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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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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Vickie Annette Smock - Missing in Utah Since 1986

Paraphrased details from government source**: Vickie was last seen in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1985. Her father, a man named Shonnie Smock, dropped her off at the Greyhound Bus Station. She was with a male companion that has not yet been identified. She planned to go to Wendover, Nevada to work as a cocktail waitress at The Red Garter Hotel & Casino. It's not clear if she boarded the bus. She hasn't been seen since her father dropped her off. Vickie's family states that it is very unusual for her to leave and not be in contact.

Missing Person: Vickie Annette Smock
Could be referred to as: Last names: Robinson, Davis, Mismash, Thrisa
Last-contact date: April 12th, 1985
The area where the MP was last seen: Salt Lake City, Utah
Link to government source: NamUs MP#34617

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 25 years old
Birthdate: April 11th or 12th, 1960
Hair: Natural medium brown, dyed blond
Eyes: Hazel
Scar: None
Height/weight: 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-8 and 125 to 145 pounds
BMI*: Vickie Annette Smock was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: Vickie Annette Smock did not have any tattoos associated with her profiles.

Vickie Annette Smock was last heard from on January 1st, 1986 when she was 25 years of age. That date is according to her NamUs profile, however, she may have gone missing in 1985. The news telecast below uses 1985 as the year she went missing and, in the video, you can see a missing person poster at one point that says she went missing in 1985. This individual has now been missing for about 36 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

I did not find any original news coverage associated with this disappearance using Newspapers.com. However, if you have a membership it may be worth looking at from time to time as they continually add new publications.

There was a news piece published on Youtube by mainstream media in mid-2021 in two parts. I have embedded those below for my readers.

A Facebook group dedicated to finding this missing person had the following description as of time of publication:

"My biological mother disappeared over 30 years ago (1985) from Salt Lake City, Utah. Her name is Vickie Annette Smock (maiden name) her birthday is April 12, 1960. I really don't have much identifying information about her. She was born in California and her father's Name is Shonnie Smock. Her Last known whereabouts were at the greyhound bus station in Salt Lake. She was dropped off by my grandfather with an unknown man. She was supposed to go to Wendover Nevada to work as a cocktail waitress at The Red Guarder and hasn't been seen since. It was very unusual for her to leave and never came back. My sister and I both lived with our fathers at the time of her disappearance. I am not sure if she is dead or alive. I have tried everything that I can think of to try to find her and have had no luck.

Her mother: Arlene Huff

Her Father: Shonnie Smock

Vickie married Rueben Earl Robinson in Nevada Feb. 11/84

She was not married long before she went missing.

She may have used the name Robinson."

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 (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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Doreen Pickard's Murder, Susan Laferte's Assault - What Happened After the "Unsolved Mysteries" Episode

By: Shane Lambert

On May 18th, 1988, "Unsolved Mysteries" aired an original episode. One of the mysteries ("Rhode Island Amnesia") included the murder of Doreen Picard and the assault of Susan Laferte. Laferte, as a surviving witness to the murder, unfortunately, went into a coma from her injuries and could not remember the attack when she came out of it.

03 Apr 1998, Fri The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware) Newspapers.com

More modern versions of the "Unsolved Mysteries" episode indicate that one Raymond Tempest was convicted of the crimes, was sentenced to 85 years in prison, but has since been released. Naturally, that should raise some questions for fans of the television series: why was he convicted, and if his sentence was for so many decades, how is it that he could be released already?

The episode was the 7th "Special Edition" of "Unsolved Mysteries." This was a time period in the show's history when they appeared to be feeling out the ratings. The following preview of the show appeared in the News-Press out of Fort Myers, Florida on May 18th, 1988.

18 May 1988, Wed News-Press (Fort Myers, Florida) Newspapers.com
With the newspaper databases I used, Raymond Tempest's name starts to enter journalism related to the crime in June of 1991. The following article is the earliest journalism I found that associated Raymond Tempest with the case.

09 Jun 1991, Sun The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts) Newspapers.com

Later journalism suggested that Raymond Tempest benefited from having family ties involved in law enforcement in the community that Picard was murdered in:

 

21 Apr 1992, Tue Record-Journal (Meriden, Connecticut) Newspapers.com

The conviction came in what would have been late June of 1992.

