Michelle Vanek -- Missing Since 2005 From Colorado

Missing Person: Michelle Vanek
Last-contact date: September 24th, 2005 at about 1pm or 130pm
The area where the MP was last seen: Minturn, Colorado near the summit of Mount Holy Cross in an area referred to as "the Bowl of Tears."
Link to government source: NamUs MP 

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 35 years old
Birthdate: Michelle Vanek was born between September 25th, 1969, and September 24th, 1970 based on her reported age at the last date of reported contact.
Hair: Blond/strawberry
Eyes: Blue
Scar: None indicated
Height/weight: 5'7" and 150 pounds
BMI*: Michelle Vanek was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: Michelle Vanek did not have any tattoos associated with her profiles.

Case Form C:

(1) Missing Person Went Hiking With a Group*

(2) Missing Person Separated From Group

*Loose fit. Vanek was hiking as a pair.

Michelle Vanek was last heard from on September 24th, 2005 when she was 35 years of age. This individual has now been missing for about 16 years as of the original publication date of this blog post. The following Youtube video would be close to the area where she was last seen. The panoramic view in the video may, in fact, be of the whereabouts of her remains. It's a good video to watch for a moment before reading this blog post.

Reportedly, she was hiking with a friend named Eric Sawyer, she stopped to rest, Eric continued on, and then the friend was not able to find her later. This lost-hiker pattern can also be seen in the Olga Mauer case from several decades ago and the Celeste Hensley Greub case from the 1970s. In all three cases, a person who was with someone stopped to rest during a hike and was never seen again.

Eric and Michelle made mistakes while trying to hike to the summit of the 14k-foot mountain. They started off wrong and ended up taking a lengthier path than what was required. This may have been a reason why each of them ran out of water. Eric also left his lunch in his vehicle and his water purifier.

Michelle Vanek's disappearance made the newspapers. The first instance of journalism I found was on September 28th, 2005, four days after Vanek disappeared. This article downplayed the likelihood of foul play and played up the possibility that Vanek got lost. Note, the watch that is mentioned in the article below did not belong to the missing woman as per subsequent journalism.

28 Sep 2005, Wed The Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction, Colorado) Newspapers.com

There was a lot of area to cover in this lost-hiker search and there were many so-called nooks and crannies where someone might have taken shelter from the wind if lost and forced to overnight. That she was without water certainly doesn't speak well to her survival chances. Furthermore, there is a condition known as altitude sickness that she might have suffered from. This sickness can include weakness and sleepiness.

At the time, this case led to the largest search in Colorado state history. However, Michelle remains missing. There was a squatter in the area, one who refused to answer questions from Sherrif investigators. Also, there was a question as to whether some blood spatter that was found belonged to Michelle.

06 Dec 2005, Tue Casper Star-Tribune (Casper, Wyoming) Newspapers.com

Michelle Vanek may have had the following articles when she disappeared: a red shirt, black tights, a black shirt, a baseball cap, and hiking boots. I think she also had ski poles and a small Camelback water pack. 

September 2024 update: reportedly, some of the items that belonged to her have been found.

Author: Shane Lambert (UncoolNegated on Websleuths)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert (UncoolNegated on Websleuths) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of March 2021.

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

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Text might be paraphrased. If taken verbatim, then grammar or spelling errors are not necessarily corrected from original sources.
Disclaimer: Whenever possible, government sources are preferred for getting the details of a missing persons case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.

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Celeste Hensley Greub -- Missing Since 1976 From Wyoming

Details from NamUs**: 

"Celeste went missing in the year 1976. She went hiking in the Big Horns with a group of people. She elected to take a break near the trailhead and when the group came back, she was gone."

Missing Person: Celeste Hensley Greub

Last-contact date: August 10th, 1976 before 5pm

22 Aug 1976, Sun Casper Star-Tribune (Casper, Wyoming) Newspapers.com

The area where the MP was last seen: Kaycee, Wyoming in the Cloud Peak Primitive Area of the Big Horn Mountains

Link to government source: NamUs MP 

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 20 years old
Birthdate: December 3rd, 1955 (I think)
Hair: Not known
Eyes: Not known
Scar: No scars known
Height/weight: 5'2" and weighs 115-120 pounds
Tattoos: Celeste Hensley did not have any tattoos associated with her profiles.

Case Form C:

(1) Missing Person Went Hiking With a Group

(2) Missing Person Separated From Group

The NamUs profile, at the time of writing, was not complete for Celeste Hensley. It was missing the date of the disappearance and her body dimensions. For the record, the missing person was 5'2" and 115 to 120 pounds and I think she went missing on August 10th, 1976. The earliest journalism I found covering this case was from Tuesday, August 17th, 1976 and it said that she went missing the previous Tuesday.

17 Aug 1976, Tue Casper Star-Tribune (Casper, Wyoming) Newspapers.com

This individual has now been missing for about 45 years as of the original publication date of this blog post. If you are researching this individual's background, then she was described as being "of Casper" in many news articles so focus on Casper, Wyoming. On Ancestry, I think she is Wyma Celeste Hensley born on December 3rd, 1955 in Montana.

What stands out with this case, at least at first glance, is that she was having marital problems at the time of her disappearance. However, I had trouble picturing her husband disappearing her given the remote location that she went missing in.

