ID sought in 1981 Jane Doe cold case murder

PHOTOS: Ohio police are once more appealing for help in IDing a slain Jane Doe teen and finally bringing her killer to justice.

Dubbed also the "Buckskin Girl" for the distinctive overcoat she wore at the time of her death, remains of the unknown victim below were found on April 24, 1981 -- approximately two days after she'd been killed.

 

Ohio's Jane Doe is estimated to have been in her late teens or early twenties when she brutally died.

In addition to the buckskin leather jacket, she was also wearing bell-bottom slacks and a brown turtleneck.

Investigators believe the young woman might have been hitchhiking when she was picked up by her killer then bludgeoned to death and dumped dead in a ditch near Troy Ohio.

A recent forensic breakthrough has revived interest again in actively pursuing, and ideally solving, her 35-year-old cold case murder, which many people have speculated could be the work of a serial killer still at large.

The ominous theory is supported by the fact that several Ohio women were similarly murdered during the 1980s and 90s, and their bodies (or body parts) deposited throughout the region.

Although most of these other victims reportedly have long ago been identified, their murders also remain unsolved.

For decades in the Jane Doe homicide case, however, authorities had no idea even where the victim originally hailed from, let alone her name.

But at least this aspect of the tragic mystery appears to have been partially solved now: Pollens, native only to the American northeast, and a substantial amount of soot particles, have been recovered from the Buckskin Girl's outer clothing.

Both residues have helped narrow down the likely U.S. states and urban industrial locales where she could have lived in or been visiting for some time, before coming to Ohio in the spring of 1981.

Therefore officials are especially appealing for the public's help in IDing Jane Doe in such states as New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.

A bit of "southwest pollen" was also detected on the Buckskin Girl's coat, which could indicate she briefly traveled through that section of America en route to Ohio, or even that the garment itself was borrowed.

The Miami County Sheriff’s Office is heading up the renewed investigation into her wrongful death and has distributed the above composite images of what the slain teen probably looked like, including alternate hairstyles.

Anyone who thinks they recognize her, or who has other information relevant to her cold case, should call the MCSO at (937) 440-3865.

EPONYMOUS ROX

Another U.S. Fireman, Frankie Martin, Is Missing This Month

New Mexico fireman Frankie Martin below has been missing for over a week now.

The 25-year-old is a professional 'wild land' firefighter and was last seen in Arroyo Hondo, NM on April 19, 2016.

In a strange and troubling pattern this month, Martin is the third known American firefighter to inexplicably vanish without a trace.

Concern for his welfare is mounting because the other two who disappeared before him have already been found dead:

Nicole Mittendorff, 31 from Virginia, "killed herself" in the Shenandoah National Park on or about April 13th. 

Police believe the female first-responder was despondent over a sexual harassment campaign launched against her by her male coworkers which also included cyber-bullying.

And, last weekend, 37-year-old fireman Jason Blalock of Georgia somehow died in Lake Lanier while at a house party and on vacation from his duties at the Dekalb County Fire Department.

The circumstances of firefighter Martin's sudden disappearance in New Mexico remain vague, but the Taos County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public's help in finding the young man.

Frankie Martin is about 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. According to his April 21st missing persons report, he was last seen wearing gray jeans, a green hoodie, Converse sneakers, and a baseball cap.

Anyone who knows what happened to him on April 19th, or his present whereabouts, is asked to contact Taos County's sheriff or deputies at (575) 758-2217.

EPONYMOUS ROX

Missing Fireman Jason Blalock Found Dead in Lake Lanier

PHOTO: Missing Georgia fireman Jason Blalock disappeared from a party on April 23rd -- he was found yesterday at the bottom of a lake.

Georgia officials are still trying to piece together how the athletic 37-year-old got separated from Saturday's gathering at Sunset Cove and ended up dead in Lake Lanier.

His family filed a missing persons report when they lost contact with him over the weekend and still couldn't reach him the following day.

Blalock's jeep was later discovered still parked where he first had left it on Saturday.

No other clues have surfaced yet.

Sources also confirmed a Dekalb Fire Department supervisor additionally reported the firefighter missing when he didn't show up for his regular shift.

According to that same individual, the initial disappearance of Jason Blalock a week ago corresponded with a scheduled vacation that began just the day before he vanished.

An underwater bot and sonar were both used to search the lake area where Blalock was allegedly last seen alive; and on Thursday a dive team finally located his submerged corpse and retrieved it.

Autopsy and toxicology tests will be performed now to determine how Jason Blalock died. Meanwhile his premature and 'unattended death' is still being investigated.

Interestingly enough, in October of 2012 a Tyler Blalock of North Carolina also went missing while attending a party.

The 19-year-old college student was later found "accidentally drowned" in a shallow creek bed with head wounds.

However, it's not clear at this time whether these two Blalock males -- who've met with similarly sad ends -- are somehow related.

EPONYMOUS ROX

Another 1969 Manson Family murder victim identified?

Police have had to quiz Charles Manson about another possible victim in his infamous Manson Family murder spree. 

In the summer of 1969, the middle-aged aspiring rock-star directed a handful of his deadliest disciples to butcher pregnant starlet Sharon Tate and her house guests, as well as Rosemary and Leno Labianca the following day.