05 Jul 1992, Sun The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) Newspapers.com

The conviction was vacated in July of 2015:

 

14 Jul 2015, Tue The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) Newspapers.com

After the vacation of the conviction in July 2015, I did not find any more newspaper coverage. However, there are online news articles as this saga appears to be ongoing even in very modern times.

Dottie Caylor's Disappearance - What Happened After the "Unsolved Mysteries" Episode

By: Shane Lambert

03 Apr 1998, Fri The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware) Newspapers.com

Dottie Caylor's disappearance was featured in one of the opening episodes of the "Unsolved Mysteries" television program. According to a Youtube video I watched, it was in the pilot episode. From Wikipedia, it was a special program that was aired before the series became the series that fans grew to love. According to a newspaper article I consulted (The Leaf-Chronicle out of Clarksville, Tennessee), the show aired on November 29th, 1987. If you watched the "Unsolved Mysteries" program and wondered what happened with this case, then this article is for you.

29 Nov 1987, Sun The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tennessee) Newspapers.com

Firstly, this individual, as of the time of writing (December 17th, 2021), still has an active missing person's profile with NamUs, America's national database of missing people. Dorothy May Caylor is case number #MP14589. Her profile says that her last date of contact was June 12th, 1985 in Concord, California, which is information that is available in the "Unsolved Mysteries" episode.

I found an article in The Salt Lake Tribune from March 31st, 2004 that Kristen Stewart wrote. The article indicated that Jule Caylor, Dottie's husband, faced some problems when he attempted a career in politics. Ultimately, Jule Caylor withdrew his candidacy for the Utah Legislature (The Salt Lake Tribune/Page 24/April 18th, 2004).

One interesting piece of information in this article is that Jule had "an engagement to another woman six months before Dottie went missing." This wasn't covered in the "Unsolved Mysteries" episode, perhaps because it wasn't known when they made the episode. Furthermore, the Stewart article in the Tribune mentioned an interest in a concrete slab, possibly as a place to look underneath for Caylor. I think the following article is good reading for anyone looking for follow-up information on this case after watching the "Unsolved Mysteries" episode. You can click the article to enlarge it.

31 Mar 2004, Wed The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah) Newspapers.com

 I didn't find any journalism after 2004 with the sources I use. However, based on the fact that Dottie still has a missing person profile with NamUs, it's clear that she is yet to be found.

Christi Jo Nichols, Mark Nichols - What Happened After the "Unsolved Mysteries" Episode

By: Shane Lambert

The missing person case of Christi Jo Nichols was profiled in the hit television show "Unsolved Mysteries" back in 1988. Christi Jo Nichols, as presented in the show, was a mother who disappeared from Gothenburg, Nebraska while contemplating a divorce from her physically abusive husband.

If you watched the episode online and are wondering what happened with the case, then this article is for you. 

In the episode of "Unsolved Mysteries," the husband, Mark Nichols, claimed that he awoke one morning and saw that Christi wasn't beside him in bed. His side of the story is not presented as particularly credible in the episode.

This was Season 1 of the series and Episode 6 of that season, according to my research on the show. It originally aired on November 16th, 1988. The episode had the following synopsis in the November 16th, 1988 edition of The Evening Sun in Baltimore Maryland:

Unsolved Mysteries. Season 1. Episode 6. 16 Nov 1988, Wed The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland) Newspapers.com

Christi Jo Nichols went missing on December 10th, 1987. She was 22 years old at the time. The first instance of journalism I found on the case was dated February 8th, 1988 in the Lincoln Star Journal (page 9). Much of this article is based on information from that newspaper source.

Mark Nichols is cited in the article.

08 Feb 1988, Mon Lincoln Journal Star (Lincoln, Nebraska) Newspapers.com

According to the journalism that I reviewed, this case was not solved as of October 29th, 2006. I found an article in the Lincoln Journal Star for that date where she was included among the cold cases for the state of Nebraska.

29 Oct 2006, Sun Lincoln Journal Star (Lincoln, Nebraska) Newspapers.com

Here are some interesting details that weren't covered in the Unsolved Mysteries episode, probably because they weren't known at the time. Firstly, Christi's "blood was found in the trunk of her husband's car and on the floor of their bedroom" (Lincoln Journal Star/Page 1/August 24th, 2003). However, there wasn't enough blood to build a murder case. Mark Nichols said that a drop of blood found in the bedroom was menstrual blood, however, "tests proved" that it was not.

