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

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

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

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

Diving Into Bobby Jack Fowler's Whereabouts

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

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

February 14th, 1990. The Beaufort Gazette.

September 2nd, 1987. The Island Packet.

Summary of the Two Beaufort County Clippings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Profile of Bobby Jack Fowler’s Female Murder Victims

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

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

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

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

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

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The Disappearance of Kristina Joanne Porco: A Summary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kristina Joanne Porco: Case Details

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

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

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

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

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

Now for the Bombshell

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Proposed Timeline and Events for Joanne Porco

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where Is Peggy Lynn Alt? Lost Since March 2, 1985

Missing Person: Peggy Lynn Alt

Image: The plaid coat Peggy Lynn Alt was last seen wearing on March 2, 1985.

Details from a Government Source

On March 2, 1985, Peggy L. Alt was last seen at her High Ridge, Missouri, residence. She was reported missing by her father on March 4, 1985—her 18th birthday. She has not been heard from since, with no contact with family. Foul play is suspected.

Last Seen Wearing: The jacket shown above.

Last Contact: March 2, 1985 (Saturday)
Last Location: Her residence, High Ridge, MO (Williams Creek Road)
Age at Disappearance: 17
DOB: March 4, 1967
Sex: Female
Height: 60 inches
Weight: 125 lbs
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Hair Color: Blond/strawberry
Eye Color: Brown
Distinctive Mark: Burn scar on left arm, near bicep
Government Source: MP9849
Discussion Page: Peggy Lynn Alt

Commentary and Research

By: Shane Lambert
Written: March 8, 2025

Has Peggy Lynn Alt Been Found?

As of March 8, 2025, Peggy remains missing. Reported absent on her 18th birthday, her family likely noticed her absence that day. She vanished two days earlier, on a Saturday, which may not have initially raised alarm. In 2011, the case was reopened, including a search of a cistern near High Ridge, but no new leads emerged.

Sources on Her Disappearance

Per The Charley Project, Peggy packed her belongings and left voluntarily on March 2, 1985. Hitchhiking is a possible but risky travel method she may have used, especially in 1985 when the FBI noted numerous unsolved cases linked to transients on highways like I-44 and I-55, which connect High Ridge to neighboring states. Authorities showed little initial interest, halting the search after 11 days. A 2015 article in the Leader (Tracy Bruce, March 28, 2015) revisited her case.

Serial Killers Near High Ridge, MO in 1985: Relevance to Peggy Lynn Alt’s Disappearance

Organized by Serial Killer

Charles Ray Hatcher

Active Period: 1960s–1982

Primary Location: St. Joseph, MO; IL, CA (~300 miles from High Ridge, St. Joseph)

Victim Profile: Children, adults (varied)

Status in March 1985: Dead (since Dec 1984)

Relevance to Peggy’s Case: None – Dead in 1985. X

Lorenzo J. Gilyard

Active Period: 1977–1993

Primary Location: Kansas City, MO (~250 miles from High Ridge)

Victim Profile: Adult women (often prostitutes)

Status in March 1985: Active, not yet caught

Relevance to Peggy’s Case: Low – Far, profile mismatch. ?

Robert Berdella

Active Period: 1984–1987

Primary Location: Kansas City, MO (~250 miles from High Ridge)

Victim Profile: Young men (lured to home)

Status in March 1985: Active, not yet caught

Relevance to Peggy’s Case: None – Men targeted, far. X

Kenneth McDuff

Active Period: 1966; 1989–1992

Primary Location: Texas (~700 miles from High Ridge)

Victim Profile: Young women (varied methods)

Status in March 1985: Incarcerated (paroled Oct 1989)

Relevance to Peggy’s Case: None – In prison until 1989. X

Terry Blair

Active Period: 1982; 1990s–2004

Primary Location: Kansas City, MO (~250 miles from High Ridge)

Victim Profile: Women (known or prostitutes)

Status in March 1985: Incarcerated (released 1991)

