Something Completely Different

I did this thread on MB, so I figured I'd do it here too, for those that might be interested in cases like this. Here's a thread to discuss cases of those who have gone missing. I'll post those that interest me but feel free to post your own. I'll post the synopsis from Wikipedia (if it's available, otherwise - other sources) with perhaps a few other resources as well. Click the headers to find the link to the Wikipedia article (if available, otherwise, it'll be a different source).

I'm fascinated by stories of disappearances - especially those which defy common explanations. In terms of being ethical, I think it's good to get the word out - and to provide details about who to contact if you've seen these people or have information - I'll do that at the bottom of my posts. In addition, I'm going to try to add an additional section to these posts I make from now on - Personal Speculation - in which I give my theory on what I think led to the disappearance after I've reviewed the information. Take it with a grain of salt - and if you think I'm full of it, I'd love to discuss why.

I may end up including the write-ups I've done on MB here at some point, but we'll start with a fresh one:

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The Disappearance Of Karen Denise Wells (1994)

Karen Denise Wells - American - Female - Carlisle, Pennsylvania - missing since 04/12/1994 - age 23 at the time of disappearance (https://charleyproject.org/case/karen-denise-wells)

Picture:

(https://charleyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/wells_karen2.jpg)

Quote from: The Charley ProjectWells was on a trip from Haskell, Oklahoma to visit a friend in Bergen, New Jersey when she disappeared in April 1994. She stopped at the Pike Motel in the 1100 block of Harrisburg Pike in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on April 12 and called her friend from there at 7:00 p.m. She said she was going to eat at a McDonald's restaurant, then would go to her motel room to take a nap.

The friend offered to meet her at the motel and said she would be there by around midnight. After speaking to her friend, at 8:00 p.m., Wells went to the front desk of the motel and asked the staff for directions to the nearest McDonald's. They saw her leave and get into her rental vehicle, a white 1993 Plymouth Acclaim with Oklahoma license plates.

This is the last time anyone saw Wells. Shortly after midnight on April 13, her friend went to the motel to meet her as planned, but there was no answer when she knocked on the door of her room. The friend summoned a clerk, they went into the room and the clerk let her in with the master key.

Wells wasn't in the room, and all her belongings were there, including her room key. Her suitcase was sitting open on the bed and some of her clothes were lying next to it, and there was a magazine and a pack of cigarettes on the bedside table, but the bed itself didn't appear to have been slept in and there was no sign of Wells.

At 5:30 a.m. that same day, Wells's rental car was found abandoned in a rural area on Route 274, in Perry County, Pennsylvania, near Tuscarora State Park. This was 35 miles from the motel. It appeared to have stopped in its tracks in the westbound lane.

The driver's and passenger side doors were wide open, the vehicle was out of gas, the hazard lights were switched on and the battery was dead. Some empty soda bottles, a pair of shoes, maps and some trash from a Hardee's fast food meal, including French fries, were inside the car. There was a small amount of marijuana in the car, as well as other unspecified "indications of criminal activity". Wells's change purse, containing a small amount of cash, was in a nearby ditch.

Authorities checked the odometer on the car and discovered it had been driven 600 to 700 miles that couldn't be accounted for. The car itself was mud-splattered and scratched, suggesting someone had driven it off-road. Photos of the car are posted with this case summary.

Around Thanksgiving in 1994, the wife of Wells's married boyfriend claimed she had heard from her. Wells allegedly called the woman and said she had gotten married and wouldn't be coming home. This story hasn't been confirmed, and police don't believe Wells actually made the telephone call.

Wells has a prior criminal conviction for forgery in South Dakota. She was unemployed and the single parent of a baby son in 1994. Her mother stated she was handling her life well and loved her child, who was subsequently raised by his grandparents.

It's uncharacteristic of Wells to leave without warning. Her family has had her declared legally dead. Police have not named any suspects in her case, but stated they believed some of the people they interviewed knew more than they disclosed. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance, which remains unsolved.

Other resources:

FBI Listing - Karen Denise Wells

Midstate Mystery: The disappearance of Karen Denise Wells

The Road Trip Disappearance of Karen Denise Wells - Medium Blog Article

After Getting Lost on a Road Trip, a Single Mother Disappeared; Her Car was Found on a Country Road the Next Day. What Happened to Karen Denise Wells? -- Reddit Writeup and Discussion Thread (May 2023)


Personal speculation

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I think the most likely scenario is that her friend, Melissa Shepard, got her involved in some kind of illegal activity (most likely drug running), things went south for whatever reason, and the connection ended up killing Denise as a result and hiding her body. The fuel gauge was faulty on the rental car Denise got, so the criminal ended up running out of gas before expected (after taking control of Denise's car), and thus abandoned it in the strange location (post body dump). This would also explain the 700 extra miles on the odometer that the rental company reported (relative to the most direct route from Denise's starting point and destination). The friend (Melissa) likely realized in effect what happened (without perhaps knowing all the details) after she arrived at Denise's motel and found her vehicle missing and her motel room empty, and tried to minimize her involvement/knowledge of the happenings to police.

The strangest thing to me about the case, and why I'm led to think it was a drug running deal, was that the story was Denise was making this long drive to visit her friend who needed emotional comfort. After she called her and let her know that she couldn't drive any longer, and needed to spend a few hours napping at a motel, Melissa (her friend) said that she'd be there in a few hours (around midnight) to meet up with her. And she brought along two men, who apparently were casual aquaintances from the strip club she worked at. In my eyes, the only reason Melissa would do this, instead of just waiting for her friend to arrive later the next morning, is because Denise had something in her physical possession that Melissa needed (drugs, money, etc.).

What do you think after reviewing the details of the case?

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Any tips or information?
Please call Pennsylvania State Police, the investigating agency, at 717-249-2121

As I've said before, this is a great thread SGR.

The thing that makes it very weird is her friend going to meet her. I checked the distance and it is around 172 miles, your theory does have a lot of good points. Why else would someone drive so long and so far for a friend that is already on her way? Something is definitely off and the friend is hiding something.

Quote from: FETCHER. on Jul 07, 2023, 02:27 PMAs I've said before, this is a great thread SGR.

The thing that makes it very weird is her friend going to meet her. I checked the distance and it is around 172 miles, your theory does have a lot of good points. Why else would someone drive so long and so far for a friend that is already on her way? Something is definitely off and the friend is hiding something.

Thanks Fetcher! :)

And yes, I totally agree. Unfortunately, no one knows her whereabouts these days - and police unfortunately don't have evidence against her to bring a case. Hopefully she'll find justice one day, because there's no way she just up and started a new life, abandoning her child she cherished dearly.

The Disappearance Of Terrence Shemel Woods Jr. (2018)

Terrence Shemel Woods Jr. - American - Male - Idaho County, Idaho - missing since 10/05/2018 - age 26 at the time of disappearance (https://charleyproject.org/case/terrence-shemel-woods-jr)

Picture:

(https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1290735063903109120/pu/img/PmWFwqhhlyeVJQ3y.jpg)

Quote from: The Charley ProjectWoods was last seen in the vicinity of Pinman Mine near the ghost town of Orogrande in Idaho County, Idaho on October 5, 2018. A production assistant from Prince George's County, Maryland, he was in the area helping film a documentary on abandoned gold mines for a British television show called Whitewater.

He was supposed to be working with the crew up until mid-November, but a few days before his disappearance, he texted his parents to say he was cutting his trip short and would be home on October 10.

Woods's coworkers on the production crew said he was acting strange and at some point he ran into the woods and never returned. At first the rest of the crew thought he might have fallen off a cliff, but when they arrived at the cliff they saw him down at the bottom, still running. His coworkers reported him missing at 5:30 p.m.

Woods is a graduate of the University of Maryland and previously worked for the hit TV show The Voice. He lived in London, England for several years after graduation, and returned to the United States in 2018. His loved ones stated he had traveled extensively for work, as far as Morocco, and it was uncharacteristic of him to to a cut a trip short and return home early.

