|
Who struck Jenny Pratt in the head, causing permanent brain damage?  Attacked with a 2×4  The victim: Jenny Pratt CASE DETAILS  Investigators surveyed the scene Sixteen year-old Jenny Pratt of Carlsbad, California, had hopes of one day becoming a model. In 1987, she was pretty, popular, and a sophomore at her local high school. But what mattered most to Jenny was her boyfriend, Curtis Croft. Curtis drove a Porsche, had plenty of money, and was a good-looking surfer. As far as Jenny’s mother, Diane Strom, knew, he was just a year older than Jenny:
Against her parents’ wishes, Jenny went out with Curtis on the night of April 25th, 1987. He borrowed  The crime was recreated a friend’s motorcycle and promised Jenny he would get her back before her midnight curfew. Jenny never made it home. That night, Jenny Pratt was struck in the back of the head with an unusual weapon: a heavy wooden board, six and a half feet long, swung by someone in a passing vehicle. Police speculate the assailants were local teenagers. Jenny’s parents hope that someone will finally have the courage to step forward with the truth. On the night of the attack, Jenny’s parents received a call that their daughter had been airlifted to a nearby hospital. Diane Strom:
Scripps Medical Center in La Jolla, California, takes only the most severe cases. When Jenny’s parents arrived, they were given the worst possible news: their daughter was brain dead and probably had only hours to live. Dr. Jerry Stenhjem:
Diane Strom was horrified when she finally saw Jenny:
 Jenny will never fully recover Miraculously, Jenny survived, but she lapsed into a deep coma. Sgt. Jim Byler of the Carlsbad Police Department was one of the officers involved in the investigation:
Curtis remembers that night vividly:
Sgt. Jim Byler pieced the rest of the evening together based on Curtis’s descriptions:
Jenny’s parents hired private investigator Louie Crisafi, who interviewed students at Jenny’s high school. He surmised that Curtis was the target of the incident, not Jenny. Two years before the attack, Curtis had been convicted of dealing cocaine. By cooperating with the police, he had served less than half of his sentence. Sgt. Jim Byler:
Police investigated several people who might have had a grudge against Curtis. They learned that he had confronted one of his enemies on the night before the attack. Jenny’s parents believed that the boy he confronted might have attacked Curtis and Jenny because of the argument. According to Curtis, the white pick-up truck was traveling too fast for him to see the attackers. He said it went by at about 55 miles an hour. Louie Crisafi didn’t believe Curtis. Using mannequins as stand-ins for Jenny and Curtis, Crisafi reconstructed the incident at two different speeds:
In the 55 mile-an-hour reconstruction, the board swung by the assailant fell about fifty feet from the scene of the crime. But after the accident, police found the board only a few feet from the spot where Jenny was attacked. The second reconstruction played out at only 10 miles an hour. The mannequins sustained injuries very similar to the ones Curtis and Jenny actually received, and this time, the board fell right next to the motorcycle. Crisafi felt that Curtis did actually see the people in the pick-up truck. Crisafi pressed him for more information. Finally, Curtis named names. One of them was the same boy he had fought with on the night before the attack. Later, Curtis recanted, telling police he had given them the names because he felt pressured:
Crisafi remains skeptical:
Amazingly, three months after the attack, Jenny Pratt came out of her coma. At first, she seemed incapable of thought or action, but after 12 weeks, she started physical therapy. Seven months later, Jenny began to speak. A year later, she could walk. Jenny Pratt can’t understand who would be motivated to commit such a brutal attack:
Louie Crisafi:
Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season one with Robert Stack and season seven with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu. SUBMIT A TIP |
Meredith
Curtis Croft is an evil dude! &
HELL awaits him for his evil deeds!
Curtis Croft is a prime example of EVIL
Glen
WHOEVER DID THIS EVIL DEED TO JENNY ARE VILE SCUM COWARDS, AND THEY WILL GO STRAIGHT TO HELL FOR THEIR EVIL DEEDS
Rex
Very upsetting story.
The people who attacked an innocent girl like Jenny, are evil pieces of crap!!!! Whoever did this cowardly act deserve to be beaten with a 2×4 made of steel !!! And let them experience brain damage!! Evil cowards!!!
