Abductions Caught on Video Tape: Missing Persons and Outcomes

AI-generated. Not a real image of an abduction.

By: Shane Lambert

What would you do if you’re walking home one night, like Carlesha Freeland-Gaither was, when a stranger suddenly grabs you from behind? You fight, but quickly realize that he is stronger than you, but in the corner of your eye, in the moment before you were abducted, you had seen a camera. You know that there is a chance that someone might care enough to come looking for you -- if only they see the footage.

Later, after being abducted, your mind races. You ask yourself if someone will figure out that you were on that street at that time and then realize they need the camera footage. You think about the people who care about you and their motivation for finding you. That effort, you know, is your best hope.

Most abductions are not caught on camera. Furthermore, some abductions, including one below involving a toddler, are hard to watch. That is not just about the subject matter, which can be disturbing, but it's about low video quality too.

Abductors aren't exactly posing for the camera, and security cameras, often with grainy footage, are not meant for Hollywood sets. Still, the rare abductions caught on videotape have given us a chilling window into the reality of people vanishing and how it happens.

Novelist George Orwell, writing in 1948, warned us of a dystopian future where cameras would be everywhere and we would have no privacy. It seems that the concept of "no privacy" is for better or worse. No one likes to feel the gaze of a camera, yet snippets of footage have become both a tool for justice and an educational reminder of how quickly someone can be taken away.

The "Privacy vs Justice" debate can be set aside for now. Let’s dive into some unforgettable footage, explore what they reveal about missing persons, and uncover why these videos stick with us long after the screen goes dark.

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The Night Carlesha Freeland-Gaither Fought Back

It was November 2nd, 2014, in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood. Carlesha Freeland-Gaither, a 22-year-old nurse, was walking home when a man grabbed her off the street.

Surveillance footage captured the struggle. It showed Carlesha kicking, trying to signal for help, and clawing to break free as her abductor forced her into a gray Ford Taurus. The video, raw and unfiltered, is an example of the battle between abductor and abductee. 

With this case, there was a happy ending. The footage spread like wildfire online, sparking a city-wide manhunt.

Carlesha was found alive two days later on November 4th, 2014, in Maryland. Her abductor was tracked down thanks, in part, to the video’s rapid spread and the flood of tips it generated. The suspect, Delvin Barnes, was later sentenced to 35 years in prison (Philadelphia's NBC affiliate/July 4th, 2016). 

The Heart-Wrenching Case of Kamille "Cupcake" McKinney

Not every story ends in rescue. In October 2019, 3-year-old Kamille "Cupcake" McKinney was playing outside a birthday party in Birmingham, Alabama, when she vanished.

Security cameras caught a man luring her away with candy, and she appears happy to follow him. Not every abduction is about brute force. 

The footage, chilling in its simplicity, shows how quickly innocence can be stolen. Here it is, perhaps highlighting for the one millionth time the need for parents or guardians to ensure a close watch on their children:

The video galvanized a desperate search, but more than a week later, Kamille’s body was found in a landfill. Two suspects were charged, and the footage became a rallying cry for justice, a grim reminder of how vulnerable our youngest are.

Samantha Koenig: A Barista’s Final Shift

In Anchorage, Alaska, on February 1st, 2012, 18-year-old Samantha Koenig was closing up the coffee stand where she worked when a man approached. Security footage showed him forcing her out at gunpoint, her hands raised in surrender. The video, which is long and unsettling, captures her last moments before she vanished.

Samantha's abductor was Israel Keyes. He was a serial killer later linked to multiple murders. He killed Samantha and dumped her body in a frozen lake. He was caught after using her stolen debit card, but not before leaving a trail of devastation.

Why These Videos Go Viral, and Why They Matter

What is it about these abduction videos that grips us? Part of it is the raw, unfiltered truth they reveal. This isn't Hollywood, but nor is it so-called "Reality TV." It's a true cross-section of daily life where the subjects of the film are people of the community, unscripted.

We all know these things could happen to us or at least someone we know. Most of us, like Carlesha, might have walked down a street that made us feel uncomfortable. Some of us, like Samantha, have probably left a door unlocked at work. I think most parents will have taken their eyes off their children for a short time.

But there are also cases we don't know anything about because we have no videotape. So when we do have it, inferences can be drawn about what may have happened to other people. The videotape is more than just evidence for one crime; it's a clue as to how abductors work in a more general way.

What I Would Do If Facing Abduction

Watching these videos makes me wonder what I’d do if it were me. On this subject, experts vary on what they recommend.