She was a part of a trio of female backpackers: two went to climb a peak while Celeste elected to rest. When the two peak-climbers returned to collect Celeste, they found that she was gone. I don't think the husband could go into the backcountry and lay in wait for her because it seemed that her decision to separate from the group was a random thing at a hard-to-predict location. There was an insinuation in some media coverage that she might have wanted to disappear because she was described as "distraught."

One interesting point that I read in the journalism was that the search area was very challenging. One searcher said there were canyons or drop-offs near where she went missing that you could drop cars into.

19 Aug 1976, Thu Casper Star-Tribune (Casper, Wyoming) Newspapers.com

This case had some similarities to another case I did research on in the past. Despite occurring 42 years earlier, the case of Olga Mauer has a lot in common with the case of Celeste Hensley Greub. Both Mauer and Hensley-Greub disappeared under similar circumstances.

• Reportedly, both women were in the backcountry and voluntarily separated from their companion(s)
• When the companion(s) returned, they found the woman was not where they expected her
• Enormous searches were conducted
• Neither Mauer nor Greub has been heard from or seen since
• Coincidentally, both of the disappearances were in the state of Wyoming

My opinion on both cases is the same. Mauer and Grueb probably each got bored of waiting and decided to try and venture back alone. Some kind of mishap happened during this time. The route into the backcountry doesn't look the same when it's played in reverse so getting lost in the forest is a possibility. Additionally, there are wild animals out there. As always, suicide and abduction can't be discounted.

When it comes to finding Greub, it should be noted that a huge search effort was funded by the family. However, there were areas that were not deemed searchable. Jane Does found in the Big Horn Mountains near Buffalo, Wyoming might be Greub but all Websleuths have to compare with at this point is a height of 5'2". 

Please, take a moment to share this blog post on social media using hashtags relevant to the missing person's area. Also, please include the website hashtag #MPCSL.

Author: Shane Lambert

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of March 2021.

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

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Text might be paraphrased. If taken verbatim, then grammar or spelling errors are not necessarily corrected from original sources.
Disclaimer: Whenever possible, government sources are preferred for getting the details of a missing persons case. However, any source that the article writer deems reputable may be used.

['Missing person Facebook Group', "Canada's Missing", 'CharleyProject.org Celeste Hensley', 'DoeNetwork Celeste Hensley', 'Celeste Hensley missing person', 'what happened to Celeste Hensley', 'missing Kaycee person', 'missing Wyoming person', 'missing Kaycee woman', 'missing Wyoming woman', 'missing Kaycee women', 'missing Wyoming women', 'missing woman Kaycee', 'missing woman Wyoming', 'missing from Kaycee', 'missing from Wyoming', 'Kaycee missing persons', 'Wyoming missing persons', 'Celeste Hensley missing from Wyoming', 'disappearance of Celeste Hensley', 'foul play', 'missing since', 'has not been seen', 'whereabouts of', 'missing person', 'missing persons database', 'theories', 'what happened to Celeste Hensley']

De Qian Rang -- Missing From Elora, Ontario Since 1992

Details from NamUs**: 

"De Qian Rang was last seen on April 20, 1992, in the Village of Elora, Ontario. At the time of her disappearance, De Qian and her husband operated the 'Abacus Restaurant', south of Elora. An extensive police investigation has failed to locate Mrs. Rang. Police suspect foul play in her disappearance."

Missing Person: De Qian Rang

Alias: Maria Rang (might be her Canadianized name as many immigrants do that)
Last-contact date: April 20th, 1992
The area where the MP was last seen: Elora, Ontario
Link to government source: MP @ Canada's Missing

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Asian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 29 years old
Birthdate: Deqian Rang was born between April 21st, 1962, and April 20th, 1963 based on her reported age at the last date of reported contact.
Hair: Black, long
Eyes: Brown
Scar: None listed
Height/weight: 5'4" and 110 pounds
BMI*: Deqian Rang was in the normal range for BMI.
Tattoos: Deqian Rang 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.

De Qian Rang has not been seen since April 20th, 1992 when she was 29 years old. Of the resource I consulted, the DoeNetwork page for this missing person had the best description of circumstances surrounding this disappearance. That site discussed "a stormy relationship" with her husband, "extramarital affairs," the husband not filing a report of her missing but friends having to do it instead, and the husband's arrest in 1993 followed by his acquittal in December 1994.

This individual has now been missing for about 29 years as of the original publication date of this blog post. I wasn't able to locate any newspaper coverage for this case, nor did the missing person produce a hit in Ancestry. However, those databases update from time to time. If you have access to the Elora Sentinel, then that might be where you get some hits.

The following Youtube video contains information about the case, including newspaper articles that aren't available with my memberships. The information in the video seems to be derived from the same source as the DoeNetwork description.

Author: Shane Lambert (UncoolNegated on Websleuths)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert (UncoolNegated on Websleuths) is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of March 2021.

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

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

*For BMI values, I use the UPPER or HIGHER ranges that are given for height and weight.
**Text might be paraphrased. If taken verbatim, then grammar or spelling errors are not necessarily corrected from original sources.
Disclaimer: To determine whether a person is missing or not, this site relies heavily on government sources. If you are described as missing when you are not, I recommend simply having your missing person report updated or removed. When that happens, updates at this site can follow.