Poor Jennifer, hope she is okay,
Anonymous
In California it was actually legal to ride in the back of pickups like that. They didn’t outlaw that until the 90s. So it wouldn’t have been unusual or caused a scene. That part is believable. So many logistics go into calculating the geometry. I believe it was a right handed person doing a left handed activity. A left handed person would probably have put it back in the truck.
Scojo
OR an ambidextrous person or a very coordinated person… perhaps.
Helen Smyly-Mincey
I worked at Paradise Valley Hospital in National City, Ca. as a Utilization Coordinator in 1987. My office was near the Rehab unit, and l will remember Jenny forever. She was a lovely young lady with severe brain injuries. I felt so bad for her and her family. I saw her mother there quite a bit. I even spoke to her at our outside patio lunch area. I was trying to give her comfort, and listen if she wanted to talk. Many years later, when l was living in the Tampa Bay area, l
happened to see a special on TV about Jenny, and her family, and the investigation, and her progress. I was amazed to see her!!! I can’t remember the year l saw this, but it was at least before 2005, and we moved that same year to another house. And the evil people responsible are still at large?? How terrible. God Bless Jennifer and her family. ❤️❤️
Ajl
She lives in valley center with disabled people
JennyAvengers
I have found curtis croft bragging about this crime as if he was committing this crime himself on tinychat a cam website in the room bigchaos951 he reenacts the crime with a 2×4 and is proud of it. goes by the name of ogcroft
Maria
He has a pic of a 2×4 on his Facebook page
Glensta
I can confirm.
Dan
I think one thing is clear: no one actually saw that they were struck by someone passing that would suggest this was an intentional act. I think Unsolved Mystery did this case a bad service and could have easily been solved had they presented some plausible explanation outside of criminal intentions. The most plausible explanation to me is the couple was hit by a loose board from a truck that was hanging off the side and the driver/workers did not know about it. I seen several times workers having loose items hanging off the side of trucks even some losing an item completely unaware.
Unfortunately with the passing of time I think whoever drove down this street long forgotten about it. It’s completely possible had Unsolved Mystery presented the right situation, someone could have remembered driving down that road at that time and remembered having a missing wooden board.
Amy
Sounds like something Curtis would say.
Scojo
I concur.
Johnny Diamond
With the passage of time and people’s loose lips I am surprised that there hasn’t been any arrests in this case. That someone in a drunken moment hasn’t spilled the beans on the night they hit a couple on a bike with a board. Hopefully they will get an arrest one day and some closure.
Jamie Y Manous
Gina is just lucky ot wasn’t her who got the 2×4 to the head.
sideshow bob
tim died a few days ago from heart trouble…i knew him since bout 1980. RIP Tim
David
I don’t like Curtis, but what is despicable is this is drug culture meeting high school culture in of all places California. When two different subcultures collide that encourage and “reward” silence and condemn and punish telling the truth, you never get justice. Jenny Pratt and her family deserve justice, but I think the truth is that it was a bunch of drunk/stoned kids who are being protected because they “went slumming” and their Mommies and Daddies spread around money or made threats as likely as it could be dealers/suppliers.
JJon
Where did Curtis Croft get all his money from? It still seems he has some.
Jason
Drugs
Bryce
I do not know nothing, bizarre case.
Me
Look at this video from Jan 2nd, 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPTAXTudwQo
MayTheTruthBeRevealed
What I don’t understand is why was Carlsbad high school mentioned in the show ? The school that was shown in the reactment was San dieguito high which is now an academy. I went to that school back in the 80’s. When you watch the case on Jenny look for the scene where she is walking down the stairs at main entrance of the school. Look at the yellow wall in the background that has San dieguito high written painted on it. I did not know Jenny personally but one of my friends knew her sister. The sad part of this whole case is it is still unsolved as I write this on June 15, 2018
I started watching the crime show again as I did back in the 80’s and 90’s I see they changed the disclaimer intro voice before the show started. Forgive me I don’t feel right calling this a show because this is not a show but a reality of real unsolved cases. Just like Jenny’s case there are still many unsolved and by now they are cold cases. I just hope one day as crime fighting tools advance in technology that it will lead to many of these cold cases to be solved. Most of all eyewitness come forth cutting off fear with information that will lead cases like Jenny’s to be solved once and for all.
