Almedia Carolyn Melcher - Missing from Louisville Since 1964

Paraphrased details from government source**: Almedia Carolyn Melcher disappeared in late 1963/early 1964 shortly after beginning to reconcile with her oldest daughter. A.C. Melcher's last known contact was a call to tell her daughter she was engaged. No one has heard from Almedia since. There was a rumor that she took off with a truck driver.

Missing Person: Almedia Carolyn Melcher

Last-contact date: January 1st, 1964 (this may be a placeholder date, meaning the exact date of disappearance is not known but NamUs needed to enter some data in the empty field)
The area where the MP was last seen: Louisville, Kentucky
Link to government source: NamUs MP#87281

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 43 years old
Birthdate: Almedia Carolyn Melcher was born between January 2nd, 1920, and January 1st, 1921 based on her reported age at the last date of reported contact. However, I wondered if she might have been born in 1922.
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Unknown
Scar: Unknown
Height/weight: 5-foot-8 and 125-130 pounds
BMI*: Almedia Carolyn Melcher was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: Almedia Carolyn Melcher did not have any tattoos associated with her profiles.

Almedia Carolyn Melcher was last heard from in late 1963 or early 1964 when she was exactly or close to 43 years of age. This individual has now been missing for about 57 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

This wasn't a missing person's case where it was easy to find information. I did not find any news reports of her disappearance. Furthermore, it does not seem as though she disappeared under circumstances that were inherently suspicious.

What I did find was a profile at Ancestry for an individual named Almedia Carolyn Flood. I wondered if this was the missing person's maiden name. However, I could not authenticate AC Flood and NamUs MP#87281 as being the same person.

But there were reasons to believe that they were the same person. Flood had a Louisville address associated with her profile as of 1956. NamUs MP#87281 went missing from Lousiville in later years.

Furthermore, it is stated in Flood's ancestry profile that Vernon Melcher, her husband, died in 1976.  If Flood is NamUs#87281 then the divorce (see the newspaper clipping below) might have been in absentia. The marriage between Almedia Carolyn Flood and Vernon Melcher would have created a name change that matches our missing person, Almedia Carolyn Melcher, if normal conventions were followed. 

Additionally, the individual in the Ancestry profile's pictures resembles the missing person but this is a matter of opinion. Furthermore, Almedia Carolyn Flood had the following information entered for date of death: 

"Death

??? • ????"

An unknown date of death is what you would expect for a missing person. I do think that the Ancestry profile for Almedia Carolyn Flood was for the same person as NamUs #87281 but I am still seeking to authenticate this. I reached out to the person in charge of the Ancestry profile on that matter.

NamUs #MP87281 24 Jan 1969, Fri The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) Newspapers.com

Yet, the NamUs description, in some ways, is not really consistent with the two profiles being of the same person. There's some marriage-date mismatching information and the year of birth would be off by one year. Perhaps, if I get an affirmative answer more work could be done on this matter.

Author: S.K. Lambert (Blogger Hobbyist and Freelance Writer)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

S.K. Lambert (Blogger Hobbyist and Freelance Writer) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of April 2021.

If you like this blog, then you can join the affiliated Facebook group: MPC Facebook Group

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Might not be the exact meaning that NamUs or Canada's Missing conveys. I improve upon their descriptions with my research.
Disclaimer: Whenever possible, government sources are preferred for getting the details of a missing persons case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.

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Barbara Joe Kelley - Missing Since June 1950

Paraphrased details from government source**: On June 18, 1950, Barbara Joe Kelley’s boyfriend Henry Baird was located deceased on the beach at Table Bluff. Kelley’s belongings were located nearby Baird’s remains. Law enforcement and family have been unable to contact Kelley and she remains missing today.

Missing Person: Barbara Joe Kelley ("Barbara Kelly" in journalism)
Last-contact date: June 18th, 1950 (Sunday)
The area where the MP was last seen: Fortuna, California; she was thought to have been at Table Bluff Beach, which was 20 miles south of Eureka, California.
Link to government source: NamUs MP83728


VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 17 years old
Birthdate: Barbara Joe Kelley was born between June 19th, 1932, and June 18th, 1933 based on her reported age at the last date of reported contact.
Hair: Light-brown hair, according to journalism
Eyes: Hazel, according to journalism
Scar: She had a scar on her left eyebrow.

19 Jun 1950, Mon Los Angeles Evening Citizen News (Hollywood, California) Newspapers.com

Height/weight: 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-7 and 150 to 165 pounds

BMI*: The missing person was overweight by BMI at the time of the last contact based on the upper ranges. Does not appear overweight in her picture.
Tattoos: Barbara Joe Kelley did not have any tattoos associated with her profiles.

By: Shane Lambert

This one sounded like a lover's lane double murder. That could start to evoke bad memories of people like The Zodiac Killer and the Phantom Killer of Texarkana.

Barbara Joe Kelley, a missing person, was last heard from on June 18th, 1950 when she was 17 years old. This individual has now been missing for about 71 years as of the original publication date of this blog post. All research with this individual pointed to death at about the time of her disappearance.

One thing that stood out with this case, is that several newspaper sources spelled her last name as "Kelly." It's not a case of it being a different person as all the case details aligned. Her name was spelled Barbara Kelly or Barbara Kelley so if you are researching this case, then be sure to toggle between spellings for your keyword searches.

The early journalism for this missing person covered the murder of her boyfriend. Kelley's clothes were found near his on a beach 20 miles south of Eureka. It appears that Kelly and Henry Baird, her boyfriend, were at or near a lover's lane beach. The boyfriend was murdered and Kelly has not been seen since June 18th, 1950. That she was apparently naked as she was held captive would strongly suggest that a sex fiend disappeared her.

