He had been shot three times. He was scheduled to arrive at a school in Prince William County, Virginia at 1 p.m. Sept. 9, for photography services, but never arrived there or at his employers office. . She has a scar on her nose. Lockhart was last seen at the Kroger in Moundsville. He was last seen around Eccles at approximately 1 a.m. the next morning. SJM: [To Geoff] But what do you think is the most interesting part of the case? If you have any information that could help solve one of these cases, please use the Submit a Tip form on each page or contact the reporting agency directly. Unsolved Cases - Kanawha County Sheriff's Office Unsolved Cases The Kanawha County Sheriff's Office works unsolved missing person and homicide cases to conclusion. Traveling at 25 mph, he was unable to stop in time and hit him. Flythe was driven from the FCI Gilmer in Glenville to the Greyhound Bus Station in Charleston. We have those in PDF form, and you can see what the magazines printed versus what Clawson said in his confession and what was wrong with what was printed that he was regurgitating in his confessions. To keep creating new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help the Murderpedia project stay alive. Two drivers taken to hospital after Belington crash, WVU team wins international mine rescue competition, Grafton First Fridays honors Youth Art Month, Stories of the Week: February 26 through March 4, Celebrating Volunteers with Miley Legal Group, West Virginias Remarkable Women for 2023, Canaan holding Brewfest next weekend with new local, Stonerise Bridgeport crowns 2023 king and queen, Inaugural Polar Plunge held in Buckhannon, Fishermen spot river monster in the West Fork River, My parents were taken advantage of by evil people How the troubled teen industry manipulates parents, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, 3 reasons you shouldnt wait to file taxes this year, Whats the newest city in the US? Skaggs was last seen hitchhiking either to town to pay a bill or to go to work in Ohio. Pettys remains were found in a burned out barn on a farm her father Marvin Petty owned off West Virginia 31. By Alexis Mathews. On December 8, 1963, a group of amateur criminals hoping to strike it rich engineered one of the most infamous kidnappings in American history. Man charged in 66-year-old man's cold case murder, Galveston PD says. Its an incredibly heinous crime that doesnt appear to have any rational motive to it, Barki said. So, after we go through those suspects, then we talk about our experiences separately and then when we started working together. Status of Case: Unsolved Scott La Rock was fatally gunned down in 1987. In Washington County, the sheriffs department has two cold case officers, Bruce Shuck and Jeff Seevers, but retired officers cant be similarly deputized in West Virginia, Stephens said. Victor was last seen playing with other children in the woods near Short Mountain. She will be tried as an adult for allegedly beating her father, Donald Bartz, 56, to death with the butt of a shotgun. She had been savagely murdered: shot in the head twice, neck fractured, face disfigured and powder-burned, throat cut from ear to ear. There is a $25,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts. Woods was last seen by her husband. There is not much information available on the unsolved crime but when you find someone who is willing to speak about it, you usually only get bits and pieces of many different versions . Still no charges have been filed in the 2004 disappearance of Barbara Jean Flake of McDowell County. State Police say this gives them hope for other unsolved cases in the area. Lee Bennett, a retired West Virginia State Parks employee who had spent his career at Pipestem State Park, was doing electrical work at Pinnacle Rock State Park near Bramwell on Sept. 19, 2007. Dental records showed that it belonged to Steptoe. Billy Flake searched for his mother on Tuesday, April 9, 2002, only to find an empty and undisturbed house. It's rather complicated too, since four people were charged at different times with the murder - but none were found guilty. Brady was last seen boarding a Trailways bus in Logan and then in Bluefield, Virginia. Petty, 48, was last seen alive on Feb. 6, 2008, while walking from her home in north Parkersburg to the Parkersburg/Wood County Public Library. The site displays unsolved homicides, missing persons cases, and unidentified remains. As he moved toward her she turned on the drill and pointed it toward his face. By Deirdre M. Enright. She was found behind the store's counter. The flyer said the men allegedly hotwired a 1985 Autocar with