www.montereycountynow.com APRIL 9-15, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 Losing a loved one under any circumstances is never easy. But when a family member or friend dies by a violent act, the grief associated with the death may never subside, as is the case with the family of Francis DeAlvis, who was stabbed to death in his Monterey apartment in August 1984. His murderer was never found. “I was living literally six blocks away when it happened and it was devastating,” says DeAlvis’ nephew Peter Gaudoin. “Personally, I haven’t been able to get over it. I haven’t gotten over it because of how it happened and we still don’t know why it happened and we still don’t know who did it.” The 42-year-old case is being investigated by retired Monterey Assistant Chief of Police Bill Clark, who volunteers with the nascent nonprofit Cold Case Project of Monterey County, which raises funds to investigate unsolved crimes in partnership with the District Attorney’s Cold Case Task Force. (The group has identified more than 600 unsolved homicides.) “This case has evolved as modern forensics has evolved,” says Clark, who adds that forensic genetic genealogy and a device called an M-VAC could be vital in finding DeAlvis’ killer. “It’s basically a forensic wet vacuum that injects a fluid and vacuums it back up with all of the DNA in the process. It’s given us some success in other old cases and I am working on that right now with several items of his clothing.” DeAlvis was a single, 58-year-old sixth-grade teacher at Echo Valley Elementary School when he was killed. His niece and nephews describe their uncle as a kind and gentle man who would go out of his way to help anyone. DeAlvis’ niece, Mary Grove, remembers how in the days before his body was discovered, her mom became worried about DeAlvis and went to his apartment on Hawthorne Street. “They saw his car was parked there and they asked the manager to check on him,” Grove says. “The manager went in and came out and said, ‘You don’t want to go in there.’ My mom knew right away that he was gone.” Another nephew, Keith Gaudoin is Peter Gaudoin and Grove’s brother. He became a teacher after his uncle’s death and recalls attending a ceremony years ago honoring DeAlvis at Echo Valley Elementary School with a plaque. “His peers there called him a master teacher,” Keith Gaudoin says. “I’ll never forget that. And years later, I became a teacher. I would have loved to sit there and talk to him about teaching because he was called a master teacher and I was just a rookie. He could have given me advice but it all got snatched away.” Clark says that if and when the case is solved, it’s going to be solved with DNA. “I have not given up on the DeAlvis case at all. We are using all of the latest techniques that we can.” DeAlvis and other crime victims will be honored at the 27th annual victims’ dedication ceremony at noon on Friday, April 10 at the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office at 142 W. Alisal St., Salinas. Long Lost Over 40 years after a Monterey man was murdered, investigators continue looking for leads. By Aric Sleeper Francis DeAlvis was 58 when he was murdered in his Monterey apartment in 1984. His niece Mary Grove keeps a collection of photographs of her uncle. NEWS “Personally, I haven’t gotten over it because of how it happened.” COURTESY OF MARY GROVE
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