Thread: A hunt for Eric Laufer’s killer

A hunt for Eric Laufer’s killer

https://www.bostonherald.com/2009/09...aufers-killer/

[Photo] LOOKING FOR ANSWERS: Sara Laufer’s brother, Eric Laufer, was killed a year ago when his motorcycle was struck by an SUV in Austin, Texas. Here, Sara holds a record by her brother’s band, The Two Timin’ Three.

Summary:
November 18, 2018

A Rockland woman seeking justice for her brother, who was killed by an undocumented immigrant while riding his motorcycle in Texas, now has “America’s Most Wanted” helping her hunt for the fugitive.

Eric Laufer, 25, a guitarist and Berklee College of Music graduate, died when an SUV struck his 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster on an Austin, Texas, highway the night of Sept. 4. The impact was so severe it tore Eric’s heart from its vascular attachments, according to a medical examiner’s report.

Frustrated after a full year without an arrest, Laufer’s sister, Sara, started a mass e-mail campaign last Thursday, using Facebook and MySpace to try to get the unsolved case featured on “America’s Most Wanted.”

That afternoon, a producer from the popular Fox program called and agreed to look into Eric’s tale. He even implored Sara to stop the e-mailers from flooding his system.

“I really want Jose Luis Dorantes (the wanted man) to know who Eric is and that Eric is a person and not just someone who he left on the side of the road,” said Sara, 30.

Austin Police traced the license plate they found wedged in the wreckage of Eric’s bike to a 1995 GMC Yukon SUV. The vehicle’s owner told authorities Dorantes had borrowed it, but he did not know the driver’s whereabouts.

Just months earlier, Dorantes was issued a citation for running a stop sign and driving without a license and insurance, records show. That’s where the paper trail ends.

“We don’t have any positive ID,” said Austin Police Detective Chad Francois. “We’ve already tried immigration, customs. They have no record of him existing.” Francois said the authorities believe Dorantes was in the United States illegally.

“I just want to talk to the guy,” Francois said. “I only have Eric’s side, what the evidence shows.”

Details from the crash reveal that Laufer’s motorcycle was dragged by the SUV for more than a mile. His body was found 500 feet from the site of impact. A witness saw the Yukon dragging the Sportster as it sped down a highway ramp.

The hit-and-run driver was “pushing the motorcycle at highway speeds,” Francois said. “The guy would have to be blind or deaf to not know what happened.”

Sister on a mission
Francois said Sara Laufer is determined to find answers.

“She has put things out on the Spanish-speaking radio and TV,” he said.

“We call her ‘Dog Chapman,’ ” said her father, David Laufer, comparing his daughter to the star of the reality show, “Dog the Bounty Hunter.”

Boston became Sara and Eric’s adoptive home when they moved East from West Seneca, N.Y., after Eric enrolled at Berklee in 2002.

A talented guitarist, Eric and his band, The Two Timin’ Three, became a staple in Boston’s small rockabilly scene, playing clubs like T.T. the Bear’s and the Middle East.

The group moved to Austin in 2005 and became The Two Timin’ Four. Their star was on the rise, and they opened for the legendary Jerry Lee Lewis and rockabilly star Big Sandy.

The night of the crash Eric was coming home from a show in San Antonio, an hour from Austin. He had been riding motorcycles and playing music since his early youth, family members say, two passions he shared with his father.

“Eric was a safe rider. Most kids want a crotch rocket, he just wanted a cruiser,” David said. “In Texas, you don’t need a helmet. When they found his body he had all his gear on.”

Eric’s beloved Sportster was nearly demolished in the crash, but his family was able to have it restored.

“We couldn’t let it sit in the scrap yard, so we had it shipped back from Texas,” David said. “I have his goggles on the front so he rides around with me now.”

Sara said “America’s Most Wanted” will feature Eric’s story on its Web site this October and will try to develop it into an episode.

The Laufers are offering a $5,000 reward to find Dorantes. E-mail: ericlauferstory@yahoo.com.