Missing Person: Julia Ann Stettinger in Kodiak, Alaska

Missing Person: Julia Ann Stettinger

Details from a government source (paraphrased):

Julia Stettinger was last seen on Wednesday, August 7th, 1985, 55 miles northwest of Cold Bay in Kodiak, Alaska, after a boating accident on the fishing vessel Sea Dancer. She is presumed deceased.

Last contact: Wednesday, August 7th, 1985
Last location: Kodiak, Alaska - 55 miles northwest of Cold Bay
Age when Julia Stettinger disappeared: 41
DOB: Between August 8th, 1943, and August 7th, 1944
Sex: Female
Height in inches: 66
Weight in pounds (lbs): 130
BMI: 21.0 - Healthy weight (calculated to help picture what Julia Stettinger might have looked like)
Ethnicity: American Indian / Alaska Native
Hair color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Distinctive Features: No information entered
Link to Government Source: NamUs MP66571 (right-click to open)

Clothing Worn When Last Seen

Item	Description	Details	Source
Survival Suit	Worn during boating accident	Possibly had a rifle strapped to the suit	NamUs

Unraveling the Mystery: Key Insights and Updates

By: Shane Lambert
Original time of writing: August 21st, 2025

I will say from the start, I don't think this is a case that amateurs should be working on. She appears to be lost at sea and quite often when someone is lost at sea, they are lost for all time. The only thing I would keep in mind is that her suit might have had some endurability as it was a survival suit.

I did find a legal notification in The Anchorage Times from December 15th, 1985. It didn't hold back at all when it came to her fate but explicitly called her deceased. Oftentimes in the legal notifications in the classifieds, they will state "Presumed Deceased" or something of that nature. But in the case of Julia Stettinger, it's very clear that the authorities considered her dead just four months after her accident (in other cases, people aren't considered dead for years).

Missing Marilyn Byskal: Unsolved 1974 Canoe Trip Disappearance in Manitoba

Missing Person: Marilyn Byskal

• Learn about the mysterious disappearance of Marilyn Byskal, including details of the last known sighting, the extensive but fruitless 10+ day search, and why the prevailing theory makes the most sense.
• Explore newspaper articles from the time of her disappearance and a sad classified ad from the time that highlights her family's grief.

Not the actual setting. AI-generated image with prompts for a fast-flowing river in the late spring in northern Manitoba.

Details (paraphrased) from a Government Source

Marilyn Byskal was last seen at about 7AM on June 20th, 1974, during a school-organized canoe and camping trip near Wabowden, Manitoba, Canada. She was 18 years old at the time.

According to the official report, she was last spotted in the morning at her tent as the group woke up along the Grass River. Most campers believed she may have fallen into the river’s fast-flowing waters, though no one witnessed such an incident. 

An extensive 10-day searanch of the water and surrounding ground was conducted, but it yielded no results—no body, no belongings, no clues. She has not been seen or heard from since.

Source: Canada’s Missing, Case Reference #2012020052 (accessed via RCMP website, last modified May 10, 2023).

Last Contact: June 20th, 1974 (Thursday).
Additional Reference: Wabowden RCMP, Case #2012-534333.

Last Location: Near the Grass River, 25 miles northwest of Wabowden, Manitoba, Canada. Whitewood Falls is mentioned at the DoeNetwork.
Age When Disappeared: 18
DOB: May 1st, 1956 (DoeNetwork)

Sex: Female
Height in Inches: 69 (5’9”)
Weight in Pounds (lbs): 150
BMI: Marilyn Byskal had a BMI of 22.06, calculated from her height (69 inches) and weight (150 lbs). This places her in the normal range by BMI standards—just an observation, as BMI isn’t a definitive indicator of health or lifestyle.

Ethnicity: White
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Scar or Distinctive Characteristic: None noted
Clothing and Accessories: No specific details were provided in the RCMP report

Transportation: No vehicle or specific transportation details noted. She was on a canoe trip, suggesting she was on foot or in a canoe before her disappearance.
Parents: Not listed in the source material

Clothing and Accessories
At the time of her disappearance on June 20th, 1974, no specific clothing or accessories were detailed in the RCMP report.

Down and Out in the Canadian Rockies

A BLEAK GLIMPSE INTO RESORT TOWN LIFE FROM A WORKER'S PERSPECTIVE

Get your copy of this engaging ebook now

Available on Amazon for Kindle or as a physical copy

Buy Now (Canada) Buy Now (USA)

Commentary and Research

By: Shane Lambert
Original Time of Writing: March 22nd, 2025

Has Marilyn Byskal Been Found?
As of the time of writing, Marilyn Byskal remains missing. Her case, now over 50 years old, is a cold one with little online buzz. There are no recent news updates or significant social media discussions breaking new ground.

Looking back at the journalism from the time of her disappearance, she received some minor attention in marginals in The Brandon Sun. There was also a larger article on July 2nd, 1974 in The Brandon Sun that mentioned she was a high school student on the cusp of graduation when she disappeared. Her disappearance turned the festivities around graduation into a more somber atmosphere. 

I think there were 12 people in her camping group, 10 students (including her) and 2 teachers. Here are some bullet points from the long article from July 2nd, 1974:

• She went to the river when she woke up but returned to her tent (her toiletries and toothbrush were found back in her tent).
• One important point is that the Grass River was only 2-3 feet deep at the point where students accessed the river. It was the speed of the river that was considered to be the risk. Aside from the journalism, I will later suggest that the temperature of the river would be a major risk as well.
• Two students and a teacher had to paddle 20 miles to alert the RCMP, suggesting that it would have been tough for them, the police, to start an immediate search.

There seemed to be an extensive search. I would say that the search might have been longer than what Canada's Missing described with an estimated 12+ days, including the group she was with and the RCMP's search.

What stands out in her case is the lack of witnesses and the inconclusive search. The Grass River’s fast currents could easily sweep someone away.

Did she fall in, or did something else happen that morning? The group’s assumption of a river accident feels plausible, yet without evidence, it’s just a theory. An alternative theory might be that she fell prey to a campground stalker.