Manson's intended target at Tate's rental home -- music mogul Terri Melcher -- had quietly moved out of the property a few months before the brutal home invasion and thus survived the plot against his life. 

Ultimately, Manson and his fellow miscreants were sentenced to life in prison for all of the so called 'Helter Skelter' mass murders that summer, which a clever prosecutor proved cult-leader 'Charlie' had masterminded.

But even at the time of Manson's conviction, homicide detectives still working the unsolved case of 'Jane Doe #59' suspected he and his following were responsible for her grisly death, too.

And only recently did they learn the slain 19-year-old woman's actual identity: Reet Jurvetson of Montreal.

Jurvetson's mutilated remains were recovered in November 1969 on the side of a Hollywood highway only a short distance from the LaBianca crime scene itself.

As with the other Manson killings that year, she'd been stabbed multiple times and left for dead, although the number of knife wounds Jurvetson received -- about 150 -- was far in excess of those the Tate/LaBianca victims had each suffered.

According to relatives of the newest suspected Manson murder victim, their "free spirited" young lady traveled to the Los Angeles area from Canada in '69 to meet up with a guy she knew named "John" or "Jean."

Who this yet-unknown male really is, and whether he had Manson Family ties or perhaps viciously killed the Canadian teenager himself, remains the last bit of Jane Doe 59's longstanding mystery.

KILLING KILLERS will be running a three-part Manson special report next month exploring the real motive behind the gruesome Tate and LaBianca slayings, so bookmark this post for all three links in that upcoming series.

Mass Murder Double Feature Print Edition

Ex Speaker Hastert Hushed About Hush Money Pedo Scandal

Ex House Speaker Dennis Hastert faces sentencing today on charges related to a hush-money pedophile scandal he himself exposed.

Shady banking maneuvers got defendant Hastert flagged by the Feds in 2014, but he only deepened their investigation into his illegal "structured withdrawals" by then claiming he was being "extorted" on "false accusations" of child molestation.

The alleged sex offenses have since been confirmed and date back decades to when the longest standing Republican House Speaker in American history was just a little known but highly-respected wrestling coach in Yorkville Illinois.

At Dennis Hastert's behest, FBI agents secretly listened in on phone conversations with one of his now-grown victims and quickly concluded it was the GOP's "squeaky clean" former Speaker who in fact had lied about his own wrongdoing.

Hastert's hush money cover-up is ultimately what got him nabbed last year -- not the child sexual abuse charges which involved at least four youths and took place so long ago the statute of limitations had fully expired.

Those historic sex crimes, however, were intricately linked to the multimillion-dollar banking scheme that the disgraced congressional leader pleaded guilty to devising in order to quietly payoff one abuse survivor dubbed victim "A."

The still unidentified man has recently sued Hastert as well, since the ex House Speaker never actually paid the entire amount he offered as redress for A's "pain, harm and suffering."

During the federal probe of Hastert's financial finagling, it was also revealed that, in addition to luring and fondling under-aged males, beloved Coach Hastert placed a lounge chair "in direct view of the shower stalls in the locker room where he sat while the boys showered."

Now in his 70s, Dennis Hastert could be jailed for up to five years in prison for the bank fraud he knowingly perpetrated, or, more likely, receive a short sentence that amounts to just a slap on his wrist.

Either way, though, this infamous "family values" politician and lobbyist continues to remain hushed about the pedophile scandal that brought him down last year, and will keep on receiving both state and federal pension checks in spite of it.

EPONYMOUS ROX

Missing 21yo David Breunig Found Drowned in Maine River

PHOTO: The body of missing maritime student David Breunig was pulled from the Penobscot River in Orono Maine over the weekend and formally identified yesterday.

The tall and athletic 21-year-old vanished late in February 2016, reportedly after leaving a house party on foot and crossing elevated train tracks leading downtown.

While no one actually witnessed Breunig "fall" that evening, police immediately began searching the Stillwater, which the railroad trestel spans, as well as the Penobscot where the two rivers converge.

Nothing was found in any of those search efforts, except "objects of interest."

On Friday April 22nd, however, the body of a young Caucasian male closely matching the description of David Breunig was discovered in the waters near Sea Dog brewery and Interstate 395.

The Bangor Fire Department was called to that location to retrieve the victim, who evidently had a wallet and other personal items belonging to the missing Maine Maritime Academy junior.

Although official confirmation could not be made at the time, the family was given notice over the weekend that their young man had likely been found dead.

According to the obituary the Breunigs subsequently published this week, a coroner has told them Breunig  accidentally drowned on February 26th, after slipping from the railway and falling into the Stillwater River.

He “passed away after an accidental drowning” their statement partly read.

A public memorial mass for David Breunig will be held on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. at Saint Hyacinth Church in Westbrook Maine.

EPONYMOUS ROX

Body of Nathan Kermensky Found in MA Dam

The body of missing 26yo Nathan Kermensky (below) was found snagged in the gates of a Connecticut River dam on Thursday morning.

"This was at the Holyoke Gas and Electric Dam on Gatehouse Road," a spokesman for the Massachusetts police explained over the weekend.