There was also some lye stolen from a local farm at about the time of her disappearance. Lye is a substance that can be used to destroy human remains (Lincoln Journal Star/Page 1/August 24th, 2003). Whether this theft should be connected to the case is not clear. Also, Mark Nichols divorced Christi Jo Nichols in April 1990, claiming that he and the three children were abandoned.

24 Aug 2003, Sun Lincoln Journal Star (Lincoln, Nebraska) Newspapers.com

The "Unsolved Mysteries" episode covered the discovery of Christi's luggage. The luggage and other items were found "at a rest stop near Maxwell in March 1988." Furthermore, if Christi left on her own volition, then there is a question as to why she didn't take her paycheque, her tips from her job, or his driver's license.

There is journalism that suggests that there may have been another man in Christi's life. However, this man was ruled out as a suspect.

The babysitter that is in the "Unsolved Mysteries" episode claimed in the 2003 Lincoln Star Journal article that she had not been questioned in the case since 1988.

At the time of writing (December 17th, 2021), this missing person case was still unsolved. Christi Jo Nichols has an active profile at NamUs, where she is #MP4677. You can click the link to exit to her NamUs profile if you want further updates. If the profile is still active, it would strongly suggest that the case has not been solved.

Darla Lee Miller -- Missing Since 1996

Details from NamUs**: "Last seen summer of 1996 after an argument with her young son on the phone."
Missing Person: Darla Lee Miller
Last-contact date: June 1, 1996
The area where the MP was last seen: Westland, Michigan

Link to government source: NamUs #MP58324

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 33 years old
Birthdate: November 13th, 1962 

Married: December 15th, 1979 (divorced about 10 years later) to P. Miller
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Scar: None known
Height/weight: 5-foot-2 and 130 pounds
BMI*: Darla Lee Miller was in the normal range for BMI.

• Please, Google-search BMI if you aren't familiar with the phrase. I think it's an important tool to be aware of when working on missing person cases.

Darla Lee Miller was last heard from on June 1, 1996, when she was 33 years of age. She has now been missing for 25 years as of the original publication date of this blog post. At the time of this publication, the missing person would be 58 years old.

When I look over the case information, I do see a slight contradiction in the information. According to the NamUs description, she was last seen in the summer of 1996. However, her last-seen date is June 1st, 1996. Technically, June 1st would still be in the spring, in fact, that's not even getting too technical as the start of June is a full three weeks before the start of summer.

Often, when the date of someone's disappearance isn't known, NamUs will just enter the first of the month that they disappeared. It's not really clear from the NamUs account when this individual was last seen.

Also, at the time of her disappearance, she evidently had a "young son." When I plugged Darla Lee Miller into Ancestry's index of public records, I was able to find some addresses for her. However, none of the addresses had date ranges associated with them. Furthermore, some of the addresses were associated with the area that she was last seen in. These were likely addresses that she used before she disappeared. I was sure I was looking at the right Darla Lee Miller because of birthdate matches in the records. 

A good research angle on this case is just to find out if her son is now an adult and see what he can contribute to the details of this case. That could be done by searching her former addresses to see if her son's name appears anywhere. I think, I was able to find a brother, however, I wasn't able to find a way to contact him online. I've kept addresses and names in my notes and may look further.

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

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 February 2021.

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Text might be paraphrased. If taken verbatim, then grammar or spelling errors are not necessarily corrected from original sources.
Disclaimer: Whenever possible, government sources are preferred for getting the details of a missing person's case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.

Sieu Vei Trang -- Missing from Seattle Since 1982

Details from NamUs**: "Sieu was last seen on April 3, 1982."

Missing Person: Sieu Vei Trang
Last-contact date: April 3rd, 1982
The area where the MP was last seen: Seattle, Washington

Link to government source: NamUs #MP7149 
We have no photo: This is an individual who doesn't have a photo attached to her profile.

• When there is no photo, you can try to find one at Ancestry.com or at Newspapers.com; try to find one that's as close to the missing person's date of disappearance as possible.

Ethnicity: Asian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 13

Birthdate: May 22nd, 1968
Hair details: Black
Eye details: Brown
Scars: None known
Height/weight: 4-foot-9 and 95 pounds
BMI*: Sieu Vei Trang was in the normal range for BMI.