If she did fall in the river, then it's not surprising at all that the search didn't turn her up. Thomas William Richey is pretty much known to have fallen in a river and he has been gone for a lot longer than Marilyn. The same goes with Duane Ludwig Winget.

If fast-flowing water takes you away, then you might end up buried in sediment, either ashore or underneath the water, and that's a really good hiding spot -- for decades and decades and decades.

Beyond the River: Other Possibilities? It seems they were considered.

My research into this case suggests that some entertained the possibility that she survived her disappearance event. Consider the following classified advertisement from the summer of 1975, published about 13 months after she was last seen.

August 2nd, 1975. The Vancouver Sun.

The mention of Erickson, Manitoba, where our missing person was from, suggests enough to me that we are talking about the same case. The classified ad is likely nothing more than the family's unwillingness to accept that Marilyn had died.

You see this a lot with missing-person cases: the lack of a body means no conclusive death. That allows family members to keep hope alive for survival.

Yet, if two students and a teacher had to canoe 20 miles to find the RCMP, then I'm not sure how Marilyn woke up one morning and then just disappeared to Vancouver from northern Manitoba after doing little more than brushing her teeth.

I did find a marriage involving a same-name match in Surrey in May 1975 but the wedding picture looks very different. I won't republish the image but it's in the May 8th, 1975 edition of the The Surrey Leader. I wonder if this same-name match to the area, which looks like a different person entirely, spawned an effort for the family to look there and that's all the classified ad is about.

Marilyn Byskal Disappearance Theories

The best alternative theory to drowning would be a campground stalker, in my opinion. The missing person was someone who I think would have a general appeal for physical attractiveness to the male population. She was young and athletic.

September 8th, 2009. The Toronto Star.

There have been lots of campground stalkers in the past. I would think a high school field trip to the backwoods involving 10 girls/women would be a magnet for a campground stalker. Half of the horror movies from the 1970s and 1980s loosely resembled that plot.

Tragic Cases of Young Women Attacked at Campgrounds

The following table details cases where young women were targeted at campgrounds, highlighting the dangers of remote outdoor settings.

Date	Location	Victims
June 13, 1977	Camp Scott, Mayes County, Oklahoma, USA	Lori Lee Farmer (8), Doris Denise Milner (10), Michelle Heather Guse (9)
May 24, 1996	Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA	Julianne "Julie" Williams (24), Laura "Lollie" Winans (26)
May 1992	Beverly Beach State Park, Oregon, USA	Melissa Sanders (20), Sheila Swanson (19)

It's a matter that might warrant mild interest. However, I do not believe that she fell victim to a campground stalker.

Campground Stalker Theory: Not Likely

Firstly, a 7 AM abduction time is weird in my opinion. If she went on a bathroom trip from her tent at 3AM and disappeared at that time, then I would be more partial to a campground stalker theory. The situation as it was, I would file "campground stalker" into the "very improbable" category. Especially since there is no hint of evidence of an abduction in anything that I read.

As for the disappearance involving the river sweeping her away. There isn't much I found weird at all. The theory made pretty good sense. If she did go into the water and drowned there, then it's not at all surprising that she has not been found. 

The only thing I found a bit weird was there was no description of a call for help and simply falling into a river is a little strange. If someone falls into a river from shore, I would think there would be moments where the person struggles but stays above water and these moments would involve a call for help. However, a quick submersion is possible as well, coupled with shock.

As for falling into the river without anyone pushing you, it is hard to picture. But there are all kinds of tripping hazards in natural settings, like rocks and roots. I would not be surprised if she went for a walk and fell in a little ways away from the camp.

Although it was June 20th, northern Manitoba has a subarctic climate. At that time of year, falling into water in the area would produce immediate shock. Even if the air was comfortable, bodies of water in the area would still be extremely uncomfortable due to snowmelt. I doubt the river water would be warmer than 10C.

What does all this mean? If Marilyn Byskal did fall into the Grass River, you or I won't generate a clue in finding her. So in the final analysis, I simply don't think researchers should work on this case unless they can link a known abductor to the area at the time of the disappearance. But going down that rabbit hole could be a colossal waste of time.

Agnes Goodall Pearson: Reportedly Missing Since 1922 in Saskatoon

Missing Person: Agnes Goodall Pearson

Name: Agnes Goodall Pearson
Last Known Contact: 1922 (exact date unknown)
Last Known Location: Possibly Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Age at Time of Disappearance: Approximately 52 years old (born circa 1870)
Sex: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian (Scottish descent)
Height: Unknown
Build: Unknown

Hair Color: Unknown 
Clothing: Unknown

Possible Connection: May be linked to the unidentified "Woman in the Well" found in Saskatoon on June 29, 2006 (Reference: RCMP Case #2012020100)

Tue, Aug 9, 1938 – 14 · Star-Phoenix (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada) · Newspapers.com

Case Summary: Agnes Goodall Pearson was reported missing by her sister, Isabelle McIntosh (née Pearson), in a classified advertisement placed in the Star-Phoenix on August 9, 1938. The ad sought information about Agnes, last heard from in 1922, suggesting she may have disappeared in or around Saskatoon.

Isabelle, residing at 4644 Bader Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, indicated a specific interest in Saskatoon, implying Agnes may have traveled there. No definitive records of Agnes’ fate have been located, including obituaries or grave markers.

Additional Notes: Agnes was born around 1870 in Forgan, Fife, Scotland, to Alexander and Isabella Pearson. She appeared in the 1901 Scotland Census and may have immigrated to Canada or the USA between 1901 and 1913. Records suggest an Agnes Pearson lived in Saskatoon in the 1910s and early 1920s, though it’s unclear if this is the same individual. 

Her age (52 in 1922) conflicts with the estimated age (20-35) of the "Woman in the Well" Jane Doe found in 2006, but age estimates for long-deceased remains can be unreliable.

Agnes Goodall Pearson Still Missing? Yes, I really think so.

The absence of a grave or obituary supports the notion that she remains alive. Same-name matches for graves are other people, including the one in Red Deer, Alberta. That Agnes Pearson married into the last name. Agnes Goodall Pearson had her last name through her father.

Furthermore, the family tree for Agnes Goodall Pearson states that she is missing. They use the standard question mark and "unknown" for her date of death. That the family doesn't know what happened to her is strong evidence that she remains missing. In my opinion, she is an example of a missing person not in digital records, something this post aims to correct.