He stated that one of the workers from "a Gas and Electric crew was flushing down by the fish lift and the body came through."

Kermensky's is the second corpse pulled from those waters in as many days -- missing teen Brianna Cuoco was also recovered from the Connecticut last week.

In another apparent coincidence, the 18-year-old woman had also disappeared in late January and, like Kermensky, lived in Hadley Mass.

A missing persons report for the 26-year-old college maths tutor was first filed by his family on January 29, 2016 after they lost contact with him earlier in the week.

His vehicle was later found parked at the Norwottuck Rail Trail near Northampton with the keys still in it and a multi-agency probe was launched, albeit "foul play wasn't suspected" at that time.

Today Massachusetts authorities continue to investigate the disappearance and drowning of Nathan Kermensky, whilst hinting he may have "committed suicide."

Anyone with information about this young man's death (and that of Brianna Cuoco) should call 911 or the Hadley Police Department at (413) 584-0883.

EPONYMOUS ROX

Were Ohio Family Executions Drug Related?

The "sophisticated" Ohio family executions that left eight relatives dead last week were likely linked to a pot growing operation.

Marijuana plants were discovered at "several" of the crime scenes, according to the newest case updates.

Police don't yet want to say whether drugs are the reason the victims were all shot to death "execution style" in their homes on April 22nd -- many as they slept -- but a "major" dope ring with "ties to a Mexican cartel" had recently been busted in the area.

The well-orchestrated bloodbath in Pikes County targeted adult family members as well as young adults and teens. At least three toddlers were also found, unharmed but close by, at separate locations.

The slain have been confirmed as 44yo Kenneth Rhoden; 40yo Christopher Rhoden Sr.; 38yo Gary Rhoden; 37yo Dana Rhoden; 20yo Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden; 20yo Hannah Gilley; 19yo Hanna Rhoden; and 16yo Christopher Rhoden Jr.

Investigators are still trying to patch together the events that preceded the Ohio family mass murder and may have identified some persons of interest, but still have no suspects and haven't charged anyone.

They say they're anticipating a "lengthy investigation" before arrests can finally be made because the killers "did everything they could to hinder prosecution," though what precisely that entailed hasn't been disclosed yet.

A law enforcement spokesman did inform reporters yesterday that over four dozen people have already been questioned and “18 pieces of evidence are now at the state crime lab" for analysis by the BCI. 

Naturally, the murdered family's pot crop was also impounded.

At this point in their homicide probe police don't believe the gunman (or gunmen) was among the dead, since they're convinced the slayings were not the result of a domestic squabble that descended into deadly violence.

They're urging anyone with information to contact 911 or the state attorney's office.

A wealthy Ohioan is additionally offering a $25,000 reward for tips which will lead to the murderer/s swift apprehension and prosecution.

EPONYMOUS ROX

Abduction and Murder of Joey LaBute 'Not a Hate Crime'

Weeks after the abduction and murder of Joey LaBute -- and his staged river drowning -- Ohio police are still processing "a huge amount of information," but haven't IDd a single suspect.

And they're still convinced that 26-year-old Joseph 'Joey' Labute, rumored now to have been homosexual, wasn't the victim of a hate crime.

As the trail to his killer steadily grows cold, investigators announced this week they've "come across" new video from inside the restaurant where LaBute was last seen alive by family and friends before abruptly disappearing.

The footage shows him "on the dance floor" of the Union Cafe in Columbus center around midnight of March 5, 2016, and then, just "seven minutes" prior to vanishing from the establishment forever, exiting one of the restrooms.

It's not clear where that vital evidence has been all this time or how police finally obtained it. However, it doesn't seem to provide any clues as to why, and with whom, Joey LaBute went outdoors and subsequently died.

A coroner found no evidence whatsoever he had truly drowned and, in fact, ruled there was "a high probability" LaBute was "already dead" when he went into the Scioto River sometime last month.

A group of lawmen checking the riverbank for his body on March 31st coincidentally spotted it semi-submerged in a shallow section not far offshore.

Divers retrieved the corpse in "pretty good condition," suggesting that, whoever slew LaBute, and whatever their motive in doing so, they didn't dump him until well after an active search had all but ended.

Investigators hope the latest images from LaBute's last known location, once enlarged and forensically analyzed, will shed more light on who he was interacting with when he suddenly vanished without a trace.

Obviously the still unknown perpetrator/s themselves likewise had to be captured on security cameras that night, since America is by now a a full-fledged police state and the city of Columbus is no exception to such widespread privacy invasions.

Yet, despite all its traffic cams, license-plate readers, aerial drones, and numerous other clandestine methods of tracking the minute-to-minute movements of innocent citizens without probable cause or court-issued warrants, no images of LaBute's kidnapper and killer have ever surfaced...

Those following these so called Smiley Face Murders of course know that Joey Labute isn't the only young male to suspiciously go missing from a public place and later be found dead in a river, lake, pond, stream or reservoir. And he probably won't be the last. 

But his bogus cold-water death this season stands out as one of only a few in the decades-long Case of the Drowning Men which wasn't whitewashed by officials as a drunken "accident."

