Forensic Evidence Mishandling Derails Justice in Thousands of UK Cases

By: Shane Lambert
Time of writing: June 16th, 2025

Systemic Crisis in UK Forensic Evidence Handling

A BBC News investigation revealed a systemic crisis in England and Wales, where over 30,000 criminal prosecutions have collapsed in the past four years due to lost, damaged, or contaminated police evidence. Sima Kotecha wrote an article earlier this month on the topic at BBC.com (June 6th, 2025).

"More than 30,000 prosecutions in England and Wales collapsed between October 2020 and September 2024, data from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reveals. They include 70 homicides and more than 550 sexual offences."

The issue has profoundly affected cases involving missing persons, violent crimes, and other serious offenses, leaving families without answers and justice delayed or denied. The report points to the 2012 closure of the Forensic Science Service (FSS), a centralized body for forensic analysis, as a key contributor to these failures. Since its dissolution, police forces have relied on private forensic providers and their own storage systems, resulting in widespread mishandling of critical evidence.

Impact and Proposed Reforms

The FSS’s closure, driven by budget cuts, forced police to outsource forensic work or manage evidence internally, often with inadequate resources. This has led to significant errors, such as evidence being misplaced, contaminated, or improperly stored, rendering it useless in court. 

Contamination of evidence poses an additional severe risk, where even minor mishandling—such as cross-contamination from unsterilized tools or improper storage—can introduce foreign DNA or degrade samples, leading to inconclusive results.

In extreme cases, such as serial killer investigations, contaminated evidence could obscure critical links between crimes, potentially allowing a perpetrator to remain at large. Historical examples, like the misidentification issues in the early days of DNA analysis, suggest this is a plausible outcome when forensic standards falter, especially given the current disorganized state of evidence management in the UK.

Furthermore, the legal standard of reasonable doubt works in favor of the defense. In the case that someone is guilty, the prosecution still must prove it convincingly. Any kind of mishandling of evidence works in favor or the defense to obtain an acquittal because it can help establish reasonable doubt.

Freedom of Information requests uncovered the scale of the problem, with thousands of cases—ranging from sexual assaults to homicides—dropped due to evidence issues. In some instances, police lost critical items like clothing or biological samples that could have linked suspects to crimes or identified remains. Other cases saw evidence degraded due to poor storage, making forensic analysis impossible. These failures not only derail prosecutions but also undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system, as victims and families are left without resolution.

The Law Commission has responded with a consultation proposing the re-establishment of a national forensic service to standardize evidence handling and improve accountability. The consultation also suggests criminalizing deliberate evidence mishandling in severe cases, a measure backed by legal experts to deter negligence. This proposal is expected to reach Parliament, offering hope for reforming a system plagued by chaos since the FSS’s closure. The crisis highlights the fragility of forensic processes and their critical role in delivering justice, particularly in complex cases like those involving missing persons.

The scale of this issue calls for urgent reform to ensure evidence is preserved and handled with the care needed to solve crimes and bring closure to affected families. As the UK grapples with these challenges, the need for robust forensic systems has never been clearer.

Susan Redding -- Missing from Georgia Since 1981

Details from NamUs**: 

Susan left Washington and returned to Georgia in 1975. She was last seen by family at her mother's home and there is no information to indicate she went back to Washington State. She was last heard from when she called her mother and grandmother’s homes in the mid-1980s, prior to her father's death in 1987.

Missing Person: Susan Redding (no legal middle name)

Parents: Frank and Margaret Redding (according to a person I interviewed online that claimed to be the MP's sister)

Might go by: Curly, Sue (doesn't go by Randy according to Susan's sister; NAMUS says she did go by Randy, in contrast)
Last-seen: April 8th, 1975 (inconsistent as per sources; other source says 1981, sister says 1975)

Last-contact: there's a suggestion in the NamUs description that this person was known to be alive in the early 1980s because of a phone call
The area where the MP was last seen: Decatur, Georgia, but the missing person had links to Seattle, Washington
Link to government source: NamUS #MP20630

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Black, African American
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 16 years old
Birthdate: April 8th, 1959 in Griffin, Spaulding County, Georgia
Hair: Black, often wore a wig
Eyes: Brown
Scar: Above right eye
Height/weight: 5-foot-4 and 105 to 115 pounds
BMI*: Susan Redding was in the normal range for BMI.

• BMI is body mass index. It relates to an individual's height and weight. I include it believing it can help picture a missing person or describe one.

Tattoos: Susan Redding did not have any tattoos associated with her profiles. If you know this to be a mistake, then please contact this site.

Susan Redding's "last-seen" date is not clear. Some sources say she went missing on her birthday in 1975, however, her NamUs profile specifies the last contact of 1981. 

An individual who identified as Susan's sister contacted me on August 24th, 2021. She said that Susan was last seen on April 8th, 1975 in Decatur, Georgia. The sister of Susan said that Susan was going to the dry cleaners. She was in the company of an older white man. There was, according to Susan's sister, some kind of dispute between this man and one of Susan's brothers because of the age gap between Susan and the man. Susan may have been a prostitute at this point in her life, according to the sister. She had recently gone through some changes in terms of her personal style.

NAMUS says Susan may have been heard from in the mid-1980's via a phone call (but not after 1987). The date she was last seen and the date she was last heard from can certainly be different. However, this is a case where the details are not really ironed out. 

Susan's sister said that the phone call was placed to the grandmother's home shortly after the grandmother's death. The death of the grandmother occurred in October 1982 and the phone call would have been in the days afterward. The call was answered by a now-deceased aunt. According to the sister, Susan may have hung up the phone when she heard the mother's voice in the background. Susan appeared to be calling to discuss the death of her grandmother but Susan was estranged from her mother and that's a possible explanation as to the abrupt phone call ending. 

Nonetheless, that Susan learned of the grandmother's death suggests that she was in the verbal grapevine of a family member still as there wasn't social media back in the 1980s or even Internet. When someone died, you usually learned from a family member or the newspaper obituaries with the former being more likely, in my opinion. What this case sounds like, in my opinion, is a voluntary disappearance that has resulted in an unclear fate and there are family members who would like answers.

What stands out with this case, is the fact that she often wore a wig. If you are looking among the Jane Doe databases for this missing person, then any Jane Doe that was found with a wig can be cross-referenced against Susan's profile. That would involve looking at the date of death versus Susan's date of disappearance, her height, and other considerations.

The missing person did not have any articles or items associated with her missing person's reports, at least of the ones that I consulted. That probably has something to do with the fact that her missing-date details are not very clear at all.

I was not able to find a missing person journalist article at Newspapers.com. Websleuths looking at this missing person could do their own search to see if they can locate one. Furthermore, it would help to know this missing person's middle name as there are a lot of other people named Susan Redding, even with a similar birth year.