I’ve read some say that you should cooperate with someone who is pointing a gun at you or carrying a weapon. But I’ve read others who said you should never go to the secondary scene.

There is a contradiction there, if you think about it. If someone with a gun is telling you to go to a secondary scene, do you go as ordered, or do you not go because going to the said place might be a bad move?

We have to admit that you might be done for either way. With that in mind, I would not go to the secondary scene. My thinking is that whatever the abductor had planned for me, he’s not comfortable doing that at the primary scene. That’s why he wants to lead me away. 

However, perhaps what I'm thinking right now is irrelevant. I do realize that fear might just take over, and the thoughts I’m having as I write from the safety of my living room won’t be the same ones I have in the moment of truth.

But if they were, I would just face my fate at the primary scene instead of going who knows where. Not only is there a chance that the move will throw the abductor a curveball, but if I'm dead either way, I'd rather the evidence of my disappearance be tied to a known location of mine than somewhere random.

What Can We Do

Next time you see one of these clips online, don’t just scroll past. Watch it and share it. There's more meaning in that than in sharing the videos of the goofballs online with their antics.

Bobby Jack Fowler - Was He Involved in Kristina Joanne Porco's Disappearance in 1986

By: Shane Lambert
Original time of writing: March 18th, 2025

Unraveling the Trail of Bobby Jack Fowler: A Suspected Serial Killer’s Hidden Years in Beaufort County

In the annals of American crime, few figures cast as dark and elusive a shadow as Bobby Jack Fowler, a suspected serial killer whose violent spree spanned decades and countries. Although his country of birth was the USA, Bobby Jack Fowler (BJF), is as much a dark figure in that country as he is north of the border in Canada. In this blog post, I will attempt to convince the reader that there is a chance (and not just a remote one) that he disappeared a teenager in South Carolina, in addition to his already known crimes.

Diving Into Bobby Jack Fowler's Whereabouts

Born on June 12th, 1939, in Texas, Fowler’s criminal history is a mixture of confirmed and suspected murders. Yet, there is a critical gap in his timeline, meaning not enough is known about the whereabouts of this individual. Between parole in March 1986 and the 1992 murders of two girls in Oregon, BJF's whereabouts are generally only speculated on. 

I decided to investigate this gap in his timeline, the one between March 1986 and May 1992. I believe he can be placed in Beaufort County, South Carolina. His Wikipedia page, without any supporting links, does say he spent time in South Carolina. Have a look at the following two newspaper clippings. Note that they both include an address.

February 14th, 1990. The Beaufort Gazette.

September 2nd, 1987. The Island Packet.

Summary of the Two Beaufort County Clippings

On August 28th, 1987, someone named Bobby Jack Fowler, aged 48, was arrested in Beaufort County and charged with public disorderly conduct, as reported by The Island Packet. His address was listed as 95 Mathews Drive, Hilton Head.

A second incident, documented in The Beaufort Gazette on February 14th, 1990, cites the name "Bobby J. Fowler," for a DUI. The date range for a license suspension is December 14th, 1989,  until June 14th, 1990.

Can These Citations Be Authenticated as Bobby Jack Fowler (BJF), the serial killer?

The two articles above are interesting. The one from The Island Packet lists BJF by first, middle, and last name with perfectly corresponding spelling. It also includes his age, which is strong evidence that we are talking about BJF, the serial killer, and not just a same-name match.

The other article omits the middle name but uses a middle initial. However, the two clippings are linked via an address -- almost. One lists 95 Mathews Drive while the other lists 95 Matthews Drive (ie. one 't' in Mathews vs. 2 't's).  Phonetically, the two addresses sound the same and are probably one and the same address and the two newspaper clippings involve the same person.

In fact, I do believe the clippings both reference the serial killer, placing him in Beaufort County over the long term. The exact spelling match and his age match BJF. He was presumably at the 'address' from August 1987 to December 1989 and maybe even longer.

This hypothesis raises critical questions. One question I would like to look at is the missing people in and around Beaufort County who fit the profile of his murder victims. As of March 18th, 2015, I do think I've found a missing person who might be linked to BJF's 'address' the night she went missing. But first, let's look at the profile of BJF's victims.

Profile of Bobby Jack Fowler’s Female Murder Victims

Bobby Jack Fowler, a suspected serial killer active from the 1970s to 1990s, targeted young adults and upper teens who were women. Gale Weys (19), Pamela Darlington (19), and Colleen MacMillen (16) are three Canadian women that he is thought to have killed, with DNA evidence linking him to the latter. He targeted hitchhikers but not exclusively.