His mother theorizes he may have been afraid of someone he was working with in Idaho, and that's why he wanted to leave. Police stated there was no indication of foul play in his case, but the circumstances of his disappearance are unclear.

Other resources:

Strange Outdoors Blog - Terrence Shemel Woods Jr.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Terrence Woods Jr. - VICE


The Disappearance of Terrence Woods Jr. - Medium Blog Article

Terrence Woods Jr. -- Reddit Discussion Thread (2020)



Personal speculation

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I think, as unexceptional as it might be, that this was a case of a mental breakdown/panic attack. I think Terrence either unintentionally - or rather compuslively, lost it in a mental break and ran off set into the woods. Maybe he was under too much pressure, maybe he had some sort of undiagnosed disorder, maybe he thought he saw something that wasn't really there. Either way, I think he lost it and ran into the woods - he probably got far/deep enough to not be able to find his way back, died by exposure to the elements, and thus was to never be found. Maybe he tripped and fell down a ravine or something similar - but depending on the density of the forest, it's very difficult to locate a body.

Alternative theories claim that his coworkers were involved with his death and coverup, but I just don't think that many people could keep a secret like that for so long without at least one cracking. It just doesn't seem feasible - and in addition, I don't see a motive for them to do so.

What do you think after reviewing the details of the case?

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Any tips or information?
Please call Idaho County Sheriff's Office, the investigating agency, at 208-983-1100

I may follow this thread but in general I don't like missing person cases when it comes to True Crime.

I like some type of conclusion to True Crime cases. I watch this twitch streamer that does Murder Mondays and she follows that same train of thought and avoids broadcasting/sharing missing person cases because there is no "end" to it. Same thing with cold case files.

Quote from: DJChameleon on Jul 08, 2023, 02:46 AMI may follow this thread but in general I don't like missing person cases when it comes to True Crime.

I like some type of conclusion to True Crime cases. I watch this twitch streamer that does Murder Mondays and she follows that same train of thought and avoids broadcasting/sharing missing person cases because there is no "end" to it. Same thing with cold case files.

That's the exact reason I prefer disappearances over solved murders - with the former, there's more room for speculation, intrigue, and discussion - there's the opportunity to discuss with others as to what you think the ultimate conclusion really was - and even though the chance is small, there's even the chance of a happy ending. With the latter, it's already all been written in stone - and it's never good.

Quote from: SGR on Jul 08, 2023, 03:35 AMThat's the exact reason I prefer disappearances over solved murders - with the former, there's more room for speculation, intrigue, and discussion - there's the opportunity to discuss with others as to what you think the ultimate conclusion really was - and even though the chance is small, there's even the chance of a happy ending. With the latter, it's already all been written in stone - and it's never good.

yeah I prefer the solved murders because even though it's never good for the victim I get to hear about the justice done to the murderers! I get to hear about how long they got etc. I also end up watching court trials too and the verdict at the end is always satisfying for me. To find out the justice that these criminals get and deserve for their heinous crimes.  The whole muddled in mystery and the fact that their killer gets away with this disappearance upsets me.

I'm not into true crime or missing person stories that much, but I will say, Mr. Waffles is very into weird mysteries, cults, and other unsettling stuff and often listens to podcasts about them so I sometimes will absorb a bit of it through him.

I'm not into stories of violence or kidnapping or foul play in any way, but I do sometimes get fascinated by unsolved mysteries in general.

Quote from: DJChameleon on Jul 08, 2023, 11:47 AMyeah I prefer the solved murders because even though it's never good for the victim I get to hear about the justice done to the murderers! I get to hear about how long they got etc. I also end up watching court trials too and the verdict at the end is always satisfying for me. To find out the justice that these criminals get and deserve for their heinous crimes.  The whole muddled in mystery and the fact that their killer gets away with this disappearance upsets me.

Totally fair - I understand where you're coming from. That being said, I think if some of these cases received a lot more attention/coverage, the likelihood of justice would be greater.

Quote from: Mrs. Waffles on Jul 08, 2023, 12:06 PMI'm not into true crime or missing person stories that much, but I will say, Mr. Waffles is very into weird mysteries, cults, and other unsettling stuff and often listens to podcasts about them so I sometimes will absorb a bit of it through him.

I'm not into stories of violence or kidnapping or foul play in any way, but I do sometimes get fascinated by unsolved mysteries in general.

An unsolved mysteries thread would be another interesting idea. :)

Not missing person post but Jill Dando's murder freaks me out a bit. One of the most well known TV presenters in the country shot dead on her doorstep in 1997. The killer has not been found but a man was wrongly convicted and served years in prison (another miscarriage of justice in the UK).

Theory.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2698820/Murdered-Crimewatch-presenter-Jill-Dando-tried-bosses-investigate-alleged-paeodphile-ring-inside-BBC-no-one-wanted-know.html

Quote from: jimmy jazz on Jul 18, 2023, 07:31 PMNot missing person post but Jill Dando's murder freaks me out a bit. One of the most well known TV presenters in the country shot dead on her doorstep in 1997. The killer has not been found but a man was wrongly convicted and served years in prison (another miscarriage of justice in the UK).

Theory.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2698820/Murdered-Crimewatch-presenter-Jill-Dando-tried-bosses-investigate-alleged-paeodphile-ring-inside-BBC-no-one-wanted-know.html

I had always heard people talking about Jill Dando growing up. I was about 7 when she was murdered so I don't remember much but I read up on it quite recently. I'll need to try and watch the documentary too.

Quote from: FETCHER. on Aug 04, 2023, 12:07 AMI had always heard people talking about Jill Dando growing up. I was about 7 when she was murdered so I don't remember much but I read up on it quite recently. I'll need to try and watch the documentary too.

Definitely do. It's very interesting. An irony of this is she presented Crimewatch and her murder ended up being one of the cases they appealed for help with.

The guy they convicted was basically the top suspect for being a bit weird.

I think it was a professional hit man who did it cos she knew something. It's the only thing that makes sense.

Every time I see this thread I think of...

Quote from: Paul Smeenus on Aug 04, 2023, 12:56 AMEvery time I see this thread I think of...

lol

This is the only song I've heard from them - good song too

The Disappearance Of 'The Springfield Three' (1992)

Stacy Kathleen McCall - American - Female - Springfield, Missouri - missing since 06/07/1992 - age 18 at the time of disappearance (https://charleyproject.org/case/stacy-kathleen-mccall)

Picture:

(https://charleyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/stacy_kathleen_mccall_1.jpg)

Suzanne Elizabeth Streeter - American - Female - Springfield, Missouri - missing since 06/07/1992 - age 19 at the time of disappearance (https://charleyproject.org/case/suzanne-elizabeth-streeter)

Picture:

(https://charleyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/streeter_suzanne3.jpg)

Sherrill Elizabeth Levitt - American - Female - Springfield, Missouri - missing since 06/07/1992 - age 47 at the time of disappearance (https://charleyproject.org/case/sherrill-elizabeth-levitt)

Picture:

(https://charleyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/levitt_sherrill.jpg)

Quote from: WikipediaStreeter and McCall graduated from Kickapoo High School on June 6, 1992. They were last seen at around 2:00 a.m. on June 7, when they were leaving the last of the few graduation parties they had attended that evening. At some point during the night, they were also seen in Battlefield. The pair planned to spend the night at their friend Janelle Kirby's house, but when they decided Kirby's house was too crowded, they instead left to go to Streeter's (and thus Levitt's) home at 1717 East Delmar Street to retire for the night. It is assumed they arrived, because their clothing, jewelry, purses and vehicles were all present at the house the next day. Levitt was last heard from at approximately 11:15 p.m. on June 6 when she spoke with a friend on the phone about painting an armoire.

