California Investigators said today an ax, a hatchet and a hammer were used in the slaying of Sandra Jean Servaas of Indianapolis, former managing editor of Holiday magazine.
Miss Servaas 28, was murdered in Vista, Calif., Saturday night at the home of an uncle.
Investigators said Miss Servaas was found in the living room and had a blue shirt over her head. A book was found on the couch and the television was on, they added.
"We're in a total blank on the entire case," said Lt. Bob De Steunder of the San Diego Sheriff's department.
"It is possible someone followed her here from Indiana but, to me, that seems improbable that someone would go to that expense. The possibility of coincidence does exist, however," he said.
Miss Servaas, a native of Indianapolis, left the magazine in July, 1974, to become director of publications and assistant to the director of the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.
She was a cousin of Beurt R SerVaas, president of Curtis Publishing Co in Indianapolis and president of the City-County Council. Her parents are Mr. and Mrs. John O. Servaas of Indianapolis.
Her father is treasurer of Allied Petroleum Equipment Co. and her mother, Jean is chairman of the board of trustees of the Health and Hospital Corp. of Marion County.
Miss Servaas left Indianapolis four days ago to attend a niece's birthday party in Las Vegas and then vent to vista to visit her uncle, retired Navy Capt., Robert E Camp, and Mrs. Camp.
The victim and the Camps were helping a neighbor move into a nearby house when Miss Servaas said she felt ill. She returned in the Camp home at 6:30 p/m.
Her uncle found her battered body when he returned home three hours later.
She was pronounced dead when ambulance arrived.
The San Diego County coroner's office said Miss Servaas died of 'extensive injuries to the head, chest, and abdomen." The body was fully clothed and there was no evidence of sexual assault.
It appeared a door lock had been jimmied by her attacker to enter the house, which was ransacked.
A close friend of the victim, Fred A. Birmingham, managing editor of the Saturday Evening Post, said Miss Servaal had Karate Training, and 'she would have defended herself ' if she had had a chance.
Birmingham described Miss Servaas as 'extremely talented and beautiful."
Reid Williamson, director of Historic Landmarks Foundation, said the historic preservation movement in Indiana suffered 'a real loss' with Miss Servaas' death. "She made great contributions every day, not only to her job, but to our lives."
a graduate of Broad Ripple High School, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wellesley College in Massachusetts, in 1969,
After teaching English at Tokyo's Kasai Gakuin College in 1970, she returned to Indianapolis as an associate editor of Child Life magazine. In 1971 she became assistant managing editor of Holiday and was elevated to managing editor the next year.
She was a member of Northwood Christian Church.
Services are pending at Flanner & Buchanan Mortuary.
Survivors include her parents and grandmothers, Emma Servaas of Indianapolis, and Mrs. N.C. Moore of Turnlock Calif.