BJF's suspected murders also include Sheila Swanson (19) and Melissa Sanders (17), who disappeared on May 3rd, 1992, at Oregon’s Beverly Beach State Park. They were later found dead. 

Meanwhile, Jennifer Esson (16) and Kara Leas (16), vanished on January 28th, 1995. All of these cases show that he targeted young adults and teens close to adulthood.

He had other attacks like his 1969 Texas attack and his 1995 Tides Inn assault, These highlight his violent pattern. These were also attacks against women. But looking at the other victims or assumed victims, it's clear that he targeted teenage females. 

Next, let's look at a missing teenage female near his 'address.' She might have been walking his way the night she disappeared.

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The Disappearance of Kristina Joanne Porco: A Summary

The following summary uses general facts regarding Kristina Joanne Porco's case with details to follow.

Kristina Joanne Porco, a 16-year-old resident of Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County, South Carolina, vanished under mysterious circumstances on Saturday, November 29th, 1986. This is a case that has gone unsolved for nearly four decades as her missing person profile at NamUs remains active.

Kristina lived with her family at the Woodlake Villas condominium complex on Hilton Head. On the night she disappeared, Saturday, November 29th, she was wearing light blue jeans, an orange sweatshirt, and white sneakers. After a curfew-related argument around 10:30 pm, Kristina stormed out of the family’s residence taking no extra clothes, money, or belongings beyond what she was wearing.

Shortly after leaving, Kristina made a phone call to a friend from a nearby phone booth, asking if she could spend the night. The friend’s mother refused, leaving Kristina without a safe place to go.

During this phone call, Kristina mentioned she might sleep by the apartment complex’s pool. There was also some kind of exchange where Kristina noted a taxi passing by slowly.

Concerned, her friend went to the pool to check on her at some point a little later. She would only a red sweater, which most have associated with Kristina. 

The teenager went missing and has not been seen or heard from again. At one point, she was considered a runaway. However, NamUs uses "FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED" in her profile, with their use of all caps.

Kristina Joanne Porco: Case Details

The 'average' description of Kristina's missing person case online does not jive for some of the journalism at the time of her disappearance. For example, Kristina was reportedly seen after the phone call with her friend.

One detail I found in researching her case was that Kristina was last seen on Sunday, November 30th, in the area of Port Royal Plaza. I took that to mean she left the pool area of the apartment complex for some reason, possibly because the cab creeped her out. The following snippet comes from the December 8th, 1986 edition of The Island Packet.

That she was reportedly seen on Sunday, November 30th, does not mean she survived the night. After leaving home at 10:30pm, a change of date would be just 90 minutes later. 

Technically, her last seen date appears to be November 30th, not November 29th. But her November 30th sighting could be the very early minutes or very early hours of Sunday, November 30th.

March 19th, 1987. The Island Packet. Reconfirms that Port Royal Plaza is relevant

Now for the Bombshell

The article above says she was in the Port Royal Plaza area. Importantly, that is basically Bobby Jack Fowler's 95 Mathews Drive address as per the articles posted earlier. 

He gave an address of 95 Mathews Drive when arrested. When I researched this address from that time frame, "95 Mathews Drive" returned links to advertisements for businesses at Port Royal Plaza. I selected four ads below to show the address is linked to a shopping mall or district but could have selected dozens.

So Bobby Jack Fowler, Known to be a Transient, Lives in a Parking Lot?

Why does Bobby Jack Fowler give an address that matches a shopping district when dealing with the law? How does this make sense? Does Bobby Jack Fowler live in a business? Is he renting a room above one? Is he working with staff accommodation provided? This latter scenario is more common with remote jobs, not ones in urban areas.

I can see why the reader might be confused because, for a time, I was. But then I remembered that Bobby Jack Fowler was a transient.

I would suggest that what makes the most sense is simply that he's living in a vehicle after his parole. 95 Mathews Drive, his published address alongside his citation, is the parking lot of the Port Royal Plaza shopping center and that's where he parks his car.

People living in vehicles in parking lots are by no means unheard of. I would think that the only way to make sense of BJF's address is that he doesn't have a real one -- except for the parking lot. It could be that he had to give an address when confronted with the legal situations in the newspaper clippings. 

The address of the parking lot where he lived in his car may have been the only thing he could provide. When confronted with everything factual, this is the most reasonable scenario I could conjecture.