Anybody who can help solve the LaBute abduction, homicide and attempted cover-up during March of 2016 is urged to contact the Columbus Police Department at (614) 645-4545.

EPONYMOUS ROX

New Clues in Fitness Coach Missy Bevers' Slaying

Many new clues in the murder of fitness coach Missy Bevers have emerged since she was found bludgeoned to death in Midlothian Texas on Monday morning. But no arrest yet.

Yesterday police released additional info and a revised timeline (below) regarding the movements of the SWAT-attired suspect filmed creeping through Creekside Church hallways just prior to Bevers own fateful arrival.

That still unidentified individual -- widely believed to be a woman -- left a trail of destruction and a town perplexed as to why a popular exercise instructor would seemingly have "been targeted" for death.

Two participants of the 'boot camp' class Missy Bevers was preparing for in the predawn hours of April 18, 2016, allegedly discovered her lifeless body amid shards of broken glass, and phoned emergency dispatchers twice to report the "unresponsive female."

There is no way yet to rule out that one of those 911 callers wasn't in fact the killer herself, since no footage exists of the murderer arriving or departing, due to numerous "inoperative" exterior cams that day.

Most homicide victims aren't chosen at random by strangers, which is why Bevers' husband of two decades, "vacationing out of state" at the time, was also repeatedly questioned by detectives and "Brandon Bevers alibi" thoroughly probed.

His 45-year-old wife's murder inquiry has rapidly expanded now, with local, state and federal authorities, including the ATF, working in unison to figure out the crime motive and apprehend the cop-impersonating perpetrator.

Judging from surveillance video this person appears somewhat heavyset and, according to new evaluations, stands "about 5-foot-8" or slightly taller.

The subject also walks with a very "distinguishable gait" and has other unique "mannerisms" which investigators feel certain "someone should be able to recognize."

Hand tools, such as a pry bar and hammer, have additionally been identified as the possible murder weapon/s, and similar items are believed to have been used to extensively vandalize the building too.

Cameras inside the Creekside Church are reportedly activated by motion sensors, and thus generated a set of images which were initially out of sync with the actual series of events leading to the deadly assault on Missy Bevers.

These have all been analyzed and re-sequenced to establish a more accurate timetable:

3:50 a.m. - Suspect first appears at Creekside Church of Christ.
4:16 a.m. - Missy Bevers’  is shown arriving in her pickup truck.
4:20 a.m. - Bevers parks and enters the church building.
4:35 a.m. - A participant in her weekly 'Camp Gladiator' workout class arrives.
5:00 a.m. - Emergency dispatchers receive first of two 911 calls.
5:03 a.m. - Patrol officers and EMS are dispatched.
5:10 a.m. - Police arrive at the crime scene.

Law enforcement agencies continue to pore over the victim's social media interactions for hints to her killer's identity and grievance.

Bevers maintained a large and active online presence, particularly with respect to her Camp Gladiator fitness classes, and is said to have divulged more information about herself on the Web than is recommended.

Friends and relatives also think she was acting "more reserved" lately, suggesting she might have been having problems with someone, although, if so, she didn't reveal any details.

Despite all the stepped up investigative efforts, however, nearly a week after her brutal murder authorities still have no idea who wanted the exercise guru dead.

But "we will vigorously pursue the person or persons responsible and bring them to justice,” vowed Midlothian's chief of police.

EPONYMOUS ROX

Can You ID Drowned John Doe By His Tattoo?

A John Doe victim was found drowned in the Kanawha River on April 19th with the below tattoo on his left arm.

West Virginia police have released the image, noting it's not the actual one but practically identical in hopes someone may recognize this and ID the dead man.

They say the large Virgin Mary tat is specifically 'Our Lady of Guadalupe' and done with black ink. It extends from John Doe's shoulder to his elbow.

A crucifix was also found in one of his pants pockets.

No other form of identification was found on the body of a "6-foot tall" unknown male of indeterminate age pulled from the water on Thursday.

His remains were retrieved in the vicinity of River Avenue and McDonald Street in South Charleston.

Anyone who thinks they can identify the John Doe found drowned this week by his distinctive tattoo is asked to call the South Charleston Police Department at (304) 744-5951.

Updates to this case will be posted in the comment section.

EPONYMOUS ROX

Body of Nicole Mittendorff Likely Found in Shenandoah Park

PHOTO: The likely remains of Nicole Mittendorff have been found in a remote and rocky section of the Shenandoah National Park.

Police called off their massive search for the missing woman at around 2:00 p.m. on Thursday after locating what they think to be her body.

Although that victim has only been tentatively IDd, a relative already publicly acknowledged last night that Mittendorff was found dead:

"We believe that Nicole has been found and is finally coming home," the family's written statement, in part, read. "However not the way we anticipated."

A law enforcement official said searchers came across Mittendorff's corpse almost a mile from where her vehicle had been located days after she initially vanished this month.

For the first time during the frantic quest to find the Virgina firefighter and paramedic alive, authorities also revealed the existence of "a suicide note."

The 31-year-old triathlete allegedly left the farewell letter inside her abandoned 2009 Mini Cooper.

Mittendorff's odd missing persons case garnered intense public scrutiny and debate throughout the week because her husband is a state trooper and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance were vague, at best.

