The two men who were convicted of the abduction of Shelley Sikes, a college student who had just finished a shift at Gaido’s Restaurant on Galveston Island on May 25, 1986, are currently serving 40 year (life) sentences, but both are eligible for parole soon.
Shelley’s sister, Dana (Sikes) Wild, is currently asking for help in convincing the Texas Parole Board to not allow the release of Gerald Zwarst, one of the suspects. More
Zwarst, and John King, were convicted of aggravated kidnapping, which was the harshest crime they could be convicted of at the time, since her body had not been recovered.
There was a witness to the abduction. Identified only as Rudy at the time, the witness told me that he saw the young woman forcibly removed from her car, but did not report it to police at the time because he thought that it was a domestic argument. This excerpt was broadcast on 1986 in Review, a program I produced for KGBC Radio in Galveston. Listen: MP3 RealPlayer
More than 600 volunteers, including law enforcement officers, members of the Texas State Guard and Guardian Angels, turned out for a massive search for the body of Shelley Sikes on a Saturday in 1986. This report also was first broadcast on KGBC. Listen: MP3 RealPlayer
Dana Wild has appealed to the news media and is using the social media to rally opposition to the release of Zwarst and will conduct a renewed campaign when King comes up for parole.
can fax, e-mail or mail a letter to:
Victim Services Division
8712 Shoal Creek Blvd., Suite 265 P.O. Box 13401
Austin, TX 787111-3401
FAX: 512-452-0825
E-Mail victim.svc@tdcj.state.tx.us
Be sure to include his name, Gerald Zwarst, State ID: 02060724, and TDCJ ID: 00485451