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Santa Maria teen’s murder caught on videotape

October 12, 2010

Dystiny Myers

A Pismo Beach gas station surveillance tape captured what appears to be the horrific beating of 15-year-old Dystiny Myers while two Pismo Beach police officers stand nearby, talking and drinking coffee. [KCCN.tv]

On Sept. 26 at 3 a.m. at the Five Cities Chevron just off Highway 101, a surveillance tape shows a man restraining and beating a struggling woman.  Though officers thought the two men, who were wearing gloves and trying on sunglasses, “were acting kind of hinkey” they failed to notice the physical assault occurring in the bed of the truck driven by the suspects.

Pismo Beach Police Chief Jeff Norton declined to identify the officers involved but confirmed the incident to KCCN.tv. Norton said he had not yet had a chance to view the camera’s tapes, but said he was told by department personnel that the tapes showed a man in the back of the truck, apparently holding down a struggling woman.

San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department officials have confiscated the surveillance tapes, said Norton to KCCN.tv. “It’s an ongoing sheriff’s investigation,” he said, declining further comment.

The teen’s body was found off Park Hill Road in Santa Margarita, a few miles east of Highway 58, by firefighters responding to a grass fire a few hours after the videotaped assault.

Five suspects are held in county jail with no bail, charged with the 15-year-old Santa Maria girl’s death. The suspects have all pleaded not guilty and include Cody Lane Miller, 22, of Fresno; Ty Michael Hill, 28, of Santa Maria; Jason Adam Greenwell, 20, Frank Jacob York, 19, and and Rhonda Maye Wisto, all of Nipomo; and Cody Lane Miller, 22, of Fresno.

According to sources, the suspects turned on the girl allegedly because she disrespected Wisto, the mother of York and the girlfriend of Hill. The suspects then drove the teen to a rural site in Santa Margarita where they dug a shallow grave.

They then allegedly strangled the teen, placed her in the grave they had lined with lye, covered her with branches, coated her body in accelerant and lit her on fire.

The suspects are scheduled to appear in San Luis Obispo Superior Court for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 15.


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And now there is a gag order in place by the judge…hmmmmm….


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I hope the coffee was worth it :(


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“…San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department officials have confiscated the surveillance tapes, said Norton to KCCN.tv. “It’s an ongoing sheriff’s investigation…”


I sure as hell hope they made copies of the video! I have ZERO confidence in the SLOC Sheriff’s Department after the Matt Hart incident:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wKRKGqYZjI


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You may be expecting too much of the Pismo PD. It is not the job of police to prevent crime, only to solve it afterward.


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Good point, CA Native. Most people are woefully ignorant of the FACT that police rarely stop a violent crime in progress. I mean no disrespect to police, there’s is still a tricky and dangerous job, but in the VAST majority of cases, they spring into action AFTER a crime has been committed.


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True, true. But they aren’t normally on PREMISE when the crime is committed, chatting and sipping coffee…


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Great point…It is the citizens among us that commit these sick crimes against all humanity. It is job of the police to catch and deliver these criminals to the courts….criminals that we as a society allowed to continue to live among us with our slap on the wrist punishments. It is time for people to start taking responsibility for their actions and stop blaming events in the past for their crimes. Learn to grow from your past and we can all move forward.


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This is NOT going to be an easy case for the prosecution to prove pre-mediated 1st degree murder.

With the current public info available:

I see a young girl (healthy blond blue eyed, possibly costumed and make up to tempt) go out into the streets to learn the world for herself.

I see these criminals with simple spontaneous intent of lust accomodating

I see when she discovered the reality of what she got herself into, NOT given an out, resluting in struggling to escape

Thus she was beaten and choked

Beating can disable or kill

Chocking can disable of kill

I see premediated intent to dispose of the body and make it disappear but no initial pre-mediated intent to kill unless it can be established when chocking, with the body chemically disolved and burnt, evidence will be hard to get to establish pre-mediated intent.

The Sheriff and DA has a difficult job ahead of them.

And you can imagine how the defense will play their hand at this.

There is an old saying “An experienced 3 strike criminal is smarter than a judge”


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Willie dude, save it. Hollywood already has plenty of hack crime show writers who pile on corny cliche’ after cliche’.


You might want to lay off the old Perry Mason reruns.


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Don’t be too critical of the Sheriff’s Department

As Commander Ben Hall said on radio, “Just Let Us Do Our Job!” If they had not we would not have known of this!

And frankly I think the only Law Enforcement Agency underpaid is the DA’s Office!

Hold critism till after the trial.

I am not even sure I can critize the two Pismo Officers because these killers are skilled and have experienced abilities.


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Willie writes: “these killers are skilled”.


And you base this assessment on what?


Sorry if I find your comment as mindless and ridiculous, sentimental and melodramatic as so many of the comments from our local team of “experts” who blog here.


These are “skilled” killers? Why? Because one was reported wearing “black gloves””? It was their “skillful” intent to be caught on video, or setting a fire to catch the attention of hundreds of people?