Video exploring the 'Woman in the Well' case, possibly linked to Agnes.

Contact Information: Share your opinion by commenting on this blog post!

Verna Susan Bjerky -- Missing Since May 2nd, 1982

Missing Person: Verna Susan Bjerky

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased): On May 2nd, 1981, Verna Bjerky was seen for the last time hitchhiking from Hope to Kamloops, British Columbia. She carried roller skates over her shoulder and was seen getting into a vehicle with a lone occupant. Verna has not been seen or heard from since.

Last contact: A local boy saw her on May 2nd, 1981 (Saturday) at about 4 PM. Presumably, this was the person who saw her enter a vehicle. A friend of Verna's had seen her at about 1 PM in nearby Hope, BC.

Last location: Yale, BC is often listed as her last-known location, however, most of the early journalism suggested she was seen closer to Hope, BC, on the edge of town near the Trans Canada Highway.

Age when Verna Susan Bjerky disappeared: 16 (near her 17th birthday but she was 16 when last seen)

DOB: May 10th, 1981

Sex: Female

Height in Inches: 61-62

Weight in pounds (lbs): 110 - 115

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian

Hair color: Long blonde hair with short bangs

Eye Color: Hazel

Scar or distinctive characteristic: Gap between front teeth, scar on her left rib cage

Mother: Clare Chrane

Clothing and articles: $7 (there were no loonies or twoonies at that time in Canadian history), a handbag, a leather coat, blue denim pants, a red shirt with white flowers, a grey cotton sweatshirt, canvas brown "North Star" shoes, a blue and red cotton vest, and she carried rollerskates (these skates had her name on them "Verna Bjerky"). She may have had a knife as a friend claimed she gave her one the day she disappeared.

August 14th, 1997. The Vancouver Sun.

Her rollerskates and purse appear to have been found in or near the Freaser River near Highway 7. I think that the date they were found was October 19th, 1981.

Link to Government Source (Canada's Missing): 2014001314 (right click to open)

Websleuths discussion page: Verna Susan Bjerky (right click to open)

BMI means body mass index. It is meant to describe someone's healthy body weight relative to their height. It is only food for thought because it does not account for all body types.

Verna Susan Bjerky had a BMI of 20.78. She was at a healthy weight by BMI standards at the time of her disappearance.

Commentary and Research

By: Shane Lambert 

Original time of writing: February 5th, 2025

Has Verna Susan Bjerky been found?

Verna Susan Bjerky has been missing since Saturday, May 2nd, 1981. She's among the missing people in North America who were last seen hitchhiking. Verna's missing person case had a lot of journalism, both back in the 1980s and even journalism coverage from 2024. I will review the details of her case as per the journalism that covered it.

The first newspaper clipping that I found that pertained to this case was a classified advertisement. Someone placed an ad in the Vancouver Sun on May 20th, 1981. This would have been eighteen days after Verna was last seen. If I am not mistaken, someone who cared about her wanted to find a clue to what happened to her by locating the roller skates that she had with her. The classified ad below appeared in the "Lost" column.

 

The first instance of journalism I found appeared on May 27th, 1981 in The Hope Standard. The town of Hope is located a couple of hours east of Vancouver. According to this article, the last person to see her was a local boy who saw her leaving Hope and walking toward the Trans Canada Highway. Based on this, you would think she would have been last seen within a couple kilometers of these coordinates: 49.39163243453994, -121.46069332795696. 

There was a bus strike wtih Greyhound that made the young woman reliant on hitchhiking for transportation. She was planning on going to Kamloops for one day to visit her boyfriend.

Her chosen route might strike some as strange. Most people who travel from Hope to Kamloops might take the No. 5 highway, known as the Coquihalla Highway. However, this highway was not completed until later in the 1980s. If you are looking at modern maps, then picture the highways without the No. 5 route.

In the journalism from 1981, Verna's case was often mentioned in conjunction with numerous other missing children (whether younger or teenagers).

In journalism after 1981, the name "Clifford Olson" is often mentioned in conjunction with Verna Susan Bjerky. Olson, who died in 2011, was a Canadian serial killer who focused on killing children. Verna disappeared during a small time frame when Olson was on a rampage in the region.

A friend of Verna's claimed that she and Verna had hitched a ride together in late April 1981 and that Clifford Olson was the driver. There was the suggestion that Olson tried to poison or drug each of them but failed (the friend, Cathy Lamberton, felt like peanuts they were gifted might have been tampered with). They were dropped off in Kamloops, BC safe and sound. Based on this, if Verna's path crossed with Olson's on May 2nd, she might have accepted a ride from him, with some comfort, based on her safe passage in an earlier trip.

Commentary and Opinion

That Verna's friend claimed that they had survived an encounter with Clifford Olson in the days before the disappearance probably is not a coincidence. I think she likely did meet up with him again while hitchhiking and that it cost her her life.

As for finding her, I think it might be futile if her body was dumped into the Fraser River. Her belongings were found near this river and it is the longest river in British Columbia. With the force of the river and flooding, something as small as a human body can end up anywhere in the region. Furthermore, the shifting of sediment could bury a body such that only a change geological event would reveal it.

If she ended up somewhere else, then the gap in her teeth is a clue. This can be cross-referenced to any Jane Doe descriptions.

The last thing I wanted to mention with this case is just how the strike involving Greyhound bus lines played a role. It's enough to suggest that bus line transportation in Canada should be considered an essential service as it's infinitely safer to be a bus than hitchhiking.

The Province. February 26th, 1981.

Deborah Dubs - Missing Since July 1984 from San Francisco

Missing Person: Deborah Dubs

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased): Deborah Dubs was last seen on July 25th, 1984 in San Francisco, CA. Also missing is her husband, Harvey, 30, and their 16-month-old son, Sean. Based on the evidence, I think a reasonable guess as to what happened to them can be made.

Last contact: July 25th, 1984 (Wednesday)

Last seen: Their Mission District home (100 block of Yukon Street); Upper Market area, just off of  Market Steeet.