If you know where this person might be or have any information on this case, then please contact the authorities. In the USA, you can look for the NamUs profile. Conversely, you can post a remark to this article.

Author: @UncoolNegated on Twitter

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

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

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Text might be paraphrased. If taken verbatim, then grammar or spelling errors are not necessarily corrected from original sources.
Disclaimer: Information posted is thought to be correct as of the time posting. If a missing person is found, then this article might stay posted until that is noticed. I try to stay on top of the news but it's not possible to follow all cases. Articles will be edited or deleted when credible news of the missing person is authenticated.

Kierra Coles -- Pregnant Postal Worker Missing Since October 2018

Author: Shane Lambert (link opens to my Facebook profile)
Twitter: @UncoolNegated (link to X formerlyTwitter)
Original Time of Writing: January 31st, 2021

Missing person: Kierra Coles
Last-contact date: October 2nd, 2018 (Tuesday)
Disappeared from: Chicago, Illinois; the city's south side around 81st street and Vernon Avenue

Link to Government Source: #MP56098

Ethnicity/Race: Black
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 26 years old
Hair: Black
Eye color: Brown
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'4" and 125 pounds

Tattoos: Tattoo of a heart on her right hand/wrist; "Lucky Libra" tattooed to her back

Pregnant: 3 months into pregnancy at the time of her disappearance
Clothing: Postal worker uniform

Vehicle: found in front of her apartment with her purse, cell phone, and a packed lunch still inside

Social Media: Facebook Group

Hashtag: #WhereIsKierraColes

The case of Kierra Coles is one that is popular in the media and it has received a lot of coverage.

One factor in that is that Coles was a postal worker. I'm assuming that since her clothing at the time of her disappearance was a "Postal worker uniform" that she went missing while on duty or while on her commute. That is a significant part of this case, in my opinion. 

Below, is a news video that covers some details of her disappearance. The posting date of the video is September 2020. It includes a segment of a surveillance video that may be of Coles. However, the father expresses his disbelief in this.

That Kierra was in her work uniform indicates that she was in her daily routine. I don't know of any cases of missing people where the MP was a postal employee on duty at the time of her disappearance. 

However, there are plenty of cases of missing women who went missing during their work shifts or commutes. An attractive woman who goes missing while she is in her daily work-related routine may have been abducted by someone who had daily visual access to the area where she was last seen.

Whenever a woman goes missing, the boyfriend or husband might draw some attention. That may be all the more the case when pregnancy is involved. However, it's also important not to develop tunnel vision. 

If Kierra went missing while walking a route that she used day after day, then questions of who knew her route and who was attracted to her should come into play. If her pregnancy wasn't yet showing, then she might have still been attractive in the eyes of an abductor that was somehow familiar with her routine.

The uniform, the tattoos, and the fetus may all produce leads in this case, having to do with a Jane Doe ahead of DNA testing. Additionally, it would be wise to note any broken bones that she may have suffered at any point in her life in her NamUs profile.

Kierra Coles Case Update: Family Marks Birthday on September 24, 2023, Amid Ongoing Search for Missing Pregnant Postal Worker

There was an update with this case in late 2023. Nearly five years after she originally disappeared, on September 24th, 2023, her family gathered to celebrate what would have been her 31st birthday, as reported by NBC Chicago.

The event highlighted their ongoing resolve to find her, with her mother, Karen Phillips, expressing the emotional toll of her absence and frustration with the lack of progress from the Chicago Police Department. Coles, three months pregnant at the time of her disappearance, left behind her car with her purse, phone, and packed lunch inside, deepening the mystery. The family continues to push for answers in this unresolved case.

NBC Chicago - Family Celebrated Birthday of Missing USPS Worker Kierra Coles

---

Lucille Mae Grenz -- Missing Since March of 1962

Author: Shane Lambert (link opens to my Facebook profile)
Twitter: @UncoolNegated (link to Twitter)
All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Original Time of Writing: January 28th, 2021

Missing person: Lucille May Grenz
Last-contact date: March 30th, 1962
Disappeared from: Toledo, Oregon at her home. The address appears to have been 134 NW 6th street.

Link to Government Source: #MP28805

Ethnicity/Race: White
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 40 years old

Birthdate: Between March 31st, 1921 and March 30th, 1922*
Hair: Red
Eye color: Blue
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'1" and 110 pounds
*If NamUs's details are right based on the age of her last contact

Chances of being found alive: virtually zero based on her age, that she has not been seen or heard from in nearly 60 years, and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance suggest that she was in mortal danger when she disappeared

This article started out as a photo search, however, this individual has a nice forum at Websleuths. Users there found the photo above using Newspapers.com. One person at the Websleuths forum indicated that Lucille had been married 8 times. This person identified as Lucille May Grenz's granddaughter.

This excerpt was a memorable one from the newspaper articles I read:

Wed, Oct 31, 1962 – 9 · The Capital Journal (Salem, Oregon) · Newspapers.com

If you read the article above, you may have noted the odd details about what was missing. It's not surprising when someone goes missing with their clothes. However, what does it mean when someone goes missing along with her mattress and drapes?

The most intuitive answer, in my opinion, is that the bedroom was a murder scene or, at least, a crime scene. The individual responsible for disappearing Lucille Mae Grenz may have perceived a benefit in taking some of her clothes, her mattress, and drapes as well. It could be that these items had blood on them but it should be noted that, in 1962, DNA was still decades away from being a legal thing. A criminal would not have this concern in his mind.

However, I think we might assume that this individual still perceived some kind of benefit in taking these items from the crime scene. That said, there was a seven-week gap between her disappearance and the discovery of the disarrayed room. That gap is a disgrace in my opinion but perhaps that's another matter.

When I assess this scene and try to brainstorm what could have happened this is what I think:

• Lucille Mae Grenz went to her and placed her nightclothes on her mattress;
• She was attacked there and that's where the blood came from;
• The attacker put her on the mattress, perhaps to rape her;
• Then he wrapped her dead body in the drapes and around the mattress, which could have been thin for easier transportation of the body;
• The mattress and drapes, thus, were for concealment and even absorption of blood which the killer did not want in his vehicle.

This person might be wrapped in the mattress and drapes still in a secluded area. Conversely, this body might have gone to the dump. If the latter is the case, then it's likely she will be missing for all time.

The address of 134 NW 6th St, Toledo, Oregon is mentioned as Grenz's address when she went missing. My research on this address indicates that another last name besides Grenz was present in the household. I have full names in my notes if anyone working on this, as opposed to just reading, wants to private message me. Twitter or Facebook can be used for that.

Pamela Mae Buckley's Missing Photo at NamUs Delayed Match

Author: Shane Lambert

The day of identification finally arrived for the Sumter County Does. They are James Paul Freund and Pamela Mae Buckley.