19 Jun 1950, Mon Long Beach Press-Telegram (Long Beach, California) Newspapers.com
Early guesses (ie. bad guesses) with this missing person had to do with a murder-suicide pact. Baird's gun was missing and it was thought that Kelly may have shot her boyfriend with it and then committed suicide in the ocean. However, the missing gun was considered too light to cause the damage that was caused. A search of the ocean and beaches in the area revealed nothing as to where Barbara may have gone.

In the 1960s, one Gail Patrick Irish emerged as the suspected murderer of both Baird and Kelley/Kelly. He wasn't mentally stable and he confessed. His odd personality will certainly bring into question whether he was telling the truth but from what I gathered in reading about this case, he seemed to be believed.

As for the chances of locating the missing person, I think the following news article, which was published about 13 years after Kelley's disappearance, contains information that needs to be considered. That Kelly was not found where Irish said she would be could be due to reasons covered in the article.

25 Mar 1963, Mon The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California) Newspapers.com

Please share this article to social media using hashtags that are related to where the missing person went missing from, which is Fortuna, California, and the Eureka area.

Author: S.K. Lambert (Blogger Hobbyist and Freelance Writer)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

S.K. Lambert (Blogger Hobbyist and Freelance Writer) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of April 2021.

If you like this blog, then you can join the affiliated Facebook group: MPC Facebook Group

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Might not be the exact meaning that NamUs or Canada's Missing conveys. I improve upon their descriptions with my research.
Disclaimer: Whenever possible, government sources are preferred for getting the details of a missing persons case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.

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Christine Marianne Harron - Missing in Hanover, Ontario Since 1993

Paraphrased details from government source**: On the morning of May 18th, 1993, Christine Harron stayed home from school as she was not feeling well. Around lunchtime, Christine and her mother argued about Christine returning to school for the afternoon. Her mother heard Christine leave the house at about 1:30 pm. Christine did not attend school that afternoon and has not been seen since. The investigation revealed that Christine left the house without her purse, money, or knapsack. Subsequent investigations led to the arrest and conviction of a male regarding the disappearance of Christine Harron, however, she remains missing.

Missing Person: Christine Marianne Harron

Last-contact date: May 18th, 1993 (Tuesday)
The area where the MP was last seen: Hanover, Ontario; it sounded like she disappeared between her residence and John Diefenbaker High School.
Link to government source: Canada's Missing 2010001799

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White or Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 15 years old
Birthdate: Christine Marianne Harron was born between May 19th, 1977, and May 18th, 1978 based on her reported age at the last date of reported contact.
Hair: Brown, long
Eyes: Blue
Scar: None known
Height/weight: 5'3" and 110 pounds
BMI*: Christine Marianne Harron was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: Christine Marianne Harron had no tattoos associated with her profile.

Christine Marianne Harron was last heard from on May 18th, 1993 when she was 15 years of age. This individual has now been missing for about 32 years as of early 2025. However, her disappearance is not as clouded in mystery as many other disappearances.

A man named Anthony Edward Ringel pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Harron's case. According to a National Post article from October 2016, he abducted, raped, and murdered the teenage girl before leaving her dead near the Saugeen River. When this river flooded in what I think was 1994 (as communicated by the NP article), the resulting currents and water flow may have moved her body.

Taking everything at face value, this isn't a case that amateurs will be able to help with much. People who go missing in water are often missing until a chance event of a geological nature or even real-estate developmental reveals them. Missing people in flooded areas are often buried underneath a lot of sediment. 

I would say that amateurs probably will not find a clue in this case. However, a news report in the area of human remains being found in association with the Saugeen River or even Lake Huron would be interesting. That said, people who are absolutely known to have fallen into a river often stay missing for decades and decades.

Christine's clothing could be cross-referenced against any Jane Does in the area. She may have had the following articles when she disappeared: a light-blue denim jacket, blue denim pants, black running shoes, and plastic glasses that were brown and had tape.

One interesting takeaway from this case is that the teen disappeared after an argument with her mother. Perhaps, that fueled the idea that Christine had been a runaway. But based on the conviction, it's clear that she met up with a clandestine individual.

There were many alleged sightings of Christine, all of which would be false if the words of Ringel were to be trusted. Given that he received a lengthy sentence for his admissions, it doesn't make sense that he's lying. But that many people reported seeing her even though she is conclusively dead is a point that can be taken away from this case. Unfortunately, sightings of missing people can be pretty frivolous. 

That does bring to mind a lot of cases involving missing people, like Paula Jean Welden. Sightings of missing people that are ambiguous should be taken with a big grain of salt in my view, but never discounted.

Thank you for reading. If have any information about this case, consider contacting the authorities.

Author: Shane Lambert (Vancouver, Canada)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert (Vancouver, Canada) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of April 2021.

If you like this blog, then you can join the affiliated Facebook group: MPC Facebook Group

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Might not be the exact meaning that NamUs or Canada's Missing conveys. I improve upon their descriptions with my research.
Disclaimer: Non-opinionated information at this site generally comes from government sources or police reports. Other sources may be used.

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NamUs #UP87267 - Jane Doe's Skull Found in Washington DC in December 2001

By: Shane Lambert

NamUs description: "Construction workers renovating an apartment found a skull in a crawl space of a ground floor apartment located at 1926 I street, NE apt 1."

Sex: Female

Race: Caucasian/White

Age: Thought to be an adult

Height and weight: no estimates, skull only

Date body found: The body has not been found or, if found, I don't think it has been associated with the skull that was found on December 17th, 2001 (Monday)

Where was the skull found: Washington, DC.

With so few details available in this case, this is one that amateur investigators might feel as though they should back away from. How can you hope to name a Jane Doe based only on a skull and sparse demographics?

