During the Spring of 1980 twice convicted felon and recently released parolee James Richard Odle and his girlfriend Kathy Flannery conspired to kill Kathy’s estranged husband to collect a $25,000 life insurance policy. Rena Aguilar, a housemate of Kathy’s, overheard the plans and on April 30, 1980 18 year-old Rena was bludgeoned with a tire iron by James Richard Odle in front of her 18-month old son in the living room of the house she shared with Kathy Flannery. Odle then kidnapped her and after being stabbed repeatedly Rena escaped, only to die a few hours later in a Pinole Hospital. Three days later, on the morning of May 3, 1980 ten-year veteran Pinole Police Officer Floyd “Bernie” Swartz said goodbye to his pregnant wife Kim and their eighteen month old son. Forty minutes later while attempting to arrest Rena’s killer, Bernie Swartz was shot in the throat with a 7-millimeter bullet fired from a stolen sawed-off deer rifle by James Richard Odle. Bernie died within the hour in the same Pinole hospital as Rena Aguilar, leaving his wife Kim aged 23, his 18 month old son Robert, and his soon to be daughter Amber, that he never knew, behind.

(Odle was convicted and sentenced to San Quentin’s Death Row in 1981. Like all condemned he has rights to appeal and some 20 years later he still is awaiting his date with death. Kathy Flannery was not charged with any crimes)

On Friday, June 3rd, 1988 at approximately 4:15 p.m. 7 year-old Amber Swartz, Kim and Bernie’s daughter, asked to jump rope in the front yard of the family home. Amber has not been seen since. There is suspicion that Amber's kidnapping is somehow linked to Rena and Bernie's murders.

The Amber Foundation for Missing Children was founded on June 28th, 1988 and is the oldest all-volunteer 501C3 Non-Profit Corporation of its kind in the United States and depends solely on corporate sponsorship, grants and donations to keep it’s program alive.