Sex Crimes

2 men arrested in California girls' 1973 killings

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Yuba County District Attorney Patrick McGrath, discusses the arrests made related to the 1973 killings of two California girls, at a news conference, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, in Marysville, Calif. Larry Don Patterson, 65, of Oklahoma, and William Lloyd Harbour, 65, of Olivehurst, Calif., were taken into custody, Tuesday, as suspects in the slayings of Valerie Janice Lane, 12, and Doris Karen Derryberry, 13, in Yuba County. At left, is Yuba County Sheriff Steven Durfor. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) (The Associated Press)

This photo provided by the Yuba County Sheriff's Department shows Larry Don Patterson, who was arrested by authorities in Oklahoma on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, on charges related to the 1973 slayings of Valerie Lane, 12, and Doris Derryberry, 13, in Yuba County, Calif. (Yuba County Sheriff's Department via AP) (The Associated Press)

This 2011 booking photo provided by the Yuba County Sheriff's Department shows William Lloyd Harbour, who was arrested in Yuba County, Calif., Tuesday Sept. 13, 2016, on charges related to the 1973 slayings of Valerie Lane, 12, and Doris Derryberry, 13, in Yuba County, Calif. (Yuba County Sheriff's Department via AP) (The Associated Press)

Authorities say a man in Oklahoma and another in California have been arrested in connection to the killing of two girls in California more than 40 years ago.

Yuba County sheriff's officials said federal authorities aided in the Tuesday arrests of 65-year-old Larry Don Patterson of Oakhurst, Oklahoma, and 65-year-old William Lloyd Harbour of Olivehurst, California.

Authorities say the men are suspects in the November 1973 deaths of 12-year-old Valerie Janice Lane and 13-year-old Doris Karen Derryberry of Olivehurst, California.

Authorities say the girls were driven to a wooded area near Marysville, north of Sacramento, and shot at close range. The girls went missing after going on a weekend shopping trip.

The U.S. Marshals Service says Patterson was being held on multiple charges, including as an unregistered sex offender.