Beverley
I think her boyfriend had something to with the attack because he would tell the police everything what happened to his girlfriend that night I hope he gets found out and get locked up I am glad the girl is OK bless you
Nina
That’s really sad! She was so young and now she’s messed up for the rest of her life. I can’t even imagine what the parents go through. At least she still has her life… It could’ve been worse. I really do hope they get justice for her.
Lt Byler
The private investigator, Louis Crisafi, was a complete fraud. He completely screwed up the investigation, and lied to police and Jennifer’s parents. Was later described as a “rogue” officer who was investigated for serious wrongdoing and terminated from his job in New York. Later sued for millions for his actions….
Agent Scully
I think you may be on to something, Mulder. I have to agree. Gina is probably him.
Anonymous
Jenny Pratt, were in classes, with him, he wanted sex from her, and they were around each other because Jenny, was friends with his sister, and Jenny had been at his house before and after. Jenny, is paid little now from the sister and brother, but the sister don’t know what the brother did, and the sister is sad for her, Very Black hair, gothic, I get
anon
To Beccaboo and others: here is an in-depth answer to Jenny. I came across this from a google search.
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=4587980&postcount=151
Steve B on this message board mentioned that Jimmy Clark committed suicide. The post on the other thread mentions that the perpetrator they assumed caused harm to Jenny has committed suicide.
Beccaboo
Does anyone know what Jenny is up to these days? Is she married? I’d be very interested to know how she’s doing?!
Scott
This sounds like those involved are children of influential families and that’s why nobody had/has the guts to say anything. Poor Jenny , if you ever read this I think you are a gorgeous young woman and keep up with your therapy because doctors don’t know anything about the human body. You can totally get back your old self just keep pushing and don’t let anything stop you. Bruce Lee broke his back and came back from it. You can too.
Jason
Brain injuries are COMPLETELY different than spinal injuries or broken bones mi amigo. Motorcycle accident victims, stroke sufferers, head injury sufferers will likely NEVER be the same person despite the “work” they do. My mom had a stroke 25 yrs ago, she thinks/acts like a child. “Drs don’t know anything about the human body??” They clearly know more than you
Chanita
Why Would Somebody Strike An Innocence Young Woman In The Back Of The Head I Don’t Uunderstand Why Someone Would Do Something Like That! I Am Terribly Sorry Mrs Jenny Pratt God Will Heal U And Take Care Of U Love U And God Bless U Love Blue Bird
Larrz Mason
You can run Croft but you cant hide from Gods vision. Godbless you jenny croft and your family.
Fallrain
Want good chuckle….go to youtube and watch curtis croft gets trolled.
Tony
I wish I knew who this person was who attacked this innocent girl. I hope they BURN AND SUFFER IN HELL. or they suffer the same fate she did. I’m glad this girl has recovered and I hope she continues to recover.
Johnny
Remember this case from Unsolved Mysteries. The 2×4 board was a strange weapon. Jenny didn’t have a chance. Looks like a case of drunk young people out on the prowl. Liquid courage probably. Realized the next morning the damage they had done. Curtis is no angel but they could have targeted him surfing or another locale. It was a miracle Jenny survive the board attack. This case should be solved one day with the number of people in back of truck.
Justice for all
This Croft guy is a real piece of crap. He was a cokehead before he met this young beautiful girl and she could have done so much better. I remember seeing the story years ago and they repeated it recently so I hoped they had an update. Croft knows who did it, but he’s a coward and explains why he needs to stay out of reality and high all the time. Based on recent online videos posted by Croft, this guy;s mind is totally fried. Maybe if that board is still in evidence, skin cells or some kind of DNA from the perpetrator can be retrieved. A long shot, but why not try?
Jenny Pratt Avenger
I saw Curtis Croft casting on a website. He was laughing about that incident. He was in his garage and he swung a 2×4 re-enacting it as if he swung it himself. This infuriated me.
From his casts, I have seen him show off how much marijuana he had in his house. He would keep it in a giant rubbermaid like tote. Knowing that and what he was laughing about I called and reported him for his marijuana growing and he got busted. Turns out he only got probabtion for 92 plants???? Was someone paid off?
Anonymous
Is this Jenny Pratt from the show?? If so, I hope you are fully recovered and one day find some answers.