Let’s get real, please, and dispense with the absurd histrionics and sentimentality.


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You don’t have the experience to comprehend any of this!

I want you to know why I will be ignoring you!


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You can’t ignore me, Willie. You don’t have the guts. Look, you’re reading this right now. But go ahead, pretend that you are ignoring me!


My gosh man, you act like you are some sort of criminal expert, and yet your comments are so absolutely ridiculous. For you to call Dystiny’s muderers “skilled killers” is so over-the-top ridiculous. If you ever were involved in any type of law enforcement, I doubt you still are. And if I’m wrong on that, o my gosh, we’ve got more serious problems in law enforcement than most of us imagined.


These murderers are the exact OPPOSITE of skilled killers on every measure.


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I would like to say KUDOS to whomever discovered this on the surveillance recording. Reviewing that kind of footage would be tedious, someone must have set out deliberately to look at this time frame. Maybe because of the behavior of the suspects when they were in the store, or maybe the cops went back and looked at it based on something they got from an interview with one of the suspects.


Pretty sad and unbelievable what people can be capable of.


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My theory is that the guy that they put in the hospital is the one that provided the details. According to Blackburn, he was left for dead and they drove off. That means he had to get himself away from the crime scene on his own and get help. He was probably seen in the area and maybe even given a ride by a passer by. So he decided to say that he was also a victim and told the whole story including how they stopped at a gas station probably claiming he was being held captive along with the victim, unaware that the surveillance tape had captured him. I also surmise that he was the one in the back of the truck that was beating her and that’s what might have made them so angry. She was their supposed friend until she disrespected the boss. They probably planned to kill her but had no intention of doing some of the things that he did to her, maybe he left some DNA, hard to say.


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“a surveillance tape shows a man restraining and beating a struggling woman.” I think you might be right, there was one man in the back of the truck beating her. Maybe they were angry because they had her blood in the back of the truck and that wasn’t part of the plan.

What makes me angry about the police officers is that she was obviously being beaten at that time because she was trying to get away and signal the police. Probably kicking and trying to get some attention through the window but they were busy talking with each other rather than surveying the situation despite the two weirdo’s that had caught their attention. If they had been looking around they might have seen her foot or hand come up and hit the window. It was her last chance and she missed it because they missed it. I can’t say it’s their fault but it hurts to think they were so close by and she was trying to get their help, it makes me cry.


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More wild and meaningless speculation, melodrama, and morbid sentimentalism.


Are you people auditioning to be TV script writers? Well, don’t bother because even Hollywood would consider most of what if being presented is over-wrought, stale cliches and sickening pandering to sentimentalism.


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Beatened with police presence nearby (this is confidence and ability)

Then strangled to death (This is knowledge and skill but moreso experience)

Using “LYE” over the body (sufficient amount will disintegrate and dissolve the body – make it disappear – how did they know to use this chemical, how many times have they used it?)

Pouring accelerant over the body and setting it on fire was over killed and a error (discovery of a crime)


I think life imprisonment is rewarding especially in California

I think the death penalty is NOT cruel and unusual and places them before God to judge (as well as rid them for public burden)!

My sentiment is for them to experience the full of their actions: Beat them, then strangle them, them give them a choice to soak in lye or burnt by fire, their choice! And perhaps they will realize the Golden Rule in their next life!


Thank you for letting me vent or share my upset and disgust here


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Don’t thank me, Willie. Your public display of hatred, violence, anger and sadism is not welcome by me, nor is the total hypocrisy and irony of you claiming faith in “God to judge” and preaching of the “Golden Rule.”


You speak of God, but I don’t know if you consider the teachings of Jesus Christ. Do you imagine Christ would savor the choice between pouring acid on someone or burning them by fire? Do you think that puts a big ol’ excited, eager grin on the face of Jesus Christ? Do you imagine Jesus personally lighting the match and igniting the live bodies and humming to their agonized screams? Are these thoughts that make you happy and content as your replay them in your mind throughout the rest of your lives, perhaps even on your own deathbed?


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As a matter of fact WiseGuy, that is exactly what I was raised to believe. HELL and DAMNATION for all eternity for “bad people” is what GOD had in store for us. Unlimited endless torture by fire and never ending screams of remorse. Now go blow your horn someplace else.


Fortunately I don’t believe all that stuff I was taught and I don’t believe in turning the other cheek either. I’m an “eye for an eye” sort of believer willing to incorporate a little compassion with regards to mitigation, if there is any to had. Sounds like Willie thinks the same way except he is willing to do the “eye for an eye” thing, literally.


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Nancy, I’m sorry you were abused as a child. And I’m sorry that may have contributed to your callousness and your sadistic affection for “an eye for an eye” punishment.


Fortunately there is still time for you to evolve in this lifetime and realize that “an eye for an eye” attitude, in addition to putting the world on a path toward everyone one day being blind, is not going to make your life any better, and will, in fact, make it worse.


“An eye for an eye” is an example of an attitude toward justice that we have evolved up and away from (or at least are in that process.)


Promoting violence does not end violence.


