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

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

Missing Person: Mary Frances Gregory

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

VITAL DETAILS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Author: Shane Lambert (Vancouver, Canada)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

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

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

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

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

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Angel Rene Sexton -- Missing From Logan, Ohio Since February 2011

Missing person: Angel Rene Sexton

Aliases: Angela Rena, Angel Renee, Angel Hedrick
Last-contact date: February 2nd, 2011 (was a Wednesday)
Disappeared from: Logan, Ohio

Link to Government Source: #MP11816

Other Source: Charley Project

Ethnicity/Race: White
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 37 years old

Birthdate: September 1973
Hair: Brown
Eye color: Brown
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 4'10" to 5'1" and about 118 pounds
Tattoos: One of her arms has an unknown tattoo

According to the Charley Project: Sexton was last seen in Logan, Ohio, on February 2, 2011. She left her four-year-old daughter with a babysitter and has never been heard from again. Sexton may be in Columbus, Ohio. Few details are available in her case.

Author: Shane Lambert (link opens to my Facebook profile)
Twitter: @UncoolNegated (link to Twitter)
Original Time of Writing: January 29th, 2021
All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

March 25th, 2025 Update

I took a second look at this case about four years after originally posting the content below. The information at the Charley Project and NamUs remains unadjusted. Furthermore, there still isn't a missing person news article about her anywhere that I could find. What's below, is what was written on January 29th, 2021. I did make some edits as some links have died.

Original Time of Writing Content Below: Minor Edits

This was a difficult case to find information on. It seems that the sources on Angel Rene Sexton are all rewrites of the same information.

Furthermore, this missing person had many aliases. That can make it harder to research when it comes to keyword searching. You have to mix-and-match first names, middle names, and last names in the databases and then search engines to find information -- each step of the way, combing through countless people with similar names.

However, I was able to find her birth date, which is above. I have her exact birth date in my case notes.

One question I had was the exact location of her tattoo and what it depicted. It could help in this case as it can help in any missing person case.

For names associated with Angel Rene Sexton, her parents were Gary Dewain Sexton and Audrey Irene Sexton. There are also online comments regarding Angel as follows (link doesn't show anything in March 2025 but the comments below were once there):

"sammy gatenburg: I miss her she was my cousin.

12 22, 2014 | 15:54

Gina rarick: I miss her too she was my best friend before she moved back to Ohio"

The 'names' above might be usernames. I think these are people who might be willing to help iron out the details of this case if they know any, but I had trouble finding them in the time that I had allotted to look at this case. Another question regarding Angel would be why she was thought to be in the Columbus area.

The Facebook page for her missing person case was available online but has since been removed or limited.

Furthermore, I found her address to be on Linton Road in Logan, Ohio at the time of her disappearance. I think she was living in the Logan Village Apartments.

Address matches using search engines need to be taken with a grain of salt. I don't think websites really can report on where someone lived, but they may get information from documents instead. Documents can be true or false. But I noted one different last name staying at the same address as Sexton, an address that matched right to the apartment number for what would be an overlapping time frame.

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Similar Case

When I highlight similar cases, it is not to say that the cases are related in an investigative way. However, history repeats itself because and I think similar cases provide food for thought.

What does it mean when a mother leaves a child at a babysitter and then disappears? Does it mean she disappeared voluntarily, or was she disappeared by someone?

Between the two, I would lean a little to the former. I think a mother who disappears after taking her child to the babysitter will often be someone who is finding life a little heavy at the moment, wishes for something different, but wants to make sure her child is in safe hands while she sorts matters out. From this perspective, getting a babysitter might be a step in a plan to disappear voluntarily.

What does it mean when that person still isn't accounted for ten years later? That's a different question.

Lorraine Judith Chance is a missing person from many decades ago who disappeared after leaving her child at a babysitter's. Readers can read about her case details here: Lorraine Judith Chance.

Aaliyah Joy Mason (Photo Search) -- Missing Since January 2020

Author: Shane Lambert 
Original Time of Writing: January 23rd, 2021
All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Missing person: Aaliyah Joy Mason
Last-contact date: January 24th, 2020 (disputed_
Last-seen location: North Hollywood, California

Link to Government Source: NamUs #MP64699

Ethnicity/Race: Black/African American
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 14 years old
Hair: Black
Eye color: Brown
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'6" to 5'7" and 165 pounds

The NamUs description for this missing person sounds like she is being treated as a runaway: "Aaliyah was last seen on January 24, 2020 at home in North Hollywood, California. She left the home and has not returned."

My research into this case produced a suggestion that this individual may have been found. Websleuths or amateur investigators should be careful in putting too much time into this case until this is clarified. I will query the status of this case with NamUs staff and update accordingly. However, for the time being I did find a photo for this alleged MP.

Yes she was found. Tragic story, but she's healing.

— Deana J Becker (@BeckerDeana) January 28, 2021

PLEASE share this photo far and wide. This is Aaliyah Mason. She has been missing from a park in Studio City, CA for over 24 hours. Her mother is a dear friend and #CSUN family. If seen please call 911 and the number on the flier. #missingchild pic.twitter.com/gWpeZcNM9o

— Deana J Becker (@BeckerDeana) January 26, 2020

Shelly Dene -- Last Seen in Edmonton in August 2013

Author: Shane Lambert
Original Time of Writing: January 6th, 2021
All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shelly Dene. Appears to be a selfie of her last Facebook post from May 17th, 2013.