The following day around 9:00 a.m., Kirby and her boyfriend visited the house after Streeter and McCall failed to show up at her home; they had planned to spend the day at a water park, and were supposed to leave from Kirby's residence. Upon arriving, Kirby found the home's front door unlocked and entered the home, but found no sign of Streeter, McCall, or Levitt; each of the women's cars were parked outside. She also reported to police that the glass lamp shade on the porch light was shattered, though the lightbulb itself was intact. Kirby's boyfriend innocently helped her sweep the broken glass off the porch, which police later determined may have destroyed potential evidence. Inside the house, Kirby found Levitt and Streeter's dog, a Yorkshire Terrier named Cinnamon, who appeared agitated; while inside, Kirby also answered a "strange and disturbing call" from an unidentified male who made "sexual innuendos". She hung up and immediately received another call of a sexual nature, again hanging up the phone.

Several hours later, McCall's mother, Janis, also visited the house after failed attempts to reach her daughter by phone. Inside, she noticed all three women's purses were sitting on the floor of the living room, and also saw her daughter's clothing neatly folded from the night before. Levitt and Streeter's cigarettes were also left inside the house. Janis frantically called police from the home's telephone to report the three women missing; after placing the call, while checking the phone's answering machine, she listened to a "strange message", but it was inadvertently erased from the tape. Police were "very interested" in the call and believed it "may have contained a clue". They also did not believe it was connected to the prank calls Kirby received.

McCall's parents contacted police in reference to their daughter's disappearance from Levitt's home more than sixteen hours after the women were last seen, and other worried friends and family called and visited the home the following day. Police later estimated that the crime scene had been corrupted by ten to twenty people who visited Levitt's house. Upon the officers' arrival, the scene showed no signs of a struggle, except for the shattered porch light. Police also noted Levitt's bed had been slept in. All personal property was left behind including purses, money, cars, keys, cigarettes, and the family dog.

LATER DEVELOPMENTS:

On December 31, 1992, a man called the America's Most Wanted hotline with information about the women's disappearances, but the call was disconnected when the switchboard operator attempted to link up with Springfield investigators. Police said the caller had "prime knowledge of the abductions" and publicly appealed for the man to contact them, but he never did.[2] Levitt and Streeter were declared legally dead in 1997.[9] However, their case files are still officially filed under "missing".

Investigators received a tip that the women's bodies were buried in the foundations of the south parking garage at Cox Hospital.[10] In 2007, crime reporter Kathee Baird invited Rick Norland, a mechanical engineer, to scan a corner of the parking garage with ground-penetrating radar (GPR). Norland found three anomalies "roughly the same size" that he said were consistent with a "grave site location"; two of the anomalies were parallel, and the other was perpendicular. Springfield Police Department (SPD) spokesperson Lisa Cox said that the person who reported the tip "provided no evidence or logical reasoning behind this theory at that time or since then." She also said the parking garage began construction in September 1993, over a year after the disappearances. "Digging up the area and subsequently reconstructing this structure would be extremely costly, and without any reasonable belief that the bodies could be located here, it is illogical to do so, and for those reasons SPD does not intend to. Investigators have determined this lead to not be credible." Darrell Moore, a former assistant at the Greene County Prosecutor's Office, said the tip came from someone who either "claimed to be a psychic or claimed to have a dream or vision about the case".

Other resources:

People - It's Been 31 Years Since the 'Springfield 3' Went Missing — Here's Everything to Know About The Case

The Crime Wire - "The Springfield Three": A 30-Year-Old Cold Case

The Springfield Three -- Reddit Discussion Thread (2023)



Personal speculation

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Man, this is an interesting case that unfortunately I don't think will ever be solved. It's really unfortunate that their friends and neighbors tampered with what they didn't realize was a crime scene and destroyed valuable evidence. Every theory I've come across or thought of myself has holes in it. But the general gist of what I believe happened is that they were abducted and killed. Might've been one man, or more, but I don't find it hard to believe that a man with a gun could've overpowered three women. They probably went with him without putting up much of a fight. Word to the wise, if someone is trying to abduct you, it's almost never a good idea to go with them, even if they have a gun - it's almost always a better idea to fight back or flee - because wherever they plan on taking you, it's probably somewhere with less eyes on it.

I don't put much stock into the lewd phone calls to the house the day after - and I don't put much stock into whatever the voice mail was in my opinion. But I will say one thing - chain smokers don't leave their cigarettes behind. They definitely left that house in distress and against their will. Robert Craig Cox seems to fit the profile of someone who could've done this - and he's made statements that the women were dead and their bodies will never be found. He was in Springfield at the time of the disappearance. He's done things like this before. Doesn't mean he's guilty, and there's no evidence tying him in directly. Ground penetrating radar was used near the Cox Medical Hospital in Springfield, MO, and three body-sized anomalies were found - but it's too expensive to tear everything apart and verify without serious evidence that these anomalies are the women - I don't buy this theory because if bodies were placed in cement/asphalt before it hardened, it would've seriously damaged the structural integrity once the bodies rotted away and there was empty displaced space in the concrete foundation.

Abducted, killed, bodies buried somewhere. That's my general thoughts. But the way it all went down leaves a lot of mystery - and the big question of - why them? Why that time? Was it the women being targeted, or the house? It's hard to imagine a botched robbery could've resulted in the abduction and murder of three women. But who knows - this is a wild case.

What do you think after reviewing the details of the case?

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Any tips or information?
Please call Springfield Police Department, the investigating agency, at 417-864-1810

https://www.kwqc.com/2024/04/11/all-hands-deck-police-continue-their-search-missing-east-moline-man/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=snd&utm_content=kwqc

I have been following this since day one and he still is missing  :'(

Quote from: Mindy on Apr 11, 2024, 07:31 AMhttps://www.kwqc.com/2024/04/11/all-hands-deck-police-continue-their-search-missing-east-moline-man/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=snd&utm_content=kwqc

I have been following this since day one and he still is missing  :'(

I'll keep my eyes on how this case develops. Unfortunately, I have bad a feeling it won't have a happy ending.  :(

https://charleyproject.org/case/christopher-shane-sexton

This is my oldest brother, he's been missing since 2019. I figure he met with someone finally better at kicking ass than he was. He led a violent life and spent many years in prison twice for almost killing people in fights.

Quote from: Hope on Apr 12, 2024, 04:03 PMhttps://charleyproject.org/case/christopher-shane-sexton

This is my oldest brother, he's been missing since 2019. I figure he met with someone finally better at kicking ass than he was. He led a violent life and spent many years in prison twice for almost killing people in fights.

Jeez, that's awful. If he wasn't reported missing until 2 years after the fact, I'm guessing you weren't really close (at the time)?

Quote from: SGR on Apr 12, 2024, 04:11 PMJeez, that's awful. If he wasn't reported missing until 2 years after the fact, I'm guessing you weren't really close (at the time)?

He and my other brother Travis were taken away from me and my grandmother when I was 4. They went to live with their dad due to abuse from my grandmother. We lost touch for about 10 years. When my grandmother passed the three of us spent some months together in Florida, before they wanted to move back home and were both gone again. When Travis went to prison we exchanged some letters, same with Chris when he was in prison. But I didn't see them again until I finally decided to move back home.

We met up and took some pictures at my aunt's house one day when I was 18 and we were certainly never all three together in the same place at the same time again. I was writing with Chris a bunch of years ago, but we lost touch when he got out of prison the second time. And I never heard from him again. I lost touch with Travis when I was 19. Pretty shitty what happened to all of us when my mom died in a car accident. I wouldn't say we were ever close again after they left me at age 4. We tried a number of times, but it just wasn't meant to be I guess. The time apart weighed too much. 

I always wonder when they lost touch with each other. 

Quote from: SGR on Apr 12, 2024, 03:47 PMI'll keep my eyes on how this case develops. Unfortunately, I have bad a feeling it won't have a happy ending.  :(

Yeah I agree kind of because it's been two weeks  :-\

Once I saw it on the news Facebook page, I just figured they would find him within a week like a lot of the other missing people from the Quad Cities. I kept checking every couple days on the comments to see if he was found but nothing. His apartment building refused to allow missing person signs be posted around the property too, which is suspect in my opinion. He left in a car, and hasn't been seen since. I posted that link I shared here to a Midwest discord server with different people organized in different states but girl I know in there from the Quad Cities said she did hadn't even heard of his missing. It's sad.