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Kathy Anne Lulloff -- Missing From Ontario Since 1971

Details from Canada's Missing**: 

Kathy Anne Lulloff was last seen wandering off into the woods off Seabrook Lake Road in the District of Algoma.

Missing Person: Kathy Anne Lulloff
Last-contact date: July 19th, 1971
The area where the MP was last seen: Thessalon, Ontario
Link to government source: Canada's Missing

---

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 15 years old
Birthdate: Kathy Anne Lulloff was born between July 20th, 1955, and July 19th, 1956 based on her reported age at the last date of reported contact.
Hair: Brown, long
Eyes: Brown
Scar: None listed
Height/weight: 5'5" and 110 pounds
BMI*: In this case, the missing person was underweight by BMI at the time of the disappearance.

Kathy Anne Lulloff has not been seen since July 19th, 1971 when she was 15 years old. She may have had the following articles when she disappeared: a black belt with a brass buckle, white shoes, a blue shirt, and denim blue pants that were bell-bottom styled. These items might be in a Jane Doe profile. If so, the details of the cases can be compared.

This individual has now been missing for about 50 years as of the original publication date of this blog post. There was some minor media coverage with this case. Apparently, Kathy had been hitchhiking at about the time of her disappearance, she had some kind of argument with the people she was traveling with, and she walked into thick forest or bush in Canada. From the article I read, I got the impression that this person may have been an American national.

Mon, Jul 26, 1971 – Page 1 · The Escanaba Daily Press (Escanaba, Michigan) · Newspapers.com

When I learned that the missing person may have been American, it confused me a little because the profile for the missing person is on a Canadian website. If she was from Flint, then it seems that she should have a NamUs profile.

I did find an American with the name of Kathryn Lulloff that lived in Wisconsin. That's a state that is not that far from Ontario. I will note that Kathy Anne Lulloff, the missing person, and Kathryn Lulloff have a very close age match. The missing person's birthdate range based on her age at the time of disappearance matches Kathryn Lulloff's birth year of 1955. But I also came to the opinion that pictures of the two were probably not a match.

When I sought to authenticate them as one and the same, I found that Kathry Lulloff had the middle initial "M." after some research while the missing person had the middle initial "A." If you go down this route like me, then be aware of that contradiction.

Wed, May 30, 1973 – 10 · Marshfield News-Herald (Marshfield, Wisconsin) · Newspapers.com

I was not able to find Kathy Anne Lulloff in Ancestry, at least not with confidence that it was a profile of the missing person. I felt that she should have been there, however, I will note some difficulty in finding this person in a timely manner based on all the derivations of Kathy (ie. Kate, Katherine, Kathryn) and Anne (ie. Ann, Annette) that are possible.

Furthermore, she was last seen near Seabrook Lake Road in Ontario. I was able to find Seabrook Lake just fine and I think that the road will be near this lake. However, I was not able to find the exact road. It seemed to be a very secluded area.

My guess with this case would simply be that after storming away from her friends after an argument, she simply may have gotten lost. If that happens and adrenaline takes over, then she could walk a long way -- in the wrong direction. A large search area was probably needed for this case but if you read the newspaper clipping from Michigan, the police described very difficult conditions.

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.

Nellie Florence Flickinger -- Missing Since March 1979 from Pennsylvania

Details from NamUs**: 

She was only back in Erie (From Arizona) for a short while. When she left, she said she was going to California.

Missing Person: Nellie Florence Flickinger

Alias: Nellie Florence Cornman (maiden name)
Nickname or alias: Lindy Sue Henry
Last-contact date: March 1st, 1979 (the date could be March 1st, however, NamUs conventions mean it could also be any time in March that she disappeared)
The area where the MP was last seen: Erie, Pennsylvania
Link to government source: NamUs MP#6849

---

February 17th, 2026: I noticed a traffic spike with this blog post today but could not find the reason. If there's an update with the case or if the reader can provide some insight into how you found this blog post, then please post in comments (also state that you are answering this, please and thanks). - Shane Lambert

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 29 years old
Birthdate: Nellie Florence Flickinger was born between March 2nd, 1949, and March 1st, 1950.

Hair: Brown, medium to long length
Eyes: Brown
Scar: numerous scars on her leg

Distinctive: this individual had been in a motorcycle accident; she had a plate and screws holding her right leg together (source in the main body)
Height/weight: 5-foot-0 to 5-foot-4 and 120 to 140 pounds
BMI*: Nellie Florence Flickinger was in the normal range for BMI.

• Please, Google-search BMI if you aren't familiar with the phrase. I think it's an important tool to be aware of when working on missing person cases.

Tattoos: Nellie Florence Flickinger 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.

Nellie Florence Flickinger, a missing person, was last heard from on March 1st, 1979 when she was 29 years old. This individual has now been missing for 42 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

When people are missing for several years as this person has been, some of their distinctive characteristics may no longer be relevant as identifiers. For instance, she was known to have scars on her legs but that kind of identifier would only be likely to be useful if she was found alive or recently deceased. However, in Nellie's case, the scars seem to have been from surgery involving inserting metal into her leg. 

This metal would likely remain if her long-dead remains are found. It is the likely reason that her legs were of different sizes, according to her NamUs profile. She was compared to a Jane Doe several years ago.