Age when Deborah Dubs disappeared: 33

Sex: Female

Height in inches: 64, which is 5'4"

Weight in pounds (lbs): 107

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian

Hair color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown

Scar or distinctive characteristic: Tracheotomy scar

Clothing and Accessories: Leather purse, white blouse with horizontal stripes, dark slacks, sandals, and loafers

Maiden name: Deborah Ann Nourse

Vehicle:1980 Volkswagen Rabbit. Tan/Beige, Four door. Plate: 3A06195 (CA), which was found near the San Francisco Airport on August 1st in the airport's long-term parking lot with the doors unlocked.

Link to government source: https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/10208?nav

Commentary and Research

By: Shane Lambert

Deborah Dubs disappeared in late July 1984. The last time she was seen was on July 25th of that year. Her disappearance happened at the same time as her husband Harvey and their 15-to-16-month-old son, Sean Christopher Dubs.

The first instance of journalism I found about this case appeared on July 31st, 1984 in the Oakland Tribune. Here are the pointers of the early journalism:

• Deborah's father, James Nourse, received a phone call from an unidentified man saying that the couple was going to Washington State for a few weeks;
• Neighbors reported seeing people going in and out of their apartment;
• Someone drove off with their car;
• Harvey's employer also received a phone call saying that he was going to Washington; the man who phoned called himself "Jim Bright";
• On July 26th, there was a commotion outside of the apartment and an Asian man was spotted carrying duffel bags down the street; this Asian man was probably serial killer Charles Ng, although this was not known at the time;
• The then-unknown Asian man is the one who drove away in the Dubs' Volkswagen but this was called unverified in another article in early journalism;
• Three days after their disappearance reportedly someone tried to break into the apartment;
• A man came out and entered a Dodge Dart where two other men were waiting.

In the early journalism, it was also mentioned that Harvey Dubs did video work as a side job. Something to do with this was thought to be a possible reason for his disappearance and his family's. It''s possible that a classified advertisement led the wrong kind of people to the Dubs family. 

Has Deborah Dubs been found?

Although the car was found at the airport, the police had no evidence that the couple had taken a flight. But Deborah's credit card was used twice in the days after her disappearance. On both days, it was credit card fraud. This was reported on August 17th, 1984. The first instance of credit card fraud was on July 26th while the second was the next night. Both involved petty restaurant food purchases.

August 17th, 1984. San Francisco Examiner.

August 18th, 1984. San Francisco Examiner.

August 18th, 1984. San Francisco Examiner.

The journalism died down after the restaurant credit card transactions. However, it heated back up in June 1985. Someone named Paul Cosner went missing and it was thought that his case might be related to the missing Dubs' family. Cosner is still missing as of the time of this blog post. Cosner and Harvey Dubs had both placed classified ads in the time frame leading up to their disappearances. Cosner was selling a car while Dubs was offering video services.

In journalism from June 1985, the composite sketch of the Asian man above from the restaurant credit card fraud is thought to be the same Asian man who carted things out of the Dubs' apartment. The names Leonard Lake and Charles Ng soon emerged in journalism about the disappearance of Deborah Dubs and her family.

The evidence, in this case, suggested that Deborah Dubs was in the custody of serial killers Charles Chitat Ng and Leonard Lake. The former was convicted of her murder while the latter committed suicide. According to Ng's Wikipedia page, Deborah Dubs was seen on a videotape of Ng's being assaulted so severely that she could not have survived. Her remains might be among those found in a makeshift grave involving burned human ashes and bone fragments. Her fate is largely known and if she was in the makeshift grave, then it's possible that all work on finding her will be futile. Charles Ng, at the time of writing, was imprisoned and on death row in California.

Phyllis Maue: Missing Since 1982 - Unsolved Disappearance Case

Missing Person's Name: Phyllis Maue

Middle initial: A.

Last contact: June 25th, 1982 (Friday); reportedly at about 2 PM

Age when she disappeared: 29

Sex: Female

Height in inches: 64 which is 5'4"

Weight in pounds (lbs): 120

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian

Hair color: Red/Auburn, long and shoulder-length

Eye Color: Brown, and can be wearing glasses

Scar or distinctive characteristic: Caesarian scar on abdomen

Family: Gregory Paul (son), Greg Maue (husband)

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased or details added): Phyllis Maue was last seen getting into a light brown Chevrolet Van, one block from her residence. She had a possible destination of New York. She was last seen wearing a red pullover shirt, blue jeans, and gym shoes. These could be cross-referenced to Jane Does on NamUs.

Link to government source: https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/115557?nav

Commentary and Research

By: Shane Lambert

The Day Phyllis Maue Vanished

Phyllis Maue was last seen on June 25th, 1982, which was a Friday.

According to NamUs, she was last seen entering a Chevrolet Van and may have been heading to New York. However, most of the focus on this individual had to do with more local areas where she was last seen. I think searching in New York will likely prove fruitless.

xAI's Grok generated these images when asked to generate an image of a typical Chevrolet Van from the 1977 to 1982 period.

This is a case where I was able to find some journalism on the missing person. Her last known location was in Norwood, Ohio, a suburb or small city to the northeast of Cincinnati, Ohio. A friend last saw her at 2 PM on June 25th, 1982.

The first article on her disappearance that I was able to find appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer on Wednesday, March 23rd, 1983, titled "Police Ask Help in Finding Woman Missing Since June."

From this article we learn she was married to Greg Maue, she had a ten-year-old son, and that there was a letter from Cincinnati about this case. This letter, which was postmarked to that city, claimed that she was heading to New York City -- which was probably not true, in my opinion.

There were some marital problems in her life as the article above mentions a possible divorce. Another thing that stood out with this case is the letter. What does it mean when someone sends a letter saying that she is going to a far-away city but then is never heard from again?

Before speculating on that, let's stick to known facts. There was a classified advertisement for this missing person that appeared in 2006.

This advertisement claims that she was last in the presence of Samual Ray Phillips (July 1st, 2006; Cincinnati Enquirer), who died in 2004 in a car accident. I think the proper spelling of this person's name was Samuel Ray Phillips, with the "e" in his first name instead of an "a." 

I found a gravemarker on Findagravel.com for a Fairfield man of this name who died in 2004.

