The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is investigating whether registered sex offender John Albert Gardner III, 30, charged with the rape and murder of 17 year Chelsea King, is the same man who tried to kidnap a girl in Lake Elsinore.
Police re-released information from a case dating back to October 2009, including an artist sketch, of a man accused of attempted kidnapping, that bears a resemblance to Gardner.
Gardner pleaded not guilty Wednesday to the rape and murder of King, who went missing last week while jogging in San Diego.Police believe they have found King's body and are waiting for positive identification.
"This is not going away. There's no resolution. There is to the degree that, yes we found Chelsea, and yes we found the horrible man that did this, but this is just the beginning," said Kelly King, Chelsea King's mother.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, a 16 year old girl, walking to a friend's house in Lake Elsinore, said a man pulled over and asked her for directions. She told police he asked if she was a virgin, showed a gun, and tried to force her into the car. She ran away. This happened in October 2009.
At the time, Gardner was not registered as a sex offender in Riverside County because he was living in San Diego County, said John Hall, with the District Attorney's office. Gardner registered in Riverside County, in January, when he moved to his grandmother's house near Lake Elsinore.
Escondido police are trying to figure out if Gardner is responsible for the disappearance of a 14-year-old Escondido girl.
Gardner is also a suspect in the case of a 22-year old girl who was attacked in the same area where King's car was found.
Gardner had already admitted to molesting a neighbor girl back in 2000. According to court records, he had lured her over with a movie.
King's parents are planning a memorial. During an interview, King's parents expressed concern that Gardner was released from jail after serving only five years, despite a psychiatric evaluation that recommended he stay locked up for 30 years.
"This terrible tragedy that has enveloped my family is so much more than just this person and I won't say his name. He doesn't deserve a name," said Brent King.
Gardner is being held without bail and could face the death penalty if convicted.