Proposed Timeline and Events for Joanne Porco

• She leaves home at 10:30pm on November 29th, 1986.
• Kristina goes toward a friend's place and phones her from a payphone.
• The mother of the friend denies Kristina entry. the 16-year-old decides she will sleep by a pool.
• Joanne changes her mind, finding the area too sketchy, and is fearful of a 'lurking' cab.
• Her friend checks on her well-being but finds that she is gone.
• Presumably, Kristina went for a walk.
• Reportedly, she was spotted in the area of Port Royal Plaza on November 30th, which could mean she was spotted in the early minutes or early hours of the day.
• If she is determined not to go home, then she is now looking for a place to sleep and/or is dependent on the kindness of strangers.
• In my proposed timeline, she doesn't meet a kind stranger in a parking lot on Saturday night/Sunday morning.
• Instead, I think she is abducted and presumably murdered with Bobby Jack Fowler linkable to the parking lot she is seen in.

Critical Assessment of the Timeline: Educated Guess as Opposed to Confirmed Fact

As for logical reasoning, there are problems with this timeline. I can't prove Bobby Jack Fowler was in the parking lot the night Joanne disappeared. All I can do is show an association with the address of the parking lot -- and that association is several months later.

Furthermore, I do rely on Wikipedia stating that he had associations with South Carolina. Anyone can edit Wikipedia, which is the problem with using it as a source. It's known that pranksters sometimes target the site.

However, I will say that he was associated with the same parking lot over the long term. The first association is in 1987 and the second is in 1989. 

It seems like he was living in some kind of vehicle or maybe a tent for quite a long time at 95 Mathews Drive. Based on that, I don't think I am being liberal in suggesting that he might have been there the night Kristina disappeared, even if the newspaper clipping is dated several months after.

As for using Wikipedia, all I can say is I don't think people generally write things there arbitrarily or as pranks. The information is generally true.

On another matter, there is that lurking taxi cab to think about. Did the driver abduct her?

In my opinion, the taxi is a red herring for two reasons. Mainly, Joanne was reportedly spotted at Port Royal Plaza. As long as someone didn't just arbitrarily report that, it means she survived the scene by the pool and retained her freedoms at that point.

Secondly, I have a "take it or leave it" opinion. I don't think the taxi was 'lurking' at all. I think the taxi driver is just wondering if this young woman on the phone might be a customer. Taxis lurk around people who might need a ride all the time as nothing more than just an attempt to get some revenue. We've all had taxi drivers watching our footsteps in public.

Conclusion: Be Aware of Bobby Jack Fowler When Looking at Joanne Porco

Joanne's age, sex, and vulnerability do align with Bobby Jack Fowler's preferred victims. She was 16 and female, just like some of the other ones associated with his profile. Furthermore, I know a lot of his assumed victims were Caucasian, like Joanne.

Last, but certainly not least, Joanne was reported to be at BJF's 'home' as her last known location. That is true if you agree that his use of 95 Mathews Drive, which is nothing more than a business complex, as his address meant that he was living in a parking lot in the time frame following his parole release. There's nothing unbelievable about that as he is described as a transient in numerous sources.

Lillian Rochelle Holmes -- Missing From Pasadena Since 1984

Details from NamUs** (the time in the description below is disputed): 

"21-year-old Lillian Rochelle Holmes went missing in Pasadena California on 3/22/1984. Lillian was last seen by her father when she left her Pasadena home at approximately 6:30 am on her way to start a new job demonstrating products at Robinsons in the Santa Anita Mall located in Arcadia, CA. Lillian was last seen boarding an RTD bus in Pasadena carrying a blue dress over her shoulder. Lillian was never seen or heard from again. It is believed that Lillian never made it to the new job at the mall but it is unknown where exactly she vanished along her journey between her home and the mall."

Missing Person: Lillian Rochelle Holmes
Last-contact date: March 22nd, 1984 (Thursday) -- NamUs says she was seen at 630AM, another source says noon to 1pm
The area where the MP was last seen: Pasadena, California at Lake Avenue and Rio Grande Street
Link to government source: NamUs MP14475

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Black (described as a light-skinned mulatto)
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 21 years old
Birthdate: January 23rd, 1963
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Hazel
Scar: None indicated
Height/weight: 5'2" to 5'5" and 105 to 120 pounds
BMI*: Lillian Rochelle Holmes was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: Lillian Rochelle Holmes did not have any tattoos associated with her profiles. If you know that the missing person did have tattoos, then please post a remark at the end of this blog post on the matter.

By: Shane Lambert

Original time of writing: March 22nd, 2021

Lillian Rochelle Holmes was last heard from on March 22nd, 1984 when she was 21 years of age. This individual disappeared during her commute on what was her first day of a new job according to the NamUs description. She has been missing for about 41 years as of early 2025.