However, I think this is a case that Websleuths or amateurs might be able to contribute to. Remember, you aren't really trying to solve a case here. As an amateur, you are trying to find a lead that police or professional investigators might take seriously with the hopes that the lead does help solve the case. On that matter, this is what I think amateurs should do: focus on the street address.

A skull can be in a crawlspace for decades. Did someone who lived there end up going missing? Did someone who lived there have a rap sheet for violent crimes?

The address appeared to be a place with up to four apartments. I found the street address in Ancestry files subdivided into Apt. 1, Apt. 2, Apt. 3, and Apt. 4. It's possible that more apartments may have evaded my searching but it appeared to have at least four apartments. The earliest use of the street address I found in Ancestry was for 1983. The earliest use of the apartment's address where the skull was found, Apt. 1, was also for 1983. 

Honestly, I expected to find earlier uses of the address. Also, newspaper reports of the skull's discovery evaded my searching. 

I did look at the street address using Google Maps. The building that is there in 2021 was there in at least 2007 according to the street views from that site. The building is one of those brick buildings that stands the test of time.

I think the building was constructed in 1946. A modern online advertisement I found said that the apartments were built that year. I'm thinking that missing women from that year onward are all in play, unfortunately. A missing person with some kind of connection to the address or a connection to a former resident would be interesting, I think.

As far as NamUs goes, The missing person in NamUs that might be worth looking at is Patsy Arlene Gaisor. However, the connection to the skull is very tenuous. She matches the skull in terms of NamUs's listed race and sex. Furthermore, she went missing in 1980, over two decades before the skull was found.

Her body was thought to have been dumped into the nearby Anacostia River at Anacostia Park. This park is not that long of a drive away from the address, however, it's a tenuous lead, meaning there is no significant connection. Two men were convicted of her murder in 1982. I'm not sure if there is any follow-up news on the conviction. Someone dumping a body in a river might remove the skull if they understand that dentals can be used for identification. However, that's not what was stated in the reporting for Gaisor so I'm not thinking the skull is hers. Perhaps other missing women in the area will be added to the database in time.

08 May 1982, Sat Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York) Newspapers.com

I don't mind people building off my notes, which I have decided not to publish online for this case. However, feel free to contact me if you are looking at this case.

NamUs #UP107 - Barren County Jane Doe Found November 2nd, 1973

By: Shane Lambert

The Barren County Jane Doe is NamUs #UP107. This is an individual who was found with a gunshot wound that was fatal near Park City, Kentucky. The Kentucky State Police say she was "stashed in a small ravine." Here are the details for this case that I found from various sources, as mentioned throughout.

Date body found: November 2nd, 1973 (Friday) in the afternoon.

Time/date of death: This Jane Doe, according to NamUs, was thought to have been dead for "Months." According to the journalism from the time of the discovery, she was thought to have been at the site where she was found for 3 to 10 weeks. It seems that women who went missing in October 1973 or any month before then during that year could be in play for a match.

Where the body was found: In Barren County, Kentucky. NamUs says she was found along the Interstate. According to the journalism I read, she was found one mile north of Park City, along I-65 "near a grove of trees." An article on this matter with Kentucky State Police said "The body was found 100 feet west of the southbound lane of I-65, 7/10 of a mile north of Park City."

04 Nov 1973, Sun The Park City Daily News (Bowling Green, Kentucky) Newspapers.com

Who found the body?: A truck driver using the Interstate.

Age: She was 20 to 50 years old, according to NamUs, and that is a very broad range. According to the Kentucky State Police, she was about 35 years old.

Sex: Female

Race: White/Caucasian

Estimated Height and Weight: 5'7" and 145 pounds, according to NamUs. According to the Kentucky State Police, she was 5'7" to 5'8" and 140 to 150 pounds.

Hair: Red/Auburn

Distinctive: Ivory-colored nail polish on the fingernails of her left hand. "The middle incisor teeth of maxilla were missing" (Kentucky State Police).

Clothing articles:

1. A cotton v-necked dress that was white with blue-horizontal stripes, an elastic waist, and two front buttonholes.
2. Pink panties with lavender polka-dots
3. "Exquisite form" bra with prosthetic inserts "falsies"

Accessories: Near the body, a set of keys was found - one key possibly to a 1969 GM product ignition, one key possibly to a 1969 GM product trunk, one key possibly to a 1967-1971 ignition, and two keys engraved with "114."

Opinion: The 114 keys could be big clues. If those are apartment keys, any missing person who lived in "Unit #114" would be a good candidate. Addresses for missing people can be found using Ancestry. If you know of a missing person in the area and timeframe involving this Jane Doe, try to find the MP's address on Ancestry after cross-referencing the other details.

NamUs #UP84926 - Hillsboro Jane Doe Found in December 1961

By: Shane Lambert

The Hillsboro Jane Doe (NamUs #UP84926) is a young woman who was found dead in December 1961. I researched her case and below are the details that I think amateur investigators and writers should be aware of with this case.

NamUs description: "Remains found off the side of a rural highway in a ditch. Believed to have been dumped there late 12/15/61 or early 12/16/61. Multiple injuries consistent with being beaten noted."

Date body found: December 16th, 1961 (Saturday) at 3:48am in the morning. From the news articles I read from the journalism at about the time of her death, a "sex fiend" was thought to have killed her. However, in subsequent days she was thought to have not been sexually molested.

18 Dec 1961, Mon The Bee (Danville, Virginia) Newspapers.com

Location of the body: NamUs says she was found in a rural highway ditch. From what I gathered, she was found a mile south of Hillsboro in a honeysuckle thicket and was presumptively thrown there from a car. This discovery sounded like it resulted from a body dump.