a double cab and step-in fully loaded with a Younger Brothers decal on the door that was stolen approximately 15 miles from the area where Sharp was found, or they could have also been driving a 1973-1974 red Cadillac with a white vinyl top. WELLSBURG Joseph Barki is carrying a full plate of murder cases into his third year as Brooke County prosecutor. Below is a list of missing persons cases in West Virginia that remain unsolved. The original juvenile petition against Shannon Bartz states that on May 19, 2014, when her father came into her room and found her using a cell phone, he pulled her into his room. Dan Cooper was a passenger on Northwest Airlines Flight 305, from Portland to Seattlea 30-minute flight. Friends of his were having a wedding. GF: There was another time that the magistrate fined the guy some small amount, 30 bucks or some kind of small amount of money for an assault. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Frank Sinatra, Jr., Kidnapping. Leonard, a college student, lived with his roommate in 2019 and they were scheduled to go abroad after graduation to teach English overseas. The West Virginia State Police says Jones may be with a male named Jack Crone, the father of her child. Unsolved cases are submitted to the Cold Case Database on a voluntary basis. Crutchleys sister was going to WVU at the time and was also a freshman, and so I think we can find a connection between her and Mared and Karen. 19 year old Nancy Santamero and 26 year old Vicki Durian had been hitchhiking from Welloman Iowa to Pocahontas county West Virginia to attend their first Rainbow gathering; a counter culture peace celebration. While police are certain Roberts was guilty of the crime, they do not think he acted alone on that autumn afternoon. On a darkening early evening, shortly before 5 p.m., on Saturday, Nov. 10, 1990, some hunters stumbled upon her skeletal remains in a cow pasture at Robinson Hollow near Barrackville. The motorcycle was later recovered abandoned on Hunters Fork Road in Barbour County. The next unsolved mystery: November 24, 1971. Adkins was fishing in the Ohio Fiver with his brother when their boat had an engine failure and capsized after passing a barge that caused a large series of waves. Law enforcement witnessed Kincaid jump from the 31st Street Bridge, but no sign of him or his body were ever found. He was living at 213 Union Street, and was last seen on May 17 between 5 and 6 p.m., said the investigator at the time, retired Lt. Tom Helton of the Bluefield Police Department. She allegedly told investigators that her father said, stop, youre killing me loudly as he dug his fingernails into her arms. GF: Yeah, there were 30-35 mistakes in the articles, and Clawson just repeated those mistakes, and they were all completely wrong. He said Castillo is being sought as a person of interest who may have information about his death. Court documents reveal a vehicle matching the description of Zuccaros was seen in the vicinity of Pratz home near the time of his death and shell casings found near Pratz belonged to a type of pistol owned by Zuccaro. It's been five years since the shooting death of Vienna resident Cindy Ball and many wonder why her case remains unsolved. The sheriff's office says two persons of interest in the 1986 Linda Sharp murder case were never identified. That was his punishment. He has a tattoo of lips on the right side of his neck, a skull on his right forearm and the initials CCM and JLC on one finger. Pauley said in an earlier report. The Kanawha County Sheriffs Office works unsolved missing person and homicide cases to conclusion. The flyer also says he had a large beer gut and a tattoo on his right arm depicting a naked woman with a snake wrapped around her body.. Q: Anything else that you would like to add? In our 3 part series, we will go back in time to resurrect 9 cold-case unsolved murders in the Mountain State. She does not have a car, but could have left on foot or been picked up by someone. Storyline Edit On June 25th 1980 two young women were found brutally shot to death in a remote area of southern West Virginia. Smith was last heard from during a phone conversation with his employer. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. In some of these cases, authorities reach out to the public for help bringing answers to the loved ones of those who are missing. Gwin-Stephens dropped her husband off at work at the Industrial park in Beckley and has not been seen or heard from since. Larry McClure admitted to First Degree Murder in the death of John McGuire. Beattys friends and family say they last heard from her around March or April of 2011. Authorities say her husband said he asked her to leave and did not know where she was. Her cheating husband was not home at the time and saw her body through a window, before entering the home. Their dying brother and his already-dead wife had been brutally butchered with an axe. Two men were found and arrested, one of who said he was in the mine with Adkins around 2:30 a.m., but they had gotten separated. His mothers pocketbook was still in the house, but she was nowhere to be found. There was a lot of child abductions. Opinion. This article was originally published by West Virginia Public Broadcasting . A brief summary of each case is provided. There were very few laws against doing those kinds of things and any kind of violence against women. For every year that goes by, its another downer, Poiani said. Authorities say the door had been locked, so Daniel stayed in a tent in the yard. GF: Around town, I hitchhiked all through high school and stuff, so guys, I think, kept hitchhiking, but a lot of women stopped, and you used to see dozens and dozens of students [in front of the Mountainlair] hitchhiking, and the car would stop, and theyd all pile in, as many people who could fit as possible, and then theyd drive away, so it was real common for everyone to be hitchhiking, and then after that, women largely stopped hitchhiking apparently. In 2015, there were only 36 murders and non-negligent manslaughters in the entire state. Pratt, 24, who had been watching TV in. Nothing prepared her for what she found inside. Authorities say her last known contact with anyone was apparently April 2, 2015. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Authorities say Smith was last known to be living on the streets in Charleston and had not been seen around the usual places he stays. On Feb. 3, 1972, Bryce Durham, 51, his wife Virginia, 44, and their son Bobby, 18, were found murdered in their home during a snowstorm. FROM HELL (2001) The Jack The Ripper case gets the big movie treatment in From Hell, a mystery horror film directed by the Hughes Brothers. Daniel was last seen at a Walgreens Pharmacy shortly around 12:30 p.m. July 22, 2014. The second person of interest is described as a white male who would have been in his mid-20s standing approximately 59-511 with short, wavy brown hair and a stocky build, according to the flyer. We were kind of amazed that he got convicted because there was no evidence to speak of except his confession. Jeffrey Ruggles of Huntington - Last seen Nov. 26, 2005 at 28 years old. The West Virginia State Police started an initiative in 2011 to take another look at cold cases in each of the agency's districts. Both these cases have generated multiple potential suspects, yet they remain unsolved, leaving investigators baffled. Thats one of the reasons that Richard said, I dont think he did it. His confession was just like this magazine article. SJM: Im not really sure that they made any safety changes. But, someone had written these letters saying that they wanted to help them find the bodies, and here was a map. Sgt. 2023 Virginia Cold Case Database. National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial. SJM: I think women in general stopped hitchhiking if they could help it, but I dont think that the university did a whole lot for safety concerns. They may have traveled out of state and may have been accompanied by an adult male. Hayes left eye appears smaller due to a surgery and he has small gages in his ears. Authorities say Green is familiar with the rural areas of Wood, wort and Ritchie counties. A warrant for kidnapping was issued for Susan on Nov. 13, 2000. Authorities believe Roop may have been abducted. PLEASE SHARE:At approx. Other pending murder cases in the county are: Christopher Devin Kinker, 21, of Follansbee is facing second-degree murder and child abuse charges after he allegedly killed his seven-week-old son. Brindsley Charles Ward, 53, of the Republic of Trinidad, died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the head. GF: Yeah, Crutchley was from Clarksburg, so right down the road, and like I said, his older brother went to WVU med school and his sister was a freshman in 1970. Joseph Paul Franklin, a white supremacist and serial killer, confessed to the murders. Her body was later found along the St. Albans exit of I-64. According to the NamUs website, Klomp was last seen when she was released from a facility. They were the first victims of the person who would become known as the Axeman of New Orleans. Trending pages Danny Casolaro Sodder Family Paul Ferrell David Freeman Tim Good Martha Hinkle Darlene and Davida Ebmeier All items (8) # A B