Katherine Hobbs Predicts Her Own Death
One of the last photos taken of Katherine Hobbs before her murder. Photo: Unsolved Mysteries Wiki
Katherine Hobbs was convinced she wouldn’t live to 16 years old. She had several premonitions throughout her life that led her to believe she would die young. Katherine lived to be 16 years, three months and three days old.
The Early Life Premonitions of Katherine Hobbs
Kathy's family worried about her when she was growing up. As a child she had a strong feeling that she would die young. She even told her friends that she wouldn't live past 16. Her mom, Vivian, tried to help her and convince her that her fears were unfounded but didn’t succeed.
Kathy struggled immensely with her parents getting a divorce when she was eight years old. Her mom gained custody and she missed her dad greatly. Tragedy struck young Kathy again in 7th grade when one of her close friends died or heart problems.
Kathy and her family moved to Las Vegas to give Kathy a fresh start, and she made new friends and felt happier. But as she got closer to turning 16, her fear of dying came back. She told her mom that she didn't want to grow up and become older. She didn't think she'd make it to her 16th birthday.
On her 16th birthday, Kathy was surprised and relieved to wake up alive. She was excited and started making plans for her future. Her family noticed that she became more enthusiastic about life and began going out again.
Katherine Hobbs is Murdered
Michael Lockhart, the man police suspect killed Katherine Hobbs
On the evening of July 23, 1987, 16-year-old Kathy Hobbs was at her home in a Las Vegas neighborhood, reading a romance book in her bedroom. Around 11 P.M., she told her mom, Vivian Hobbs, that she was going to the nearby supermarket:
"She came to me and said, 'Mom, I'm going to the store to buy a book. Give me a kiss before I go.' I asked why because I thought I'd still be awake when she returned. She replied, 'Well, I might stop and chat with friends, so you might be asleep when I get back.' So, I gave her a kiss, and that was the last time I saw her."
Kathy often went to the store late at night, and her friends usually hung out at the apartment swimming pool, so her mom wasn't concerned. Thinking Kathy was with her friends, Vivian went to sleep. However, at 3 A.M., she had a strange dream that woke her up:
"I suddenly woke up from a deep sleep. It felt like I had been hit on the head. Then, I had a very peaceful feeling and thought, 'Well, it's all over now.' After that, I fell back asleep."
The next morning, Vivian realized that Kathy's room was empty. Las Vegas Metro Police Homicide Lieutenant Kyle L Edwards looked into the case:
"During the first day, we located her friends, family, and launched an extensive media campaign on television with Katherine's picture. By the end of the second day, we suspected that Katherine had probably been taken by someone."
The police thought that Kathy had been taken by someone and they shared her pictures with the media. Later, a store clerk remembered seeing Kathy at the supermarket on the night she disappeared. They checked the receipts, and it showed that someone bought a paperback book at 11:17 that night. So, it seemed like Kathy made it to the store but didn't come back home.
Nine days after Kathy disappeared, a hiker named Rick Pacult found her body in the desert near Lake Mead. It was a terrible sight, and he was shocked. The police arrived quickly, and they were sure it was Kathy. When they saw her, they couldn't help but think about their own children and how they wouldn't want anything like this to happen to them.
At the scene, they found tire marks where a vehicle had come, turned around, and left. They also found two rocks with Kathy's blood on them. The coroner said she died because she was hit in the head multiple times. Kathy had this feeling that she wouldn't live to be an adult, and sadly, she was right.
Three months after Kathy disappeared, someone called the Las Vegas police. The person said they saw a girl being grabbed in front of the store by a guy named Robbie, a few months ago. The caller gave the car's license plate number, but they didn't leave their name or phone number. When the police checked, they found that the license plate number didn't exist.
Today, Kathy's murder is still unsolved. Her mom and the police hope the witness will call back with more information, or that someone might recognize the voice of the mysterious caller.
Update: The witness never contacted the police, but the case is now closed. They suspect that a serial killer named Michael Lee Lockhart was involved in Kathy's murder. He was arrested for another murder, put on trial, convicted, and later executed.
Kathy’s Letters to Her Family
After Kathy died, her family found letters in her room, written a month before her 16th birthday. In one of them to her mom, she said that if she died, she hoped her family would be happy and not be too sad. She told her mom that she loved her very much.
Do you think Katherine Hobbs was really able to predict her own death or it was just a coincidence? Let us know in the comments. If you found this case fascinating you might be interested in other psychic occurrences surrounding murders such as how Teresita Basa solved her own murder.