18 Dec 1961, Mon The Bee (Danville, Virginia) Newspapers.com

Date/time of death: The Jane Doe was thought to be dead for two hours when discovered at 3:48am on the morning of December 16th, 1981. Thus, her estimated time of death would be 1:48am on the same date but could have been earlier.

Cause of death: NamUs said she had been beaten. According to The Bee out of Danville, Virginia, an autopsy revealed the cause of death to be "a subdural hematoma and a brain hemorrhage" (Dec 16, 1961; page 25).

18 Dec 1961, Mon The Bee (Danville, Virginia) Newspapers.com

Age: 15 to 18 years old as per both NamUs the journalism at the time of the body's discovery

Sex: Female

Race: White/Caucasian

Height and weight: 5'1" and 95 pounds, according to NamUs. 5'0" to 5'2" and 85 to 100 pounds is what I gathered as a range from other sources. Qualitatively, she was called "slender" or only slightly built.

Hair: Brown or dark brown, short, and slightly curly according to NamUS.

Eyes: Brown

Fingerprints: Sent to the FBI

Clothing and accessories: 

1. She was found wearing a pullover navy-blue cotton t-shirt type short sleeve shirt with elastic neck and sleeve ends. The label in the neckband said "Jamie." 
2. She wore a white-cloth brassiere with a safety pin on the posterior portion near the elastic hooks. The label said, "Habson Creation, 100% cotton, Sanforized, size 36-B" (Sanforized means preshrunk, meaning that it was shrunk before being sold). Size 36-B would not be very busty. 
3. She wore turquoise-blue corduroy pedal-pusher female pants (called "slacks" in the Bee Hive article) with a back zipper, a button, and a right-rear pocket; it had an imitation leopard-skin corduroy cloth black and white design running down the lateral seam margins as well as the cuffs. 
4. Other clothing that was associated with this Jane Doe was found near the body: a hip-length white coat with a back one-half belt with brass-type buttons; the material is herring-bone type weave. In the pockets of the coat: 2 white cotton socks. 
5. I also found a newspaper article that said she was wearing a light-color jacket.
6. A small and empty pocketbook was found near the body.

17 Dec 1961, Sun The Times Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia) Newspapers.com

NamUs #UP85529 - Stony Creek Jane Doe Found in September 1948

By: Shane Lambert

NamUs #UP85529 is a Jane Doe that was found near Stony Creek, Virginia in 1948. Her case was uploaded in October 2021, making for a 73-year interval. It's quite likely that, if she was a murder victim, then there is no justice to be had in this case due to how long ago it was. However, here are all the details that I could find on this Jane Doe.

Age: NamUs estimates an age of 15 to 25 years.

Sex: Female

Race: Black

Height: 5'2" to 5'3" (estimated)

Weight: 130 to 135 pounds (estimated)

Date body found: September 16th, 1948 (a Thursday) according to NamUs. According to the news source I found, the date of discovery was September 17th, 1948 (the source says the body was found on the nearest Friday to the date of publication). When two sources contradict one another, it's not clear which one to go by. It does create potential that the news source is covering a different Jane Doe, however, nearly all the other information lines up. I think the news source and the NamUs profile are covering the same case.

Date of death: NamUs estimates that she had been dead for six weeks. The original journalism in 1948 stated 2-3 weeks. It would be likely that she died sometime between late July and early September of 1948. If you are cross-referencing this case to missing people, then that's the target area for "last seen" dates (but be open to earlier times).

Location of Body: She was buried in what NamUs called a "makeshift" grave. That sounded clandestine in nature. A news report said she was found near Stony Creek, which makes it sound like the outskirts of town. It was near the Sussex-Prince George County Line according to the news source I found.

Who Found the Body: A crew of highway workers.

The date of discovery being either September 16th or 17th is one contradiction. However, it's not too uncommon for a date to be wrong on these matters. Another matter struck me as more substantial.

In the newspaper source, which is below, it is stated that highway workers noticed the Jane Doe when they noticed some disturbed Earth near a picnic table. This disturbed area was her shallow grave, which was described as two feet wide and two feet deep. It is stated in the article that the workers noticed her hand sticking out of the clandestine grave.

Regarding hands, this Jane Doe's NamUs profile states that one or both of her hands were missing from the body. Evidently, only one hand was missing and the other was sticking out of the grave.

The picture I am getting from all this is that someone buried this woman, who was nude, on the side of the highway. Perhaps this person did it near the picnic table so that it would provide a measure of seclusion. 

But why one hand was removed from the corpse is puzzling. Usually, when criminals remove a Doe's hands they are doing it to eliminate the chance of the Doe being identified due to fingerprinting. However, removing one hand and not the other doesn't seem to jive with that. I am thinking that the buried Doe might have been scavenged by an animal and one of her hands was removed that way while the other perhaps was pulled up, allowing for the highway workers to spot her.

NamUs #UP85529 19 Sep 1948, Sun The Times Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia) Newspapers.com

NamUs #UP85987 - Jane Doe in Arizona's Mohave County

By: Shane Lambert

Update: This article was originally published in December 2021. The Jane Doe has since been identified, conclusively, thanks to DNA testing. She is Colleen Audrey Rice according to an article from TheBee.News and DNASolves.com.

Original article appears below

------------------------

I researched the Mohave County Jane Doe tonight, an apparent murder victim whose dead body was found on January 23rd, 1971. The case received some mainstream media coverage with Fox10 in Phoenix. NamUs says that the "Jane Doe was found on a private ranch in a canvas sack with a rope outside of Kingman, Arizona on 01/23/1971."

 

This artistic rendering of the victim was undertaken in early 1971, I believe by a Flagstaff police artist. 