In a previous blog post, I showed that the identification of James Paul Freund could have been made years ago. The Sumter County John Doe, which was ultimately identified as James Paul Freund, bore a ring with the initials JPF. If James Paul Freund had an online profile with NamUs, for example, I'm sure someone would have looked at the John Doe, noticed the initials matching James Paul Freund's, and noticed that the dates made sense. This would have gotten the ball rolling, I think, into simultaneously solving both the mystery of the Sumter County John Doe and the missing person case of James Paul Freund.

I further submit that the Sumter County John Doe could have been identified in a much more difficult manner -- even without an online profile. I think the initials were all that were needed to produce a lead in this case. This is a topic I wrote about at Websleuths under my handle "UncoolNegated." 

There is a searching technique that can be used in some databases where question marks can be substituted for unknown letters. For example, if you know someone's name starts with a "J" then you can search for "J????" to find all names that start with J that are five letters in length.

The Sumter County John Doe was thought to have JPF as initials. If someone had searched for "J?????" and "P." and "F??????" in conjunction with "Legal Notices" and "presumed decedent" then it would have produced several thousand hits at newspapers.com. The latter terms are ones that commonly appear in classified ads having to do with the estate settlements of missing people who are assumed to be dead. These kinds of classified ads certainly should be studied by those who work on missing person cases because John Does and Jane Does have their names in these kinds of legal notices for sure.

Admittedly, there is hindsight bias in picking a name of five letters for the first name and a name of six letters for the last name. However, James Paul Freund's legal notice regarding his death in absentia was included in the thousands of hits that came up at newspaper.com when I tested my method out. It would have been tons of work to sort through the thousands of hits, keeping in mind that the name-length combinations would have been large. However, the Sumter County John Doe was identifiable through newspaper archive searches even though only his initials were known.

Sumter County Does Fri, Apr 22, 1988 – 38 · Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

Finding James P. Freund this way, I think, might have taken a volunteer who was organized about 40-60 hours of work with luck being a factor in finding a hit quickly. In the case of Pamela Mae Buckley, there was a much simpler method: she simply needed a photo included in her online profiles for her missing person case. 

Let's think about that.

Pamela Mae Buckley is the proper name of the Sumter County Jane Doe. Furthermore, the Sumter County Jane Doe was no ordinary Jane Doe.

This Jane Doe was someone who attracted scores of attention from journalists, unsolved mystery enthusiasts, composite sketchers, hobbyists who work on missing person cases, her coroner, and law enforcement. The Sumter County Jane Doe had many artistic renderings of her likeness produced. Lo-and-behold, these renderings looked like Pamela Mae Buckley.

According to a post at Websleuths by username Gardener1850, Pamela Mae Buckley had her missing person case profiled at NamUs where she was #MP62300. I think that she was added sometime in 2019. The post at Websleuths commented that there was no photo included with the profile. I couldn't verify this because once an identification is made the profile is deleted from NamUs, however, I do generally trust Websleuths on such matters.

If there had been a photo included, I am absolutely certain that someone would have drawn a comparison between one of the artistic renditions of the Jane Doe (or the Jane Doe's postmortem photos) and Pamela Mae Buckley's likeness. I further submit that this likeness would have produced leads because the dates would have been intriguing: Buckley was last seen in the months that preceded the discovery of the Sumter County Jane Doe. I'm sure it all that would have ultimately produced an identity match quicker than the one that came about. 

Furthermore, it would have saved loads of labor.

In the real world, Buckley was identified after her DNA was matched to her place in her family tree. That required a lucky break -- a living relative uploaded their DNA to 23andme. In this process of identification, the closer the living relative is in the family tree, the quicker the match. My understanding is that it takes an educated group of people who know what they are doing a good while to make such matches in some cases and the effort can be painstaking. It is worth the effort but it's a shame when it has to be done to make up for laziness.

Here's a better idea: when a missing person has their profile added to NamUs, someone gets a photo. If there isn't one readily available then make the photo "pending" and someone needs to make the effort to get one whenever possible. I'm willing to practice what I preach as I'll be using the tag "Photo Search" at this site for Jane Does and John Does with no photo.

The solved case of Pamela Mae Buckley actually reminds me of a scene from Naked Gun, starring Leslie Nielsen. A police lab professor has a wild plan for identifying someone, a plan that just might work. When Nielsen, in character as Frank Drebbin, says the plan is too tenuous, the professor instead produces the subject's wallet.

So, instead of identifying Jane Does using DNA and huge family trees with trained staff laboring away, let's first look at the obvious. Jane Does have composite sketches and those sketches can be matched to photos of missing people sometimes. The trick is that it requires some minor effort to locate a photo of the missing person but I think the effort should be made. 

Anyone who suggests that it shouldn't need to weigh all of the following against the effort of locating a photo: 

• the effort that's put into producing composite sketches
• the effort that goes into amateur investigation by volunteers
• and the effort that a team of trained investigators puts into combing through a Jane Doe's extended family. 

The total volume of this effort wasn't necessary in the Sumter County Jane Doe: Pamela Mae Buckley could have been suggested as the Sumter County Jane Doe from a photo alone and the DNA match could have been made. The amount of effort that was spent on this match could have been much smaller or spent on the many other worthwhile Does that are out there.

Identification of Sumter County Does Highlights Shortcomings of Database Records

Author: Shane Lambert

January 22nd, 2021

The Sumter County Does have been identified. For fans of unsolved mysteries, this has been a very long time coming. For Websleuths and amateur investigators, it's a huge sigh of relief. The male and female murder victims that were found dead in August of 1976 now have names: they are James Paul Freund and Pamela Mae Buckley.

Mon, Aug 9, 1982 – 1 · The Item (Sumter, South Carolina) · Newspapers.com

The case should highlight one glaring fact: the number of missing person cases that do not enter the online and searchable documentary record must be immense. I couldn't find missing person reports for either of the two individuals on the Internet nor in newspapers.com's database, a database that scours an immense volume of historical archives. 

I did find legal notices for James P. Freund but not news articles about his disappearance. The difference is important: more people read the news than the classifieds. The following legal notice pertains to the John Doe in the right gravemarker pictured above.

Thu, Sep 19, 1985 – 52 · Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

The implications of James Paul Freund's and Pamela Mae Buckley's missing person details not entering the searchable archives cannot be ignored by those that work on missing person cases. These were not people on the fringe of society. If they go missing without entering the newspapers in authored articles or the databases like NamUs, then what should be expected of the more marginalized? There must be thousands and thousands of missing person's cases that aren't getting solved simply because no one is taking the time to get the reports into the newspapers or into databases.