Mon, Feb 25, 2008 – Page 17 · Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

What stands out with this case is that she left for California in the company of a man whose name is not known. It stands to reason that this was not a long-term acquaintance of Nellie's given that others in her life did not know his name. I found a section of a newspaper article that I think those interested in this case will want to read. The blurb below describes her departure from Erie, Pennsylvania.

Mon, Feb 25, 2008 – Page 17 · Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

As mentioned, there was an attempt to match Nellie Flickinger to a Jane Doe found in a drainage ditch near Sacramento. This Jane Doe had a metal plate screwed into the bones of the right leg. However, it seems that this attempt to match was not successful.

Sat, Aug 23, 2008 – Page 9 · Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com

Those working on this case should make attempts to find a Jane Doe in databases where there is a metal plate and screws in the right leg. Jane Does are added to databases all the time so it could pay to check and recheck periodically. You can go to NamUs, search in the "Unidentified Persons" database and simply put the word "metal" the "Distinctive Physical Features" search field.

The missing person did not have any articles or items associated with her missing person's reports, at least of the sources that I consulted. Please share this article to social media using hashtags that are related to where the missing person went missing from, which is Erie, Pennsylvania.

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.

John A. Robek -- Missing Since May 1974 From Youngstown, Ohio

Details from NamUs**:

"On 5/31/1974 John left his residence on Amherst Avenue to go target shooting with a friend. He never returned home." "His vehicle was located at his residence."

I think this photo may be taken from the 1968 yearbook for Boardman High School. Certainly, this is a very similar photo of him there. If it is the same photo, then it would have been taken about six years prior to his disappearance. A photo closer to the time of his disappearance would be much better if anyone has one available.

Missing Person: John Adran Robek, called John A. Robek in NamUs and similar sources (Adran comes from Ancestry)

Last-contact date: May 31st, 1974 (Friday)
The area where the MP was last seen: Youngstown, Ohio. His address was 7033 Amherst Avenue (Google Maps)
Link to government source: NamUs #MP78484

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White or Caucasian
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 24 years old
Birthdate: November 2nd, 1949 in Youngstown, Ohio

• I'm not sure of the exact birthdate for John A. Robek but a date range can be calculated using his age at the time of the disappearance.

Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Scar: None listed at NamUs
Height/weight: 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds
BMI*: John A. Robek was in the normal range for BMI.

• Please, Google-search BMI if you aren't familiar with the phrase. I think it's an important tool to be aware of when working on missing-person cases.

Tattoos: John A. Robek did not have any tattoos associated with his profiles. If you know this to be a mistake, then please contact this site.

John Adran Robek was last heard from on May 31st, 1974 when he was 24 years of age. This individual has now been missing for nearly 51 years as of March 2025.

I found that this individual had a profile uploaded to Ancestry, likely by a family member. That's where I got the birthdate and the middle name from.

Missing Person Had Risky Profession

I did find some newspaper coverage regarding this missing person. Apparently, he was an undercover narcotics agent. That sounds like a dangerous job but whether that's a red herring or not isn't something I know. I would assume his youth made him a candidate for the work.

His parents were John Peter Robek and Marian Louise Bailey, both deceased as of the original time of this blog post (which was March 2021). The missing person had the same first and last name as his father so the middle name is important if you are conducting searches on Ancestry.

I noted that the missing person had four siblings, all of which were marked as private accounts on Ancestry. That's usually a designation for the living, meaning that there should be people alive who know more details of this missing person case. He also had an Unknown Spouse mentioned on the website.

#MP78484 Tue, Jun 18, 1974 – Page 20 · The Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio) · Newspapers.com

What one should make of the NamUs description could be debated.

It does say in his profile that John's vehicle was found at home. So the missing person went target shooting with a friend and the friend was doing the driving?

I don't see how the last place John could have been seen was his home on Amherst Avenue if he had gone out with a friend. The way the NamUs description sounds, it seems like the friend should offer something on the matter.

But I did find a source that said this investigation had to be done secretly, I am assuming because of Robek's line of work. Perhaps enough time has passed that details can be opened up.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find many articles on this person in the time that I afforded to this case. Feel free to share any information you have in the comments.

You can follow the tweets for this blog by following Shane Lambert at Twitter. https://twitter.com/UncoolNegated.

Author: Shane Lambert

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert 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.

Thomas William Richey -- Missing From Fishing Trip Since 1950

Details from NamUs**: "Thomas 'Tommy' Richey left home to go fishing on the Rogue River on July 11, 1950. He liked to fish in an area where there was a cable car above the river that you could move to the middle and fish from above. His fishing pole as well as several fish he caught were found inside the cable car. He has not been seen or heard from since that day. The cable car was braked in the middle of the river which is why it was presumed something happened causing him to fall or jump and ultimately drown. The cable car and fishing hole are located 4 miles outside Prospect, Oregon on Mill Creek Lane and 6 miles upriver from the Lost Creek Dam."

Case Form F:

(1) Subject known and seen to be swept into flood waters or a river.*
(2) Subject not seen again.
*Loose fit: Thomas was not absolutely known to have entered the river.

Missing Person: Thomas William Richey
Last-contact date: July 11th, 1950
The area where the MP was last seen: Prospect, Oregon

Link to government source: NamUs #MP51989

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 16 years old
Birthdate: between July 12th, 1933 and July 11th, 1934

• When the birthdate isn't known, I calculate a range using the age at the date of the missing person's disappearance.

Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown, wore prescription eyeglasses
Scar: None known
Height/weight: 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10 and 165 to 170 pounds
BMI*: Thomas William Richey 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.

Thomas William Richey, a missing person, was last heard from on July 11th, 1950 when he was 16 years old. He has now been missing for 71 years as of the original publication date of this blog post.

Since this individual has been missing for several decades some might think that it's pointless or futile to work on the case. However, in my opinion, there's not just the missing person to look at but historical matters involved and coming to better understand the issues that surround disappearances. This case did remind me of a few other cases and that's not to say that they are related in an investigative way.

Firstly, it reminded me of the case of Duane Ludwig Winget. This is an individual who has been missing since 1962. Winget was known to have fallen in a river while in a position directly above it and central to the river. He was performing a hand-over-hand military exercise crossing the Nisqually River when he lost his balance at the same moment that his safety equipment failed. Nearly 60 years later, he has yet to turn up.

Richey wasn't performing a military exercise when he went missing -- he was fishing. However, he seems to have been in a similar position relative to the river as Winget -- directly above it and central to the river. In neither case do we have someone jumping or falling from a bridge, nor do we have someone falling from a riverbank. Richey, judging by the position of his fishing rod and the fish he caught, was in a cable car. That much was communicated in the journalism that was published the day after his disappearance.

12 Jul 1950, Wed Medford Mail Tribune (Medford, Oregon) Newspapers.com

Picturing this cable car is important for making a reasonable guess as to what happened to Richey. I don't picture the kind of cable car that's associated with San Francisco transit. Instead, I picture the swaying small ones that you find in the mountains of western Canada and the western USA.

The picture below is of me in a cable car in the Rocky Mountains. If you have ever been in one, then you know that it doesn't always feel stable. I couldn't imagine trying to fish from one of these without causing it to tilt a little. 

In short, I do think that Thomas William Richey simply fell from the cable car and drowned in the Rogue River. It certainly isn't beyond belief that he has never turned up: after all, Winget was known to have fallen in a river from a similar position and he has yet to be found.

The other scenario that I considered with Richey was that he had been abducted. The case of Dario Cicolecchia was something that I thought of. He went fishing, he left his bicycle visible on the side of the road, and a passerby that happened to be a pedophile saw it. However, Dario was fishing from a shoreline, while Richey's fishing pole and the fish he caught were found in the cable car. Abduction from a cable car would be difficult.

Fishing isn't passive in any sense. There is tugging, pulling, and fighting for balance. Fishing from a cable car just doesn't sound like a safe thing to do. This missing person is likely due to youth-related poor judgment. If he is found, the remains are likely to be skeletal and I would imagine scattered. 

I did receive a reply to this article by an individual that identified as the person who opened the missing person case for Thomas. This is what was communicated from her:

"When I opened the missing persons case that appears on NamUs I didn't quite have all the details of the disappearance yet and just wanted to have DNA collected to compare to Tommy's brother (still alive) to see if there was a match in CODIS. Unfortunately, we did not get any results from that. The cable car in this case is still the most mind-boggling part. It was reported to some degree and I also discovered that the cable car had a puller and winch that had to be used manually to stop, start, and brake the cable car. Tommy's brother and dad are the ones who originally went to the cable car when looking for Tommy and discovered the fish, rod and creel inside it. It was in the middle of the river and Tommy's brother had to shimmy the cable line hand over fist to get into it. Also, Tommy's brother insists the cable car was not something you could easily fall out of. While they didn't actually fish from the cable car itself, the boys used it to cross the river to seek out better fishing areas. 

The cable car was built and placed near Prospect on the Rogue River by the Army Corps of Engineers who were scouting the area for a potential dam site in the 1930s. The Lost Creek Dam is what eventually transpired from this endeavor. I have contacted the Army Corps of Engineers to see if they have records of what the cable car looked like since I cannot find anything even remotely close to what Tommy's brother describes. Unfortunately I haven't gotten anything worthwhile. The cable car is described as being 7 feet in length, 4 ½ -5 ft wide and about 5 feet high and made of lumber with metal strapping.

An accidental fall resulting in drowning was the main conclusion that law enforcement drew to explain Tommy's disappearance. After a week-long search, the community was asked to keep an eye out for his body. No trace of Tommy's body, clothing, or glasses has ever been recovered. As the decades have passed, there has been some speculation as to whether or not Tommy may have staged the scene and purposely went missing, either of his own free will or some type of foul play. However, there has been very little evidence to support these theories either. I believe understanding more about the cable car may help shed some light on what really happened.

Thank you for taking an interest in this case. Even if we never find out what really happened, I appreciate that his story is being told.

Thanks,

Heather V."

Please, share this article to social media using hashtags that are related to where the missing person went missing from, which is Prospect, Oregon.

Author: Shane Lambert

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of February 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.

Shannon Marie Hawkins -- Missing Since July 2010

Missing Person: Shannon Marie Hawkins
Last-contact date: July 31st, 2010, at about noon by Paul Hawkins, her husband
The area where the MP was last seen: St. Johns, Florida, possibly at the 100-block of Nottingham Drive East in St. Johns

Link to government source: NamUs #MP9331

VITAL DETAILS

Ethnicity: White
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 35 years old
Birthdate: December 1974

Hair: Red/auburn
Eyes: Brown
Scar: None known
Height/weight: 5-foot-5 and 135 to 140 pounds
BMI*: Shannon Marie Hawkins was in the normal range for BMI.