Quote from: Hope on Apr 12, 2024, 04:42 PMHe and my other brother Travis were taken away from me and my grandmother when I was 4. They went to live with their dad due to abuse from my grandmother. We lost touch for about 10 years. When my grandmother passed the three of us spent some months together in Florida, before they wanted to move back home and were both gone again. When Travis went to prison we exchanged some letters, same with Chris when he was in prison. But I didn't see them again until I finally decided to move back home.

We met up and took some pictures at my aunt's house one day when I was 18 and we were certainly never all three together in the same place at the same time again. I was writing with Chris a bunch of years ago, but we lost touch when he got out of prison the second time. And I never heard from him again. I lost touch with Travis when I was 19. Pretty shitty what happened to all of us when my mom died in a car accident. I wouldn't say we were ever close again after they left me at age 4. We tried a number of times, but it just wasn't meant to be I guess. The time apart weighed too much. 

I always wonder when they lost touch with each other.

Sorry to hear about this  :'(

Quote from: SGR on Apr 12, 2024, 03:47 PMI'll keep my eyes on how this case develops. Unfortunately, I have bad a feeling it won't have a happy ending.  :(

https://www.kwqc.com/2024/04/30/one-month-later-92-year-old-east-moline-man-is-still-missing/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0XG8QdRsJUr0mZ4fVjNuSxPR730Ql7c7291HwD8bdGJXkP3iRZby1A8Ls_aem_AeQMNS9OIhlAtoRds4kVhaYy2HXwzr_WFGUM8StUZS9CvBRZdgJHydbsEuAwTtYJP5HC-Bf45LCdzQFHoxIO5ukr
still missing  :'(

Quote from: Mindy on Apr 30, 2024, 07:13 AMhttps://www.kwqc.com/2024/04/30/one-month-later-92-year-old-east-moline-man-is-still-missing/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0XG8QdRsJUr0mZ4fVjNuSxPR730Ql7c7291HwD8bdGJXkP3iRZby1A8Ls_aem_AeQMNS9OIhlAtoRds4kVhaYy2HXwzr_WFGUM8StUZS9CvBRZdgJHydbsEuAwTtYJP5HC-Bf45LCdzQFHoxIO5ukr
still missing  :'(

This one is not going to have a happy ending.

Just a hunch, but I think there was foul play here. Someone, possibly someone he knew, got him into his car and they drove off somewhere for reasons yet unknown.

What do you think happened?

Quote from: SGR on Apr 30, 2024, 04:03 PMThis one is not going to have a happy ending.

Just a hunch, but I think there was foul play here. Someone, possibly someone he knew, got him into his car and they drove off somewhere for reasons yet unknown.

What do you think happened?

I agree, it's been a while now. The guy had knee problems, and needed a walker. They said he left that and his wallet and ID. So you're right, someone had to snatch him up and take him somewhere in his car. Which means that person might have bought more gas for his car to go further from the quad cities area. Then it makes finding him very hard now. Who randomly targets a 90 year old veteran though too?! I would love to read the metadata from his phone, Im sure the powers that be are already doing that though, I hope  :'(

Quote from: Mindy on Apr 30, 2024, 07:08 PMI agree, it's been a while now. The guy had knee problems, and needed a walker. They said he left that and his wallet and ID. So you're right, someone had to snatch him up and take him somewhere in his car. Which means that person might have bought more gas for his car to go further from the quad cities area. Then it makes finding him very hard now. Who randomly targets a 90 year old veteran though too?! I would love to read the metadata from his phone, Im sure the powers that be are already doing that though, I hope  :'(

The first thing I'd look at (which I'm sure the police already are) is who is listed as the beneficiary of his life insurance plan? And where were those person(s) when he supposedly went missing? People are crazy - he might have a son with a drug addiction for example...

Start with who might have motive for this poor old guy to disappear and/or die and go from there.

I forgot to bring over my previous posts on this same topic from MB, so I'll do so in the posts that immediately follow in case anyone here didn't get to see those posts. I won't add any personal speculation like I've been doing for the cases I've posted about thus far (as I didn't originally for these cases, and I'd need to refresh myself on each case), but if anyone wants to discuss any of these cases, perhaps I will give my personal speculation:

The Disappearance Of Jason Jolkowski (2001)

Jason Jolkowski - American - Male - Omaha, Nebraska - missing since June 13th, 2001 - age 19 at time of disappearance (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Jason_Jolkowski)

Picture:

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/Jason_Jolkowksi.jpg)

Quote from: WikipediaOn June 13, 2001, Jolkowski was called into work early. He planned to walk to his job due to his car being at an auto repair shop, but later made arrangements for a co-worker to give him a ride. Since Jolkowski had trouble giving directions, he arranged for them to meet at Benson High School, which Jolkowski had previously attended. The school was eight blocks from his home.

At 10:45 a.m., Jolkowski was last seen by a neighbor, who witnessed him helping his younger brother pull trash cans from the curb back to the house. Under an hour later, between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m., his co-worker called his house stating that he had failed to turn up at Benson High for the ride to work. Jolkowski has not been seen or heard from since then. Shortly after his disappearance, the school's security cameras were checked, but none of them showed Jolkowski arriving at the school.

A police officer investigating his disappearance deemed it "the most baffling case" he had seen in thirty years.

Other resources:


19-year-old Jason Jolkowski disappears without a trace while on his way to meet up for a ride to work


Into Thin Air: The Baffling Disappearance of Jason Jolkowski

Any tips or information?
Please call the Omaha Police Department, the investigating agency, at 402-444-5657.

The Disappearance Of Tara Calico (1988)

Tara Calico - American - Female - Belen, New Mexico - missing since September 20th, 1988 - age 19 at time of disappearance (http://"http://"http://"http://"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Tara_Calico"""")

Picture:

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a8/TaraCalico.jpg)

Quote from: WikipediaOn Tuesday, September 20, 1988, Calico left her home at about 9:30 A.M. to go on her daily bike ride along New Mexico State Road 47. She rode that route almost every morning and was sometimes accompanied by her mother, Patty Doel. However, Doel stopped riding with Calico after she felt that she had been stalked by a motorist. She advised Tara to think about carrying mace, but Tara rejected the idea.

On the morning of Calico's disappearance, she had told Doel to come and get her if she was not home by noon, as she had plans to play tennis with her boyfriend at 12:30. When her daughter did not return, Doel went searching for her along Tara's usual bike route but could not find her; she then contacted the police. Pieces of Calico's Sony Walkman and a cassette tape were later discovered along the road. Doel believed that she might have dropped them in an attempt to mark her trail.

Several people saw Calico riding her bicycle, which has never been found. No one witnessed her presumed abduction, although several witnesses observed a light-colored pickup truck (possibly a 1953 Ford) with a camper shell following closely behind her.

Developments since disappearance:

Quote from: WikipediaOn June 15, 1989, a Polaroid photo of an unidentified young woman and a boy, both gagged with black duct tape and seemingly bound, was discovered in the parking lot of a convenience store in Port St. Joe, Florida. The woman who found the photo said that it was in a parking space where a white windowless Toyota cargo van had been parked when she arrived at the store. She said that the van was being driven by a man with a mustache who appeared to be in his 30s. Police set up roadblocks to intercept the vehicle, but the man has never been identified. According to Polaroid officials, the picture had to have been taken after May 1989 because the particular film used in the photograph was not available until then.

The photo was broadcast on A Current Affair in July, and Doel was contacted by friends who had seen the show and thought the woman resembled Calico. Relatives of Michael Henley, also of New Mexico, who had disappeared in April 1988, saw the episode and said that they believed he was the boy in the photo. Doel and Henley's parents both met with investigators and examined the Polaroid. Doel said that she was "convinced" it was Calico. She also noted that a scar on the woman's leg was identical to one that Calico had received in a car accident. In addition, a paperback copy of V.C. Andrews' My Sweet Audrina, said to be one of Calico's favorite books, can be seen lying next to the woman. Scotland Yard analyzed the photo and concluded that the woman was Calico, but a second analysis by the Los Alamos National Laboratory disagreed. An FBI analysis of the photo was inconclusive.