What stands out with this case to me was the fact that it was her first day at a new job. I considered the possibility that she was not entirely familiar with her commute. When I research modern routes, the trip between Pasadena and the mall should not have been complicated for Lillian. Evidently, things did not go as planned.

I found her in high school yearbooks from Pasadena in what would have been earlier times of her life. It's clear that she lived in the area for at least seven years prior to disappearing. She is in the 1978 Pasadena High School yearbook as a freshman. That picture is below but the one at the top of this article is from closer to the time she disappeared.

A search for journalism regarding this case failed when I used my membership at Newspapers.com. However, she was definitely covered somewhere as NamUs included an uncredited newspaper article in their profile. Apparently, this newspaper article wasn't in the newspapers that are included in the Newspaper.com database at the time of this article's research.

In reading below, you will note that the missing person had a blue dress in her possession that she had just gotten from the laundromat. The location of this laundromat would be interesting to learn. Also, the journalism indicates that she was last seen later in the day than what the NamUs description states.

I would like to credit this article to the source. If you know where it appeared, then please comment at the end of this blog post.

NamUs says she was last seen at 630AM by her father, whose name was Kenneth Holmes. However, the newspaper article clipped above says she was last seen between noon and 1pm by a bus passenger. There is a contradiction here to try and make sense of.

I think her day likely involved leaving home at 630AM, going to the cleaners, perhaps going for lunch, and then taking the bus from the laundromat to the mall where she was to start her job. That scenario is how I've made sense of the contradicting information in this case.

The following clippings are advertisements from the Robinson's store that she was going to work at. One of them may even have been the job that Lillian applied to as the timing is about right.

Sun, Feb 5, 1984 – 660 · The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) · Newspapers.com

Sun, Mar 4, 1984 – 613 · The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) · Newspapers.com

I think trying to trace her exact commute would be useful. What laundromat she used is one question in this case. Where she might have gone to lunch would be a point to note too, however, that seems difficult to figure out after all these years. 

I'm picturing an abduction in this case because of how attractive Lillian was and the fact that I think she was showing up for work eager to make a good first impression in the type of job where looks mattered to the employer. Sales Associate or Product Display positions in department stores usually feature well-dressed and attractive women. That would also attract a lot of attention her way during her commute.

Abduction on a city bus is hard to do with a grown adult like Lillian. A commotion would create witnesses. The same could be said inside the mall. In my opinion, the part of her commute where she was most vulnerable would be the mall parking lot. That is my presumptive area of interest for where she might have been abducted.

Along these lines, a similar case would be that of Cindy Lee Mellin. She was a department store employee that was practically known to have been abducted in the parking lot of the mall where she worked. In Mellin's case, it happened during her commute as well but after her shift. Mellin's disappearance was 14 years earlier in 1970 and about 80 miles away in Ventura. Mellin was 19 and she a female. That's pretty close to the same demographics as Holmes. 

These cases may be unrelated but, if you agree that the mall parking lot was the most dangerous park of Lillian's commute, then they do have some interesting similarities. If either missing person is to be found then certainly a lot of work remains to be done. 

Author: Shane Lambert (UncoolNegated on Websleuths)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert (UncoolNegated on Websleuths) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of March 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.
**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 persons case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.

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The Van That May Have Taken Michael Dunahee: Could It Be a 1981 Chevrolet P30? Artificial Intelligence Weighs In!

Missing person: Michael Wayne Dunahee

Last-contact date: March 24th, 1991 at about 1230pm; reports surfaced in 2022 of a woman named Norma seeing him twice later that day. It's hard to know what to treat as accurate in situations like these, but the 1230pm time is not disputed.

Updated theory as of March 2025: New Blog Post

Last seen: Victoria, British Columbia on Vancouver Island

It is not disputed that he was at the Blanshard Elementary School playground. The school is no longer there but was at 950 Kings Road and the now-gone playground is on the southwest side of the lot. I would say these Google Maps coordinates are close to the abduction point: 48.437708, -123.360528. Street views on Google Maps only go back to 2009.

The second sighting is taken much more lightly. But it would place him in the custody of a woman 18-25 at a back alley near Wark Street, a little later in the day. Wark Street is a very short road in Victoria extending just two blocks from north to south (Google Maps: Wark Street's northern tip). Wark Street forms a T-intersection at the school on Kings Road.