By my research, Samual is spelled wrong in this classified ad. Should be Samuel.

Samuel Ray Phillips

Born: November 7th, 1928

Death: January 24th, 2004

Gravemarker suggests a marriage to "Rose M." born in 1934 (possible Rosemary Brown).

Ancestry: This individual is on Ancestry

There was a second piece of journalism on Phyllis Maue in February 2006. Deborah Dixon of The Journal News headlined "Police say missing woman may be tied to Fairfield man." In this article, Ray Phillips is mentioned. It is also stated that police were planning some digs to search for her body. Other important details from this piece of journalism:

• Phyllis left an uncashed paycheque behind. Uncashed assets appear in quite a few missing persons cases. I think it suggests that the person, when last seen, did not plan to disappear voluntarily. If the MP did plan to disappear voluntarily, most would take their negotiables with them.
• Her husband received a nude photo of her in the mail that suggested an extramarital affair with Ray Phillips;
• Reportedly, Maue was going to end the affair on June 25th, 1982.

One interesting fact is that a handwriting expert looked at the letter from Phyllis Maue. He concluded that she did write the letter. However, the handwriting expert also stated that the letter writer was under stress as she wrote.

You have to wonder if an expert of this sort could discern a trembling hand from handwriting. Also, someone under duress might pause while writing -- and this could leave an ink blob. I think her handwriting would have to be compared to normal script. But, for sure, this is not an exact science but rather food for critical thought.

Has Phyllis Maue Been Found?

In my opinion, the totality of the scene suggests that a murder took place. The letter was used as a diversion. I think someone forced her to write it, believing that ostensibly placing her in New York City would explain what was going to be a prolonged...or permanent...absence.

This would help create a diversion and a length of time for the disappearance to be considered voluntary. The more time that passes, the more difficult it is for the authorities to solve the case.

Colleen Wood's Disappearance - What Happened After the Unsolved Mysteries Episode?

By: Shane Lambert

If you watched an old episode of Unsolved Mysteries from Season 12 with Robert Stack and are now looking to see if the mysteries have been solved since the program's air date, then this article is for you. Firstly, Episode 12 of Season 12 originally aired on Wednesday, August 15th, 2001. The opening unsolved mystery has to do with Colleen Wood and her disappearance.

As regaled in the episode, Colleen met a man named John Paul and she quit her job as part of a plan to sail the world with him. However, Colleen was not heard from after December 2000. Furthermore, John Paul had a criminal record for attempted murder that Colleen likely did not know about. As of the end of the episode from 2001, Colleen's whereabouts were not known and John Paul was not named as a suspect in her disappearance. However, he too was missing with the episode suggesting that his disappearance was of a voluntary sort while Colleen's was not. Detectives had also ascertained that some $40,000 had been taken from Colleen's credit cards without her consent. Other sources place this amount at $38,000.

As of the publication date of this blog post (July 15th, 2024), Colleen Wood still has a missing person profile at NamUs, meaning she is still missing. Below are her details with more research afterward.

Missing Person's Name: Colleen Wood

Last contact: December 28th, 2000 (exact date not known according to one source)

Age when she disappeared: 53

Sex: Female

Height in inches: 62 which is 5'2"

Weight in pounds (lbs): 115

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian 

Hair color: Gray or partially gray 

Eye Color: Brown 

Scar or distinctive characteristic: Nothing

Birthdate: Not certain. But I think it is December 2nd or 7th, 1948. These different birthdates appear on her marriage licenses from two marriages.

Alias: Colleen Pascu (married and then divorced)

Family: Michael Tandarich (son), who seemed to be named after his father

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased): Wood was reported missing to Fort Lauderdale Police on April 16th, 2001. Her disappearance is considered to be extremely suspicious. 

Link to government source: https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/23600?nav

Photos: Several available at NamUs

Commentary and Research

Colleen's disappearance date with NamUs has to be taken with a grain of salt. Her friend, Maureen Canada, said that they spoke on the phone on December 13th or 14th in 2000. That conversation puts her in a bar in Key West, Florida.

There wasn't any journalism after the air date of the Unsolved Mysteries episode to update this matter. I do not think that there is any significant update in this case since that time. But readers will likely want to know that John Paul does have a Wikipedia page. According to that source, the women who withdrew money from Colleen Wood's credit card identified John Paul as the man who accompanied them. According to his Wikipedia page, he is still missing and would be in his mid-80s if alive today.

There were classified ads that were placed in local newspapers using Colleen's credit card. One of them was from December 16th, 2000. That was two to three days after Maureen Canada spoke with Colleen. I would think that John Paul's claimed last sighting of Colleen cannot be trusted. My guess is that Colleen died somehow between December 13th and December 16th.

Has Colleen Wood Been Found?

One investigative angle amateurs can help with has to do with the classified ads. I tried pulling key phrases from the ads and searching for them in online newspaper databases to see if the same or very similar ads appeared anywhere else in the world. If John Paul placed the ads and used the same wording for other ads, then there might be a lead on his whereabouts. If you have a membership to online newspaper databases, then you can try this on your own in addition to my efforts. The ads appear in the embedded YouTube video below.

John Paul and Colleen Wood. 12 Jun 2001, Tue The Miami Herald (Miami, Florida) Newspapers.com

Rahway County Jane Doe (Attempt to Match) - Was Her Name Annie Primroe?

By: Shane Lambert

Original Time of Writing: December 19th, 2021

I researched the case of the Rahway County Jane Doe almost five years ago, as of the original time of writing this article. If you are not familiar with the case, then, in a nutshell, in March 1887, a woman was found murdered in the town of Rahway, New Jersey. The details of her case became a bit of a media circus. Perhaps this is just like more modern murder mysteries, like the case of JonBenet Ramsey.

The Rahway County Jane Doe was thought to have been a passenger who had recently alighted a train before being murdered. That she was supposed to be a traveler made the case difficult to solve back in the late 1800s because it suggested that the woman was not a local. Accordingly, missing persons from anywhere in the world were -- and still are -- actually in play with this case.

Searching the Classifieds to Research the Case

Back in February 2017, I attempted to find a classified advertisement where someone was looking for a missing woman who was last seen in 1887. It used to be that if you lost touch with someone, then you might take to the newspaper classifieds to find the person.