Henley's mother said that she was "almost certain" it was Michael in the Polaroid. The identification of the boy in the photograph as Henley is considered highly unlikely: his remains were discovered in June 1990 in the Zuni Mountains, about 7 miles (11 km) from his family's campsite from which he had disappeared and 75 miles (121 km) from where Calico disappeared. Police believe that Henley wandered off and subsequently died of exposure.

Polaroid picture



Other resources:


The Disappearance Of Tara Calico And The Eerie Polaroid Left Behind

Tara Calico - Disappeared

Any tips or information?
Please call Valencia County Sheriff's Department, the investigating agency, at 505-865-9604

or:

Federal Bureau of Investigation
Albuquerque, New Mexico Office
505-224-2000

The Disappearance Of Lars Mittank (2014)

Lars Mittank - German - Male - Varna, Bulgaria - missing since July 8th, 2014 - age 28 at time of disappearance (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Lars_Mittank)

Picture:

(https://truecrimediva.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/lars-mittank-300x298.jpg)

Quote from: WikipediaOn June 30, 2014, 28-year-old Lars Mittank traveled to the seaside resort of Golden Sands, Bulgaria on a vacation with a group of friends. On July 6, 2014, Mittank got into a fight with four other men after a disagreement over football: Mittank, a fan of the football club Werder Bremen, had differences with fans of Bayern Munich. The fight resulted in Mittank suffering a ruptured ear drum. At the end of his trip, a doctor advised Lars not to fly due to his injury, and prescribed the antibiotic Cefuroxime (500 mg). That doctor later referred him to a hospital. Mittank's friends wanted to stay with him, but he insisted he was fine on his own.

Mittank stayed in Bulgaria without his friends, and checked into the Hotel Color Varna. However, a day after his friends left, Mittank began to act oddly, and his erratic behavior was recorded by the hotel's closed-circuit television security cameras. He spent only one night in the hotel, during which he appeared paranoid and frightened.

While at the hotel, Mittank called his mother. In a whisper, he stated that four men were coming to kill him, and that she should cancel his credit cards.

Mittank was last seen at Varna Airport, the airport that serves Golden Sands in the nearby city of Varna. He was consulting with the airport doctor when they were interrupted by a man who was a part of a construction crew. He then fled the building. He was captured by airport security cameras running away. Once outside the airport, he was seen climbing a fence, running into a meadow, and disappearing into an adjacent field of sunflowers near Bulgarian national highway A2. He has not been seen since.

Video captured from airport - last known footage of Lars before disappearance


Other resources:

Why did 'the most famous missing person on YouTube' flee a Bulgarian airport never to be seen again? Bizarre mystery of German tourist who vanished that has baffled the Internet since 2014

How the chilling mystery of lad, 28, who vanished on holiday in Bulgaria made him 'the most famous missing person case on YouTube'

Any tips or information?
Please call the Hessen Police Department, the investigating agency, at 49 151 61378673

The Disappearance Of Bryce Laspisa (2013)

Bryce Laspisa - American - Male - Castaic, California - missing since August 30th, 2013 - age 19 at the time of disappearance (http://charleyproject.org/case/bryce-david-laspisa)

Picture:

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/09/19/article-2425453-1BEA574E000005DC-164_306x423.jpg)

Quote from: 'The Charley Project'Laspisa was last seen in Castaic, California on August 30, 2013. He was attending Sierra College in northern California and was driving home to visit his family in Laguna Niguel, California at the time of his disappearance. He called his mother at 2:00 a.m., saying he was too tired to drive and was going to stop his car and sleep. He said he'd call her when he woke up.

Laspisa's beige 2003 Toyota Highlander was found abandoned in a ravine off Lake Hughes Road near Castaic Lake a few hours later, lying on its side, the rear window smashed. His cellular phone, wallet, laptop computer and other belongings were still inside the vehicle but there was no sign of him. An extensive search of the area turned up no clues. He has never been heard from again.

Laspisa's loved ones stated he was unfamiliar with the area he disappeared from, didn't hitchhike and didn't enjoy outdoor pursuits. He's originally from Illinois and graduated Naperville Central High School in 2012. His case remains unsolved.

Other resources:

The Story Of Bryce Laspisa And His Chilling Disappearance In California

The Mysterious Disappearance of Bryce Laspisa


Any tips or information?
Please call Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office, the investigating agency, at 323-890-5500

This one's for @Trollheart

The Disappearance Of Trevor Deely (2000)

Trevor Deely - Irish - Male - Dublin, Ireland - missing since 12/08/2000 - age 22 at the time of disappearance (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Trevor_Deely)

Picture:

(https://www.thesun.ie/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/12/NINTCHDBPICT000314849861-1.jpg)

Quote from: WikipediaOn 8 December 2000, Irishman Trevor Deely disappeared in Dublin. He had been walking home around 4 a.m. from his work Christmas party, having stopped at his office on the way to retrieve an umbrella and arrange certain things for his shift the next day. He was seen on a security camera entering and leaving his office building. The footage shows him speaking to a man dressed in black before he entered the building. This man has never been identified. Deely was later seen on another security camera in front of a bank he passed on Haddington Road as he headed home on foot, which is the last image that exists of him. Despite continuous police investigations, his disappearance remains a mystery.

Other resources:

Trevor Deely disappearance: Garda investigation identifies man caught on CCTV (https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/12/06/trevor-deely-disappearance-garda-investigation-identifies-man-caught-on-cctv/)

An Uncharted Journey: The Vanishing of Trevor Deely (https://www.andthentheyweregone.com/blog/an-uncharted-journey-the-vanishing-of-trevor-deely)

The Chilling Disappearance of Trevor Deely (https://thecrimewire.com/true-crime/The-Chilling-Disappearance-of-Trevor-Deely)

The Disappearance of Trevor Deely -- Reddit Discussion Thread (2022) (https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/wbfpdr/the_disappearance_of_trevor_deely/)

Information, locations and aerial images relevant to the disappearance (https://oddstops.com/location.php?id=197)




Personal speculation

---

As noted in the first 'Other resources' link I posted - one of the big mysteries of this case has recently been put to rest. The man caught on CCTV walking a fair distance behind Trevor Deely has finally been identified and all parties (family and police) are satisfied that he had nothing to do with Trevor Deely's disappearance. That being said, the man who talked to Trevor Deely outside of the building has yet to be identified - he was not the same man who was walking behind Trevor. I'm going to go out on a limb here though and speculate that the man who talked to Trevor had nothing to do with his disappearance. The man was caught on CCTV standing outisde the building gate for 30 minutes prior to Deely's arrival, and left briefly after Deely entered the building. There was a taxi strike in Dublin at the time, so the man may have simply been waiting for someone to arrive to pick him up. It would be nice if the police could identify him and clear him completely, but I just doubt he had anything to do with Deely's disappearance.

So where does that leave us? Well, Trevor had been drinking, and you can tell he's slightly drunk in the CCTV footage. A popular theory at the time was that he fell in the Dodder river, and was too intoxicated to get out before accidentally drowning. There's a phenomenon of this occuring that has led to theories of a 'Smiley Face Killer (https://allthatsinteresting.com/smiley-face-killer)' - the profile is almost always the same, a young man, popular, athletic, college-aged, goes out with friends drinking and walks home alone - and ends up drowning in a body of water. Near the body of water is grafitti of a smiley face. I don't buy the killer theory, I think smiley faces are just common grafitti expressions, and because bodies of water generally attract people, it makes sense that grafitti will end up near the body of water. While I think it's technically possible Trevor went and got some smokes, decided to have a smoke by the Dodder before going home, and ended up falling in and drowning, based on my understanding of the area and the river, it would be very, very difficult to just fall in (it's walled off essentially). Still, we have no evidence to back up that idea - not even his clothes or his umbrella (seen in the CCTV footage) were ever found.