That's important to note, especially in the case of James Paul Freund. He had a ring that bore his initials "JPF," a ring that was found on the John Doe. If James Paul Freund had been entered into NamUs, then I absolutely think that he would have been identified a very long time ago. I think that because the mystery of the Sumter County Does is not your standard John/Jane Doe mystery: this one had a huge following. 

Such was the interest in this mystery that I am convinced that someone, like a keener Websleuth, would have plugged the relevant dates into NamUs. You can do that by simply looking for someone who went missing prior to the discovery of the bodies. You select the date of death of the John Doe as the end date  for the search and for a start date you could go back a year if you wanted -- or more if you felt it was needed. While such searches would produce small hundreds of matches, it wouldn't take that long to look for someone with the initials JPF that went missing at about the right time. If James Paul Freund had a NamUs profile, then one-half of the Sumter County Does would have been identified ages ago -- I'm sure of that.

The lesson is clear: if you know someone who is missing that is not entered into your government's online resource for missing people, then that is something you should remedy. While it can take a long time to get these databases up to date, there are people that cross-reference missing person's details with John/Jane Does.

Some people who disappear can't be traced, however, many can. That missing person you wonder about needs to be in the searchable archives to stand a better chance of being found. The case of James Paul Freund shows that: he went unidentified for 44 years and, in my opinion, that could have been much shorter. Freund and Buckley were murdered: what a shame it would be if the murderer lived out his natural life when simple data-entry could have produced a break in the case a long time ago.

Michael Frank Fullerton -- Missing From Seattle Since 1986

Author: Shane Lambert
Original Time of Writing: January 14th, 2021
All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Missing person: Michael Frank Fullerton

Last-seen date: September 27th, 1986 -- maybe October 2nd, 1986
Last-seen location: Seattle, Washington -- car found abandoned on Capitol Hill
Link to Government Source: NamUs #MP11140
Ethnicity/Race: White
Sex: Male

Age at time of disappearance: 26 years old
Hair: Dark blonde/strawberry; wore a mustache
Eye color: blue
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 6'2" and 185 pounds
Clothing: Street shoes

Other: Scar on one of his wrists; his jaw was cracked and healed in several places.

Michael Frank Fullerton went missing in the fall of 1986 and, make no mistake, he remains missing at the time of writing. He has a grave and that might confuse some of those looking into this case.

However, the grave is a memorial only and does not contain his remains. If you are searching on Find-a-grave and finding the same-name match and same-birth-year match for a grave and think his case is still active by accident, it's not. He's not in the grave at the time of writing.

Michael's vehicle was a silver and black sedan with Washington plates. It was found ten days after he disappeared at Capitol Hill. It's possible that he was seen on October 2nd and the finding of his vehicle would be after that, on October 7th, 1986.

When you read his profile information, you have to wonder if he was depressed: scars on wrists can be a clue to a suicide attempt. That circumstance and the fact that he has not been heard from in what is now 35 years has to make you wonder if finding him will mean finding a John Doe.

On that matter, when it comes to finding Michael, Websleuths and amateur investigators can focus on the details of the jaw area from his profile. In more scientific terms, the jawbones can be called "the mandible." Even after all of this time, if Michael's remains are found then his mandible or jawbone injuries and healings may be detectable in his skeletal remains. The same can't really be assumed regarding his wrist scar. Furthermore, someone looking at his remains might be able to tell that he had injuries to the mandible or jaw in life and these details might end up in his John Doe report. Accordingly, someone familiar with the John Doe reports in the Seattle area should keep the mandible injuries in mind.

Stephanie Ann Drnovsek -- Missing From Lakewood, Colorado Since 1984

Author: Shane Lambert
Original Time of Writing: January 11th, 2021

Significant update: April 5th, 2025
All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

/

A high-school photo for a missing 27-year-old?

Missing person: Stephanie Ann Drnovsek

Last-seen date: September 5th, 1984 (Wednesday)
Last-seen location: Lakewood, Colorado, in the 10600 block of West Virginia Avenue near South Kipling Street
Link to Government Source: #MP21211

Ethnicity/Race: White

Sex: Female

Age at time of disappearance: 27 years old
Hair: Blonde/strawberry
Eye color: hazel
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'4" and 120 pounds
Other: scar on abdomen from removal of uterus; butterfly tattoo on abdomen; also, tattoo on left hip as per the Colorado Bureau of Investigation; had a fractured right femur (often called a thigh bone) at some point in her life.

Vehicle: She was driving her boyfriend's vehicle. It was found at Colorado Boulevard and Mexico Avenue (Google Maps).

Parents: Probably Shirley Diane Drnovsek (obituary claims Stephanie "preceded" her mother in death) and Charles D. Drnovsek, both deceased.

Commentary and opinion:

The case of Stephanie Drnovsek was not an inspiring one to research. She went missing after leaving her home and the home of her live-in boyfriend.

The last time she was seen was Wednesday, September 5th, 1984. She was driving her boyfriend's car at the time, which was found 17 days later. It would be two days later than this before her boyfriend filed a missing person's report on September 24th, 1984 (source: CharleyProject).

One thing that stood out to me, in this case, is that she went missing at the age of 27 years old. However, the photo of her that's used is one from her 1975 high school yearbook. She went to Iver C Ranum High School in Denver, Colorado, and the yearbook is uploaded to Ancestry.com. It struck me as strange that someone who goes missing at the age of 27 has a photo from nine years earlier used.

It did not strike me as strange that there wasn't any hit to her name with Newspapers.com. Lots of missing person cases don't end up getting covered.

Furthermore, she had aliases (Heckel, Henckel, and maybe Drnousek) for her last name, and Stephanie has variants too, like Stefanie, Stef, or Steph. I spent some time mixing and matching different ways that her name might have been reported, but found nothing. When you research this case, you don't really find that much information on what happened to her.

The missing person case of Stephanie Ann Drnovsek, who disappeared on September 5, 1984, from Lakewood, Colorado, remains unresolved as of April 5, 2025. Based on available information, there have been no significant public updates indicating that her case has been solved or that new evidence has emerged since the original blog post by Shane Lambert on January 11, 2021.