According to new reports, the couple had been "estranged" for several months and may have even been attempting to "reconcile" when Nicole Mittendorff abruptly went missing after calling in sick at her place of employment.

The Fairfax County Fire-and-Rescue worker's high-profile disappearance and cause of death is now being investigated by local, state and federal agencies, although "foul play isn't suspected" at this time.

Meanwhile, a Virginia medical examiner is endeavoring to positively identify the human remains recovered from park lands yesterday near one of the wilderness trails the avid sportswoman frequently jogged.

This is just a formality, however, since there's very little doubt they'll be confirmed as those of Nicole Mittendorff, who apparently planned -- and succeeded -- in taking her own life.

EPONYMOUS ROX

BREAKING - Funk Rocker Prince Found Dead

BREAKING - An investigation into the death of music icon Prince at his Minnesota mansion today is in progress.

EMTs arrived at the funk-rocker's Paisley Park estate on Thursday morning to treat an "unnamed" male subject who was apparently unconscious and "unresponsive."

Many major media sources, including the Associated Press, are now confirming that the victim found dead at Prince's home was in fact the 57-year-old singer himself.

Prince reportedly had been ill with "flu-like" symptoms for the past few weeks, even canceling some scheduled performances because of the mysterious ailment.

Born 'Prince Rogers Nelson' in 1958, the jazz pianist's flashy son rose to fame in the 1980s and 90s with such pop hits as "Purple Rain" and "When Doves Cry."

The cause of his sudden death today hasn't been revealed yet.

 

This breaking news story is developing - check the comment section for updates.

EPONYMOUS ROX

Missing 27yo Taylor Frazer Found Drowned in River Tay

Scotland police have confirmed that Taylor Frazer (below) was the young man found drowned in the River Tay this week.

Specialists had previously searched the water and banks where the 27-year-old's body evidently surfaced on Tuesday night.

Nothing was discovered during those operations.

Authorities were convinced throughout Taylor Frazer's brief missing persons investigation that he was in peril, expressing "significant concerns" in their appeal for the public's help in locating him.

Now that his corpse has been recovered from the River Tay, though, they've issued a statement to the contrary:

"There are no suspicious circumstances," a police spokesperson advised reporters for the Scottish Daily Record yesterday.

The Dundee man disappeared from a posh hotel on Whitehall Crescent the very morning he was due to check out.

He was allegedly last sighted alive "near Tesco in Riverside" around 5:00 a.m. on Sunday.

It's still not known what happened to Taylor Frazer after that, or if he did actually depart the Malmaison Hotel as planned.

A forensics team was called in to comb his suite for clues. Apparently they didn't find any.

EPONYMOUS ROX

Missing Nicole Mittendorff Not Pregnant But Still Gone

Cops searching for Nicole Mittendorff below are scrambling to dispel online rumors that's she's pregnant, whilst appealing for the public's help in finding the missing woman.

The 31-year-old firefighting paramedic disappeared in her home state of Virgina over a week ago, and hasn't been seen or heard from since reportedly sending her family a text message on or about April 13, 2016.

During that time, would be rescuers discovered Mittendorff's vehicle, a 2009 cream-colored Mini Cooper, abandoned at Shenandoah National Park.

That expansive wilderness area is said to be a favorite of the athletic blonde who regularly jogs its trails when in training for triathlon events.

Law enforcement agencies equipped with K9s have been scouring the park for Mittendorff or clues to her whereabouts, particularly in the vicinity of White Oak Canyon trail, but haven't found anything.

In fact, at this hour, five trailways -- Limberlost, Cedar Run, Cedar Run Link, Crescent Rocks and White Oak -- are "closed off" as the air and ground search widens considerably today.

In the meantime, speculation about Mittendorff's marriage to a State Police employee -- who allegedly delayed for two days in reporting her gone -- and a 'bogus' new baby registry, has emerged to confound an already odd missing persons case.

The missing woman's husband, however, is not considered a suspect in her thus-far unexplained disappearance, since investigators "do not suspect foul play" yet.

Rumor-mongering over Nicole Mittendorff's fate has understandably begun reaching epic proportions these past few days, amid an otherwise glaring lack of verified info about when, where and how she actually fell off the radar this month.

Anxious relatives insist it's totally atypical behavior for her, and further described their missing loved one as "responsible" and a "dedicated" Fairfax County first-responder who's rarely ever missed a day of work in her adult life.

As that appears to be true, both state and federal authorities are now jointly trying to ascertain what really did happen to Ms. Mittendorff in mid April, who, it's recently been revealed, "called in sick" just shortly before vanishing without a trace.

According to the "Find Nicole" Facebook group, on that very same day she also "downloaded" some mysterious documents "to her cell phone," the contents of which are currently being examined with "cooperation" from her wireless provider.

Nicole Mittendorff is a trim 5-foot-6 and 125-pound Caucasian female, with green eyes and blonde hair. Anyone with valid information about her case is urged to alert a 911 dispatcher, or the Virginia State Police at (703) 803-0026 (#77 on a cell)

Tips may also be submitted by email to questions[at]vsp[dot]virginia[dot]gov.

EPONYMOUS ROX

Midlothian Murder Mystery - Was Killer a Woman?

