North Hollywood — was it someone posing as a Good Samaritan who raped and strangled pretty Rose Tashman and left her nude body in a ravine? That was the question police were attempting to answer today as they issued a plea for help in finding clues to the murderer.
The 19-year-old Valley State College coed was found Monday evening in the ravine off Mulholland Drive and near Beverly Drive. Her body was discovered about 16 hours after she had a flat tire on the Hollywood Freeway and apparently went in search of help.
Miss Tashman’s car was carefully parked at the side of the inbound freeway, near Highland Avenue in Hollywood. A string of seven flares had been placed beside the auto to warn approaching drivers of the hazard.
Detective lt. Paul Lauermann, spearheading the murder investigation for the North Hollywood Division, asked anyone who thinks they saw Miss Tashman on the freeway, to call police.
She had been in Panorama City visiting a friend and it was estimated she had the blowout about 2:10 a.m. Monday.
Miss Tashman was born in Israel and moved to Los Angeles with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Tashman, seven years ago. The family lives at 448 N. Formosa Ave., Hollywood, Miss Tashman’s intended destination Monday.
Lt. Lauermann said the young woman, a 1967 graduate of Fairfax High School, did not have a key to her car’s trunk, and therefore was denied access to the spare tire. Investigation showed someone else probably laid the flares, because a box in Miss Tashman’s car apparently had no flares missing from it.
Detectives theorized someone either picked up the young woman on the freeway, or she was abducted while walking through the dark streets to find a service station or telephone.
Also under investigation was the possibility Miss Tashman’s death might be connected with the murder of Marina Habe, daughter of author Hans Habe. The attractive 17-year-old girl was found stabbed last January. Her body was discovered only about a half-mile from where Miss Tashman was found.
It was never determined if Miss habe, who had been missing from her home for two days, had been raped. Both dead girls were pretty and both had dark hair.