October 23, 1950 - January 23, 1970
This is a very sad and tragic story...
I had Mr. Pyne for English in my junior year.
I had the good fortune of sitting at the same table as Louise Good Hernandez at the 45th Class Reunion, and for some reason, the subject of former Burbank High teacher, Raymond Pyne, came up. He was my English teacher in my junior year and perhaps some of you had him for English, also. 1967 was apparently his first year at Burbank High. I recall coming home on weekends during my college years, and reading about a story in the Burbank Daily Review of a murder committed by a Burbank High teacher, but I couldn’t remember who it was. So it was Louise who gave me his name.
The Burbank Daily Review ceased publication in 1985, but is archived at the Burbank Public Library, where I sent my sister, Margo (BHS’70) to read the old microfilm. The story was on the front page of three consecutive issues, January 23, 24, and 25, 1970. Here’s what she found out.
Raymond Pyne was Sandy Wilkes’ 12th grade English teacher. After she graduated, he asked her for a date. At that time, he was age 28 and described as charming and jolly in public by the Wilkes family. They married, and within two weeks he exhibited a violent, uncontrollable temper. Pyne assaulted her by choking her, and threatened to kill her. An arrest warrant for battery was issued. He once said he wanted his wife to die like Romeo and Juliet.
A few days before she was killed, Sandy filed for divorce. Pyne had been roaming her parents’ neighborhood where she was staying, threatening to take his own life. She talked him out of taking his own life and told him she loved him and would stand by him, but she was too afraid to live with him.
Sandra Wilkes Pyne, BHS’69, age 19, was murdered by her husband, former BHS teacher Raymond Pyne
She had been living with her parents for about two weeks. On Thursday morning about 8 a.m., January 23, 1970, her father, Guy Wilkes, went to the backyard to start the car before taking Sandy to work at Technicolor, where they both worked. Pyne pointed a rifle at Wilkes’ head and demanded to talk to Sandy. After asking Guy for the keys to the house, Guy yelled to warn the family. Mrs. Wilkes tried to phone for help, but the phone was dead. Sandy, meanwhile, ran out the front door to head to a friend’s house. Pyne heard the door slam and ran to the front of the house. He pursued her, aimed, then shot her in the head, killing her instantly. Guy Wilkes, who had followed Pyne, shot at him, but missed. He later said he didn’t shoot again because there were other people standing around. He ran to help his daughter and was holding her when she took her last breath. Pyne drove away in a leased 1969 black Cadillac.
The incident was witnessed by five teenage boys.
Police think Pyne may have spent the night on the back porch. An army-type jacket, trench coat, flashlight and tire iron were found there, plus numerous gum wrappers.
Pyne had resigned voluntarily from Burbank High School after his second year of teaching and was to have started a new job the next day. He surrendered to Burbank Police on Saturday afternoon. On February 21, 1971, he pled guilty to first degree murder and sentencing was set for March 26, 1971. He was incarcerated for years, but by 2010 he was paroled, according to Linda Mustion who writes a blog about deceased Burbank High Alumni. Apparently, Raymond Pyne was also a Burbank High alum, class of 1959.
Raymond Ed Pyne
BHS '59
June 1941 - July 4, 2013
Louise Hernandez remembered that the Pyne family moved from Kenwood Street before he became a teacher at Burbank High, and that there were other siblings.
I found Raymond Pyne’s obituary at redding.com:
Raymond Pyne, 72, of Cottonwood died Thursday at Mercy Medical Center in Redding. Arrangements are pending at Allen & Dahl Funeral Chapel in Redding. Published in Redding Record Searchlight on July 6, 2013.
NOVEMBER 1, 2025 UPDATE
Debbie Brey Bennett posted on Facebook today:
“We were good friends. Her mom buried her in her wedding gown saying that was the last time she saw her daughter happy. My dad saw a small newspaper article 3 years later saying he was released from prison claiming psychiatric problems. So horrible our justice system was and is. 😡”
Alex Pelaez
No one will believe me probably. I was an eye witness to her murder. We were kids and lived across from her parents house. We were on our way out of the house heading to John Muir Jr High, we saw when her husband, her ex teacher at Burbank high, chased her out of her parents house and shot her two houses from us.. It's still very vivid to me.😢
Susan Peña MacCaskey
Alex Pelaez I'm sorry you had to witness that. What were you around 12. I can't imagine what you went thru and very much still going thru. Sending big hugs
Alex Pelaez
Susan Peña MacCaskey Hi Susan, I was in the seventh grade. It's been a long long time so I hadn't thought about it until I saw this article. Time heals.