Below is a table showing the possible combinations of her first name variants and last name aliases, which may explain the difficulty in finding information:

First Name	Last Name	Combination
Stephanie	Drnovsek	Stephanie Drnovsek
Stephanie	Heckel	Stephanie Heckel
Stephanie	Henckel	Stephanie Henckel
Stephanie	Drnousek	Stephanie Drnousek
Stefanie	Drnovsek	Stefanie Drnovsek
Stefanie	Heckel	Stefanie Heckel
Stefanie	Henckel	Stefanie Henckel
Stefanie	Drnousek	Stefanie Drnousek
Stef	Drnovsek	Stef Drnovsek
Stef	Heckel	Stef Heckel
Stef	Henckel	Stef Henckel
Stef	Drnousek	Stef Drnousek
Steph	Drnovsek	Steph Drnovsek
Steph	Heckel	Steph Heckel
Steph	Henckel	Steph Henckel
Steph	Drnousek	Steph Drnousek

Note: The table assumes her middle name, "Ann," remains constant, resulting in 16 combinations (4 first name variants × 4 last name aliases). However, if her middle name "Ann" or its variants (e.g., Anne, Annie) were included or excluded in searches, this would lead to many more keyword search variants. For example, adding "Ann" explicitly (e.g., "Stephanie Ann Drnovsek") or using variants like "Stephanie Anne Heckel" or omitting it entirely (e.g., "Steph Henckel") would multiply the possibilities significantly, potentially yielding dozens or hundreds of additional combinations depending on how many middle name variations are considered. Furthermore, there are other keyword variants involving initials, like S.A. Heckel. If she has a missing person report associated with anything but her standard name, it would be difficult to find using common search methods.

Is There Anyone Out There Who Knew Her That Wants to Expand the Details?

Having read thousands of missing persons' cases in my life, the odd thing about this case is that it just seems like no one cares to communicate some of the fundamentals. A picture is worth a thousand words, yet there is no photo of her from near the time of her disappearance. I found no coverage of her case in any news from about the time of her disappearance, and she wasn't reported missing until 19 days after she was last seen.

There's loads of work to be done on this case, and I think it's the Websleuths where you'll find people that might put some effort in. From what I saw, it was members of that website who were willing to find a photo of her, even if it was an old one.

Down and Out in the Canadian Rockies

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The vehicle that Stephanie was driving (what model???) was found on September 22nd, 1984. It had been stripped, meaning that thieves had taken whatever they could of value from it. I would not hold that to mean that the thieves who stripped the vehicle disappeared Stephanie, although I'm sure the police would want to talk with them.

I saw a vehicle abandoned on the side of a road once, and drove by it every day. Hubcaps started to disappear, and the gas cap was taken. Thieves target abandoned vehicles for sure, so the car Stephanie drove was probably stripped after she went missing.

I reached out to someone whom I thought might have known Stephanie via email. Hopefully, I can pick someone's brain to get some better coverage or details for this case.

Does Robert Charles Browne Know Something About Stephanie’s Disappearance?

I’d like to thank Websleuths user "Chuck Norris' Chin" for sending me down this rabbit hole with their comment on Stephanie’s case thread (Websleuths post). He suggests that Robert Charles Browne should be kept in mind in relation to Stephanie's disappearance.

I’ve done a preliminary timeline for Robert Charles Browne, a convicted serial killer, and plan to look at him more closely. Browne is confirmed to have been in Texas in February and March 1984, where he committed two murders. This does place him quite a distance from Stephanie's location six months later, but Browne lived in Colorado Springs during the 1980s, making it plausible he was there in September 1984, just 60 miles from Lakewood, where Stephanie went missing.

Notably, his confirmed November 10th, 1987, murder of Rocio Sperry in Colorado Springs involved finding her abandoned car in a parking lot, a detail that echoes the discovery of Stephanie’s boyfriend’s stripped vehicle in Denver. However, more work needs to be done on confirming this serial killer’s timeline to determine if he could be linked to Stephanie’s disappearance in a way that is not tenuous.

Serial Killer Bobby Jack Fowler Timeline - Dates of Where He Was or May Have Been

Researcher: Shane Lambert
Original publication date: January 9th, 2021
Updated: March 17th, 2025

Note: this is an on-going project that I will continually enhance. All statements in the timeline are believed to be accurate. In the event of an error, efforts will be made to correct the article.

The purpose of the information presented here is to provide a timeline of a known serial killer, Bobby Jack Fowler. 

Serial Killer's name: Bobby Jack Fowler (1939 - 2006)

• Bobby could also be Rob, Robert, or Bob. or some other variations, like Robby.

Relatives and Why They Are Listed

Bobby Jack Fowler isn't a unique name. Given that, relatives of the serial killer can be important when it comes to identifying him in a document. This is especially true when you come across less-specific names like "Bobby J. Fowler" "Robert J. Fowler" or even just "Bob Fowler." It can be very difficult to know if the documents pertain to the same person.

In particular, a name like "Bobby" has numerous derivations that all affect keyword searching for the worse. Bob, Rob, Robbie, Robby, Robert, Bobbie, and possibly more variations of the same name exist.

For that reason, I list the relatives of Bobby Jack Fowler as cross-referencing material for anyone searching the documentary record for this serial killer. The association does not mean that the following people, who are all deceased, were immoral or criminals like Bobby Jack Fowler was.

However, when faced with an abundance of names that could all be variations of Bobby Jack Fowler, a researcher needs to know who the other people are that were in his life. In this case, I decided to only include relatives who were of his immediate family and deceased.

• Father: Selva Fowler (1915-1968)
• Mother: Oma Lee Fowler (nee Hathaway) (1916-1991)
• Sister: Linda Susan Fowler (1950-2004)
• Brother: Walter Frank Fowler (1935-2004)

Social Security Number: ends with 215 (******215)

Addresses Associated With Bobby Jack Fowler

Some addresses are associated with Bobby Jack Fowler using Ancestry.com. However, what I found was that addresses at Ancestry don't necessarily contain specific information as to when someone was at a spot at an exact point in time.

For example, his 1996 address was in Portland. However, I note that this address was after his June 28th, 1995 arrest. If you want to have a look at his addresses, then use this exit link (membership with Ancestry.com may be required): Bobby Jack Fowler address search at Ancestry.com. But be aware that he could be anywhere, regardless of where his mail is being sent.

Bobby Jack Fowler's Timeline

Researching Bobby Jack Fowler's timeline was difficult. Mainly, some same-name matches made it hard to authenticate some aspects of his timeline. 

However, I decided to publish what I found and simply state the doubts that I might have. Mainly, if I saw a report where the first, middle, and last names matched in conjunction with age, then I considered it very probable. Furthermore, I deferred to journalists writing for major publications, believing that they would have good reason for making their claims. I consider this timeline to be a work in progress.