• BMI is body mass index. It relates to an individual's height and weight.

By: Shane Lambert
Original publication month: February 2021

Shannon Marie Hawkins, a missing person, was last heard from on July 31st, 2010, when she was 35 years old. This is a case where details were not included with NamUs as per the original publication date of this blog post in February 2021. Accordingly, it's necessary to look at other sources in order to find information on this missing person.

According to one source, this person had a history of leaving her family home for long periods of time (staugustine.com). However, the best description of the events surrounding this person's disappearance was at CharleyProject.org. According to that website, this is a person who was having mental-health problems leading up to her disappearance. The following points should be noted about Shannon Marie Hawkins:

• She was previously hospitalized for depression;
• She had a history of suicide attempts;
• Her husband felt that she was "uneasy" the last time he saw her;
• She called a mental-health hotline the night before she disappeared;
• She wrote in a personal journal that she wanted to commit acts of self-harm in a wooded area behind her home and expressed pessimism about living to see the age of 36.

I was interested in looking at the wooded area behind her home on Google Maps. I was able to find this missing person's exact street address. I am not publishing it here, but I feel like I know the wooded area that she was talking about. It would be at Google Maps coordinates 30.080773011684176, -81.61199853938336.

It doesn't look that large, but it seems like the area had several wooded areas, some larger and some smaller than the one directly behind her house. Furthermore, there are small lakes or ponds in the area.

What stands out with this case is that she disappeared 11 years ago as of 2021. If the clue to her whereabouts in her journal is true, then there is a question in my mind as to why she has not yet been found. 

One article I read at CBS News indicated that police dogs were used to search the area but to no avail. She did not take a vehicle with her, so a reasonable walking distance might be the best continued search area. Even after police supposedly scour an area, it doesn't actually mean that a missing person isn't there. There have been many cases where missing people have shown up in an area that was already searched. However, I think she simply took a longer walk than what the police originally assumed.

Please share this article on social media using hashtags that are related to where the missing person went missing from, which is St. Johns, Florida.

Also by Shane Lambert

Down and Out in the Canadian Rockies

A Worker's Odyssey in a Canadian Rockies Resort Town

🇨🇦 Amazon.ca 🇺🇸 Amazon.com

Author: Shane Lambert

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Shane Lambert is not a Private Investigator, however, he is currently studying to be one as of February 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. However, any source that the article writer deems potentially reliable may be used.

Marilyn Kay Pratt -- Missing From Spokane Since 1971

Details from NamUs**: "Marilyn was last seen on the evening of 10/08/1971 by her husband and friends at a local restaurant. Marilyn only had her purse with her when she was last seen. Marilyn has not been seen or made any contact with family or friends since that evening."

Missing Person: Marilyn Kay Pratt

Alias: Lynn Pratt
Last-contact date: October 8th, 1971
The area where the MP was last seen: Spokane, Washington

• Spokane is a small city in America's northwest; the closest major city would be Seattle

Link to government source: NamUs #MP77394

Ethnicity: White/Asian mix

Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 30 years old
Hair details: Brown
Eye details: Blue
Scars: Abdomen
Height/weight: 5-foot-2 to 5-foot-6 and 160 to 170 pounds
BMI*: The missing person was overweight by BMI at the time of the last contact.

• BMI is body mass index. It relates to an individual's height and weight.

Marilyn Kay Pratt was mainly associated with the area around Spokane, Washington. Marilyn has not been seen since October 8th, 1971 when she was 30 years old.

This missing person's case was not really below the radar: there were numerous newspaper articles that were published regarding her disappearance. Many of them appeared in The Spokane Chronicle or The Spokesman-Review. I did not find anything that was published close to her date of disappearance. The first mention of her that I found concerning her disappearance was in 1979.

Mon, Mar 5, 1979 – 2 · Spokane Chronicle (Spokane, Washington) · Newspapers.com

Wed, Mar 7, 1979 – 11 · The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Washington) · Newspapers.com

She was declared legally dead on April 10th, 1979. 

There was a huge article in The Spokesman-Review on May 10th, 1983. It raised the question of who the real Marilyn Pratt was. 

She is depicted as a borderline alcoholic in that article, someone who may have cheated on her spouse. The article left open the question of whether she was alive or dead.

On the balance of everything, this felt like a missing person case where the individual might have been alive after she disappeared. Perhaps the husband wanted to have her declared dead in absentia so that she couldn't return and take custody of the children. The sense I got was that he was bitter that she walked out on him. I did not get the feeling that he was involved in her disappearance.

A married woman, with five children, who had a drinking problem, who lived in a poor neighborhood, who walked out of a bar after a small argument, and then disappeared permanently is probably somebody that hit a breaking point.

If she did crack, then the question is what did she do next? Join a life with another man? There was a hint of infidelity with Marylin. There's also the possibility of suicide.

What would be interesting in this case is a Jane Doe with particulars that match Marilyn in the Spokane area. However, with a chance that she lived after her last-seen date, it would be interesting to produce an authenticated document that suggests that she tried to enter a different life somewhere else. I think anyone with an active membership behind the paywall at Ancestry should comb the records for any kind of documented activity involving her.