Relevance to Peggy’s Case: None – In prison, no 1985 link. X

Ottis Toole

Active Period: 1960s–1983 (possibly later)

Primary Location: Multi-state (incl. AR, OK) (~150–300 miles from High Ridge, AR, OK)

Victim Profile: Varied (often hitchhikers)

Status in March 1985: Incarcerated in FL (~1,000 miles)

Relevance to Peggy’s Case: None – In prison, ruled out. X

In March 1985, when Peggy Lynn Alt disappeared from High Ridge, Missouri, one serial killer was actively operating in Missouri: Lorenzo J. Gilyard. Gilyard, known as the Kansas City Strangler, was in the midst of his 1977–1993 killing spree, targeting adult women—often prostitutes—in Kansas City, Missouri, approximately 250 miles from High Ridge.

Do you have information about Peggy Lynn Alt’s disappearance? If it is SOLID information, contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. If you have an idea to share, feel free to offer your thoughts in the comments below.

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.

Jesokah Adkens: Missing from Sooke, BC Since Sept 2001

Missing Person: Jesokah Adkens

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased): Jesokah was last seen at approximately 21:30 hours. It was thought that she was going to take a transit bus back to the village of Sooke, where her residence was located. By my research, this would have been a short trip.

Last contact: September 26th, 2001 (Wednesday), seen at 9:30pm.

November 10th, 2001. Times Colonist.

Last location: Sooke, BC near Sooke Road, which appears as BC Highway 14 or Juan De Fuca Highway on modern maps. In newspaper coverage, it says she was last seen "heading" to a bus stop outside Saseenos Elementary School, which is near where she went to high school. Furthermore, these buildings were not far from her home. 

After researching the case, I would say Sooke Road around Saseenos Elementary School and Edward Milne Community School is where she was last seen. I did notice that the newspaper coverage of her last known location toggled between her last being seen walking to a bus stop or standing at a bus stop. Perhaps it's a small difference. There is a memorial that appears on Google Maps at 6072 Sooke Road in the westbound lane that marks her last-known location (use old dates for Google Maps if its overgrown in modern times).

October 9th, 2001. The Province,

Yet, another source says she was last seen hitchhiking, which is ominous. However, I do think that this source, posted below, got the information wrong.

October 12th, 2001. Times Colonist.

Age when Jesokah Adkens disappeared: 17

DOB: May 1st, 1984

Sex: Female

Height in inches: 65

Weight in pounds (lbs): 88 pounds according to Canada's Missing but described as 110 pounds in a media article. That is a huge discrepancy but I think if anyone is cross-referencing this to a Jane Doe, use the 110-pound measurement. A weight of 88 pounds at a height of 5'5" would be a person whose weight could be viewed as unhealthily low.

Times Colonist. October 27th, 2001.

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian

Hair color: Blonde, long and straight

Eye Color: Blue

Scar or distinctive characteristic: Scar on her chin, under her lip

Link to Government Source: 2001008160 (right click to open)

Websleuths discussion page: Jesokah Adkens (right click to open)

Clothing: According to a newspaper source, she was wearing a light-blue shirt (called a fleece top in one source), dark blue jeans, and running shoes when she disappeared. Another source says she was wearing a black bomber-styled pullover jacket, her shirt featured The Doors, and her shoes were black.

Parents: Clayton or Clayten and Jocelan Adkens

Commentary and Research

By: Shane Lambert

Original time of writing: February 4th, 2025

Has Jesokah Adkens been found?

Jesokah Adkens went missing on September 26th, 2001. She has not been found since that time. This is a case that received quite a bit of newspaper coverage, both shortly after her disappearance and then in the years that followed.