This is one of those cases where you can't quite figure out why there is not more information on the case. This is a teenaged girl that went missing in 1982. Usually, with a young missing person, there is at least a photo to go on. However, in this case, no one seems to have been able to find one. 

This missing person is in the database for the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs. However, there is not much information on her profile at the time of writing.

Sieu Vei Trang was primarily associated with the area around Seattle, Washington. I looked in the Ancestry database to try and find details of her life that might be relevant to her missing person's status, however, I was not able to find any.

One thing to note with this case is that the individual went missing during puberty. This might be important if she is ever compared to a Jane Doe. Teeth can change rapidly during puberty. Dental records of people in puberty can require greater scrutiny because if the dental records aren't from a time that was close to when the person disappeared, a lot may have changed.

This individual has been missing for almost 40 years at the time of writing. Many of their characteristics could have changed over time. Even if the Sieu is found as a Jane Doe, the Jane Doe's hair color might not be reported as the same as when this individual went missing.

What stands out in this case, is the height. This person was just 4'9" and that will differentiate her from a lot of Jane Does that get found.

Lastly, at the time of her disappearance, Gary Ridgway, a serial killer in America's Pacific Northwest, was active. This is a point that has been by a Websleuth under username Kjowl16. You can follow the Websleuths forum at this link: Sieu's Forum at Websleuths.

Thank you for reading. If have any information about this case, consider contacting the authorities. In conclusion, I think the matter at hand is to find someone who cared about her and ask that person some questions about the case.

Author: Shane Lambert (Facebook profile)

Facebook Group: Missing Person Commentary

Twitter: @UncoolNegated (Twitter)

Pinterest: Missing Person Board
Original Time of Writing: February 21st, 2021

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

I am not a Private Investigator, however, I am currently studying to be one as of February 2021.

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges.

**Grammar or spelling errors are not necessarily corrected from original sources.

Joseph Slaughter -- Missing From Richmond Since 2005

Details from NamUs**: "He was last seen visiting family on Bland St in June 2005. Slaughter did not have a regular routine."

Missing Person: Joseph Elsworth Slaughter
Last-contact date: June 1, 2005 (note, when NamUs uses the first of the month, sometimes it means at any point in the month; the last-seen date appears to be uncertain in this case as the "Details from NamUs" above suggest the entire time period is in play).
The area where the MP was last seen: Richmond, Virginia near Bland Street

Link to government source: NamUs #MP9961

Ethnicity: Black
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 66
Hair details: Black
Eye details: Brown
Scars: None known 
Height/weight: 5-foot-9 and 195 pounds
BMI*: The missing person was overweight by BMI at the time of the last contact. The picture above does not appear to depict an overweight individual. This could be due to many different factors, however, I think Websleuths or amateur investigators should keep an open mind when comparing this individual to John Does and pay more attention to Joseph's other characteristics.

Joseph Slaughter was primarily associated with the area around Richmond, Virginia. He was last heard from on June 1, 2005, when he was 66.

At the time of writing, he was missing for over 15 years. When people are missing for this length of time or longer some of their distinctive characteristics may no longer be relevant as identifiers.

What stands out with this case, is that there are not a lot of details. Nor was there much media coverage that I could find.

CharleyProject had the missing person's middle name as "Elsworth." Furthermore, at that site, he was described as homeless at the time of his disappearance.

Tags that I've associated with this blog post are below. It's interesting to see what can connect unrelated cases. Click one of the tags to go to an article that is related to this one in some way, shape, or form.

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
Please, Google BMI if you aren't familiar with the phrase.

**Text might be paraphrased. Grammar or spelling errors are not necessarily corrected from original sources.

James Hugh Wilson -- Missing Since Plane Crash in 1970

Missing Person: James Hugh Wilson
Last-contact date: January 28th, 1970
Area MP was last seen: Cleveland, Ohio

Link to government source: NamUs #MP62284

Ethnicity: White
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 48 years old
Hair details: gray or graying
Eye details: blue
Height/weight: 6-foot to 6-foot-1 and 180 to 220 pounds

Details from NamUs: this individual was on a plane that crashed into Lake Erie on the day of his disappearance.