Mulder
Real Bright Fellow This Curtis,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/21/curtis-w-croft_n_4138392.html
LA Times article back in the day
http://articles.latimes.com/1988-01-10/local/me-34774_1_girl-s-life
Video doesn’t work on this link. But article still there.
https://letsfindthem.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/unsolved-mysteries-attempted-murder-of-jennifer-jenny-pratt/
Rebecca
Good to hear that she pulled through. Hopefully, after therapy she can move on with her life, she’s so young. Prayers for this family they went through a really rough time.
volisha cochrane
I went to school with Jennifer after the accident,she is such a nice person
Me
So glad that she’s back on her feet. I can imagine the pain the parents went through. God bless.
Steve B
the rumor that has been going around since the 80’s is that Tim stollar drove the truck and Jimmy Clark threw the board. It was revenge from being narc’d on over a drug bust. Nothing has been done and the case is long closed. Jimmy committed suicide years back. Possibly from guilt? Stollar still lives in the area and has a long history with the police/jail. Croft knows who did it but is too scared to come out. He lives in Washington, has done nothing with his life and smokes and deals weed.
sideshow bob
tim died a few days ago from heart trouble…i knew him since bout 1980. RIP Tim
grahamclayton
Croft was arrested in late 2013 for illegal marijuana cultivation:
http://www.tvmix.com/google-earth-pot-bust-in-oregon-snags-battlecam-star-curtis-croft/123
weedisbad
Curtis Croft got probation for growing all those plants??
What kind of punishment is that?? Once again he escapes jail time. Someone said his parents support him with money and they are well known in town. Must be nice to payoff to stay out of jail.
Gina
I met Curtis in Los Angeles California on the 2nd half of a vacation that began around 6/26/86–by 7/5/86 for about 10 days i was in LA…I drove my Rented 1986
brand new model called 1986 Chevy Astro Van- California plates ..a blonde girl introduced him to me in the Roxy ..she approached me & my gf..asking if i would help him dance and if i am from NY ..he said hello he was kind sweet shy..handsome & with another guy..dark hair..he invited us to a house he said was his fathers who works in the cia and i asked..why are you allowed to divulge this,? He seemed confused ..i saw motorcycles exotic cars in the driveway..the house was a split level brown shaker wood shingled house modernized there was a small landing between floors where he asked politely if he could kiss me.. I was 21 1/2…he didnt say his age exactly but i waa okay with a kiss..my gf was there as a Japanese friend and an italian friend appeared..they brought what i thought was regular cocaine..not that i asked for it..they placed it on a glass table and offered me some..i said no thanks i dont do drugs and not in states like that i dont come from from guys i dont know and please dont pressure me..they did not..i asked whqt is it they ssid its crystalspeed and i said i never heard of this in NY it must be synthetically created with that name they said yes it is..i asked my gf please lets leave..we were at his mercy cause he drove us there in a white van from the Roxy in LA.. He drove us right back to our hotel and in Late November of 1987 or thereabout i saw this report in NY on Those Most wanted type shows..saying he was wanted for questioning…that those guys got pissed he ratted them out under interrogation and this was revenge but not his doing…i did give him my address in NY he did write me a letter in the summer of 1986, i did call the number i hot his aunt and uncle they were nice he asked if he could come to Ny and stay w me in my private apt in ky familys home i said no that i have a steady; we got back together over the summer and so he was fine and nice..that was Fall of 1986…i really thought he was a kind sincere guy ..he said his agent and him had a falling out that he was giving up surfing and needing a career though..theyre were awesome posters of h surfing,.he was a good surfer and i think afraid people only wanted to profit from his good looks and kindness..i am very close to this story..its pained me all these years..i hope this helps..
claude balz
how is this relevant gina?
Mulder
I bet “Gina” is Curtis Croft trolling on this Website.
“he said hello he was kind sweet shy..handsome”
“he was fine and nice”
“he was a kind sincere guy”
“he was a good surfer and i think afraid people only wanted to profit from his good looks and kindness”
Anyone researching the case knows this dude is an internet troll. Sounds like the description by “Gina” is EXACTLY what this guy would think of himself. If you watch his BattleCam vids on YouTube he is deranged.