The Times Colonist, Victoria's newspaper on Vancouver Island, published the first newspaper article that I could find on October 3rd, 2001. It headlined that police suspected foul play in her disappearance. There were several details from this newspaper article that I will bullet point below:

• Jesokah was in Grade 11 at Edward Milne Community School.
• She went missing from a bus stop just down the street from her high school (in front of Saseenos Elementary School).
• She lived in the 6600 Block of Sooke Road (another source says she lived on Kaltasin Road but this didn't make sense to me; I don't see the need to take a bus or hitchhike to that road based on where she was last seen).
• The newspaper article said she lived with a roommate (female), which I found a little strange due to the MP's age (ie. she was a minor). But Adkens had moved out of her original home.
• The police made statements that suggested that she was not a runaway or suicidal. All of her ID and credentials were at her home. I found this very credible and relevant because I think the police generally have a tendency to label a teenager as a runaway or suicidal to take pressure off of their search efforts. 
• A tracking dog yielded no clues.
• The bus driver was interviewed but said nothing that helped.
• She had a boyfriend and there was a recent "quarrel" but that was described as normal. Another source said the boyfriend was not a suspect.

There are two bus stops outside of Saseenos Elementary School on modern Google Maps. However, the street-cam updates for the area only go back to June 2009. The modern bus stops were not present in 2001.

Presumptively, Adkens was waiting for a bus in the westbound lane as that would have been the one taking her home (which would have been a short ride). There is a memorial for her last-known location (48.38739149685625, -123.6908089900206). Toggle between the years at Google Maps if you have trouble finding it.

There was no police apathy in the early days of this case. I found a statement on October 4th, 2001, stating that they were treating her disappearance as a homicide until they had reason not to (Sgt. Don Brown qtd. in The Province). This same article states that she was "heading" to a bus stop, as opposed to being stationary at it, when she was last seen. However, another article on October 6th says she was waiting at the bus stop when she was last seen.

• Adkens had a probation officer.
• She had dinner with a male friend (called her boyfriend in the November 10th, 2001 Times Colonist) the night she disappeared. Another source, says she had dinner with three friends that night. The name of the restaurant and location would be a good tidbit to have.
• Adkens had a hitchhiking habit.

Conflicting Reports and Case Insights: Jesokah Adkens Missing Person

One thing that I really noticed with this case is that there were different descriptions of what she was doing when last seen. One source says she was at a bus stop, another says she was walking to a bus stop, and yet another says she was last seen hitchhiking. But the only thing definitive was that she was last seen on Sooke Road around Saseenos Elementary School and her high school, Edward Milne Community School, at about 9:30pm after dining out.

In newspaper coverage from 2019, Jesokah was described as someone who kept dangerous associations, involving street people and drug users/dealers. Furthermore, this article (May 22nd, 2019 Times Colonist) says that Jesokah received a benefits payment on the day she disappeared but it was never used.

Modern news link: Times Colonist, September 26th, 2021

• Stated that the bus driver who worked the night she disappeared was interviewed but was not able to provide any details.
• An October 1st, 2025, news article contained no new information about the case at CHEK News

Very Similar Case: Vancouver Island Disappearance of Carmen Robinson

Roughly 28 years earlier, a woman disappeared from nearby Victoria on Vancouver Island in a case with some stark similarities. The time gap between Adkens' disappearance and this former case is large but I felt that it should be mentioned. 

The case of Carmen Robinson involves a 17-year-old caucasian blonde woman who was last seen at a bus stop. The age, sex, ethnicity, hair color, hair length and style, and case details involving a bus stop do match up between the two cases.

Furthermore, the two locations, Sooke and Victoria, are in the same part of Vancouver Island. The distance between where Robinson was last seen and Adkens is a half-hour drive according to modern Google Maps and fewer than 30 kilometers in space. Lastly, both young women went missing fairly late in the evening as they attempted to travel home.

One difference between the two cases is that Adkens was last seen going to a bus stop or waiting for a bus at a bus stop (depending on which source you go with). Conversely, Robinson was last seen alighting a bus at a bus stop.

Carmen Robinson's case at Missing Person's Commentary.