C D E F Local resident Jacob Beard was convicted of the murder in 1993, but he was later acquitted of all charges in a second trial in 2000. The exact date of her disappearance is unknown. Eventually the bodies were found eight, nine miles south of Morgantown rather than 25. The 208-page book is filled with one sensational crime after another such as the West Virginia University coed murder, the disappearance of the Sodder children in a Christmas Eve fire in 1945, the slaying of Montgomery city clerk Cathy Carroll, the Rand-Bailey mystery, the fatal shooting of a popular Beckley police officer. Baker also goes by the names of Cheyenne Baker and Tiffany Cole.. March 7, 1997. I mean, the PRT did come into existence, but we cant find any evidence that theres any correlation between the two. He has not been seen since he left the group. Last seen at her home in Walker. Friends and family call her by the name Cherice.. Police pinged his phone and learned it was allegedly located in Phoenix, Arizona. He was the one who was in charge of the PRT project, and he didnt say anything in testimony. Dennis was last known to be at his home Dec. 15, 2013, but has not been heard from since. GF: I was here when it happened, and so I, of course, heard all the news about the missing girls and all that kind of thing. 24 Texas A&M over No. It was determined she died from an apparent gunshot . Here are eight truly bone-chilling unsolved crimes that will have you looking over your own shoulder. The Axe Man of New Orleans. From Hell portrays Abberline as an opium addict who often relies on psychic visions to solve cases. Four men were questioned, with one held in prison for suspicion of murder and . Police say Daniel was at the El Cid Club in Beckley on June 2, 1987 when her parents picked her up at 3 a.m. and drove her back to her trailer. Hospital staff said fractures to the babys skull were consistent with being shaken and they also found more than one of the childs ribs were healing after having been broken. We skipped school. Q: What about you, Sarah? He testified before Congress, all kinds of things. And, we were pretty convinced that he didnt have anything to do with it. The felony cases do not stop coming. Hollenbacks family says she was last seen in March 2010, but they did have contact with her that June saying they were trying to convince her to come visit her ailing mother. And there was, of course, the prosecutor in Morgantown, so Clawson was convicted, but Richard was still sure that he didnt do it. But despite the murders leading the company to recall 31 million bottles and to manufacturers changing packaging forever, police never found who did it. Vance was last seen in the 1000 block of Washington Avenue around 5 p.m. March 27, 2010. . She told police her dad kicked her, causing her to fall, and he reached for another gun that was located behind him. The case of a young Bluefield teenager still remains unsolved after the teen was reported missing in 2004. Across the state and in Mercer, McDowell and Monroe counties, troopers started looking at unsolved murders and disappearances. His vehicle was found at the Pittsburgh airport, but there is no evidence he was ever there. A Brooke County grand jury indicted Zuccarro in September 2013, but the case has been delayed because of psychological evaluations and discovery issues between the prosecutor and defense attorneys. Many people thought they knew him; he was a local handyman - described as friendly by his neighbors and local police. To provide information about these unsolved homicides, call Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry at 843-554-1111 or go to 5541111.com. Texas Rangers Top 12 Cold Case Investigations. Q: Whats the most interesting part about this case to you? Besides all being shootings, little connects the eight unsolved homicides. According to court documents, police began. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. No one has seen her since. A flyer depicting the two persons of interest was generated at the time of the case. So, it all came together at almost the exact same time, and its been pretty serendipitous. . West Virginia authors Geoffrey Fuller and S. James McLaughlin recently released a book with what they found during their decades-long investigation. The site displays unsolved homicides, missing persons cases, and unidentified remains. Fiano was last known to be living in Fairmont or Morgantown. Shawn Steptoe, 14, was reported missing May 17, 2004 by his father, Anthony Steptoe. He has a tattoo of a cross on his inner left forearm and his right arm is shorter than his left arm. If you know of a missing persons