Newspaper classifieds have been featured in other missing person cases that I have worked on. The case of Beverly Sharpman, last seen in Philadelphia, comes to mind as does the case of The Lady in the Well who was discovered in Saskatoon in modern times but thought to have been dead since the 1920s.

When I originally looked for someone back in early 2017 who might have been searching for the Rahway County Jane Doe, I failed in that effort. It could have been that the exact newspaper I needed was not in the databases I used at the time. I made a second attempt in December 2021, one that was successful in finding a lead that I can only call tenuous at this time.

Please read the classified advertisement below, which appeared in a Buffalo-area publication in 1902.

20 Jun 1902, Fri Buffalo Evening News (Buffalo, New York) Newspapers.com

Could Annie Primroe be the Rahway County Jane Doe?

Is Annie Primroe the Rahway County Jane Doe? This is something I want to prove or disprove.

Firstly, the year of disappearance matches up to the year that the Rahway County Jane Doe was murdered. The person who placed the classified advertisement, one "J.J.T.", says Annie had been "missing since 1887."

Secondly, there is a question as to whether Annie Primroe may have changed locations: in the final statement, J.J.T. seems to acknowledge that Annie may no longer be in the Buffalo area, the city where this classified advertisement was placed.

Furthermore, I do know that the train line that served Rahway, New Jersey, served New York state. I read a story in The Morning Call newspaper from February 26th, 1886, that attested to this (Page 8). The first clues, in this case, are very tenuous, but there's nothing to contradict a match between Annie Primroe and the Rahway County Jane Doe.

To better understand the potential connection, the following table cross-references key details between Annie Primroe and the Rahway County Jane Doe:

Attribute	Annie Primroe	Rahway County Jane Doe	Notes/Observations
Year of Disappearance	Missing since 1887 (per 1902 classified ad by J.J.T.)	Murdered in March 1887	Timelines match exactly, supporting a potential connection.
Location Connection	From Buffalo, New York; last known location per ad.	Found in Rahway, New Jersey; believed to be a traveler, possibly via train.	Train lines connected Buffalo and Rahway in 1887, making travel between them plausible.
Marital Status	Likely unmarried in 1887 (ad suggests her name might have changed later, possibly due to marriage).	Presumed unmarried; autopsy indicated she was a virgin, ruling out prostitution.	Both appear to be unmarried in 1887, a point of corroboration.
Travel Context	J.J.T. acknowledges Annie may have left Buffalo, suggesting she traveled.	Believed to have alighted a train shortly before her murder.	Both cases involve potential travel, aligning with the transient nature of the Jane Doe.

The family tree information can't be discounted. Annie is the cousin of J.J.T., she is the sister of Hattie Lesher, and, very importantly, Primroe appears to be a maiden name. This is actually a small clue that corroborates with the Rahway County Jane Doe.

J.J.T., in the classified advertisement, says "Her name was...Annie Primroe," in 1887, but the statement tacitly acknowledges that her name may have changed in the 15 years after that time. The most likely reason for a woman's name to change is through marriage. Thus, we can assume that Annie Primroe was not married at the time of her last contact with J.J.T. in 1887. The Rahway County Jane Doe, coincidentally enough, was actually thought to not be married.

On that matter, there was some discussion in a newspaper article I read that the Jane Doe, in some circles of gossip, was thought to have been a prostitute. However, during her post-mortem, I inferred they inspected her vagina and concluded that the Rahway County Jane Doe was a virgin. This discounted the notion that the Rahway County Jane Doe was a prostitute, and it strongly implies that she was not married. There seems to be some corroboration with Annie Primroe that is, admittedly, tenuous, but I felt intrigued enough to look at this lead deeper.

Research Angles and Challenges - Find a Record for Annie Primroe

For me, this is a work in progress that I invite others to look at. If you are interested in researching whether Annie Primroe might have been the Rahway County Jane Doe, then remember one important point: the primary goal is to try and disprove it. If you can't do that, then you can look at proving it.

One way to disprove that Annie Primroe was the Rahway County Jane Doe is to find her death record that proves she lived past 1887. She can't be declared dead in absentia or anything like that: in fact, dead in absentia might mean she was the Jane Doe. However, if you can prove that Annie Primroe lived past 1887, then it would mean she wasn't the Rahway County Jane Doe.

I have done some introductory work on this subject with Ancestry records. However, the name Primroe is not very common. I've wondered if it is meant to be "Primrose," however, as soon as you start working on angles like that, you are often going on futile tangents.

But finding Annie Primroe in Ancestry would be a great first step. The challenge is that her first name is the kind that has a lot of derivations, like Anne, Ann, or Anna. If you find someone who might be her, then keep in mind the family tree connections in trying to identify her. She has a sister named Hattie Lesher, with Lesher probably being a married name. "Hattie" can stand alone or it can mean Henrietta or Harriette. Hattie Lesher should be dead by June 18th, 1902. Also, Annie should have a cousin with the initials "J.J.T" who should be alive as of June 18th, 1902.

Any connections to Buffalo and Rahway County, New Jersey, would be very interesting, of course. If you build off of this article, please just be sure to properly cite me and link back.

Summary: Annie Primroe vs Rahway County Jane Doe

• Annie Primroe went missing 1887, the year that the Rahway County Jane Doe was found deceased.
• Primroe was from Buffalo, which has train connections to Rahway
• Primroe was not married and the Rahway County Jane Doe was not married, presumptively, because she was a virgin

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.