There's also the idea that Trevor was murdered. There were known criminal drug/prostitution gangs in the area - maybe Trevor, around 4 in the morning, saw something he wasn't supposed to see (or maybe he talked/flirted with the wrong woman when he was at the bar), and was murdered and disposed of as a result. That would explain why nothing, not even his clothes or umbrella, ever turned up. At the time, the streets were being cleaned up in a haste, which would include dumpsters and garbage bins, as 4 days after Trevor disappeared, then US President Bill Clinton was scheduled to visit (https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/dec/13/northernireland.rosiecowan1). It's possible Trevor encountered the wrong people, was murdered, and was stuffed in a dumpster that was shortly after hastily emptied along with all the others, en route to a landfill, which would explain why his body and clothing articles have never been found.

I suppose there's a couple other theories, but there's not much use elaborating on them without any evidence.

• He was accidentally killed by a drunk motorist, who decided to stuff the body in his trunk and dispose of it later (this is a populated area though, so you'd think there'd be at least one witness to this)
• Someone offered him a ride to his place and abducted/killed him. Though Trevor wasn't that far from his home, maybe he accepted because it was raining hard. Possible, but what are the chances you'd run into an opportunistic murdering psychopath driving around at 4am at night?

The only other theory I can come up with is suicide. I mentioned it would be very difficult for him to 'accidentally' fall in the Dodder, or accidentally fall and drown in the nearby sea. But it could be done if it was intentional. Trevor had recently taken a trip to Alaska to visit a girl he had met in Dublin, but apparently it didn't go well and she rebuffed his advances. Maybe this crushed him emotionally and he decided to end it all and his body was washed out to sea? Still, we run into the same problem as the other theories - no evidence. Also, why would he take a detour to his work building at 3:30am after drinking to read his e-mails and plan for tomorrow if he was planning to kill himself the same night? That would indicate that if he did decide to take his own life, it would've been completely spontaneous, and what I do know about Trevor would lead me to believe that wasn't exactly fitting with his behavior.

It's like this guy fell off the face of the Earth - and I'm honestly not sure how I'd rank the theories in terms of likelihood. I suppose I'd be keen to believe he was murdered and disposed of as the most likely theory. But even that I have a difficult time believing.

I'm hoping @Trollheart is somewhat familiar with this case and can perhaps provide some additional Irish insight.

What do you think after reviewing the details of the case?

---

Any tips or information?
Please call Crimestoppers, who work with An Garda Síochána, at 1-800-250-025

Algerian man found alive in cellar after 26 years (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg6766nzx39o)

Quote from: Psy-Fi on May 17, 2024, 01:14 PMAlgerian man found alive in cellar after 26 years (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg6766nzx39o)

Jeezus that's awful. Especially being able to see your family from captivity, the family who thinks you're dead, and you still can't reach out to them for help

https://www.kwqc.com/2024/05/29/police-car-found-river-empire-park-belonged-missing-92-year-old-man-autopsy-scheduled-later-week/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR24L-tXcCxXrGQcmks1AgCB99FB0ZAM0IR3RS0RYiU7Wnj0mlES7mAKZcw_aem_ASo-joBnZ5ExdKb2sGj4s9E56UVmX57KjswtgQBuPg_h8y4iY6dPlysqQ7SrM8JvZ1naGUh9Lq8UoXrkxFegU_Je
@SGR


they might have found that missing quad cities man..  :'(

QuoteBy Heidi Knecht
Published: May. 28, 2024 at 2:31 PM EDT|Updated: 38 minutes ago
EAST MOLINE, Ill. (KWQC) - East Moline police confirmed late Tuesday night that a vehicle that was found Tuesday afternoon submerged in the Mississippi River at Empire Park belongs to a missing Quad Cities man.

Police Chief Jeff Ramsey said United Search Corp. contacted police at about noon Tuesday that they'd located a vehicle with a body inside underwater at Empire Park. Chief Ramsey said the nonprofit dive group had been in the Quad Cities area since Monday, searching the waterways for Weber who has been missing since March 29.

The family of 92-year-old William Weber of East Moline said Tuesday evening that the car belonged to him.

Tuesday night, police confirmed the vehicle found was Weber's.

In coordination with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, East Moline Fire Department, and Cantrell's Towing Service, the vehicle was removed from the river and was identified as the Silver 2012 Chevrolet Malibu with Illinois Purple Heart specialty plates 2610 PR belonging to Weber, police said in a media release.

A deceased body was found in the vehicle that's presumed to be Weber, according to police. Cause of death and confirmed identification of the body found in the vehicle are pending an autopsy that is scheduled for later this week, according to Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Mr. Weber as this has been a difficult and agonizing time for them to navigate through," said Chief Ramsey. "We are here for the family and know the community is too. We thank United Search Corps and Chaos Divers for their expertise and volunteer search efforts in this case which led to this discovery. The Illinois State Police also assisted with this incident."

The following stemmed from this investigation, according to police's media release.

Tuesday at approximately 11:48 a.m., the East Moline Police Department was contacted by Doug Bishop with United Search Corps out of Portland, Oregon, police said. Bishop advised they were searching the Mississippi River regarding a missing person case out of East Moline, involving Weber.

Bishop said they located a submerged vehicle in the river near the boat ramp of Empire Park, 751 North 20th Street, they believed was related.

Another dive group out of Harrisburg, Ill. was also assisting, Bishop said. Officers and investigators with the East Moline Police Department responded to investigate the report. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, East Moline Fire Department, and Cantrell's Towing Service removed the vehicle from the river.

Once the vehicle was removed from the water, police said they identified it as belonging to Weber. There was also a body found inside the vehicle and an autopsy is scheduled for later in the week, according to Coroner Gustafson.

The East Moline Police Department continues to investigate this incident, police said. Contact the East Moline Police Department at 309-752-1555 with any information related to this case.

Quote from: Mindy on May 29, 2024, 04:56 AMhttps://www.kwqc.com/2024/05/29/police-car-found-river-empire-park-belonged-missing-92-year-old-man-autopsy-scheduled-later-week/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR24L-tXcCxXrGQcmks1AgCB99FB0ZAM0IR3RS0RYiU7Wnj0mlES7mAKZcw_aem_ASo-joBnZ5ExdKb2sGj4s9E56UVmX57KjswtgQBuPg_h8y4iY6dPlysqQ7SrM8JvZ1naGUh9Lq8UoXrkxFegU_Je
@SGR


they might have found that missing quad cities man..  :'(

So sad for his family, but glad they found him, assuming it is him.

Makes you wonder, if he wasn't driving at the time, what posessed him to take off as he apparently did? Perhaps forgetting certain medications that sent him a little haywire?

Quote from: SGR on May 29, 2024, 05:51 AMSo sad for his family, but glad they found him, assuming it is him.

Makes you wonder, if he wasn't driving at the time, what posessed him to take off as he apparently did? Perhaps forgetting certain medications that sent him a little haywire?

I really don't know, but the Moline Police Department said they are doing a press conference about it, probably today

In 1983, children in California found a victim's skull with a distinctive gold tooth. She has finally been identified. (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/1983-skull-gold-tooth-found-california-victim-identified-dna-maritza-glean-grimmett/)

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0335xe9770o

This has just happened.

- 19 year old lad on his first holiday with friends

- Leaves a night out to go back with two men in a car in the middle of nowhere 40 minutes away

- Calls a friend 9am the next morning and tells her he's walking the 11 miles back, but needs water and his battery is on 1%

- Phone cuts off and he's not been heard from since

Quote from: jimmy jazz on Jun 19, 2024, 05:00 PMhttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0335xe9770o

This has just happened.