PHOTOS: The Midlothian murder mystery continues to deepen days after a beloved fitness guru was found slain at a Texas church.

Police have stepped back from earlier assertions that the cop-imposter sought in the predawn killing of 45-year-old Terri 'Missy' Bevers, as she was preparing to hold her Monday morning exercise class, is 'male.'

"We are backing off our statement that the suspect on video was a man," a local law enforcement official told reporters today. "We said 'he' over and over again yesterday, and that was a mistake."

He added that, although investigators are still unsure of the killer's actual gender, "there's a lot of speculation, based on the gait and appearance, this person may be a woman."

Via Facebook, police have also released the below series of surveillance stills, with a few more seconds of live video, filmed inside the Creekside Church, in hopes someone will recognize the suspect's "distinctive walk."

Whoever the person is, they acted familiar with the layout of the building and might have even disabled some motion-activated cameras before the deadly incident, as no footage is said to exist where the assault itself occurred, or in other key places.

Additionally, a coroner has determined exactly how Ms. Bevers died in Monday's mysterious attack. However, on orders from detectives working the case, those findings are being kept confidential.

Thus, "only her murderer" and those involved in apprehending the individual presently know the manner in which the middle-aged mother-of-three was slain two days ago; albeit a motive, as with the killer's identity, still remains elusive.

Midlothian police did disclose that Missy Bevers briefly "struggled" with her unknown assailant and that first responders found "a lot of broken glass" at the crime scene near and around her body.

Although the victim's husband doesn't believe his wife was specifically "targeted" for homicide, the theory she might have "interrupted a burglary" is beginning to seem more and more unlikely.

According to police and church officials, despite the intruder "vandalizing" the building just moments before instructor Bevers' arrival for her weekly 5:00 a.m. 'boot camp' session, nothing apparently was stolen from the facility.

It's also no longer clear if the fitness trainer's "heavily disguised" assassin was armed either, since it appears she (or he) "used a pry-bar" to break-and-enter and didn't display knives or firearms once indoors.

That metal object may therefore be the murder weapon too, suggesting Missy Bevers died from blunt force trauma. Although, once again, detectives have declined to release these type of case details to the public, citing their "ongoing investigation."

They are confirming the Midlothian murder suspect suited up "in tactical gear" before coming to the church, including donning "a heavy helmet" with a face-guard, and various official insignias "designed" to make them "look like a police officer."

It is the cop impersonator aspect of the “extremely unusual" crime which has law enforcement concerned “something else" besides a robbery "was going on here," and why they're especially eager to take the killer into custody as quickly as possible.

To those aims, the Texas Rangers have joined forces with the Midlothian Police Department to help solve the murder of Missy Bevers, and an area business is offering a substantial reward for tips leading to the arrest and prosecution of her killer.

Anyone with such information is urged to contact the MPD at 972-775-3333, or Ellis County Crime Stoppers at 972-937-7297.

EPONYMOUS ROX

Concern grows for Stephen Lathom, missing in the UK

UK officials searching for Stephen Lathom (below) are expressing concern for the fate of the 36-year-old man who disappeared during the first week of April.

Stephen Robert Lathom hails from the St. Helens area and was last seen in that town's downtown center on Saturday April 2, 2016.

It's a place that he's known to frequently visit, although no one has sighted him there for nearly three weeks.

Police initially thought their missing man may have headed from St. Helens to London's Highgate district, but that doesn't seem to have been the case.

They're now concerned over Lathom's whereabouts and well-being, and are asking for the public's assistance in locating him.

Stephen Lathom is a 5-foot-6 Caucasian adult male, with brown hair and brown eyes. Family and friends say he almost always wears a baseball cap too.

Anyone who sees him, or who might know where he is and/or what happened to prevent him from returning home this month, is asked to alert investigators at 0151-777-6032 or to call 101.

The UK's charitable agency 'Missing People' is also involved in efforts to solve Lathom's missing persons case. 

They can be reached at 116-000 or by emailing 116000[at]missingpeople[dot]org[dot]uk.

 EPONYMOUS ROX

Missing Persons Alert for Bob Murphy, 31 of Grand Forks ND

This missing persons alert is for 31yo Bob Murphy (shown in the photo below) who disappeared from Grand Forks North Dakota early last month.

According to the Grand Forks Police Department's report, Robert Murphy hasn't been seen or heard from since March 3, 2016, and his family has become extremely "worried about his welfare."

Few details have been released regarding the exact circumstances of the 31-year-old man's disappearance several weeks ago. However, officials believe he was last in the vicinity of the North Dakota / Minnesota border.

A spokesman for the GFPD's criminal investigations unit said "no foul play" is suspected in his missing persons case at this time, and no evidence has yet surfaced to indicate Bob Murphy is endangered either.

Nevertheless, because Murphy's been gone without a trace for over a month now, they're urging those who've had contact with him since March 3rd, or who know of his present whereabouts, to alert them right away.

North Dakota authorities can be contacted by phone at (701) 787-8007, or by sending an email to investigate[at]grandforksgov[dot]com. 

Tips may also be texted -- with the word "tipster" accompanying the text message -- to 847411 (or TIP411).