Link to Government Source: Canada's Missing

Ethnicity/Race: White

Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 4 years old
Hair: Blonde, short
Eye color: Blue
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 3'0" and 51 pounds
Clothing: White Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt, colorful rugby pants, blue canvas sneakers, blue cloth jacket with red lining and red cuffs.

Not the actual clothes.Grok's response to my request for an image of the clothing as described above.

Michael Dunahee: One of Canada's Best Known Missing Person's Cases

Few missing person cases in Canada's history have generated as much lasting interest as the case of Michael Dunahee. If you, the reader, are among the contingent of people who will undoubtedly look back at the case in March, when the anniversary comes, remember to take a moment to look at the composite sketches and the drawing of the van that Michael was thought to have been lured into. 

A young child (ten years old) said she saw Michael go into a vehicle. This is a witness whose insight into what happened that day can be debated. Children are frivolous and they never make great witnesses. However, there were multiple witnesses who claimed that they saw the brown van, according to a 2022 news article (Hana Nae Nassar/March 8th, 2022/CityNews).

In fact, the Wikipedia page for Michael's disappearance says that there were no witnesses. I think that shows that some discount the child-witness.

In mentioning it, I am not saying it should be taken as fact, but, for me, I think that the child-witness should still be mentioned as food for thought and awareness. So many years have passed since the disappearance that there can't be any harm in keeping an open mind.

Thu, Mar 24, 2011 – 1 · Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) · Newspapers.com

Child's Drawing of the Suspect Vehicle

The picture of the van that the young girl drew does not look like that common of a vehicle model. The drawing of the van looks like a small bus or a vehicle that would be used for services like airport transfers.

By my research (from 2021), the vehicle would resemble the Chevrolets in the "P30" and/or "step van" series. These vehicles were on the road in 1991 and seemed to go back several decades with new models hitting the market perhaps annually.

The following is an enlargement of the picture that the girl drew.

 

The full-length door on the side is the biggest clue as to the model in my opinion. While I couldn't find a great non-copyrighted photo, I recommend that the reader go to Google Images and search for "Chevrolet P30 step-van" and then look at the models from 1991 and prior. My top guess for the year, make, and model would be a 1981 Chevrolet P30 Grumman Step Van.

Grok 'Thinks' It IS a 1981 Chevy Step Van

In 2025, I ran the picture through Grok, which is X's artificial intelligence. When I asked what vehicle it was, Grok first stated that it was a 1991 Chrysler Town and Country Minivan. However, I think I had inadvertently limited it to 1991 when I said it was a 1991 drawing.

I decided to ask directly if the vehicle was a Chevrolet Step Van and got the following answer: 

"Based on the analysis, the drawing is most likely of a Chevrolet Step Van, possibly from the mid-20th century, given its boxy shape, three-side-window configuration, and wood-like appearance, which may reflect artistic shading or custom features. While other vehicles like minivans or station wagons were considered, the utilitarian design and forward-control layout align most closely with a step van. This identification reflects the era's use of step vans for delivery and the possibility of custom modifications, fitting the drawing's 1991 creation date as a nostalgic or artistic representation."

For the record, my opinion that it was a Chevy Step Van predated my entry into Grok by four years as the original publication date is February 13th, 2021 for this blog post. I also asked if it was a 1981 Chevrolet P30 Grumman Step Van, which has been my top guess for the last four years, and Grok answered in the affirmative.

"Based on the analysis, the drawing is most likely of a 1981 Chevrolet P30 Grumman Step Van, possibly with custom features like additional windows, given its boxy shape, three-side-window configuration, and wood-like appearance, which may reflect artistic shading or modifications. While other vehicles like minivans or station wagons were considered, the utilitarian design and forward-control layout align most closely with a step van. This identification reflects the era's use of step vans for delivery and the possibility of custom modifications, fitting the drawing's 1991 creation date as a nostalgic or artistic representation."

As a control, I asked if the drawing was of a Volkswagen Beetle, an airplane, or a school bus. Grok answered in the negative, an indicator that the software behind the AI is not just spitting out answers in a biased way. Instead, Grok suggested that it was a step van or minivan. 

"Based on the analysis, the drawing is most likely not a Volkswagen Beetle, an airplane, or a school bus. It seems to depict a van or small truck, possibly a step van or minivan, with a boxy shape, two windows, and a wood-like appearance, which doesn't align with the typical features of the given options. An unexpected detail is that the drawing might represent a customized vehicle, not fitting standard categories, which wasn't among the choices but fits the description better."

I'm not sure what the wood-like appearance meant, except that the color is brown. AI is always just food for thought. File it under "take it or leave it" but I think the chance that the vehicle is of a Chevy Step Van should be noted by anyone interested in this case.