Here are her details, many of which are as per the Mohave County Sherriff's Office Facebook post on October 20th, 2021, however, I source other sources throughout this article:

Body found: January 23rd, 1971

Cause of death: murder by strangulation (sourced below)

Date of death: Undetermined but early speculation was that she was thought to have been dead for several weeks; later speculation was that she had been dead for a month when she had been discovered. By my research, I think she was thought to have died around December 23rd, 1970.

Sex: Female

Age: estimated to be about 40 years old (35-40 years old by another source)

Height: 5'4" (estimated: she had been dismembered, according to another source)

Weight: 125 to 140 pounds

Hair: curly, brown

Location: a deserted area near a dirt road that was 2.2 miles east of US Highway 93 on Hackberry Road

Clothing: a size-14 multi-colored long-sleeve blouse, a black long-sleeved black cardigan sweater, a pair of burnt-orange stretch pants with the words "Symphony, It's what's happening" written on a tab (size 12), a pair of black leather and ankle-high boots, bobby sox, and no jewelry.

Scar: she had a c-section birth scar (sourced below)

Fingerprints: sent to FBI

Dentals: Her dental work was considered expensive. She had two missing molars. She had a "$500 microband bridge."

Family: Thought to have been married (she had a bone indentation that was thought to have been caused by wearing a wedding ring) and she was thought to have had three children.

Find-a-grave: I think this might be the Jane Doe's grave picture. However, the date is off. Then again, with Jane Doe cases the dates on the graves aren't always right.

"Deer-Pak Ames Harris Neville Co.": What does this mean?

The woman was discovered by three hunters. The bag that the woman was in had the following phrase: "Deer-Pak Ames Harris Neville Co."

"Ames Harris Neville Co" gets hits in the newspapers.com database throughout the last century, but mostly in the early parts.  The company sold bags, tents, camping gear, awnings, and canvas goods. The Fox10 news article said the sack was a canvas bag so "Ames Harris Neville Co." was likely the brand name of the bag. The ad below shows that this was a large company on the west coast of the USA.

 

30 Jun 1960, Thu The Californian (Salinas, California) Newspapers.com

"Deer-Pak" appears to be a hunting term. Deer-Pak is a kind of bag that someone would buy to haul away deer after making a kill. With that in mind, it's not surprising that this woman was found by hunters. I think this Jane Doe was stuffed into a hunting bag that would have been meant for wild game. In the second clipping below, see the ad in the bottom-left. It uses the phrase "Deer Pak" amidst hunting equipment.

 

06 Oct 1967, Fri The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com

01 Oct 1963, Tue Tucson Citizen (Tucson, Arizona) Newspapers.com

"Symphony, it's what's happening": What could this phrase mean?

The phrase "Symphony, it's what's happening" is something I found little information on at first. However, someone at Etsy.com was selling some clothes that were vintage from the 1960s that had "symphony it's what's happening happening happening" written on the tag. I kept a screenshot in my notes. That gave me the idea to just search for "happening happening happening" with my beloved newspaper archive membership and I found a company that used the slogan with some variety.

I believe the Jane Doe's clothes were associated with a brand name called Monsanto's and may have been sold somewhere called Velma's as per the advertisement below. However, many chains may have carried the brand. As you see in the advertisement, they use a variation of the slogan. It's not "Symphony, it's what's happening" but rather "symphony is what's happening, happening, happening!"

I am not sure what "symphony" means: maybe it's a line of clothing within the overall brand? But I really do think that the murdered woman was rich or at least well-off, stylish, and chic.

06 Apr 1969, Sun Panama City News-Herald (Panama City, Florida) Newspapers.com

Journalistic Coverage

I found only a little bit of media coverage with this case. The articles I found are below. Journalist Paul Dean of The Arizona Republic wrote that she was stuffed into "a muslin deer sack" ("muslin" means lightweight cotton cloth in a plain weave), confirming what I wrote above about the canvas bag that she was found in being that of a hunter's. The second article below, the one by Paul Dean, is basically required reading for this murder mystery.

25 Jan 1971, Mon Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona) Newspapers.com 27 Apr 1971, Tue Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona) Newspapers.com

Mary Ann Mariz -- Missing From Sacamento Since 1982? Or found deceased in 1985?

Paraphrased details from government source**: Mary Ann Mariz was last seen by her mother leaving their shared residence on 04/14/1982 to go out with friends.

Missing Person: Mary Ann Mariz
Last-contact date: April 14th, 1982 (Wednesday)
The area where the MP was last seen: Sacramento, California
Link to government source: NamUs MP87396

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 23 years old
Birthdate: Mary Ann Mariz was born between April 15th, 1958, and April 14th, 1959 based on her reported age at the last date of reported contact. She might have been born on November 14th, 1958. Someone named "Mary A. Mariz" was born in San Bernardino County at that time according to a file at Ancestry that I found.
Hair: Brown, shoulder lengthed
Eyes: Brown
Scar: None known
Height/weight: 5-foot-6 and 120 to 125 pounds
BMI*: Mary Ann Mariz was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: Mary Ann Mariz did not have any tattoos associated with her profiles.
Clothing and Accessories: This missing person was associated with a lot of clothing articles and/or possessions. Note the following with this case: a rust-colored jacket, blue jeans, a printed shirt, a silver watch, a birthstone ring with a pink stone, and a choker-type chain necklace.

By: Shane Lambert

Mary Ann Mariz has not been seen since April 14th, 1982 when she was 23 years old. This individual has now been missing for about 39 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

This case is a fairly recent addition to NamUs, at the time of writing. It was added in December 2021, making for a nearly 40-year gap between Mary Ann's disappearance and the uploading into NamUs.

What stood out with this case during my research was that this person, at one time, appeared to have been identified as a deceased individual. On February 12th, 1985, The Auburn Journal apparently reported that her skeletal remains had been found. There is an age mismatch of one year between NamUs and the article, however, I really think this is the same case based on all the other details.