I was one of the five teenagers they mention in the article.😢
Susan Peña MacCaskey
Alex Pelaez Did you have to go to court and testify
Alex Pelaez
Susan Peña MacCaskey Never used us as witnesses, maybe we were too young. When I think deeply about what I saw, It really was horrible. We were no more than fifty to a hundred feet from the whole thing. It's like seeing a movie in my head. 🤯 FYI..I'm doing fine and this has never really affected my life.
Doug Atzei
Alex Pelaez I lived at 419 Stanford rd. What address was yours? The Cards & Helquists family’s we all grew up together playing baseball in the street and hid n seek at night.
Doug Atzei
Barbara Zelenay Berry it good times with Nancy, David, & Jeff Helquist also Maxine Card. Her tree was the best to climb & it was the one we had to tag in hide n seek. Love growing up in the 50’s on Stanford Rd. My grandparents lived there until we took over the house in 1952 Our whole family were close to the Wilkes family in the 50’s, but again they lived right across the street from us. Sandy dad (Guy) was always working in his garage working on some car and my dad being a car guy would go over there. For some reason I can’t remember her moms name. She always reminded me of Harriet Nelson of the Ozzie & Harriet show.
Cathy Palmer
Doug Atzei Sandi’s mother’s name was Geraldine. Both parents had been in the military and are buried at the Riverside national cemetery.
'Wilkes, Geraldine Garnet, b. 07/16/1923, d. 12/22/1997, US Army, , Res: Hemet, CA, Plot: 47 4228, bur. 12/29/1997 Wilkes, Guy Alexander, b. 02/20/1920, d. 10/24/1996, US Army Air Corps, SGT, Res: Hemet, CA, Plot: 4228, bur. 10/30/1996'
Jon Larsen
I grew up on the same street where it happened, Stanford. Was a crazy and awful morning…
Kathryn Borgese
I remember this story it was heartbreaking 💔. My oldest brother has the year book they are both in. I can’t believe he was paroled after gunning her down like that
Joyce Starleaf
I played softball with Sandi. She was always so nice. I was a senior at BHS at the time. The police came to campus and locked us in. They thought he might come on campus.
I also remember that her dad said he would kill Pyne if he ever got out.
I never heard when Sandi’s father passed away. Nancy Helquist lived on the same street and were great friends.
Pyne was a creep. I never had him but my friends who did said he would turn all of the lights out in the classroom and walk on the desks. He should have been fired before this happened.
He was friends with Ansalone.
Ron Duncan
Joyce Starleaf He was a year ahead of me at BHS. He is the only guy who ever bullied me.
Jeri Morin Valencia
Joyce Starleaf Yes, he most certainly should have been fired. I'm so sorry for all of you who were affected by that awful incident. 🙁
Cathy Palmer
Joyce Starleaf Sandi’s dad died in 1996 & her mom in 1997…
The pain that her parents suffered is heartbreaking.💔
Joyce Starleaf
Cathy Palmer Thanks. I can’t imagine. Such a tragedy.
Margaret Ann Good
The Pyne family lived next door to us on Kenwood Street. So awful. I think they or at least he had moved away by the time he did this.
Carol Baker
This was so tragic. I had him as an English teacher as well. My heart goes out to her family.
Diane Napolitano
Sandi was a friend of mine both in Jr and Hg school. She was incredibly kind, wore a smile most of the time, and certainly didn't do anything to bring on his reaction. It is a shame he didn't die in prison...noticed he lived to be 72 SMH
Fred Pastor
Very sad 🙏♥️🙏🌺💕
Don Meredith
I remember when this sad incident happened truly tragic.