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22yo John Krause Found Drowned in Arizona Canal

The body of 22-year-old John Krause was retrieved from a Mesa Arizona canal on Friday night.

A police spokesperson indicated there were "no signs of foul play" in Krause's apparent drowning but they are still investigating the case.

It's not yet known how John Krause entered the water and died there or when, but his is the second body to be pulled from that waterway in recent days.

Last weekend a worker clearing one of Mesa's canal gates near Brown Road spotted a man's corpse trapped in the debris.

According to description, the unidentified victim's remains were in an advanced stage of decomposition, suggesting he had been submerged for quite some time.

That earlier death has been labeled suspicious however, though the status of the police inquiry is unknown at this time.

Neither man found drowned in mid April 2016 is the first to ever perish in Arizona's fresh waterways.

One of the most high profile disappearances and "accidental" deaths in that largely arid state occurred in downtown Tempe during November of 2012.

That year Arizona college student Jack Culolias vanished after being thrown out of a crowded college bar where he was celebrating "Hell Week" without about 200 of his classmates.

The missing young man's body was discovered about a month later in an area of the Salt River thoroughly searched before due to its close proximity to the Cadillac Ranch where Culolias was last seen alive.

His family, including an identical twin, have since sued the bar for a host of improprieties which they believe led up to and resulted in his wrongful death.

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Body of missing 18yo Omair Abbas likely found in UK river

PHOTO: Omair Abbas, 18 of Cardiff UK, went missing while job hunting -- police say a body found in the River Ely this week is likely his.

Abbas hasn't been heard from since March 31, 2016, when he was last sighted in the Newport commercial district at approximately 5:00 p.m.

According to the South Wales Police missing persons report, the youth was hoping to find employment in one of the area's busy restaurants or pubs.

Officers searching for him there released surveillance footage of Abbas walking across the roundabout near Asda on Leckwith Road shortly before he disappeared.

The 18-year-old's relatives said his long absence this April was "uncharacteristic," and even officials had grown "concerned about the welfare of Omair Abbas" when two weeks passed without word from him.

A formal identification of the remains of a young male found drowned near Cardiff Bay on Wednesday is still pending. However, a law enforcement spokesman said the Abbas family "has been informed."

Abbas was an athletic-looking teen who stood over 6-feet tall and had short dark hair and a beard. When last seen alive he was wearing a black shirt, black pants, and a black coat.

Anyone with information about his disappearance and apparent drowning in the River Ely on March 31st is urged to call police at 101 and refer to case number 1600112778.

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Missing NYC Librarian Javier Horta Found Drowned in Bronx River

Police say the body of missing NYC librarian Javier Horta (below) was pulled from the Bronx River yesterday near East 177th Street.

The 34-year-old single dad disappeared three weeks ago under questionable circumstances which are now being investigated.

After an all-out community search was launched for Horta, it was a passerby who spotted his corpse floating in the water around 1:00 in the afternoon on Wednesday -- less than half a mile from where he vanished.

Cops at the scene stated there was "no trauma" on the dead man and "no signs of foul play" either, indicating that NYC's latest cold-weather *drowning* will be ruled yet another "accident."

However, an autopsy will be conducted this week to determine Horta's actual cause and manner of death.

Javier Horta was last seen alive by two friends he had spent an evening with on March 25, 2016.

Allegedly around midnight he was preparing to take a taxi back to his own residence with one of those men.

Instead Horta told him to go on without him because he'd forgotten his "wallet and phone upstairs."

He then apparently “went back to get his things," confirmed the missing man's brother Hector. "That’s the last anyone saw him.”

Nobody knows what happened to Javier Horta after that, but the popular NYC librarian was never seen or heard from again. Until yesterday.

According to relatives, the NYPD demonstrated some reluctance in pursuing Horta's missing persons case, insisting they "really can't do much" since he had "no history of mental illness" and was "over twenty-one."

“A detective told me April 2nd the case is still open," Hector Horta told reporters earlier this month. "But he also said ‘I hope you find your brother.'"

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Missing Aussie Teen Cayleb Hough 'Knew His killer'

The fate of missing Aussie teen Cayleb Hough (below) is now known: He was murdered and his body dumped in a swamp outside the city of Melbourne.

A botany student exploring the Bacchus Marsh in Lerderderg State Park on March 10th stumbled upon human remains stashed in a "shallow mineshaft."

It took some time for Australian officials to confirm the badly decomposed corpse was indeed that of missing 17-year-old Cayleb Hough and that his cause of death was "homicide."

Investigators also believe, from evidence collected at the crime scene and during autopsy, that the slain young man "knew his killer."

A medical examiner determined that Hough died shortly after his unexplained disappearance a few days before Christmas 2015.

“There is no way that this was an accident,” a law enforcement spokesman told reporters this week. "Cayleb Hough was murdered."

Hough was last seen alive on December 20th leaving for a party in the passenger seat of a 2003 Ford Falson XR6 with registration number SOG-812.

The blue sedan was later found abandoned in a car-park at Crown Casino in mid January 2016, but there was still no sign of the missing teenager or clues to his whereabouts.