28 years between the events is a long time. Yet, it could be the same person responsible for both disappearances. I felt that the cases could be mentioned together as food for thought as reading about the disappearance of Adkens did remind me of the disappearance of Robinson for the reasons mentioned.

Tavia Elizabeth Bailey - Missing Since 1985

Missing Person: Tavia Elizabeth Bailey

Last contact: Inconsistent sources. NamUs says December 31st, 1985 (New Year's Eve 1985) which seemed the most credible. Other dates mentioned were January 23rd, 1986 or even January 24th, 1986. However, I think anyone working on this case should go with the NamUs date of December 31st, 1986.

Pensacola News Journal. December 31st, 2010. Kris Wernowsky.

Last seen: In Pensacola, Florida near Warrington Village. On modern maps, there is a place called Warrington Village Apartments. I wondered if that was where she disappeared from. According to an article from 1981, Warrington Village was near Navy Boulevard. It was a 200-unit complex that offered subsidized rental rates.

Pensacola News Journal. March 17th, 1981. Charlotte Wittwer.

Age when Tavia Bailey disappeared: 15

Sex: Female

Height in inches: 63

Weight in pounds (lbs): 115

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian

Hair color: Blond/Strawberry

Eye Color: Brown

Born: August 3rd, 1970

Scar or distinctive characteristic: Tavia has a scar on her upper lip. Her ears are pierced several times. These are characteristics that can be cross-referenced to any Jane Does from the area.

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased): Tavia was last seen on December 31st, 1985. According to reporting, she never came home from a New Year's Eve party on that night.

Link to government source: https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/5815?nav

Commentary and Research

By: Shane Lambert

Tavia Elizabeth Bailey was last seen in Pensacola, Florida. Her disappearance date is December 31st, 1985, which was New Year's Eve. However, some reporters mentioned a date of January 23rd, 1986.

The first instance of newspaper coverage that I found regarding her case was a short profile of her on October 25th, 1986 in Florida Today newspaper. It was in the classified advertisement section of the newspaper. The advertisement is snipped below. You can note the different last-seen dates, however, I think December 31st, 1985 should be assumed. Readers or anyone working on this case should note that the profile called her appearance an "abduction."

Her case was also mentioned in the Pensacola News Journal on March 20th, 1989. This article looks at several cases and not just Tavia's. In the newspaper article, she is a called a "chronic runaway," having ran away for the first time when she was 12 years old. She had a history of contacting her family even when she ran away. I also found journalism that described her as a victim of sexual abuse as an eight-year-old. She was in therapy at times, she used drugs, and was in and out of group homes.

Pensacola News Journal. March 20th, 1989.

Has Tavia Elizabeth Bailey been found?

This piece of journalism said that they had no evidence in the missing persons case. I did wonder why she was called abducted in the classified ad from 1986. That designation would suggest that someone knew something. However, my guess was that this was an assumption.

This was a case where there were contradictions on the date that the person went missing. Some of the journalism said that she went missing on January 23rd or 24th in 1986. Meanwhile, NamUs has a date of December 31st, 1985. Tavia was mentioned on September 9th, 2014 in the Pensacola News Journal. Kevin Robinson stated that she "never came home from a New Year's Eve party in 1985."

Tavia Elizabeth Bailey -- Missing After a Party

What stands out with this case is that she attended a party and has not been seen since. I think New Year's Eve is one of the biggest party nights of the year. These parties that teenagers attend could have lurkers and stalkers. That is the assumption that I brought to this missing person's case when I saw that she disappeared after a party on New Year's Eve.

    

A woman going missing after attending a party is somewhat reoccurring among the cases that I have profiled. Melanie Jo Melanson went missing after attending a party. Alexis Scott attended a house party and has not been seen since.