Real-life Footage or Photos of Chevy Step Vans

As far as usable photos go (ie. the photographer allows his/her photo to be used), I found the following. Firstly, I embedded a video below of a 1982 model from Youtube.

The picture below is of a 1997 Chevrolet P30. This is a model that came into the market several years after Dunahee's 1991 disappearance. It was hard to find a user-friendly picture of the models that I wanted to use, which is why I used the 1997 model.

But the earlier models had that long door that you see in the child's drawing. I think it's that feature that is most credible in the drawing, along with the color of the vehicle. The disappearance happened in the early afternoon, and color is easier for the human eye to detect at midday.

Furthermore, the front windows are viewable when taking a side-longed view of the vehicle. This is the kind of vehicle that you might expect to be camperized, used as a food truck, or used for roadside lodging. To me, it suggests that the person who abducted Dunahee was transient or lodged in campgrounds RV parks.

Wikipedia photo by Mr. choppers.

There was an alleged Dunahee sighting in New Jersey in the weeks after Michael disappeared. A shopper at a convenience store named Harry Krusch claimed he saw Michael on April 4th, 1991 in a place called Maple Shade, New Jersey.

An article with the composite sketch of the man who was allegedly in Michael's company is below. I will say that I never really thought much of this alleged sighting of Michael. However, it's also important to remain open-minded. Note, that the composite sketch involved with this alleged sighting is of a black man while the former sketch was of a white person.

Tue, Apr 16, 1991 – Page 21 · Courier-Post (Camden, New Jersey) · Newspapers.com

Author: Shane Lambert (Facebook profile)

Twitter: @UncoolNegated (Twitter)

Pinterest: Missing Person Board
Original Time of Writing: February 13th, 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

Women With Car Troubles Go Missing: The Cases of Robin Graham, Kelly Dae Wilson, Cindy Lee Mellin, and More

By: Shane Lambert

Robin Graham disappeared in the early hours of the morning on November 14th, 1970. She was driving home from her place of employment, Pier 1 at 5711 Hollywood Boulevard, when something went wrong with her vehicle (employment address as per a landing page for her at Ancestry.com). For those interested in tracing her route, I think she was traveling to 2227 Lemoyne Street in Los Angeles. 

Her disappearance is noteworthy for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, it caused the LAPD to enact a policy change. A police officer saw her in the minutes before she disappeared, but he left her alone. After her disappearance, police officers were required to stay with stranded female motorists.

Secondly, her disappearance and probable murder can be compared to other disappearances of women where some kind of vehicle mishap is part of the chain of events surrounding the disappearance.

Robin Graham

Robin Ann Graham's details:

Last seen: About 2:30am on November 14th, 1970
Born: June 22nd, 1952 (18 years old at the time of disappearance)
Physical: white female, 66" (5'6") and 125 pounds, brown eyes and hair
Clothing/accessories: red blouse, blue jeans, dark-blue corduroy jacket, red-clog shoes, and leather purse

NamUs' description of the event (paraphrased):

A California Highway Patrol officer was the last person to see Robin Graham on November 14th, 1970. She had been driving her boyfriend's vehicle when she apparently ran out of gas and stalled on U.S. Highway 101 southbound near the Santa Monica Boulevard offramp at about 2:00 am.

The officer stopped to see if she needed help, but Ms. Graham said that help was already coming. She had just called her parents to inform them of her situation.

Later, the officer noticed a white male, 25-26 years of age, 5'8" with dark hair, wearing bell-bottom trousers and a white turtle neck top talking to her. A 1958-1960 light blue Corvette hardtop was observed parked behind her vehicle at this time. The officer later assumed the man in the Corvette was the help she had called for. The next day, her parents searched for Robin and found her car, locked up and abandoned on the side of the freeway where she was last seen. She hasn't been heard from since. 

Inconsistency regarding man's description

The description of the man may or may not be entirely accurate with NamUS. The following (left margin below) is excerpted from the Nov. 19th, 1970 Valley News (Van Nuys, California) regarding the patrolman's description. It describes a "blond-haired man" instead of a dark-haired one. The range of dates for the Corvette is also a little off between the two sources (ie. NamUs is 1958 to 1960 while the article says '57 to '59). I found a 1960 light-blue Corvette convertible picture and posted it below. When it comes to contradictions between NamUs and media sources, there's no way to know who to show a preference for. Certainly, both the media and NamUs can be error-riddled.