But over the years, there’s been little progress in the case. When the Spokane County Superior Court Commissioner Marcus Kelly declared her legally dead, he noted that her character suggested she would have reached out to her family if alive. I think that's important because walking out on a husband and five children permanently is very odd and decades have now passed.

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

Duane Ludwig Winget -- Missing Since February 1962

Missing Person: Duane Ludwig Winget
Last-contact date: February 15th, 1962
The area where the MP was last seen: Fort Lewis, Washington in the Pacific Northwest

Link to government source: NamUs #MP35935

Case Form F:

(1) Subject known and/or seen to be swept into flood waters or a river.
(2) Subject not seen again.

Ethnicity: White
Sex: Male
Age at time of disappearance: 23 years old
Hair details: Red/auburn
Eye details: Blue eyes and wore glasses at times
Scars: None known
Height/weight: 5-foot-5 to 5-foot7- and 145 to 170 pounds

BMI: The missing person was overweight by BMI at the time of the last contact, however, he may have had an athletic appearance.

Details from NamUs*: "SPC Winget was last seen on 02/15/1962 while training at Fort Lewis Military Base. He was participating in a hand over hand river crossing training in the Nisqually River when he lost his grip and went down the river. He was never located."

*Grammar or spelling errors are not corrected from original sources.

Case Form F:

(1) Subject known and seen to be swept into flood waters or a river.
(2) Subject not seen again.

What Happened to Duane Ludwig Winget

Duane Ludwig Winget has not been seen since February 15th, 1962 when he was 23. At about that time, he was known to have been from Fort Lewis, Washington.

What stands out with this case, is the fact that his fate can be reasonably assumed. He was performing a military exercise over a hazard. In this case, he lost his grip and fell into a river. He can be presumed drowned or dead from the fall. A relative of Duane's contacted the site and offered the following location of the incident as well as where search efforts took place.

I found a newspaper article associated with this case. It appeared in the Wasau Daily Herald on February 17th, 1962 (page 2). Apparently, Winget's safety belt failed at the exact moment that he suffered some kind of balance mishap. This lead to him falling six feet into the Nisqually River where he was presumed drowned according to the original journalism in the days after his disappearance.

Sat, Feb 17, 1962 – 2 · Wausau Daily Herald (Wausau, Wisconsin) · Newspapers.com

John Does associated with the Nisqually River are candidates for a rule-out with this missing person but after all this time Winget's remains are likely to be separated. I've wondered if his safety vest might contain metal and be embedded along the shores of the river. From that point of view, a metal detector combing the river shores might help with this case.

Note: when people are missing for several years as this person has been, some of their distinctive characteristics may no longer be relevant as identifiers. This is because many distinctive characteristics such as scars, birthmarks, or tattoos may be lost as identifiers through putrefaction if the person has died.

Author: Shane Lambert (Facebook profile)

Facebook Group: Missing Person Commentary

Twitter: @UncoolNegated (Twitter)

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

I am not a Private Investigator, however, I am currently studying to be one as of February 2021.

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

Jessica Diane Vanzant Dietzel -- Missing Since February 2020

 

Missing person: Jessica Diane Vanzant Dietzel

Last-contact date: February 16th, 2021 (as per NamUs) or February 18th, 2021 (see poster below)
Disappeared from: Albany, Georgia

Link to Government Source: NamUs #MP68258
News Source With Timeline: WALB News from Albany, Georgia

News Source From September 2020: WALB News

Facebook Group: Bring JVD Home

Ethnicity/Race: Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 21 years old

Birthdate: June or July 23rd, 1998

Hair: Blond/strawberry
Eye color: Green
Height and weight at the time of disappearance: 5'7" and 150 pounds
Piercings: right nostril (nose ring), upper lip piercing (left side), lower lip (right side); see snippings below

Tattoos: 

1. Stars on right thigh (see missing person poster above)
2. "Elena" Upper Right Chest (sees snippings below)
3. "Kenny Man" Upper Left Chest (sees snippings below)
4. Heart near left thumb (sees snippings below)
5. "Perfectly flawed" Left Thigh (see snippings below)
6. There may be additional tattoos

1

Author: Shane Lambert (Facebook profile)

Twitter: @UncoolNegated (Twitter)

Pinterest: Missing Person Board
Original Time of Writing: 

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

I am not a Private Investigator, however, I am currently studying to be one as of February 2021.

Website hashtag: #MPCSL

Martha Nehring Pilnok (NamUs #MP77033) vs. Jane Doe #UP76518

Missing person: Martha Nehring Pilnok

Birth name: possibly Martha Lena Nehring

Last-contact date: January 15th, 1944
Disappeared from: Valparaiso, Indiana

Link to Government Source: NamUs #MP77033

Ethnicity/Race: White
Sex: Female
Age at time of disappearance: 41 years old
Birthday: March 7th, 1902 (she appears in a family tree at Ancestry; source)

Height: About 5'2"*

Weight: 130 to 150 pounds*

Eyes: brown*

Hair: light brown*

Goal: find a photo

*height, weight, eye color, and hair color are as reported in the April 17th, 1965 Vidette-Messenger

Sat, Apr 17, 1965 – 5 · Vidette-Messenger of Porter County (Valparaiso, Indiana) · Newspapers.com