Date	Event	Location
June 12, 1939 [BJF is 0]	Bobby Jack Fowler is born to Selva “Mutt” Fowler and Oma Lee (Hathaway) Fowler.	Merkel, Texas, USA
March 6, 1959 [BJF is 19]	Fowler marries Theresa Patton. They eventually have five children: Johnny, Janey, Pam, Loretta, and Randell.	Taylor County, Texas (greater area)
1959-1971 [BJF is approximately 20-32]	Fowler and Theresa Patton have five children: Johnny, Janey, Pam, Loretta, and Randell. Estimated birth ranges: Johnny (late 1959-early 1961), Janey (1962-1963), Pam (1964-1966), Loretta (1967-1969), Randell (1970-early 1971).	Likely Texas, USA (specific locations unknown)
February 8, 1960 [BJF is 20]	It is thought by the writer that Fowler and his wife had a daughter in Wichita Falls on this date. It is also noted that his address might have been 1600 32nd Street in Wichita Falls, Texas. Source: Wichita Falls Times, February 8, 1960.	Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas
October 12, 1961 [BJF is 22]	It is thought by the writer that Bobby J. Fowler and his wife may have had another daughter on this date at Harris Hospital. It is also noted that his address might have been 3304 S. Houston in Fort Worth, Texas. Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 12, 1961.	Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas
Late 1962 - Early 1963 (exact dates unknown) [BJF is approximately 23-24]	It is thought by the writer that Bobby J. Fowler might have been in Denison, Texas, or Durant, Oklahoma, around this time, based on reports of a daughter named Pamela possibly born on December 31, 1962, a complaint alleging Mrs. Bobby J. Fowler wrote a worthless $18.82 check at the Durant Auto Supply company on March 11, 1963, and charges of defrauding with a bogus $5.29 check filed against Bobby J. Fowler on May 2, 1963. It is also noted that this could be just a same-name match. Sources: Durant Daily Democrat, December 31, 1962; May 1, 1963; May 2, 1963.	Denison, Grayson County, Texas, or Durant, Bryan County, Oklahoma
August 17-18, 1963 [BJF is 24]	It is thought by the writer that Bobby J. Fowler may have been charged with operating a vehicle with no valid operator’s license over the weekend, as one of seven Lewis County residents cited for traffic violations by the State Patrol, as reported on August 20, 1963. A later charge in the same location using his full name confirms his age matches Bobby Jack Fowler. Source: Durant Daily Democrat, August 20, 1963.	Centralia, Lewis County, Washington
November 13, 1963 [BJF is 24]	A "Bobby Jack Fowler" is fined $50 for drunk and disorderly conduct by damaging a city police car. Assumed to be the serial killer based on exact name match (first, middle, and last) and consistency with age (24) Source: Local newspaper, Centralia, Washington, November 13, 1963.	Centralia, Lewis County, Washington
Before September 21, 1965 (exact date unknown) [BJF is approximately 26]	It is thought by the writer that Bobby J. Fowler may have been issued a speeding ticket in Waco, Texas, just before this date, with a fine of $20.50, handled by Justice of Peace Joe Johnson. If it is the serial killer, this would place him in Waco sometime before September 21, 1965. Source: Newspaper clipping, Waco, Texas.	Waco, McLennan County, Texas
July 1969 [BJF is 30]	A "Bobby Jack Fowler" is charged with illegal transportation of an open container of liquor and operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license, listing his address as Hillsboro, Oregon. Included due to exact name match and consistency with age (30). Source: Sapulpa Daily Herald, July 28, 1969.	Sapulpa, Creek County, Oklahoma
August 1969 [BJF is 30]	A "Bobby Jack Fowler" is in legal trouble with the Department of Public Safety. They seek to suspend his operator’s license. Included due to exact name match and consistency with age (30). There is a different Bobby Jack Fowler who lived in San Angelo at this time but he was about 10 years younger (they should not be confused). Source: San Angelo Standard-Times, August 21, 1969.	San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas
Late 1969 [BJF is approximately 30]	A "Bobby Jack Fowler" is charged with murdering a man and woman but convicted only of discharging a firearm within city limits. Source: https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2012/10/bobby_jack_fowler_suspect_in_d.html	Texas
February 13, 1970 [BJF is 30]	A "Bobby Jack Fowler" is on a county road in McLennan County, Texas on Feb. 13th, 1970. He committed assault with intent to murder without malice by beating Alice Leggott on a county road, charged on or around March 20th, 1969. He is reported in the article on that date, listed as a habitual criminal from Dallas. Included due to exact name match and consistency with age (30). Presumably, he is generally of the Dallas area at about this time.	Waco, McLennan County, Texas
Pre-1971 [BJF is approximately 25-31]	Fowler served time in a Tennessee prison for sexual assault and attempted murder, described as tying up a woman, beating her with her own belt, covering her with brush, and leaving her to die. Source: https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2012/10/bobby_jack_fowler_suspect_in_d.html	Tennessee
May 17, 1971 [BJF is 31]	Fowler and Theresa Patton divorced, shortly before he moved to British Columbia. One would think this divorce was caused by the legal problems from 1970. Included due to divorce records.	Texas, USA (divorce); British Columbia, Canada (move)
1973 [BJF is approximately 34]	Years after 1973, Fowler is strongly suspected of killing Gale Weys near Clearwater, BC, and Pamela Darlington, part of the Highway of Tears cases.The suspicion implies he was in the area. Included due to investigative reports.	British Columbia, Canada
August 9, 1974 [BJF is 35]	Colleen MacMillen, 16, is last seen hitchhiking in Lac La Hache. Her body is found near 100 Mile House off a logging road, later linked to Fowler’s DNA. Included due to forensic evidence. His involvement is a certainty.	British Columbia, Canada - In the Highway 97 area around Lac La Hache and 100 Mile House.
Late December 1974 [BJF is 35]	A "Bobby Jack Fowler," 35, of Dallas, escapes from Williamson County Jail while facing rape and attempted murder charges. He has not been convicted yet. He is recaptured after attempting to flag down a car on Interstate 65, adding an escape charge. Included due to exact name match and age consistency (35). Source: The Tennessean, January 1, 1975.	Franklin, Williamson County, Tennessee
July 30, 1983 [BJF is 44]	A "Bobby Jack Fowler" of Van Buren County committed arson by throwing gasoline on a neighbor’s house and the neighbor with intent to set a fire, was convicted of arson. Included due to exact name match and consistency with violent behavior; plausible doubt exists if this is a different Bobby Jack Fowler, if Van Buren County is an inaccurate location for the serial killer, or if the conviction is misattributed, requiring verification with Iowa court records. Source: The Dispatch, December 20, 1985.	Van Buren County, Iowa
August 1983 – March 1986 [BJF is approximately 44-46]	A "Bobby Jack Fowler" is incarcerated in Iowa for second-degree arson, serving two years and seven months of a 10-year sentence from his July 30, 1983, conviction; exact entry (August 1983) and exit (March 1986) dates are unknown.	Iowa, USA
December 20, 1985 [BJF is 46]	A "Bobby Jack Fowler" of Van Buren County loses his appeal in the Iowa Court of Appeals, upholding his July 30, 1983, arson conviction, claiming it was only attempted arson. Included due to exact name match and legal proceedings. Source: The Dispatch, December 20, 1985.	Des Moines, Iowa
March 1986 [BJF is 46]	A "Bobby Jack Fowler" of Van Buren County is paroled after serving two years and seven months of a 10-year sentence for second-degree arson from his July 30, 1983, conviction. Included due to exact name match and consistency with prior legal proceedings. Source: The Des Moines Register, April 18, 1986.	Iowa, USA
November 29th/30th, 1986 [BJF is 47]	It's possible that Bobby Jack Fowler is at or near Park Royal Plaza late on November 29th or early on November 30th, 1986. Speculative on my part and argued elsewhere.	Park Royal Plaza parking lot, Hilton Head, South Carolina
August 28, 1987 [BJF is 48]	A "Bobby Jack Fowler," 48, of 95 Mathews Drive, is arrested for public disorderly conduct on William Hilton Parkway (U.S. 278) near Hilton Head Plantation, released after posting a $118 bond. Included due to exact name match and age consistency with birth year (1939). But the address of "95 Mathews Drive" is a strange one as it is only associated with businesses by the writer’s research; the writer wonders if BJF gave his place of employment as his address for some reason. Source: The Island Packet, September 2, 1987.	Beaufort County, South Carolina
December 14, 1989 [BJF is approximately 50]	A "Bobby J. Fowler"  was cited for driving under the influence around this time. His license was suspended from December 14th, 1989 to June 14th, 1990. This "Bobby J. Fowler" was mentioned as being of 95 Matthews Drive, Hilton Head. Note, the address from August 28th only had one "t" in Mathews. If it is the serial killer, this would place him in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Source: The Beaufort Gazette, February 14, 1990.	Hilton Head, Beaufort County, South Carolina
May 3, 1992 [BJF is 52]	It is thought by the writer that Bobby Jack Fowler may have been at Beverly Beach State Park very early in the morning around 1:00 a.m., as he is a suspect in the murders of Sheila Swanson, 19, and Melissa Sanders, 17, who were last seen making a call from a payphone near the park where they had been camping. Their bodies were later discovered on October 10, 1992, by hunters in a wooded area near Eddyville, Oregon.	Beverly Beach State Park, Oregon
January 18, 1993 – February 2, 1993 [BJF is 53-54]	A "Bobby Jack Fowler" is suspected of murdering Kara Leas, 19, and Jennifer Esson, 16, last seen alive on January 18, 1993, in Newport, with bodies found on February 2, 1993, near U.S. 101 south of Newport; linkage established posthumously in 2012 based on new evidence. Source: The Oregonian, October 30, 2012.	Newport, Lincoln County, Oregon
June 28, 1995, 8:43 p.m. [BJF is 56]	A "Bobby Jack Fowler," 56, of Prescott Street, Portland, is arrested for first-degree kidnapping and attempted rape at a Newport motel after a woman reported he tried to rape and threatened to kill her, jumping from a third-story window (saved by a witness); held on $75,000 bond. Included due to exact name match, age consistency with birth year (1939), and incident details Source: Corvallis Gazette-Times, June 30, 1995.	Newport, Lincoln County, Oregon
January 8, 1996 [BJF is 56]	Fowler is convicted of kidnapping, attempted rape, sexual abuse, coercion, assault, and menacing; sentenced to 195 months.	Oregon, USA (Lincoln County)
May 20, 2006 [BJF is 66]	Fowler dies of lung cancer at age 66 while serving his sentence. Included due to prison records; plausible doubt exists if this is a different Bobby Jack Fowler or if the death details are misreported, requiring verification with Oregon State Penitentiary records.	Oregon State Penitentiary, Oregon, USA