1960 Chevrolet Corvette Fuelie
 (Creative Commons/Rex Gray on Flickr) - Not a car expert;
If you can suggest a better photo, then it's welcome.

NamUs wrong about the time of parents discovering vehicle

The penultimate statement in the NamUs description above may be incorrect or confusing. According to the newspaper articles I read from 1970 her parents did not discover her car "The next day" but rather they discovered it at 2:30am, a half-hour after she was last seen. See the snipping below from The Capital Journal (December 12th, 1970/page 11).

The same article discusses the change in police procedures when it came to stranded female motorists. 

The Robin Graham case may not simply be a case of a criminal taking advantage of an opportunity where he finds a young woman vulnerable. Women who meet an abductor after car trouble may actually have had their car tampered with by the actual abductor. Graham ran out of gas and it's possible that the gas may have been siphoned by the abductor himself as part of a modus operandi. Consider the following cases below where car trouble is central to the abduction of a woman. Note, in many of the cases below the car trouble was caused by the man that harmed the woman.

Kathleen Johns

Kathleen Johns was driving at night in a rural location when she was summoned to pull over in March of 1970 by a fellow driver, a male. He advised her that she had a problem with her tire. The man then 'helped' her by loosening the tire and when Johns drove away the tire fell off. The 'helpful' man then offered to drive Johns and her child to a service station.

Of course, this man may have been The Zodiac Killer. However, the point to be aware of is that the 'Good Samaritan' that shows up to help a distressed female motorist might be her mortal enemy. Whether by loosening a tire or some other sabotage, he may have caused the problem with the vehicle himself in hopes of putting the woman into a vulnerable situation.

Julia Ashe

Sedrick Cobb lurked in mall parking lots. According to writer David Krajicek, Cobb "used a valve stem remover to deflate a tire on the car of likely victims, then offered to change the flats when they returned from shopping" (Dec. 31 2013 article/Daily News). Cobb, employing this tactic, earned the trust of a woman before he raped and murdered her. That woman's name was Julia Ashe and the year was 1989. The blurb below from the September 13th, 1991 issue of The Hartford Courant accounts of some of the details:

The point to take away from the Ashe rape and murder, once again, is that the man that shows up to 'help' a woman with car trouble may have caused the car trouble himself.

Rose Tashman

Rose Tashman's unsolved murder has been mentioned in conjunction with the Robin Graham disappearance for decades. William J. Drummond, a writer, made comparisons between Graham and Tashman in The Los Angeles Times on November 18th, 1970.

In this case, it's not clear that Tashman's flat tire was caused by someone that wanted to help her. But that car trouble can precede the disappearance or murder of a young woman can't be overlooked. The criminals may simply be opportunists as opposed to carrying out a modus operandi involving vehicle sabotage. However, more examples could still be looked at.

Cindy Lee Mellin

Cindy Lee Mellin, also often mentioned in conjunction with Graham, was last seen in a mall parking lot in 1970 in Ventura, California. According to NamUs (#6849) "She was last seen standing next to her car in the shopping center parking lot while an unidentified male changed her tire. When she failed to return home that night, her father went to the shopping center looking for her and found her car still up on a jack with the flat tire still attached." That description certainly leaves much to the imagination. But it's not a stretcher to assume that the man that pretended to want to help her actually had more sinister motives in mind.

Kelly Dae Wilson

Kelly Dae Wilson is yet another example of a missing woman who had car trouble at around the time of her disappearance. Wilson went missing in Upshur County, Texas in 1993 after completing a shift at a video store. She is NamUs MP #6816. On the night that she went missing one of the tires of her vehicle was slashed. The following timeline of events, in this case, was published as per the details below (click to enlargen):

Note that Michael Biby, who went to high school with Wilson, served jail time for slashing her tire. If he did not disappear Wilson then it's very possible that the slashed tire made her vulnerable to an opportunist.

Conclusion

It's certainly soul-destroying to learn that someone who seems like a Good Samaritan is actually in the midst of committing a heinous crime. But the lessons of the missing-person's cases or murders mentioned above can't be ignored.

For the women readers, if you are facing car trouble and a man arrives to help you then you have to be skeptical: Mr. Johnny-on-the-spot with the perfect tool handy to fix your car might be the reincarnation of Jack the Ripper. That statement might wreak of paranoia to some, but minimally I would argue that you shouldn't stop driving if your vehicle is operational, even if someone is trying to flag you down. Get to a well-viewed area with lots of people around. Additionally, I would recommend not going to a secondary site with a Good Samaritan, whether that be in his car or yours.