ATTEMPT TO MATCH: #MP77033 as #UP76518

Unidentified Remains: Jane Doe 

Link to Government Source: #UP76518

Date body found: November 12th or 13th, 1945

• MATCHES: the body was found after Martha Nehring Pilnok's disappearance

Post-mortem period: Believed to have been dead for 8 to 15 months

• MISMATCHES: the higher range would date back to August 1944, seven months after Martha disappeared; however, that she disappeared in Jan 1944 doesn't mean she died at that time; also, the medical examiners aren't perfect with these difficult estimations; this mismatch is not critical

Where body found: northeast of Valparaiso

• MATCHES: has to be considered a match since Martha went missing from Valp'o

Age estimated: pre-60

• MATCHES Martha Nehring Pilnok's age
• Newspaper source estimated age at 30 years old** which is a mismatch but not critical; perhaps 30 to 60 is a fair age range and Martha Nehring Pilnok would be in that range

Sex: female

• MATCHES Martha Nehring Pilnok's sex

Height: 5'6" to 5'7"

• MISMATCHES: 4 inches taller than Martha Nehring Pilnok's height; however since both would be estimates this cannot be considered critical

Weight: 135 to 150 pounds

• MATCHES: daughter gave a weight range of 130 to 150 pounds for Martha

Hair: brown

• MATCHES: light brown for Martha, might look brown after being wet outside for so long

Face: Prominent lower jaw**

Clothing: Size 38 dress, open-toe black leather shoes, heavy cloth coat that was tweed (red, blue, and gray), pantyhose that probably nylon

Items: tan pocketbook (no money),  cardboard box near her with a house dress and a pair of canvas shoes

Conclusion: Jane Doe #UP7518 and #MP77033 might be the same person. A modern attempt to rule out should be made. These cases are not listed as rule-outs at NamUs.

**The South Bend Tribune -- South Bend, Indiana -- 15 Nov 1945, Thu  -- Page 18

Commentary: NamUs #MP77033

This is a missing person case with very little information. Martha Pilnok's exact age isn't in NamUs and there were no details about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. Nor were there any details about her hair, her eye color, or other pertinent physical details in NamUs. However, I was able to discover many details using Ancestry and newspaper archives.

She appeared in an Ancestry family tree with a birthdate in 1902. I am sure her husband's name was Fred Pilnok. Her father's name appears to be Fred Nehring. I found a newspaper article that mentioned her daughter looking for her, someone named Margaret A. Stetson.

This was the information that Ancestry supplied on Martha Nehring Pilnok, information that came from the 1940 Federal Census:

"Name: Martha Pilnok [Martha Nehring]

Age: 37

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1903

Gender: Female

Race: White

Birthplace: Indiana

Marital Status: Married

Relation to Head of House: Daughter

Home in 1940: Jackson, Porter, Indiana

Map of Home in 1940: Jackson, Porter, Indiana

Inferred Residence in 1935: Porter

Residence in 1935: Porter

Sheet Number: 2A

Occupation: Housewife

Attended School or College: No

Highest Grade Completed: Elementary school, 6th grade"

All from Ancestry:

• "Martha lived on a farm that her father owned in Porter County, Indiana"
• "Martha's father estimated the value of the home (not the entire farm) as $4,000. The equivalent in today’s dollars is $76,000"
• These are the household members as recorded by the census taker. You can tell that Martha's father answered the census questions because there is a circled "X" next to his name
• At age 37, Martha was the only child in the house and her father was 79
• Martha's father was born in Germany. Martha was born in Indiana, her brother was born in Germany

Her name appeared in the March 8th, 1958 edition of the Vidette-Messenger of Porter County. She was named as a defendant in a non-resident notice. This seems to have to do with her absence and her husband, Fred Pilnok, taking possession of real estate because of that. Same deal for the March 22nd edition of the newspaper from that year.

Sat, Mar 8, 1958 – 7 · Vidette-Messenger of Porter County (Valparaiso, Indiana) · Newspapers.com

There was a skeleton that was found near Valparaiso, Indiana in December of 1945. It was thought to possibly be of Martha. I wondered what the outcome of this investigation was given the limited forensic abilities of 1945 relative to modern times. I answered that when I identified the skeleton in the new sources below as the entry in NamUs of #UP76518.

Thu, Dec 6, 1945 – 33 · The Indianapolis News (Indianapolis, Indiana) · Newspapers.com

I think the following newspaper article from a different publication is of the same Jane Doe. It contains more information than the article above. The counties of Valparaiso and Porter are mentioned. Note, that Porter County is where Martha was from as per the information from Ancestry.

Thu, Dec 6, 1945 – Page 1 · Linton Daily Citizen (Linton, Indiana) · Newspapers.com

This article appears to be of the same Jane Doe.

This might be Martha Nehring Pilnok. NamUs #MP77033 Thu, Nov 15, 1945 – Page 11 · The Kokomo Tribune (Kokomo, Indiana) · Newspapers.com

Author: Shane Lambert (Facebook profile)
Twitter: @UncoolNegated (Twitter)
Pinterest: Missing Person Board
Original Time of Writing: February 3rd, 2021

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

I am not a Private Investigator, however, I am currently studying to be one as of February 2021.

Website hashtag: #MPCSL