Kami Luella Vollendroff -- Missing Since November 2001, Thought to be Drowned

Author: Shane Lambert
Original Time of Writing: January 9th. 2021
All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Mon, Nov 25, 2002 – Page 2 · Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon) · Newspapers.com

Missing person: Kami Luella Vollendroff

Last-seen date: November 21st, 2001
Last-seen location: Newport, Oregon at what sounds like an oceanview condo of a relative's near Depoe Bay
Link to Government Source: NamUs #MP6781
Ethnicity/Race: White
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 16 years old
Hair: Blonde streaks in hair
Eye color: blue
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'7" and 130 lbs
Clothing: black pants and a white sweatshirt

Commentary and opinion: 

Kami Luella Vollendroff went missing at the same time as her boyfriend, Eugene Hyatt. In the journalism from the time of these two people's disappearance, it was noted that they were going walking beachside in Newport, Oregon at Depoe Bay.

The day in question saw storms in what is an area noted for large waves. It is thought that these two people were lost to the sea when a wave knocked them from a cliff. This was partly thought because an article of clothing thought to be of Eugene's washed up on shore. 

This is not a case that I recommend working on for amateur investigators or Websleuths. Lost at sea quite often means lost for all time.

When people go into the ocean in tumultuous areas, the swell and undertow might dismember their corpses in days. If anything, there is a chance that individual bones might be in the sand around this area. The news from Newport could be scoured for keywords associated with individual bones or body parts found on the beaches of the area, like a mandible.

In situations like these, sometimes people think "What if they ran away." It's important to note that 20 years have now past and there has been no communication from them. Ideas of them disappearing, entering society under different names, doing that successfully, and never thinking to bring closure to their families are too fanciful to accept.

Sun, Nov 25, 2001 – 13 · Longview Daily News (Longview, Washington) · Newspapers.com

Nicole Doreen Hoar -- Missing Near Prince George Since 2002

By: Shane Lambert
Original Time of Writing: January 9th, 2021

Updated: August 22nd, 2025

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Nicole Hoar - Missing Person Case

Case Details

Missing person: Nicole Doreen Hoar
Last-seen date: June 21st, 2002, between 1pm and 4pm
Last-seen location: On the outskirts of Prince George, BC; she was dropped off at the Mohawk Gas Station at the intersection of Gauthier Road and Highway 16. I think this gas station subsequently became a Shell station.
Link to Government Source: Canada's Missing File 2012020007
Ethnicity/Race: White
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 24
Hair: Brown, short
Eye color: Blue
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'8" and 130 lbs

Identifying Features

Other: 

SHE HAD BONDED BRIDGES IN HER TEETH (IMPORTANT FOR CROSS REFERENCING TO JANE DOE DESCRIPTIONS).

Bonded bridges, in simple terms, are a way to replace a missing tooth without a lot of fuss. Imagine a fake tooth (made to look like your natural ones) that’s held in place by thin metal or porcelain "wings" or bands. These wings stick to the teeth on either side of the gap using a special glue-like material, kind of like a dental sticker. Unlike big procedures, it doesn’t require much drilling or cutting of your other teeth, making it gentler. It’s often used for front teeth where there’s less chewing pressure. The fake tooth and wings are custom-made to fit your mouth, looking natural and smooth. It’s a handy, less invasive option, though it might need replacing after a while if it wears out or your mouth changes.