12 Feb 1985, Tue Auburn Journal (Auburn, California) Newspapers.com
I wondered where the mistake was: was Mary Ann Mariz not actually the decadent mentioned in the article? Did they realize at a different time that they had made a mistake in identifying her? Or has she been found deceased and there was a clerical error that lead to her case being uploaded into NamUs?

I emailed the sheriff for this case and learned that Mary Ann Mariz is partly missing. They have not recovered all of her remains.To quote Deputy Sheriff Christine (Paige) Kneeland's email from December 27th, 2021:

"Yes, MARIZ is deceased, however, only partial remains were discovered. There is still a great deal of remains that have not been found, or might be DOE remains somewhere. So we have initiated a missing person protocol investigation due to the still outstanding amount of remains."

Thank you for reading. If have any information about this case, consider contacting the authorities.

Author: @UncoolNegated on Twitter

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

@UncoolNegated on Twitter is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of April 2021.

If you like this blog, then you can join the affiliated Facebook group: MPC Facebook Group

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Might not be the exact meaning that NamUs or Canada's Missing conveys. I improve upon their descriptions with my research.
Disclaimer: To determine whether a person is missing or not, this site relies heavily on government sources. If you are described as missing when you are not, I recommend simply having your missing person report updated or removed. When that happens, updates at this site can follow.

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Tara Suzette Breckenridge -- Missing from Houston Since 1992

Paraphrased details from government source**: Tara was last seen leaving her place of employment at The Men's Club in the 3300 block of Sage in southwest Houston, TX, where she worked as a waitress. She was returning home at the time of her disappearance. Her vehicle, a red 1986 Pontiac Fiero was found abandoned and locked in the 1200 block of West Loop North near 12th street, on her route home. The car's alternator belt was missing, there was no sign of a struggle, but she has never been seen since. Foul play is suspected.

Missing Person: Tara Suzette Breckenridge
Last-contact date: August 4th, 1992 (Tuesday) at about 1am (this would have felt like the night of August 3rd)
The area where the MP was last seen: Houston, Texas
Link to government source: NamUs MP914

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 23 years old
Birthdate: September 30th, 1968 in Kern, California
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Scar: None known
Height/weight: 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-10 and 110 to 125 pounds; journalism from August 1992 said 5'5" and 115 pounds
BMI*: Using the upper height and upper weight for the ranges above, in this case, the missing person was underweight by BMI at the time of the disappearance. However, she would have been in the normal range using lower values from the ranges. She looks thin in her pictures.
Tattoos: Tara Suzette Breckenridge did not have any tattoos associated with her profiles.

Objects associated with the missing person: a light-colored shirt, blue shorts, sandals, contacts or glasses, Del Rio High School class ring from 1991 (I read she graduated in 1987, however), a red Pontiac Fiero.

Distinctive characteristics: a scar on the left side of the lower lip, long red-painted fingernails, a scar under her left arm, and a scar on the left side of the body

By: Shane Lambert

Tara Suzette Breckenridge has not been seen since August 4th, 1992 when she was 23 years old. This individual has now been missing for about 29 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

This is a case that I looked at previously in comparison to several other similar cases. After working on scores of cases, I've noticed that one pattern common to a lot of missing person cases is a found vehicle where the driver of the vehicle is the missing person.

In some of these cases, I think that the abandoned vehicle was sabotaged by the person that disappeared the missing person. I think Tara Breckenridge's case is one such case with other similar cases worth noting. I've written on such disappearances more broadly in another blog post called "Women With Car Troubles Go Missing."

My advice to any female motorist is to be skeptical of the help that arrives if your vehicle suddenly starts behaving oddly. It could be that the person that arrives to help had a hand in sabotaging your vehicle. Perhaps, the widespread use of mobile phones will have helped curb this kind of modus operandi since the time of Breckenridge's disappearance. However, I think the first person on the scene is a risky person to trust if your vehicle breaks down.

The earliest journalism I found on this case dated to August 15th, 1992. The meat of this early journalism is as follows.

15 Aug 1992, Sat Del Rio News Herald (Del Rio, Texas) Newspapers.com

One oddity in the disappearance of Tara Breckenridge is that an 18-year old man seemed to interject himself into the case, a man named Robert Beaty who was 18 years old as of April 1st, 1993. He would have been born in 1974 or 1975, however, I wasn't able to find him in Ancestry.

NamUs #MP914 01 Apr 1993, Thu Del Rio News Herald (Del Rio, Texas) Newspapers.com
Tara Breckenridge has at least one landing page within Ancestry's files. Within that site, her date of disappearance is considered to be her date of death. That can be true or false.

Tara's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance was considered a suspect in this case. In my opinion, I think the guilt is elsewhere (ie. men at the club she worked at, whether staff or patrons).

What stands out with this case is that Tara was lovely and she was working in a kind of place (a strip club) that would attract some questionable characters, I think. She had a boyfriend, Tara was religious and not likely to cheat, and so I think she was the gorgeous waitress that the amorous men at the club could not get. That would have made her frustrating to someone who was edgy.

Her alternator belt had been removed from her car, this is a known fact of the case. I am thinking that the belt was in the car when she drove to work, hence, the car didn't break down during that trip. But I think the belt may have been removed during her shift and then she may have been followed. That her car was able to travel to work is a big clue in this case: it says to me that her vehicle was sabotaged at work. Thus, I think those that think her boyfriend did this crime need to prove that he was at her place of employment that night.

The removal of the alternator belt, I read, would affect the car's electrical system:

"The serpentine belt is also known as an alternator belt, fan belt, or accessory drive belt.  It is powered by a car’s engine to spin or 'drive' several mechanical components in the engine, and is responsible for providing power to vital systems, such as the electrical system, the power steering system, the cooling system and the A/C system. Some vehicles’ water pumps, radiator fans, and power brakes are also dependent on the serpentine belt.