- 19 year old lad on his first holiday with friends

- Leaves a night out to go back with two men in a car in the middle of nowhere 40 minutes away

- Calls a friend 9am the next morning and tells her he's walking the 11 miles back, but needs water and his battery is on 1%

- Phone cuts off and he's not been heard from since

This is extremely sketchy. Have you read the updates that he was supposedly over there to deal drugs?

Quote from: FETCHER. on Jun 23, 2024, 12:03 PMThis is extremely sketchy. Have you read the updates that he was supposedly over there to deal drugs?

Yeah I've seen the screenshots and all that. I think he's just wandered off walking home hungover and dehydrated in the Spanish sun and is now sadly dead somewhere and will be found soon.

The Facebook moms on the case have had me in tears with their detective work.

"I've got a Labrador with a sensitive nose, maybe he could sniff one of Jay's items and lead the police to him x"

"Have u tried emailing him x"

 :laughing:

Quote from: jimmy jazz on Jun 23, 2024, 03:42 PMYeah I've seen the screenshots and all that. I think he's just wandered off walking home hungover and dehydrated in the Spanish sun and is now sadly dead somewhere and will be found soon.

The Facebook moms on the case have had me in tears with their detective work.

"I've got a Labrador with a sensitive nose, maybe he could sniff one of Jay's items and lead the police to him x"

"Have u tried emailing him x"

 :laughing:

I read one last night that genuinely said "has anyone checked his home to see if he's went back there?" Lmao what?!

I'm not sure what's happened, I think your scenario is most likely. If so, it's been a very silly decision that will have unfortunately cost him his life.

Poor guy was found dead the other day... ☹️



Also SGR, if you haven't already could you cover the disappearance of Andrew Gosden from Yorkshire, England? I'm fascinated with it just now.

Quote from: FETCHER. on Jul 19, 2024, 12:51 AMPoor guy was found dead the other day... ☹️



Also SGR, if you haven't already could you cover the disappearance of Andrew Gosden from Yorkshire, England? I'm fascinated with it just now.

@FETCHER. your wish is my command! :)

I'll put covering Andrew Gosden on my to do list!

I'm quite familiar with the case, but surprisingly, I have yet to post about it. Another one on my to-do list is Maura Murray - she disappeared from my home state.

I haven't heard of the Maura Murray case. I always like reading the posts in here. I might even re-read since it's 2am, I'm off tomorrow and I can't sleep 🫠

Quote from: FETCHER. on Jul 19, 2024, 03:10 AMI haven't heard of the Maura Murray case. I always like reading the posts in here. I might even re-read since it's 2am, I'm off tomorrow and I can't sleep 🫠

Very strange case, Maura Murray's is. In fact, I actually know and worked with someone who was involved in the investigation and search for her after she disappeared. I only learned this though in the last year or so, and now that I'm working from home (and he doesn't), I haven't had the chance to find the right opportunity to ask him his thoughts on the case. I hope you sleep well though Fetcher and enjoy your day off tomorrow! :)

Oh that would be fascinating to hear his thoughts. These things keep my mind going constantly... probably why I struggle to sleep at times 😅. Thanks SGR, have a good weekend when it comes!

Family spent a year looking for daughter after hospital said she checked herself out — but she was dead the whole time (https://nypost.com/2024/08/22/us-news/california-hospital-told-family-their-daughter-checked-out-but-she-had-died-lawsuit/)

QuoteA panicked family spent a year looking for their daughter after a California hospital told them she had checked herself out against medical advice — just to finally find out she'd been decomposing in its morgue the entire time, a new lawsuit alleges.

Mystery of 'Pinnacle Man' found frozen in a cave solved after nearly five decades (https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/01/us/pinnacle-man-identified-five-decades/index.html)

https://www.kwqc.com/2024/09/01/18-year-old-geneseo-man-missing-deputies-say/

quad cities person missing since the 28th  :-\

Boy kidnapped from California park in 1951 at age 6 found alive on East Coast (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/boy-kidnapped-california-1951-found-east-coast-luis-armando-albino/)

Woman's disappearance spotlights the lack of national media attention on missing women of color (https://abcnews.go.com/US/womans-disappearance-spotlights-lack-national-media-attention-missing/story?id=113934070)

This one's for @FETCHER. !!

The Disappearance Of Andrew Gosden (2007)

Andrew Gosden - British - Male - Doncaster, South Yorkshire - missing since 09/14/2007 - age 14 at the time of disappearance (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Andrew_Gosden)

Picture:

(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/8F05/production/_109431663_pa-5160896.jpg.webp)

Quote from: WikipediaAndrew Paul Gosden (born 10 July 1993) disappeared from Central London on 14 September 2007 when he was 14. On that day, Gosden left his home in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, withdrew £200 from his bank account and bought a one-way ticket to London from Doncaster station.He was last seen on CCTV leaving King's Cross station. Despite numerous national appeals for information in the years following his disappearance, Gosden's reason for travelling to London that day, and his subsequent fate, have not been established.

In December 2021, detectives investigating the case arrested two men on suspicion of kidnapping and human trafficking in relation to Gosden's disappearance. Both men were released under investigation while enquiries continued. In September 2023, police confirmed that the men had been eliminated from the investigation. They are believed to be the first arrests made in connection with Gosden's disappearance.

Other resources:

Andrew Gosden: Men released without charge in 2007 missing boy case (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-66869227)

The Puzzling Case Of Andrew Gosden, The 14-Year-Old Who Disappeared While Traveling To London (https://allthatsinteresting.com/andrew-gosden)

Andrew Gosden Disappearance Update -- Reddit Discussion Thread (2023) (https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/16noobq/andrew_gosden_disappearance_update/)

'My son vanished 16 years ago and we don't know what happened - it's a living nightmare' (https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/missing-andrew-gosden-more-likely-30437534)

Help Us to Find Andrew (http://helpustofindandrew.weebly.com/)





Personal speculation

---

I gotta be honest, this is a difficult case. While some other cases we've covered seem to point strongly in one direction or another, this one simply doesn't, due to a basic lack of evidence.

I will say, based on all the evidence of the case, it seems that Gosden's movements were intentional. He skipped school the day he disappeared, changed clothes, then went and bought a one-way ticket to London. The one-way ticket thing isn't that strange, as he did have family he knew there he could stay with. But it's clear this wasn't some spur of the moment thing. He did bring his PSP (PlayStation Portable) with him - he loved gaming, and though he brought the device, he didn't bring the charging cable for it - this would indicate that he didn't plan on being gone long. And since he didn't tell his family about his plans, my best guess is that this was, in his mind, an "easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission" sort of thing. He was big into music and metal and there were concerts going on the evening he went missing - SikTh, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and HIM.

One thing that often gets, in my opinion, discarded (or rather, disregarded) too easily is his PSP. He didn't have any kind of paid Sony account on the device - investigators reached out to Sony and they confirmed that he had no activity - but here's the catch - the activity they can monitor is the activity against their own servers - this would be, for example, activity like him setting up an account (that we know he didn't have) and downloading online games. What they could not monitor is activity he may or may not have had using the built-in web browser on the PSP to connect to various websites and possibly communicate with others. He didn't have his own computer at the time (only his sister did), so besides his Xbox, this was his only device capable of connecting to the internet - and with a built-in wi-fi chip and the ability to use a web browser, he could communicate over the web without Sony being any the wiser. If I were to hazard a guess, I believe this is what he did.

I don't know who he communicated with - but whoever they were, it was bad news. Some random pedophile - or someone who was a member of a larger organization of human traffickers - the person he was communicating with had bad intentions and under the guise of good intentions, was able to draw Andrew out to London without the knowledge of his parents.

An alternative theory is that he went to a show/concert, and was simply the victim of a random crime - a robbery gone bad or something of the sort - but one would think that if this were the case, a body would be find. Getting rid of a human body without anyone finding it would, you'd assume, require some level of planning and premeditation - it's very unlikely that he was randomly killed and disposed of so effectively in the moment that he was never found.