Personal Effects

Accessories: a 35-mm Canon camera with three lenses

Clothing:

• Shoes: Black, sandals (maybe Teva brand); velcro straps; size 9; navy blue, grey and black swirls
• Pants: Brown, Green, Capri-style, meaning they extend past the knee but not all the way down to the foot (called beige by another source; Times Colonist Jun 19, 2003)

Not the actual capri-styled pants that Nicole was wearing but meant to show what these kind of pants are like. 

• Backpack: Purple, Lavender, Mauve, Black, Mountain Equipment Coop, called "oversized"
• Glasses: Bronze, octagon-shaped, wire-rimmed, prescription

AI rendition of octagon-shaped glasses. Not Nicole's but meant to show the reader what octagon-shaped glasses might look like. It means eight-sided.

• Shirt: Red, long-sleeved, had the number 13 on it (sounds like the style of a sports team)

Fri, Jul 5, 2002 – 6 · Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) · Newspapers.com

Highway of Tears Context

The case of Nicole Doreen Hoar has often been looked at in the context of the Highway of Tears. This stretch of highway, believed to be the site of numerous missing person cases over the decades, is in western Canada. Perhaps the small city of Prince George might be considered the epicenter of the Highway of Tears.

Circumstances of Disappearance

Nicole Hoar went missing on June 21st, 2002. She was a tree planter in the interior of British Columbia. When she went missing, she was attempting to hitchhike from Prince George to Smithers (~370 km) to visit her sister, Michelle.

This visit was meant to be a surprise visit. Thus, no one reported Hoar missing until June 27th, 2002 when she failed to return to her tree-planting job. This job was for a company called Celtic Reforestation. Hoar was going to attend a music festival in Prince George, known as the Midsummer Music Festival.

Search Area Challenges

The trip to Smithers is 371 kilometers according to Google Maps. That would make the search area for this missing person huge. However, several residents of the town of Smithers claimed to have seen Hoar on June 22nd.

To my knowledge, the RCMP did not authenticate any of these sightings. They are puzzling leads, in my view, difficult to accept and yet difficult to ignore. My inclination, which you can take or leave, is that they are probably true.

Unverified Smithers Sightings

In one case, an employee claimed that she, Nicole Hoar, made a purchase with her bank card but the transaction attempt failed the first time. Yet, the police checked her bank records and there is nothing in her banking records after a $40 withdrawal was made on June 21st.

Part of me wondered if after the original failed transaction, maybe Hoar paid with cash. But another part of me wondered if the bank would know of a transaction attempt, even a failed one. Ultimately, I did think that Hoar attempted this transaction but that the Interac device went offline. Thus the transaction was not communicated with the bank.

Another potential witness in Smithers remembered Hoar's capri pants and her glasses. Another camera shop employee remembered her name associated with a set of film.

None of the leads in Smithers are considered rock-solid. What is interesting to me is that it's not just one witness claiming to have seen Hoar in Smithers but multiple.

Possible Suspect Vehicle

But all that's rock-solid for the last sighting is that Hoar was last seen hitchhiking. That would suggest that she fell into the hands of someone dangerous. The police received numerous tips that Hoar entered a yellow or orange-colored car. This car was described as crossing over two lanes of traffic to pick up Hoar but it might possibly have picked up a different hitchhiker. As is often the case, there is plenty of ambiguity with this case.

19 Dec 2002, Thu Prince George Free Press (Prince George, British Columbia, Canada) Newspapers.com

04 Sep 2002, Wed Omineca Express (Vanderhoof, British Columbia, Canada) Newspapers.com

Investigative Considerations

The car could be a red herring, leaving us with other things to ponder. All of the details regarding the personal effects that Hoar had when she disappeared can be cross-referenced against Jane Does.

Furthermore, Hoar was known to have bonded bridges in her teeth. "This type of dental bridge is used to replace missing front teeth" (dentalchoice.ca). Websleuths or amateurs that find news of a Jane Doe with a missing tooth should definitely see if other details of the case match with details of Hoar's case. This clue to a Jane Doe's identity could survive decomposition and aid in circumstances where a complete DNA profile is not available (if you personally knew Nicole Hoar and know which tooth was missing, then please reply to this article).

Connections to Other Cases

Nicole Hoar has been discussed in relation to the numerous missing persons cases that are known along Highway 16 from Hinton, Alberta to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Furthermore, she has been discussed in relation to two women of similar demographics who were found dead: Leah Germaine was found not far from where Nicole went missing while Roxanne Thiara was found deceased near Burns Lake.

Roxanne Thiara Case

Thiara's case is particularly interesting. She was last thought to be in Prince George before she went missing in June/July of 1994. Furthermore, the eventual location of her body, near Burns Lake, is on the route to Smithers, BC. Thiara and Hoar have different years for their disappearances but the same time of year for their respective disappearances. Thiara was found deceased while Hoar has not been. In both cases, there is a direction of travel from Prince George toward Smithers involved.

Sun, Aug 28, 1994 – 3 · Quesnel Cariboo Observer (Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada) · Newspapers.com

Thiara was a known hitchhiker. She was last seen using this mode of transportation from Quesnel to Prince George according to the Quesnel Cariboo Observer (Frontpage, June 18, 1995).

Leah Germaine Case

In the case of another murdered teenager, again there is a pattern. Leah Germaine was thought to have been abducted from Prince George. She was found on Highway 16. Again, the starting point is the Prince George area and the direction of travel is west on the Highway of Tears.

Call to Action for Investigators

Many cases could be discussed concerning Nicole Hoar's disappearance and much work has already been done. What Websleuths or amateur investigators can hope to contribute is just an awareness of Hoar's personal effects and her dental work alongside an awareness that the entire region of BC's interior is in play as a hot spot of where she might be found.

Readers should note that serial killer Bobby Jack Fowler was in prison at the time of Nicole Hoar's disappearance. Although he is connected to the Highway of Tears he could not have disappeared Nicole Hoar in 2002.

July 2025 Update on Project E-Pana

As of July 26, 2025, the RCMP’s Project E-Pana continues its investigation into Nicole Hoar’s disappearance, part of a broader effort to solve cases of missing and murdered women along British Columbia’s Highway 16, known as the Highway of Tears. Despite extensive efforts, no new leads or evidence have been publicly disclosed in Nicole’s case since her disappearance in June 2002.

The RCMP emphasizes that the investigation remains active, with ongoing appeals for public tips. They urge anyone with information, no matter how small, to come forward, as it could be critical. Contact the Project E-Pana Tip Line at (877) 543-4822 or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or https://www.canadiancrimestoppers.org/tips. The lack of recent breakthroughs underscores the challenge of solving cases in this vast region, but authorities remain committed.