Rockefeller verdict not 'directly of interest' to L.A. sheriff

(Photo by Lydia Marano)

John and Linda Sohus before they disappeared in 1985.

By Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff

Authorities in California monitored the kidnapping trial of the man who calls himself Clark Rockefeller, but ultimately today's verdict in Boston has little bearing on the 1985 disappearance and presumed death of a couple near Los Angeles.

When asked about the jury's verdict, Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, said, "None of that is directly of interest to us. Obviously we monitored the case.''

Rockefeller has been labeled a "person of interest" in the disappearance and presumed death of Linda and John Sohus in San Marino, Calif. Rockefeller lived as a tenant in the Sohuses' guesthouse when the couple went missing.

The investigation of the Sohus case continues.

"We are actively pursuing all leads with one goal in mind, and that is to solve this 24-year-old case,'' Whitmore said. "He's still a person of interest. We encourage him to talk to investigators."