If your serpentine belt wears out, becomes damaged or contaminated, or breaks, engine accessories will not be able to spin at the proper speed, leading to decreased power to the electrical system. This can lead to a sudden lost of power assist for the steering system, leading to the steering wheel all-of-a-sudden becoming very hard to turn. A broken serpentine belt may stop the water pump from circulating coolant through the cooling system, causing the engine can overheat. And it may stop the alternator from generating power to operate the vehicle’s electric/electronic systems and recharge the battery - the headlights will dim, the radio will not work, and the battery will die." (Source: streetautorepair.com)

Tara may have had no choice but to accept the help of whoever arrived at the scene when her car broke down on her way home. This person who arrived to help her may have been the same person that caused the damage to the vehicle as part of a premeditated attack. Importantly, this kind of modus operandi is well known for the time period that we are looking at. When a woman's car is sabotaged and then the person that sabotaged the vehicle follows her in order to abduct her when she needs help has been called "The Good Samaritan's Ruse." Many women fell victim to it in the 1980s, 90s, and even beforehand.

I don't picture the boyfriend's timeline as fully supporting him being the one that sabotaged Tara's vehicle in the parking lot of her work. Also, it's hard to picture him happening on Tara as she drove. If the boyfriend planned to attack her after her shift, that would require some predictability out of Tara, I think. However, her shift ended earlier than expected the night she went missing and she was leaving her place of employment at a bit of a surprise time. I can't say that I don't 100% discount the boyfriend as a suspect but, in my opinion, I don't think he is guilty.

What I think makes the most sense is this:

1. Tara drove to work without problems because her vehicle was in good running order.
2. During Tara's shift, someone with access to her vehicle removed the alternator belt.
3. That person lay in waiting for Tara to leave work, whether in the parking lot or parked curbside.
4. Tara left work an hour early, something I don't think the boyfriend knew about.
5. Her car broke down because of the vehicle sabotage.
6. The man that arrived on the spot to help her had actually caused the damage.
7. Tara may have trusted him to an extent if she knew him from the club, which explains why there is no sign of a struggle at the found vehicle as she went with him voluntarily.
8. Tara locked her car doors, believing she would be back at a future time.
9. This mystery person disappeared Tara.

This mystery was covered in the February 10th, 1995 episode of Unsolved Mysteries, hosted by Robert Stack. I've embedded that episode below. The segment on Tara starts at 10:20. Please comment if the embedding no longer works as Youtube videos are often deleted. There are a lot of pictures of Tara in the video.

 

Author: Shane Lambert

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of April 2021.

If you like this blog, then you can join the affiliated Facebook group: MPC Facebook Group

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Might not be the exact meaning that NamUs or Canada's Missing conveys. I improve upon their descriptions with my research.
Disclaimer: To determine whether a person is missing or not, this site relies heavily on government sources. If you are described as missing when you are not, I recommend simply having your missing person report updated or removed. When that happens, updates at this site can follow.

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Shannon Darnell Harris -- Missing in Louisiana Since 1998

Paraphrased details from government source**: He was last seen on his way to the Greyhound station in Houma. Shannon had indicated that he was traveling to Dallas, however, he has not contacted friends or family.

Missing Person: Shannon Darnell Harris
Last-contact date: Some sources say October 1998, NamUs says November 3rd, 1998
The area where the MP was last seen: Houma, Louisiana
Link to government source: NamUs MP#674

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Black
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 30 years old
Birthdate: October 10th, 1998 (CharleyProject)
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Scar: None known
Height/weight: 5-foot-10 and 216 pounds
BMI*: This individual was obese by BMI standards at the time of his disappearance.
Tattoos: This missing person might be identifiable through his tattoos. Please note that he had the following: 'B on right chest', 'Dean on left chest', 'SCDRHP on left upper back.'

Shannon Darnell Harris, a missing person, was last heard from in the fall of 1998 when he was 30 years old. This individual has now been missing for about 23 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

There is news with this case from 2020. Reportedly, the police had a lead that year that they investigated. Those thinking of working on this case should check for updates. It wasn't clear to me whether this person was still missing or not.

Author: Shane Lambert, (Freelance Writer)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert, (Freelance Writer) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of April 2021.

If you like this blog, then you can join the affiliated Facebook group: MPC Facebook Group

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Might not be the exact meaning that NamUs or Canada's Missing conveys. I improve upon their descriptions with my research.
Disclaimer: Whenever possible, government sources are preferred for getting the details of a missing persons case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.

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Rita Mae Hughes -- Missing From Houston Since December 1986

Paraphrased details from government source**: Hughes was last seen at the Trailways Bus Station in Houston, Texas on December 8th, 1986 (some sources say December 6th of that year). Her husband dropped her off at the depot and she had plans to take a bus to see relatives in Louisiana. Her husband indicated that she was irrational, crying, and confused when he last saw her. She never arrived in Louisiana and has never been seen or heard from again. Her mother reported her as a missing person on December 19th, 1986. Rita Hughes has not attempted to contact any family members since her disappearance. Her last known address was in Magnolia, Texas. Foul play is suspected.

Missing Person: Rita Mae Hughes
Last-contact date: December 8th, 1986 (some sources say December 6th, 1986)
The area where the MP was last seen: Houston, Texas
Link to government source: NamUs #MP8548 
Maiden name: Midkiff, according to CharleyProject

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White or Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 29 years old
Birthdate: November 3rd, 1957
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Green
Scar: None known
Height/weight: 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-7 and 115 to 125 pounds
BMI*: Rita Mae Hughes was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: Rita Mae Hughes did not have any tattoos associated with her profiles.