['CharleyProject.org Lillian Rochelle Holmes', 'DoeNetwork Lillian Rochelle Holmes', 'Lillian Rochelle Holmes missing person', 'what happened to Lillian Rochelle Holmes', 'missing Pasadena person', 'missing California person', 'missing Pasadena woman', 'missing California woman', 'missing Pasadena women', 'missing California women', 'missing woman Pasadena', 'missing woman California', 'missing from Pasadena', 'missing from California', 'Pasadena missing persons', 'California missing persons', 'Lillian Rochelle Holmes missing from California', 'disappearance of Lillian Rochelle Holmes', 'foul play', 'missing since', 'has not been seen', 'whereabouts of', 'missing person', 'missing persons database', 'theories', 'what happened to Lillian Rochelle Holmes']

Betty Marie Roberts -- Last Known to be With a Man Named Charles

Author: Shane Lambert
Original Time of Writing: December 31st, 2020
All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Betty Marie Roberts: The Unsolved Missing Person Case

Missing Person Overview: Betty Marie Roberts

"She left with a man from Charlotte, NC and went to Baltimore, Maryland. Her sister received a letter 3 days later. The letter stated she was doing fine and she would write later. The letter was postmarked Baltimore, Maryland. Never heard from her again." NamUs profile: Qtd March 19th, 2025.

Key Details of Betty Marie Roberts' Disappearance

Last-seen date: November 6th, 1959

Last-known communication: November 9th, 1959

Last-seen location: Baltimore, Maryland or Charlotte, North Carolina

Identification and Physical Description

NamUs # and Link: #MP7259

Ethnicity/Race: White

Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 29 years old

Hair: Brown
Eye color: Hazel
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'6" to 5'7" and 135 pounds
Other: Dentures, scar on stomach, and tattoo saying "Jeff" on left forearm

Background of Betty Marie Roberts' Case

The case of Betty Marie Roberts is a memorable one for the last interaction that she had at her last time. Her sister, who was probably angry with being left in charge of Betty's two children, reportedly said “If you walk out, you’re not my sister. Don’t ever come back.”

In the years that followed, the two children ended up in an orphanage and a foster home. At some point, Louise Doane, the sister, searched for a reference to Betty Marie via her Social Security Number and driver's license. Nothing matched up after the year 1959.

Discrepancies in Missing Person Databases

This is a case with some contradictions when one consults multiple missing person's databases. At the time of writing, I noted the following:

• NamUs said she went missing on November 6th, 1959; CharleyProject said it was November 3rd of that year
• NamUs said she disappeared from Baltimore, Maryland; the same source said this: "She left with a man from Charlotte, NC and went to Baltimore, Maryland." That would suggest she's missing from Charlotte, not Baltimore.

The contradiction can be reconciled if we take a letter to be her last-seen date. However, technically she was last seen on November 3rd, 1959 in what looks to be Charlotte, North Carolina and her last communication was from Baltimore three days later according to a postmarked letter.

That would make the CharleyProject's date of November 3rd make more sense (ie. that's when she was last seen). The November 6th date is more like when she was last heard from.

Potential Leads to Find Betty Marie Roberts

In this case, I submit that the potential for finding her is grounded in two things, one firm and physical and the other much more tenuous.

Physical Evidence: Dentures as a Clue

Firstly, there are the dentures to consider. This is a physical characteristic of Betty's that is unlike the scar on her abdomen and the tattoo on her forearm. If a Jane Doe is found that is skeletonized the dentures will remain a clue for identity. Importantly, "dentures" is a searchable term in some unidentified remains databases, like the one with NamUs.

Websleuths or amateurs that come across a Jane Doe where dentures are mentioned in the report should cross-reference other details of the Jane Doe with Betty Marie Roberts. On that note, remember to note the contradictions above and to keep an open mind to both cities, Baltimore and Charlotte.

The Mysterious Companion: Charles Wegman

The tenuous lead on Betty Marie Roberts has to do with the man who saw her last. She was running off with a man that Louise, Betty's sister, said was named Charles Wegman. CharleyProject offers this: "Roberts's sister sent photos of Roberts and Wegman to the FBI, and an agent told her Wegman was actually named Charles Dennison but didn't disclose any further information about him."

Investigating Charles Dennison: Who Was He?

The identification of Charles Dennison is a subject that some work has been done on. I've consulted AndTheyWere.com's contribution to this case. The description there of Dennison is as follows: “tall and thick, and pleasant-looking, in his late 30s.” Charles also said he was from Houston which, if taken at face value, might be a lead. It's with assumptions like this that efforts start to get tenuous.

Charles Dennison’s Criminal Background

The AndTheyWere.com blogger wrote this:

"I was unable to find information about Charles Wegman, but there were two entries in Texas inmate records for Charles C. Dennison. While some of the demographics differ slightly, Charles was a native-born Texan serving time in the late 1940s and early 1950s for burglary and theft. He had served in the Army and/or merchant marines and at one time lived in New York. This individual likely died in 1983 according to Social Security death records."

Linking Charles Dennison and Charles Wegman

Unifying the identity of Charles Dennison with Charles Wegman is a challenge in this case. Wegman said he was from Houston and Dennison was from there as well. However, that hardly makes them a lock for being one and the same people.

The differing demographics between the Dennison files alluded to in the quote above, have to do with two different birthdates across the two files for Charles C. Dennison in the Texas Convict and Conduct records. However, despite those two different birthdates, it is clear that the two files are for the same person. When I consulted the documents, they were linked by a remark in the latter one that referenced the file number of the former.

Texas Convict Records Analysis

According to the Texas Convict and Conduct Records, there is a Charles Clifford Dennison with a record date of August 3rd, 1949. This individual has a convict number of 114392 and a birth year of 1922. There is also a Charles C Dennison with the birth year of 1920 and a convict number of 120126. Of course, those could be different people except that someone who worked with the document wrote some chicken scratch in the final column which appears to be directing whoever reads it (ie. me) to convict number 120126.

Also, there is some writing near the convict's name which encourages the reader of the document (ie. me) to look at convict 120126 in conjunction with 114392. The two Dennison's with different birth dates are actually the same person and the birth years are just wrong.

