Press Releases

Release Date/Time: 1/3/2012 4:00 PM
Incident: Homicide Investigation Update
Report #: 11-120591
Date: Tuesday, 1/3/2012
Time: 3:50 PM
Location: State Route 129

The Salinas Police Department has been trying to locate the body of Janet (Nene) Sorenson, age 71. She was reported missing by her piano students and neighbors. She has been missing since the evening of Tuesday, December 7, 2011. Our investigation led us to believe that Ms. Sorenson had been murdered by her 29 year old son, Christopher Sorenson. Christopher was arrested on December 15, 2011, when he was found by Monterey Police sleeping in his parked van at Jack's Park in Monterey. After serving a search warrant at Ms. Sorenson's residence and van in which Christopher was found in, we believed there was enough evidence to show Ms. Sorenson had been murdered. Christopher Sorenson is currently in Monterey County jail charged with murder.

On Saturday, December 31, 2011, a citizen contacted the San Benito County Sheriff's Office after finding a deceased person on their property. The San Benito County Sheriff's Office responded to the area of State Route 129, less than a mile west of US 101, and recovered the partially decomposed body believed to be that of an elderly female. The San Benito Sheriff's Office sent out a request to surrounding law enforcement agencies for information on any missing persons. Salinas Police staff saw the request and contacted their detective unit. Salinas Police detectives, San Benito County Sheriff's detectives, Watsonville Police Department, San Jose Police Department and Monterey County Sheriff's Department worked together to try and positively identify the deceased. On January 1, 2012, the Salinas Police Department's fingerprint technician was able to make a positive fingerprint match to Janet Sorenson.

Ms. Sorenson's body was transported to the Monterey County Sheriff's Department for autopsy. The autopsy revealed Ms. Sorenson was the victim of a homicide. No further information about the cause of death will be released at this time. The Salinas Police Department would like to thank all the agencies, from the Santa Maria Police Department to the San Jose Police Department that assisted with this investigation. We would especially like to thank the San Benito County Sheriff's Department with their assistance in this case.

We are still looking for any witness that may have seen Christopher Sorenson and/or his black 2000 Mazda MPV minivan on or around December 7th and 8th, 2011 (photos attached). If someone has information regarding this case is asked to contact the Salinas Police Department's Investigations Division at (831) 758-7226.

/userfiles/file/Christopher Sorenson Clothes(1).JPG, /userfiles/file/Sorenson Van Side(1).JPG, /userfiles/file/Sorenson Van Front(1).JPG

Release Authorized by: Christopher Lane, Investigations Sergeant
Telephone: (831) 758-7496

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