Rita Mae Hughes was last heard from on December 8th, 1986 when she was 29 years of age. This individual has now been missing for about 35 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

When people are missing for several years as this person has been, some of their distinctive characteristics may no longer be relevant as identifiers. This is because many distinctive characteristics such as scars, birthmarks, or tattoos may be lost as identifiers through putrefaction if the person has died.

I was not able to find much journalistic coverage of this disappearance. However, Rita Hughes is in Ancestry. I think this is a record of her divorce, which appears to have been done in absentia about 9 years after she disappeared. I have her address in my notes so you can contact me if you are working on this case and feel like that would help.

For some further online reading, I recommend this blog post which claims to be from a family member: Rita Mae Midkiff-Hughes. The post stated that Rita's son last saw her in the passenger seat of a vehicle that his stepdad was driving. I've presumed that's the trip to the bus station but don't that.

Please, take a moment to share this blog post on social media using hashtags relevant to the missing person's area. Also, please include the website hashtag #MPCSL.

Author: Shane Lambert, (Freelance Writer)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert, (Freelance Writer) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of April 2021.

If you like this blog, then you can join the affiliated Facebook group: MPC Facebook Group

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Might not be the exact meaning that NamUs or Canada's Missing conveys. I improve upon their descriptions with my research.
Disclaimer: Whenever possible, government sources are preferred for getting the details of a missing persons case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.

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Mary Frances Gregory -- Missing Since 1978, Possibly in British Columbia in mid-90s

Paraphrased details from government source**: Mary Frances Gregory left her home in Parry Sound, Ontario on February 15th, 1978. She wanted to vacation in California but she failed to arrive at her destination in Palo Alto, California. She has not contacted any family members or friends since. Ms. Gregory is believed to have departed Canada by motor vehicle with a male acquaintance who states that he let her off at a bus station in Las Vegas, Nevada some ten days after leaving Canada. The driver claims to have driven to Nevada via the States of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona.

Missing Person: Mary Frances Gregory

Last-contact date: February 15th, 1978 (Wednesday)
The area where the MP was last seen: Scenario 1: Parry Sound, Ontario on February 15th, 1978; or Scenario 2: the Las Vegas bus station on February 28th, 1978; or Scenario 3: the Lougheed Hotel in Burnaby between 1993 and 1995
Link to government source: Canada's Missing Case reference 2006017399

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White or Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 19 years old
Birthdate: May 27th, 1958
Hair: Brown, straight, and shoulder lengthed according to Canada's Missing; her missing person page with the state of California's Department of Justice says her hair was blonde; it looks brownish in her picture.
Eyes: Hazel
Scar: None known
Height/weight: 5-foot-3 and 110 pounds
BMI*: Mary Frances Gregory was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: Mary Frances Gregory had no tattoos associated with her profiles.

Distinctive: She had a mark on the right of her abdomen that was nickel-shaped and brown. One source places the mark on the right side of her chest by her rib cage. She had/has a mole on her wrist.

Mary Frances Gregory, a missing person, was last heard from on February 15th, 1978 when she was 19. This individual has now been missing for about 47 years as of early 2025.

This is an interesting case because it involves a border-crossing traveler. Mary Frances Gregory was Canadian and her last-known location is often said to be Parry Sound. However, if the male traveler that she was with is taken as credible, then her last known location would be the Las Vegas bus station. Interestingly, this location is not considered to be her last-seen location according to many of the sources that list missing persons. It suggests that the man she was traveling with was not believed.

The route that the travelers took from Parry Sound to Las Vegas doesn't seem complete: "The driver claims to have driven to Nevada via the States of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona." These states are not all adjacent so there are some gaps worth exploring. This kind of route between Parry Sound and Las Vegas would suggest that the two travelers were adventurous.

To get from Ontario to Nevada, the following route is possible: Ontario, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, and then either Iowa/Nebraska or Missouri/Kansas, before getting to Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. In short, the states of Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas can be looked at for Jane Does that match to Mary Frances Gregory. Additionally, California can be considered as it has been stated that Mary was going to Palo Alto.

If you are looking at a Jane Doe as a potential match to Mary Gregory, then the mark on her right abdomen/chest might be the best identifier. If putrefaction has taken place, then consider her height against the Jane Doe's. Also, the Jane Doe's date of death being close to Mary's date of disappearance would be interesting.

Yet, this is a case where there was a lead in 2004 that suggested Mary was still alive as of the mid-1990s. The Province, a newspaper in Vancouver, ran an article that stated a trucker had conversed with her at a hotel. There are some details in the article below that are not the same as Mary's missing person profile: the article spells her middle name as "Francis" instead of "Frances" and her stated age of 20 at the time of her disappearance is off by a year compared to other sources. However, the picture makes it clear that we're talking about the same missing person case.

28 Oct 2004, Thu The Province (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) Newspapers.com

The Lougheed Hotel, the hotel that's mentioned in the article above, was located at 4343 Lougheed Highway. This is a highway that runs east/west from metro Vancouver to the town of Hope, north of the Fraser River. Google Maps ground views of the area of the hotel go back to 2007.

I did not find any follow-up articles on this case. Nor did I find any journalism from about the time of her disappearance. Please feel free to comment if you find some good newspaper articles from about the time of her disappearance.

Author: Shane Lambert (Vancouver, Canada)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert (Vancouver, Canada) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of April 2021.

If you like this blog, then you can join the affiliated Facebook group: MPC Facebook Group

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Might not be the exact meaning that NamUs or Canada's Missing conveys. I improve upon their descriptions with my research.
Disclaimer: Whenever possible, government sources are preferred for getting the details of a missing persons case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.

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