One last theory is that, perhaps, he went to London to take his own life. Before he left, he did take out as much money as possible from his bank account - but given his age, and the relatively small amount of money that was, I don't think this is a strong indicator for suicide - it could just as well be simply an indicator that he wanted to go to London and maybe a concert and have fun and/or buy some merchandise. Again, if he killed himself, I'd find it hard to believe at his age that he'd be able to do it in such a way that his body was never found in such a populated location. Regardless, as sad as it is to say, I don't believe Andrew is still alive.

So I think he met with foul play - but without the evidence, we'll continue to have questions and doubts.

What do you think after reviewing the details of the case?

---

Any tips or information?
Please call Crimestoppers at 0800-555-111

DNA evidence found in truck leads to suspect in Arkansas girl's 1995 abduction (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/morgan-nick-abduction-1995-dna-identifies-suspect-missing-girl-arkansas/)

QuoteMorgan Nick was kidnapped from the parking lot of a Little League baseball field in the city of Alma, near the Oklahoma border, on the night of June 9, 1995, according to the Alma Police Department. At the time, detectives received a description of the suspect that alleged he drove a red truck with a white camper shell, which witnesses reported seeing in the area when Morgan vanished. Despite a massive investigation into her abduction that has continued into the present day, Morgan was never found.

Quote from: SGR on Sep 28, 2024, 02:53 AMThis one's for @FETCHER. !!

The Disappearance Of Andrew Gosden (2007)

Thank you!!

I have read over this case several times and one thing I have never caught is that his PSP could be connected to the internet via a browser. Previously, I hadn't entertained the theory that he was groomed but if this is true and he had internet access through the PSP then unfortunately I do think it's a very strong possibility ☹️.

I'm going to go through your posted articles and YouTube videos, thank you.

It's a very bizarre case. I could spend days reading up on this. I always hope somehow he is out there and safe, stranger things have happened. I read recently that a baby was missing for over 50years and she was reunited with her family so you never know 🙏

Quote from: FETCHER. on Oct 09, 2024, 11:56 PMThank you!!

I have read over this case several times and one thing I have never caught is that his PSP could be connected to the internet via a browser. Previously, I hadn't entertained the theory that he was groomed but if this is true and he had internet access through the PSP then unfortunately I do think it's a very strong possibility ☹️.

I'm going to go through your posted articles and YouTube videos, thank you.

It's a very bizarre case. I could spend days reading up on this. I always hope somehow he is out there and safe, stranger things have happened. I read recently that a baby was missing for over 50years and she was reunited with her family so you never know 🙏

Start with that Casefile video. It's a podcast. 10/10.

Haven't got a fucking clue what happened here BTW.

Missing but not missing and now found, partially...


Body parts found in Colorado freezer identified as 16-year-old girl, missing since 2005 (https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/12/us/colorado-amanda-overstreet-remains-freezer/index.html)

QuoteThe human head and hands discovered in the freezer of a Colorado home in January have been identified as belonging to a 16-year-old girl who had been missing for almost 20 years, according to local authorities.

Amanda Overstreet was identified as the victim through DNA testing, according to a Friday news release from the Mesa County Sheriff's Office. The teenager's head and hands were found in the freezer of a recently sold home in Grand Junction, Colorado, on January 12.

The remains were discovered by someone who came to the home to pick up the freezer for free, the sheriff's office said.

Overstreet, believed to be "approximately 16 years old at the time of her disappearance," had not been "seen or heard from since April 2005," according to the sheriff's office. She was the daughter of the home's previous owner.

There is no evidence Overstreet was ever reported missing, and the "circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain under investigation," the sheriff's office said.

Body of girl missing for over a year found in France after GPS data extracted from suspected killer's car (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lina-girl-missing-body-found-france-gps-data-suspects-car/)

Family pleads with community to find Olivia Harrison

QuoteBy William Ingalls
Published: Oct. 22, 2024 at 11:56 PM EDT|Updated: 13 hours ago
DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - Olivia Smith has been missing since Oct. 16, just a day before her mom and stepdad planned to take her to a doctor to help her battle challenges with mental health.

Delitha and Kyle Burrage, Olivia's mother and stepfather, have searched desperately for a week to find Olivia after she was last seen at their home around 11 p.m. on Oct. 16.

The two say Olivia loves to walk on the bike path near the river and also near the sky bridge, but usually during the afternoon and not at night when she was last seen.

Though the Burrages say Olivia is shy and introverted, she is very kind and people should not be worried to approach her if they see and recognize her. Though Olivia is 24-years-old, the Burrages are worried with the circumstances behind her disappearance.

https://www.kwqc.com/2024/10/23/family-pleads-with-community-find-olivia-harrison/


Family of missing Davenport woman speak out

QuoteAuthor: Maddie Franz, Nora Reichardt
Published: 10:56 PM CDT October 22, 2024
Updated: 6:58 AM CDT October 23, 2024
Facebook
DAVENPORT, Iowa — It's been a sleepless week for Kyle and Delitha Burrage.

"We're desperate right now," Kyle said. "She's a major, major part of our family, and we miss her dearly."

The couple's daughter, 24-year-old Olivia Harrison, hasn't been seen since Wednesday, Oct. 16. According to her mother, Olivia left for the riverfront at 9:30 p.m.

https://www.wqad.com/article/news/local/public-safety/davenport-police-searching-missing-woman-olivia-harrison/526-fba22d36-cf17-4334-80b2-c07e91ce7bd6

New homeowners find skeleton in attic 15 years after previous occupant disappeared (https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/05/europe/france-skeleton-attic-scli-intl/index.html)

Workers found human bones by Hoover Dam in 2009. 15 years later, officials identified the John Doe (https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/07/us/john-doe-identified-michigan-dna-cold-case/index.html)

Car found in Georgia pond could be linked to 44-year disappearance of wealthy Scarsdale, NY, couple (https://nypost.com/2024/11/25/us-news/car-found-in-georgia-pond-could-be-linked-to-44-year-disappearance-of-wealthy-scarsdale-ny-couple/)

Man who went missing for 25 years reunited with family after they spotted him in a news article (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-went-missing-25-years-reunited-family-spotted-news-article-rcna181969)

Colombian teen escapes 12 years after she was allegedly abducted and raped on camera; school bus driver arrested (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/teen-escapes-12-years-abuction-rape-colombia-suspect-arrested/)

Heartwarming story of missing man found by sister after 25 years takes very dark turn (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14165605/los-angeles-missing-thomas-manizak-heartwarming-story-dark-twist.html)

Missing American Travis Timmerman found wandering barefoot outside Damascus (https://www.npr.org/2024/12/12/nx-s1-5226745/missing-american-travis-timmerman-found-wandering-barefoot-outside-damascus)

Experts explain phenomenon of adults who leave their lives behind (https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/15/us/missing-persons-cases-runaways/index.html)

Texas Rep. Kay Granger, 81, found in memory care unit after she vanished from Washington 6 months ago (https://nypost.com/2024/12/22/us-news/missing-texas-rep-kay-granger-found-in-memory-care-unit-report/)

Skeletal remains of girl born in 1959 identified a decade after bones found in Hawaii (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hawaii-mary-sue-fink-dna/)

1991 murder victim identified as NYC mom who went missing after daughter's 1st birthday party (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cold-case-victim-identified-judy-rodriguez/)

Remains of festival-goer found 6 years after vanishing — 100 yards from his campsite (https://nypost.com/2025/01/03/us-news/remains-of-festival-goer-found-6-years-after-he-vanished-just-100-yards-from-his-campsite/)

Remains found in Utah reservoir confirmed to be man missing for 20 years (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/utah-missing-person-found-20-years-later/)

Escaped prison and "dissappeared" in plain sight for 55 years.



Infamous fugitive found after 55 years: Sharon Kinne

Station wagon set to be pulled from river may belong to Oregon family missing for nearly 70 years (https://nypost.com/2025/03/07/us-news/oregon-car-set-to-be-pulled-from-river-may-belong-to-family-that-vanished-nearly-70-years-ago/)