Note: this article is not about the musician, James Hugh Wilson, who plays the cello.

James Hugh Wilson, a missing person, was last heard from on January 28th, 1970 when he was 48 years old. When James disappeared, he was of the Cleveland, Ohio area.

What stands out in this case, is the elephant in the room: James was on a plane that crashed. They recovered most of the bodies, however, James was not among those recovered.

Someone lost in a plane crash might be lost for all time. However, his remains might turn up someday. From what I read, the fuselage of the airplane may have gone under the water of Lake Erie and sunk.

This certainly is not the biggest mystery out there regarding missing persons as James' fate appears to be known. However, it's still a good case to be aware of when it comes to finding John Does in Lake Erie. I don't think bodies lost at sea would be likely to remain intact over several decades, however, bodies in freshwater may be different. Conversely, parts of James may be found.

The flight was from Cleveland, Ohio to Detroit. It departed at 738am and went off the radar about 10 minutes later. James and another passenger have never been accounted for.

Wed, Jan 28, 1970 – Page 1 · Traverse City Record-Eagle (Traverse City, Michigan) · Newspapers.com

Shaliegh Sharrie Phillips -- Missing Since February 1988

Missing Person: Shaliegh Sharrie Phillips
Last-contact date: February 12th, 1988
Area last seen: San Diego, California

Link to government source: NamUs #MP6525

Ethnicity: White
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 12 years old

Birthdate: December 22nd, 1975 (according to an Ancestry page I found)
Hair details: blonde/strawberry
Eye details: brown

Height/weight: 5-foot-7 and 110 pounds
Details as per NamUs: "Shaliegh was last seen on February 12, 1988. She may be in the El Cajon, California area."

Shaliegh Sharrie Phillips has not been seen or heard from since the 12th of February in 1988 when she was 12. When Shaliegh disappeared, she was of the San Diego area in southern California.

What stands out with this case, is the fact that Shaliegh had feet that were of different sizes. It was reported in NamUs that she had to purchase differently-sized shoes for each of her feet. That might be a clue if you come across that abnormality with a Jane Doe.

Also, at the time of her disappearance, she was thought to be wearing a pink sweater and Levis-brand jeans. These clothing items may be associated with a matching Jane Doe. 

NamUs associated this missing person with the El Cajon area of California. That is about 15 miles to the east of San Diego in a slightly northern direction.

Marion Alice Morton -- Missing Since 1937

Missing Person: Marion Alice Morton
Last-contact date: December 30th, 1937

Birth year: either 1884 or 1883
Disappeared from: Georgetown, Delaware

The logo for Missing Persons Commentary.

Link to Government Source: NamUs #MP5405

Ethnicity: White
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 53
Hair: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Height/weight at the time of disappearance: 5'0" to 5'6" and 100 to 140 pounds
Details as per NamUs: "Marian Morton was seen and known to be alive by granddaughter on a winter evening in either 1938, 1939 or 1940 at 114 W Market St Georgetown, Delaware."

Maron Alice Morton does not have a profile photo available at NamUs. Those that are working on this case, could direct themselves to looking for one to include with her missing persons profile. Typically, Ancestry Yearbooks are a great place to look. However, in this case the individual went missing when she was 53 years old. Newspapers.com and other sources at Ancestry might serve the researcher better.

This individual would be deceased at the time of writing. If you are working on this case, then be aware that it will be exceedingly difficult with little hope of making any contribution to justice.

There were a couple of same-named individuals that appeared at Ancestry that were both born in 1883. However, I could not authenticate either as being the missing person.

Author: Shane Lambert (Facebook profile)

Facebook Group: Missing Person Commentary

Twitter: @UncoolNegated (Twitter)

Pinterest: Missing Person Board
Original Time of Writing: 

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

I am not a Private Investigator, however, I am currently studying to be one as of February 2021.