Charles C. Dennison: Biography and Timeline

I think Charles C. Dennison was all of the following according to the documentary records:

• Born: either 22 Sep 1923 in Houston, Texas or 22 Sep 1922 in Houston, Texas
• Died: either 10 Aug 1983 Harris County, Texas or 15 Aug 1983
• Death certificate: 076838
• Possible stepfather: Arthur L Nurse
• Possible biological father: might be James Radley Malin
• Last name: probably connected to Geo K Dennison, a romantic interest of his mother's
• Possible mother: Majorie Pearl Lewis or Mable Lewis
• He was a convicted burglar and thief
• Known to be in custody as of July 25th, 1949; was said to be of New York before this time; appeared to be in prison all the way to Jan 12th, 1953
• His four-year sentence would have ended July 25th, 1953 but a comment suggests that he might have been out as of May 15th, 1951; that date is listed with "Revoked" written beside it on his Texas conviction record
• However, the next record for him suggests that he was not out of prison until January 12th, 1953; I think the first record for Convict #114392 is for a first sentence that lasted from July 25th, 1949 until it was revoked on May 15th, 1951; the Convict #120126 pertains to his second sentence starting without any time out of prison; it ends Jan 12 1953

That he might have been in New York is supported by a passenger list that I found. The passenger list for the Queen Mary vessel is listed as arriving in New York on January 3rd, 1946 as per the records I looked at with Ancestry. They show an "Inf" (infantry?) named Charles C. Dennison on that vessel. There is an Army Serial Number there if anyone wants to have a look and expand further.

Physical Characteristics of Charles Dennison

If someone can read the following then please remark on it. It appears to be something to do with a physical characteristic in the region under his left eye, I think. As far as I can see it says "ct sc under lf eye. app sc st storm."

Also, what does this say exactly? I see "2 at wheel upper rt arm. Scr lo. lft arm." which I interpret to mean he has a scar on his lower left arm and 2 on his upper right?

Challenges in Unifying Identities

I was not able to find anything that substantially unified the identities of Charles C. Dennison and Charles Wegman together. The premise is all based on the description of the FBI's response to the picture of Charles Wegman. One connection I could make, besides both being of Houston, is tenuous: Charles C Dennison had aliases and his real name is hard to find.

Firstly, the C initial for his middle name might stand for Clifford or Clinton. Secondly, according to the 1940 census he might have been Charles Nurse at the age of 17 and of 7427 Avenue O, Houston, Texas in relation to someone who I think was his stepfather (see below). He also might have been known as Charles Malin at birth in relation to his biological father. Charles Dennison comes later in relation to a George K. Dennison. A user on Ancestry wrote this:

"Charles was the biological child of James R. Malin and Marjorie P. Lewis. Marjorie's second husband was George K. Dennison. (Mable Emogene Lewis was Marjorie's sister and the aunt of Charles C. Malin Dennison.)" (postkrispykritters on 1/17/2017).

The Classified Ad: A Possible Clue in Betty’s Disappearance

It was my hope that the classified advertisement that Betty replied to would yield some clue. However, finding the advertisement wasn't easy. My best guess is that it was the following:

Sat, Sep 19, 1959 – 23 · The Charlotte News (Charlotte, North Carolina) · Newspapers.com

The date of the advertisement is about right. Furthermore, Betty's age fits the age range in the ad. Also, it says that she has to be free to travel and she did up and leave. Furthermore, it mentions photography and that's true to the description of Betty's missing person webpages.

Analyzing the Advertisement’s Details

In an expanded look at this ad, it appeared in the Charlotte area newspapers between February 22nd, 1957, and November 3rd, 1961 according to what I found. The wording in the advertisement changed here and there. The alphanumeric code at the end would be a mailbox number or even a phone number, I think, as there is no other form of communication in the ad (ie. 334-2176). There are similar ads placed to a phone number or mailbox number "ED 3-8581."

The Tom Jones that is mentioned was, I think, the owner of a legitimate and successful studio called "Jones & Presnell Studio's." I think their address was 433 Lawton Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28216. I'm wondering if Charles Wegman or Charles Dennison was employed with that company but it's a tenuous connection because I don't even know that this was the ad Betty Marie replied to: it just seems to match-up. This is something Websleuths or amateurs could investigate if they have a brainwave on how to do it. I do know his Social Security Number.

Is the Ad a Red Flag?

The advertisement does strike me as the phony kind. I think this advertisement targets someone who is gullible. $360 pay is about $3200 by modern standards per month. That's pretty good pay for someone with "No experience necessary." Also, "Paid vacations" sounds a little too good to be true but maybe they just meant you get paid time off every year.

This ad targeted women as it was placed in a column designated "FEMALE HELP." I'm not sure why women were needed to be photographers over men. However, this position seemingly was working with children and the 1950s was a time when women were seen as better suited for such work. Perhaps some still feel that way. Other ads with strikingly similar wording that appeared in the area said that they needed a Child Photographer as a large-print headline instead of "Want A Change."

Conclusion: What Happened to Betty Marie Roberts?

My read on this overall situation is not a great one when it comes to finding evidence that Betty Marie Roberts survived much longer after she left with the man named Charles. Firstly, I defer to Louise's efforts to find evidence of her based on her identification which suggests that 1959 was a terminal year in Betty Marie's life.

Family Dynamics and Disappearance

The animosity that Louise communicated toward her sister is a small clue. It doesn't point to Louise but rather, I think, it references Betty Marie's discretion in leaving her children behind to go off with a strange man. Betty Marie was dropping everything and leaving and that speaks to a breakdown of sorts.

The Danger of Charles Wegman/Dennison

The situation seems particularly dangerous because she was running off with a man who an FBI agent seemingly recognized only from a photograph. If that's the case, then that's interesting in and of itself: what kind of man is the kind that an FBI agent recognizes from a photograph alone? That kind of person is likely to be one with a rap sheet -- and not just for jaywalking or going five over in a 50 zone.

So what do we have? A woman who's breaking down is running off with a man who's on the FBI's radar. That doesn't sound like a situation that's going to lead to harmony.

Final Thoughts and Next Steps

Her credentials have not entered the documentary record since. In my opinion, the balance of the conjecture, in this case, would support the notion that Betty Marie is long dead. On that matter, the graves of the people associated with this case might start showing up on Findagrave.com. More and more memorials from the past are being digitalized.

The work on this case has to do with connecting Charles Wegman to Charles Dennison in a convincing way and then tracing his location between 1959 and 1983. Also, remember that if you come across a Jane Doe with dentures, especially one with a date-of-death assumed to be in the ballpark of 1959 near Charlotte or Baltimore or even points in between, that she's a candidate for a rule out. It wouldn't hurt to search for "dentures" in NamUs from time to time and list your Jane Does that match in the comments.