In the case of Tavia Elizabeth Bailey, I think that her habit of running away should be downplayed as the reason for her disappearance because she attended a party before disappearing. I would presume that the following risk factors were instead in play:

• She was in an environment where there were presumably drugs and alcohol;
• She was in an environment where there were presumably young men or even older ones looking for sex;
• She was out in public presumably late as most the focus of a New Year's Eve party is the midnight hour;
• If she attempted to go home after the party, then she would be vulnerable during her late-night walking route, especially if anyone at the party stalked her. By modern maps, the walk would be over two hours so it would have taken some time even if she used public transit (Bailey lived on Sunbury Drive near Crescent Lake). Furthermore, she went missing from Warrington Village, which was subsidized housing. That implies a very dodgy area, in my opinion.

I think anyone looking at this case could look at a Jane Doe with a scar on her upper lip and ear piercings. Also, anyone who was known to attend the party could be re-examined after all of these years to see if any kind of criminal record developed.

Mary Leah Rodermund -- Missing Since March 1978

Details from NamUs**: 

Sent to a local drugstore and did not return home. The vehicle she had driven was located in the drug store parking lot.

 

Missing Person: Mary Leah Rodermund
Last-contact date: March 2nd, 1978 between 7:30pm and 8pm (she had made a purchase at the K&B Drug Store at a mall)
The area where the MP was last seen: Morgan City, Louisiana, thought to be abducted from the parking lot at the Inglewood Mall on Victor II Boulevard
Link to government source: NamUs MP#6849 

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VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 16 years old
Birthdate: Mary Leah Rodermund was born between March 3rd, 1961, and March 2nd, 1962.
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Hazel
Scar: No scars known
Height/weight: 5'3" to 5'5" and 110 to 115 pounds
BMI*: Mary Leah Rodermund was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: Mary Leah Rodermund 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.

Mary Leah Rodermund, a missing person, was last heard from on March 2nd, 1978 when she was 16 years old. I've included this case with the broad site tag "car found person missing." This tag refers to a case, of which there are many, where an individual's vehicle is found but the driver or owner is not heard from again. Mary Leah Rodermund has now been missing for 43 years as of the original publication date of this blog post. 

What stands out with this case is that there was reporting of a ransom request. The family, in this case, was willing to pay the ransom but there were not any details provided on how to do that, according to the early news coverage. The early coverage also said that the girl was not put on the phone, however, much later reports state that there was a second call where she verified her well-being. If true, then that would make the time of her last contact late in the evening on March 2nd, 1978.

Sun, Mar 5, 1978 – Page 8 · Daily World (Opelousas, Louisiana) · Newspapers.com

There appear to have been leads in this case. The article below mentions a vehicle that was in close proximity to the scene of the crime. Early in the investigation, there was interest in two or three adult males that were in a vehicle in the parking lot. Two possible suspects were described as 35-40-year-old men, "shabbily dressed," and driving a 1966-69 Chevy. After the article below, there are composite sketches of these suspects.

Tue, Mar 7, 1978 – Page 21 · The Town Talk (Alexandria, Louisiana) · Newspapers.com

Fri, Apr 14, 1978 – 10 · The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, Louisiana) · Newspapers.com

This case received daily coverage until about March 10th and then it was covered less often but still regularly appeared in local newspapers. Furthermore, there appeared to be a spat of kidnappings in the Morgan City area. The disappearances of Gordon Mark Cannella and Bridget Cantrell Sons were mentioned in conjunction with Mary Leah Rodermund as was the disappearance of Bertha Gould. Robert Hohenberger is mentioned as a possible link to these cases in journalist coverage.

Mary Leah Rodermund may be among the Jane Does of America. Accordingly, it's important to note what she was in possession of. She may have had the following articles when she disappeared: a brown shirt and sweater, khaki pants, brown loafer-type shoes, a burgundy purse, and a gold chain necklace. These items can be useful in expediting a match if the missing person is in a Jane Doe database. Unidentified persons are often profiled in conjunction with items or clothing that they were last in possession of.

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 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: Whenever possible, government sources are preferred for getting the details of a missing person's case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.