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

John William Tarver -- Missing Since February 2020

 

Missing person: John William Tarver

Alias: Joey, Big John, Johnny Richardson

Last-contact date: February 21st, 2020

Last-seen date: February 5th, 2020
Disappeared from: Tulsa, Oklahoma (last seen)

Link to Government Source: NamUs #MP66334
Facebook: Bring John Tarver Home

Hashtag: #whereisjoeytarver

Ethnicity/Race: White

Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 42 years old
Hair: Bald
Eye color: Brown

Nipples: pierced
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'11" and 300 pounds

Tattoos: Big John (left forearm), barbed wire (right wrist), spider web (right elbow), others
Clothing:

Author: Shane Lambert (Facebook profile)

Facebook Group: Missing Person Commentary

Twitter: @UncoolNegated (Twitter)

Pinterest: Missing Person Board
Original Time of Writing: February 18th, 2021

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

I am not a Private Investigator, however, I am currently studying to be one as of February 2021.

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

Patrick N. Chapman -- Missing in Missouri Since May 2020

Missing person: Patrick N. Chapman

Last-contact date: May 1st, 2020 as per NamUs; another source says May 10th, 2020
Disappeared from: Greenville, Missouri but car found near Mill Spring, Missouri

Link to Government Source: #MP70614

NamUs description: "Patrick was last seen in the Greenville, Missouri area on 5/1/2020. His vehicle, a burgundy color 1995 Ford Escort, was also missing at the time. The vehicle was later recovered on 5/29/2020 in Mill Spring, Missouri." 

Facebook Group: Bring Patrick Chapman Home

Ethnicity/Race: White
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 34 years old

Birthdate: February 24th, 1986
Hair: Brown, may have a beard
Eye color: Brown
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'6" and 160 pounds

Tattoos: "Chapman" on right forearm, sun between shoulder blades, cross on shoulder
Vehicle: He was driving a burgundy 1995 Ford Escort (station-wagon style). "His car was discovered weeks after his disappearance on a gravel road not too far from the Mill Spring Cemetery" (Wayne County Journal Banner).

Articles: 

1. May or may not have had a necklace with a wisdom tree on it.
2. May have had sunglasses.
3. Possibly wearing blue work pants, black boots, and a black and white woven pullover. Was known to wear a ball cap.

Author: Shane Lambert (Facebook profile)

Facebook Group: Missing Person Commentary

Twitter: @UncoolNegated (Twitter)

Pinterest: Missing Person Board
Original Time of Writing: February 15th, 2021

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

I am not a Private Investigator, however, I am currently studying to be one as of February 2021.

Website hashtag: #MPCSL 

John Dax Dunn -- Missing Since February 2020

 

Missing person: John Dax Dunn

Last-contact date: February 13th, 2020 at about 430pm

Last evidence of activity: February 15th, 2020 through banking
Disappeared from: Newnan, Georgia (last seen at his residence)

Banking activity: Inglis, Florida

Link to Government Source: #MP65618

Facebook Group: Find John Dunn

Ethnicity/Race: Caucasian
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 40 years old
Hair: Brown; Horseshoe-style mustache
Eye color: Hazel

Tattoo: Shark on right chest
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'11" and 180 pounds
Vehicle: 2013 Nissan Frontier; White pickup, Georgia plates, QFK2741 (vehicle has been found)

Clothing: Grey shirt that said "USA" on it in red, white, and blue; black cap; blue jeans.

According to NamUs, John Dax Dunn told his daughter and coworkers that he was going fishing in Florida, "somewhere near Tampa." They list his last-seen location as being of his residence in Newnan, Georgia.

However, the photo that appears above looks like it was taken from a convenience store camera. Furthermore, there is a minor paper trail with this case. According to this missing person poster with Coweta County Sheriff's Office, this individual had two banking transactions. One was in Midway, Florida on February 14th, 2020. The next was on February 15th in Inglis, Florida.

According to the Facebook group dedicated to finding this missing person, "He was last seen on 2/15 at the Circle K gas station located on 4 Hwy 19 S in Inglis, FL (90 miles north of Tampa)."

Newnan to Midway to Inglis is about 403 miles. The direction of travel is mainly south and points toward Tampa Bay. However, it's difficult to ascertain where he was heading as there are many fishing locals in the region.

His vehicle was found in the Yankeetown area. Furthermore, his Internet searches focused on the Cedar Key area prior to his trip. 

Author: Shane Lambert (Facebook profile)

Twitter: @UncoolNegated (Twitter)

Pinterest: Missing Person Board
Original Time of Writing: February 12th, 2021

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

I am not a Private Investigator, however, I am currently studying to be one as of February 2021.