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It is unfortunate that those who were abused in kindergarten or simply “not popular” in high school would come onto a Blog where people are expressing their opinions wrong or right about a specific news item, and attack goad or troll. In order to get attention to themselves and play “look at me I’m the smartest commenter on this blog”

ending of course with some platitudinous Aaronlikebehavior sociopathological piece of pap such as “Violence does no beget violence” or whatever.

this ends to disrupt the purpose of having a comment section.

How did a 15 year old end up in the company of a group comprised of young men at least one beneth legal drinking age with the only “adult” being the mother of one and the girlfriend of one only a couple of years older than th son?

Meth, It’s a hell of a drug.


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The police officers should be fired, regardless of WHO trained them. That is not the point. To stand by and watch such a scene and at the very least not to go over and inquire what was going on. That is inexcusable. Suppose it were your daughter, sister, mother,

aunt or any woman undergoing this kind of treatment – would you condone that these

officers stood by and did nothing?


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I don’t think the officers actually noticed any sort of a struggle going on in the back of the truck. I think they were only privy to the fact that two of the guy’s were acting strange wearing large gloves and entered the store trying on sunglasses. The truck had a camper cover on the back of it and I suspect that the camera caught the assault because it is mounted high and was looking down into the back of the camper. The article say’s that she was being held down. I have no doubt that they also had their hand over her mouth so she couldn’t cry out for help while they beat her. It’s beyond me to imagine these 20 year old guy’s beating this little tiny girl like they are described doing, and then driving her to her final destination and finishing the job. Most guy’s (like probably 99%) and any woman would have saved her or at least done something to help her, yet here was this strange group of very odd characters that found each other!


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Au Contrair, Cindy dearie. I don’t think it is at all “beyond” you to imagine all kinds of things relating to this murder. I think you have quite an imagination, the same one that imagines the hand going over the mouth so “she couldn’t cry out for help.”


Yes, Cindy, I think stories like this one get your sort of excited and revs up your imagination and curiousity. It’s time to get real with yourself, Cindy. You SAVOR this stuff. It’s like fast food for your mind.


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Oh well then Mr WiseGuy, you must be right and I just must be delightfully putting my imagine to work rather than my “common sense”. She must have been yelling blue bloody murder and the cops didn’t hear her and the guy beating her up didn’t care if she was yelling with the police standing 10 feet away. Yes it takes a morbid imagination to think someone had a hand over her mouth. God Bless you and have a wonderful, peaceful day, filled with white roses and lilies. Oh look I can imagine a dove flying above your head.


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There you go again, Cindy. You love it, you know you do!


(But what makes you imagine a “hand” was over her mouth? No “gag”? Or what about duct tape? Maybe her jaw was broken?


Hey, you’re the author. Why wait for facts. Write it any way that makes you feel good, right? It’s almost like you were right there when it went down! How “exciting”! So much to gossip about! You’ve struck gold on this one, Cindy!


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Well lets see Mr. Smarty Pants. First, it makes no sense to gag someone unless you have them tied up. Second, if she were tied up then there would have been no reason to start beating her up while they were at the gas station. All he would have had to do is hold her down, lay on top of her or whatever but not resort to beating her, especially with the police 10 feet away at one point, that RIGHT 10 feet away at one point and I don’t have to tell you how I know that.


You are a TROLL. You have probably wrote 45% of the posts on this blog and almost all of them are inflammatory and baiting. Blogs are not about allowing one person to direct the participants. People have interesting things to say and we are not here to entertain your warped sense of dialog.


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Cindy, please, reread your posting and think about it. You are acting out the exact lynch mob attitude that I’m talking about. This time it is directed at me. You are trying to rally the community to publicly hang me.


Nothing I’ve written or done prevents you from stating your opinions or information/misinformation here or anywhere else. You are absolutely free to ignore me.


But that’s not enough for you. You prefer to eliminate me. Erase me from the face of this forum. No surprise there.


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Wow, the police were “standing 10 feet away”, doncha say? I didn’t know that! Wait til I tell Myrtle about that! Ten feet away, by golly! And they were munching down donuts, quaffing massive amounts of coffee and having a good ol’ time, while a woman was being beat JUST 10 FEET AWAY!


What else can you tell us, Cindy. I can’t hardly wait!


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Kinda (but not the same situation) reminds me when the house, less than 1000 feet from the Santa Margarita CDF, burned to the ground…how do you explain these kinda blatant lack of observation?


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More mindless, emotional, histrionics and snap judgments from someone who can’t be bothered to want to hear more facts before eagerly calling for harsh punishments.


Why so much impatience? Why are so many people so over-eager to rush to want to punish? Wouldn’t it be prudent and rational to want to assess more facts before making drastic decisions, right or wrong?


Again, its the lynch mob mentality, one that goes directly against the very foundations our nation was built upon and which we have every right to be proud of.


What exactly is the rush?


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My reply above is addressed to “ValleyBear” who is publicly demanding that police officers be fired, without waiting for more facts to be determined. So typical.


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