Marybeth Bell Costanzo
So weird. I was just reading what she wrote in my yearbook.
Sad story for sure.
Patricia Sorley
R.I.P. blessings to your family with your loss.
Mike Signorelli
It all happened 2 blocks from the house. I remember Sandy. Sad
Laura Lyons
Wow so sad.
Deb Helsley Bush
So very sad 😢. Rest in peace 🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜
Norine Gledhill
She was always so kind and friendly a true tragedy for both families
Pam Wright Peterson
So tragic- I never knew of this…
So sad. 😢
Doug Atzei
Wow! This has sure taken me back in time. I lived across the street from Sandy. We grew up together. She was my first girlfriend at 10yrs old. Her sister Connie was my sister (Sue) best friend. We all grew up together.
In high school Sandy & my x girlfriend (Barbara Bolen) became good friends. Sandy had a boyfriend (Charlie) that dated for a few years then broke up. Sandy was sad and her teacher looked a lot like Charlie & thought she’d fill that emptiness with him. After the marriage she knew she wasn’t in love and left him. He couldn’t handle it and came over one morning in thought that if he couldn’t have her, nobody was going to. She ran down the street to neighbor house where he cornered her & shot her. For years I would visit her mom & dad though they were happy to see me it brought back more pain than comfort. Last time I went down Stanford rd to see the old neighborhood I noticed still in the curb was Sandy & mine carving in the cement. This is bringing me old sadness and pain. God bless!
Kim Valenti
My dad was dating her and she dumped him to go out with this teacher. So sad
Susan Earle-Miller
Sadness for a beautiful soul.
Anger for the senseless murder.
Michele Duarte Kilroy
I remember when this happened, the newspaper article and the picture of her lying in the street with a blanket over her. So sorry she married him. Just horrible.
Mj Bass
My brother was friends with her, also BHS 1969. So very sorry to hear this. RIP Sandy. 🙏🏻😢🙏🏻
Barbara Prater Coffman
How very tragic!🥲
Michael Meltzer
Very sad story
Julie Guttridge
What a TRAGIC story !! Why didn’t he get LIFE !
Patsy Raymundi
So sad, I was a batter wife also I was so lucky God Bless her REST IN PEACE YOUR Safe know ❤️
Karen Madsen
How very sad.
Richard Hernandez
Rest in peace, sandy, thoughts and prayers.Go out to your loved ones.You will be missed bulldog
Jill Sullivan
💗🤩🙌 Sandi Wilkes was an awesome, fun, kind, and bright classmate of mine. May she rest in peace.🙏🙏🙏
Betty Worland
I remember this story as Burbank was a smaller town during this time. It was in our local paper. So very sad. 🙁
Michael Ruiz
His mother lived 3 houses down from us, I think the cops found him there!
Grace Tabura Strong
😢
Sharon Anderson McEntire
Sandy was a friend of mine from grammar school! When she started dating Pyne she was 18, BUT he was still her teacher in high school AND THAT WAS WRONG!! I didn't like him because of that and didn't want her to marry him! I did not go to their wedding because I thought it was wrong! The marriage didn't last 2 weeks, he already was abusing her. Her dad tried to protect her and hired a bodyguard for when he couldn't be with her! My husband drove up the street right after it happened and the police had just got there and her body was still in the front yard. He came to my work to tell me because he knew I would be in shock and need comforting! Such a sad, sad day!😪😪 It was disgusting he only got 7 years, they said it wasn't premeditated!! He slept on her porch WITH A LOADED GUN and when she saw him, she ran and he chased her and shot her! How could that NOT be premeditated??
Billie Dayian Durbin
I vividly remember this. I couldn’t believe he was allowed by the school to even date this sweet girl! He was a disgusting excuse of a human, let alone a TEACHER ‼️I took it personally and was so very angry.
It was so tragic and it made me sad and mad to the core of my being. Truly beyond belief that this could ever happen in our utopian, ideal, small town of Burbank. Such a horrific situation. I felt then that he should’ve gotten death or life, at least.
After reading how long her parents survived her, I can’t even begin to imagine the grief and pain they must’ve lived with.
But, they should all be at peace and together now. Thank God for that.