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

Patricia Lucille Jordan -- Missing Since January 2020 From Atlanta

Missing person: Patricia Lucille Jordan

Last-contact date: January 10th, 2020
Disappeared from: Atlanta, Georgia

Link to Government Source: NamUs #MP64770

Ethnicity/Race: Black
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 22 years old
Hair: Black
Eye color: Brown
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'0" and 100 pounds
Clothing: Green tank top, black and white leggings, orange flip flops

Circumstances: "Patricia was last seen Jan. 10, 2020 near 900 block on Rice St. in Atlanta.

She was last seen wearing a green tank top, black and white leggings and orange flip flops.

She is known to frequent areas near her home in Fairburn."

This missing person was released from Fulton County Jail the same that she went missing. She has been described as "diminished capacity." She's said to suffer from "mania and paranoid depressive tendencies."

Source: WJCL News

If you are working on this case, then focus on Jane Does with similar clothing for starters. Also, note her diminutive size.

Author: Shane Lambert (Facebook profile)

Twitter: @UncoolNegated (Twitter)

Pinterest: Missing Person Board
Original Time of Writing: February 5th, 2021

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

I am not a Private Investigator, however, I am currently studying to be one as of February 2021.

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

Darian Michelle Hudson -- Missing Since October 2017

 

Missing person: Darian Michelle Hudson

Alias: D or DBaby

Last-contact date: October 26th, 2017 (Thursday)*
Disappeared from: northwest of Stillwater, Oklahoma at the intersection of Country Club and McElroy

*October 26th, 2017 is according to a Facebook post from her group.

Link to Government Source: NamUs #MP40719

Ethnicity/Race: Black
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 23 years old
Hair: Black
Eye color: Brown
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'3" and 120 pounds

Tattoo: As pictured
Clothing: White t-shirt, jeans

Piercings: Nose and ear

Facebook group: Darian Hudson's Missing Person Facebook Group

Circumstances as per Kake.com:

"Stillwater Police have been searching for Darian Hudson since Oct. 22, 2017. She was suspected missing after not showing up for work.

Detectives in Stillwater...were able to track Darian’s movements through the evening of Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017. On that date, she was last seen sitting in a wooded area and walking toward an intersection northwest of Stillwater.

'A Human Recovery Dog and handler were brought into the area on Monday, December 4,' Stillwater Police shared online. 'For two days they searched a large portion of the wooded area south, east and west of the intersection. Some of her belongings were found abandoned in the area but Darian was not located. At this point police have no leads indicating what has happened to Darian or where she may have gone after being seen on the 26th.'

Darian was in the process of moving to Kansas. 

Family and friends told police that Darian does not have a vehicle. She may be suffering from a mental health crisis."

By Kansas, specifically, they meant Wichita, Kansas. If you are tweeting this case, then use Hashtags for that city.

Police were alerted to the "wooded area" mentioned above after they discovered someone that tried to use her debit card. This person, a male, stated "he found the card in a purse near the construction site of a church in Stillwater."

I'm sure the police would have had some questions for this person. For me, there is the question of how he planned to use the debit card without the PIN. It seems pretty futile to try and guess it.

This case detail, where someone was discovered trying to use a missing person's bank card, is similar to the missing person case of Emma Filipoff. That case is from Vancouver Island and involved a purchased debit card, the kind you get at the store with a balance on it. In Filipoff's case, the individual who used her card had found it after it had been discarded or lost.

The man that took her bank card said that he took it from a purse in October 2017. He tried to use it in December 2017. In my opinion, taking a card from someone's purse and then trying to use it involves Mens Rea. In contrast, the individual who found the debit card in Filipoff's case does not, in my view.

The best news source I found on this missing person's case is from NBC: Read More. All descriptions, in this case, suggest despondence and themes of depression involving the missing person. Those factors would make a reasonable person think that the potential for suicide is in play with Hudson but it's important not to be closed to other possibilities.

If you read the playing card below, there is a caption that reads "INMATE ACCESS #20." I'm taking that to mean that these are playing cards that are distributed to prisoners. The 5 of hearts in the deck is Darian Hudson.

Author: Shane Lambert (Facebook profile)

Twitter: @UncoolNegated (Twitter)

Pinterest: Missing Person Board
Original Time of Writing: 

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

I am not a Private Investigator, however, I am currently studying to be one as of February 2021.

Website hashtag: #MPCSL