Missing person: Shelly Tanis (might be Tannis) Dene

Last-seen date: August 2013; one report said July 2013
Last-seen location: Edmonton, Alberta, I think at her grandmother's house near 114th street and 102nd avenue

Last-communication: I think it was August 28th, 2013 via text message to her sister.
Link to Government Source: Case 2014006306
Ethnicity/Race: Aboriginal (of the Fort McKay First Nation)

Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: Click the tag "missing and murdered aboriginal women" to see all the relevant cases at this website
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 25 years old
Hair: Brown
Eye color: Brown
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'7" and 110 pounds
Scar: right cheek according to Canada's Missing; however, in a Youtube video I watched the scar(s) may have been on the left side of her face; they are from a dog bite.

Shelly Dene was last seen in August of 2013. However, she was not reported missing until November 8th of that year. This is a case involving a lot of activism on the parts of some of those who knew her. In fact, I lived in Edmonton from 2014 to 2015 and I remember seeing her missing-person posters around the downtown area. 

She had only moved to Edmonton in January of 2013 (one source said June) with a previous residency in Kelowna. At other times in her life, she lived in Fort McMurray, Fort McKay, and Vernon.

In the months or weeks prior to her last communication, she had learned that she would not be getting custody of her child back. Reportedly, this wasn't good for her emotional well-being. In the following excerpt from an Edmonton Journal article, "Candice" refers to Shelly's sister and "Yvonne" refers to Shelly's mother. In what I believe is Shelly's last-known communication, she indicated that she was going to the Yukon.

Mon, May 11, 2015 – 4 · Edmonton Journal (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) · Newspapers.com

The balance of the picture I got when reading about this case was that Shelly may have been heading to the Yukon in a red truck with a man who was of First Nations descent.

Wed, Aug 27, 2014 – 2 · Whitehorse Daily Star (Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada) · Newspapers.com

          

Someone traveling from Edmonton to the Yukon using the highway would likely head west on the Yellowhead Highway. After that, there are two ways to go: one through White Court and Grand Prairie or one through Grand Cache and Grand Prairie. That she may have been traveling with a man with a vehicle seems to reduce the chances of her using hitchhiking. 

Yet, all leads, in this case, appear to be tenuous. If you read the journalism in an effort to get an inkling of what happened to Shelly, at some points you think suicide because she had a history of substance use. Furthermore, she seemed to be, at least, upset or disappointed at the time of her disappearance over not having custody of her child. Yet, that she may have been motivated to have custody of him or her speaks to a reason to live.

There is a text message that Shelly sent her sister before she disappeared (August 28th, 2013). This is one that answered in the negative when Candice asked if Shelly was okay. That negative response is really hard to ignore. I also read that Shelly's cell phone went out of service in November. I'm wondering what that means exactly in terms of her activity with the phone.

Another circumstance, in this case, is just who exactly was the man she was seen with -- the man with the red truck. I'm sure he is someone that the police would want to question. Shelly's case has received some news exposure. I've wondered if the man has confronted any coverage of her disappearance and, if so, why he hasn't come forward.

Did they go to the Yukon together? Is he missing too? The person that saw him says he was wearing beige clothes and she wondered if he might have been a Truck Driver by profession. Was the red truck actually a rig?

A break, in this case, would be if someone ever came across a missing person's report involving an aboriginal man in western Canada who was last known to be driving a red truck before he disappeared in 2013. Sometimes, when people use the highway they go off the highway. If Shelly disappeared with the man she was last seen with then his case file might generate a lead. Keep an aboriginal male with a red truck in mind if you are among those that peruse through missing people reports.

But, to be honest, there is not much to go on for Shelly. The search area is immense as the trip from Edmonton to Whitehorse is 22 hours or so. At present, I would have to say that the chances of an amateur or websleuth providing a useful lead in this case is low.

Beverly Sharpman Newspaper Clippings and Classified Ads-- Missing Since 1947

Author: Shane Lambert
Original Time of Writing: December 22nd, 2020

Beverly Sharpman has been missing since 1947. This is a case that I wrote about a few years earlier and my opinion on her disappearance has not changed.

I think there was some kind of a rift in her family life that she wasn't compatible with at all, that she married, and then she left her original family situation, never to look back.

Beverly Sharpman Fri, Feb 29, 2008 – Page 7 · Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

Of course, with many disappearances, there is plenty of room for doubt and counter-conjecture. The point of this article is not to get into that but to post the classified ads that Beverly's mother and other family members posted in newspaper outlets over the years.

Beverly Sharpman Tue, Aug 19, 1952 – Page 31 · The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

Beverly sharpman Sun, Sep 23, 1956 – Page 7 · The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

The ads didn't generate many leads. However, if you read them all, then you'll see that they did generate some communication from someone. One reason that these advertisements may have had a limited impact on the case is that Beverly Sharpman, according to her last communication, got married. 1947 wasn't really a time when women kept their maiden names. If Beverly Sharpman got married and left her original life for a new one, then anyone that met her after her disappearance would know her only by her married name.

Beverly Sharpman missing Mon, Nov 10, 1947 – Page 32 · The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

Beverly Sharpman J B Wed, Jun 16, 1948 – Page 45 · The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

Beverly Sharpman Sat, Sep 10, 1949 – Page 1 · The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

Beverly Sharpman Sun, Aug 31, 1952 – Page 61 · The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

Beverly Sharpman Sun, Aug 24, 1952 – Page 93 · The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

Beverly Sharpman Tue, Aug 19, 1952 – Page 31 · The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

Beverly Sharpman Mon, Mar 12, 1951 – Page 29 · The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

Beverly Sharpman Sun, Mar 11, 1951 – Page 111 · The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

Beverly Sharpman Sun, Aug 19, 1956 – Page 93 · The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

Sharpman Sat, Nov 12, 1949 – 14 · The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland) · Newspapers.com