Oberholtzer and Annette Schnee

Bobbie Jo Oberholtzer (left) and Annette Schnee (right) both vanished on January 6, 1982, in Breckenridge, Colorado, and were later found murdered. Photo courtesy of Missing Leads.

Bobbie Jo Oberholtzer, 29, and Annette Schnee, 21, vanished separately on January 6, 1982. They were both seen in Breckenridge, Colorado, a small ski resort town at the base of the Rocky Mountains with a population of 1,200.

Bobbie Jo’s body was found the following day on the side of a snowbank off Highway 9 near a scenic overlook at Hoosier Pass, 10 miles outside of Breckenridge. She had been shot twice. Authorities found two pieces of evidence: a set of house keys and an orange sock. Police were baffled. They were able to confirm the keys were hers but the sock was a mystery.

Six months later, Annette’s body was found thirteen miles away in Sacramento Creek, near Highway 9. She was lying face down in a stream and had also been shot to death. To the investigator’s dismay, Annette was wearing the matching orange sock.

A Free Spirit

Bobbie Jo was described as a “free-spirited” and loving person by her younger sister Laurie Merlo. “She loved life and she was happy wherever she was.”

Jeff Oberholtzer and Bobby Jo married in 1977 and moved to Alma, Colorado. Photo courtesy of Missing Leads.