case not included in this list, please let us know below with the persons name, the details of the case and the agency leading the investigation. Two cold case murders in Maryland and Virginia that took place about 15 years apart have been solved after an already incarcerated man confessed to both, according to police in Maryland. Kyle Morgan was found dead under a bridge in Wheeling, West Virginia in 2016, and Paige Stalker was gunned down in an ambush in Detroit, Michigan. I put it on Reddits Unresolved and I met Kendall before I met Geoff, and we were standing on Kendalls porch, and I said, Hey, you just bought this house. According to authorities, she has a pegasus tattoo on her inner ankle with three or four stars above it and a butterfly on her chest which has scarring over it from a burn. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. She was returning books at the library and was seen near 36th Street and Emerson Avenue. Then when the letters came, they said to look 25 miles south of Morgantown, so the state troopers drove the direction and they ended up in downtown Grafton, and they said, Well, this isnt it. They drove another mile and said that there was nothing there. A fifth homicide was settled with a plea on May 6 when Adam Michael Barnhart, 18, of Weirton, admitted to killing Frank Tulock, 36, of Orchard Street on Sept. 8, 2013. The case started at 7 a.m. on Jan 29, 1989, when Trooper K.J. Crutchley was investigated for the deaths and disappearances of 26 women in the DC/Maryland/Virginia/Pennsylvania area. More information about him can be found here, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, 3 reasons you shouldnt wait to file taxes this year, Whats the newest city in the US? Brooke County Ambulance Service staff members who transported the child from the Kinker home found the infant unresponsive and lifeless.. She had been living in Friendly, but also had ties to Weirton and Stubenville, Ohio. The unsolved murder of Olive Peaney On March 1, 1895, Olive Peaney was murdered in Tontogany. On June 22, 1932, her lifeless body was found where it had been dumped on 22 Mountain, which was then called Trace Mountain. Cases are displayed at random to ensure all victims are publicized equally. Lynn Seethaler & Janice Pietropola. There wasnt much information online except what [Geoff] was posting, and that was one of the reasons that I wanted to get a hold of him. She did not take her belongings and expected to return home. Burns was last seen Nov. 11, 2002 at the Huntington Mall in Barboursville. A fatal 2004 pedestrian accident in Mercer County also remains unsolved. I remembered when my parents had talked about Mared and Karen, and I wanted to look into it because it just seemed so surreal. Adkins has not been seen since and no trace of him has been found. Then, when I was in high school, I attended Clawsons first trial in 76 with my girlfriend. The murders captivated the region for decades. Authorities say she was given a ride to Boone County and then returned to the Lynco area of Wyoming County. The boys told their mother, who contacted police about what they had found. Pugh was last seen in a black two-door vehicle with an older white male. Rocco Zuccaro, 28, of Burgettstown, Pa. will go on trial Feb. 23 for the shooting death of 30-year-old Jason Lee Pratz, who was found dead in his McKinleyville home on Feb. 19, 2013. West Virginia police were contacted by law enforcement officials in Camden, New Jersey after inmate Eugene Paul Clawson expressed that he was prepared to confess to a crime. Donald Bartz then locked the bedroom door and leaned against it to prevent her from getting back into his bedroom. Her glasses and shoes were found on the lawn of her apartment two days later. He has a large multicolored tattoo of the Grim Reaper on his upper left arm. She told her family she had agreed to a dinner invitation from the Crone family, but has not been seen since. GF: And I went through three boxes of Samuel Eliass papers. So, when we found this Crutchley fellow and discovered that he had a whole stash of necklaces, we thought there might beso, we were in communication with the lead investigator down there. The reason why you find the wrongfully convicted in my database is simple: when the exonerated is taken out of the . SJM: I do want to mention that we listed the pictures that we got from Brevard County of some necklaces and bracelets that had been taken from John Brennan Crutchleys house in 1985, and a lot of his victims had never been identified, so if people want to take a look at those pictures, and maybe find out if [you know who these belong to], that would be great.