The owner/s of the vehicle -- and other unnamed parties  -- were questioned at the time and have since been labeled Persons of Interest in the newly-launched murder probe.

However, authorities made it clear in this week's press conference that, so far, they have "no suspects" for the "obvious" violent crime that befell Cayleb Hough this past winter.

The young man is described as "just a normal 17-year-old" who could've been "anybody's son." So his slaying, and a possible motive for it, has detectives and family members truly stumped now.

A lead homicide detective on the case is appealing for the public's help in solving it.

He said “Cayleb’s family deserve some answers," and police are "particularly keen to speak to anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in the Lerderderg State Park since December 20th last year. ”

Tips concerning this ongoing investigation should be forwarded to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-333-000.

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Brian Shaffer Missing Persons Reward Now $100,000

The missing persons case of Brian Shaffer resembles all the other Smiley Face Killer disappearances -- before and after his -- with two notable exceptions...

Shaffer vanished upon reentering a bar. And his remains have yet to be recovered.

Ten years later, both of Brian Shaffer's parents are also now deceased, and the reward for info that will help solve their son's puzzling cold case has risen to a $100,000.

The 27-year-old Ohio State University med-student was celebrating Spring Break in downtown Columbus on the evening of April 1, 2006.

He went missing that night at the Ugly Tuna Saloon, a popular bar-and-grille located not far from the one where 26-year-old Joey LaBute similarly disappeared last month.

The LaBute and Shaffer disappearances in Ohio, though spaced a full decade apart, are almost identical in that both magically vanished without a trace inside a pub where they'd been socializing with friends and relatives.

True to The Case of the Drowning Men, however, LaBute's body was found weeks later dumped in an outdoor body of water; but this young man's death is one of the few to subsequently be ruled a homicide.

A medical examiner determined that LaBute hadn't been in the Scioto River the entire time he was gone without a trace. And it was clear by other autopsy results that he didn't really "drown."

Naturally, these two strikingly-similar missing-persons cases in Ohio has generated a lot of speculation as well: For Joey, over what role his "sexuality" might have played. For Brian, whether he "deliberately" fell off the radar or even "killed" himself.

Though Joey LaBute was found dead relatively soon after he disappeared and his suspicious death remains unsolved, the LaBute family has partial closure that the Shaffer family has not.

Thus, the rumors surrounding the Shaffer's missing young man still abound, even ten years after the fact.

“There is a possibility he is alive," conceded one of the detectives who first worked the Brian Shaffer case back in 2006. "But, if you look at the probabilities that he isn’t, those are just as great.”

“Everybody has a theory,” he added,“but the ultimate mystery remains -- where is Brian?”

What do you think, was Shaffer also killed the night he went missing in Ohio? Did he, instead, commit suicide someplace where he'll never be found? Or is he alive and well today, living under a false identity?

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Parents of Missing Adrian Lynch Renew Search Pleas

The parents of 20yo Adrian Lynch (below), who went missing from Jersey UK four months ago, has renewed pleas for help in finding his body.

Adrian 'Addy' Lynch vanished this past winter after leaving a Christmas work party in a taxi sometime around the witching hour.

The cabbie reportedly dropped him off on the evening of December 5th in the Carrefour Selous area of St Lawrence, which is approximately one mile from Lynch's residence.

He was then observed traveling on foot through that neighborhood by a number of eyewitnesses, and filmed as well by several surveillance cameras.

But where the youth went after that, and what happened to him there, is still a mystery.

Jersey island police believe Adrian Lynch was "disoriented" from drinking and suffered a fatal "misadventure" that night; which seems likely because the young electrician hasn't been seen or heard from since.

However, months later there are still no hard clues as to Lynch's actual fate, and nothing but a few personal possessions were ever recovered from the area he was last sighted alive in.

This week Adrian Lynch's parents are issuing new fliers listing some of those items -- and others -- he had on him when he disappeared, in hopes of refreshing people's memories and reigniting interest his unsolved missing persons case.

These are as follows:

1. a Ford Fiesta car key
2. a Yale house key
3. a pair of black shoes (which may have come during an accident)
4. a blue suit, white shirt, and white undershirt
5. a Signet ring

Danny and Sharon Lynch also released a written statement about the emotional impact their 20-year-old son's troubling and unexplained disappearance has had on them:

"Four months have passed since Adrian was last seen and although time is said to be a great healer, in this case that doesn’t seem to be true," they jointly stated. "Not knowing where he is or what happened to him on that night is just unbearable and it feels as though things are just getting worse, the longer this goes on."

Local officials have previously assured the Lynchs that as long as their young man is missing his cold case will be actively investigated, although "not [as] a crime."

Indeed, police recently alerted farmers and seasonal workers arriving in the region this spring to be on the lookout for human remains or related evidence. But so far no one's come across anything.

 

Anyone who knows what befell Adrian Lynch on December 5, 2015, or his current whereabouts, is urged to contact Jersey UK authorities at 612612 or CrimeStoppers at 0800555111.

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Colin Madsen's mom says Russia is covering up his murder

The mother of Colin Madsen (below), who went missing in Russia this spring and was later found dead, believes corrupt local cops are covering up her son's murder.

Dr. Dana Madsen's 25-year-old son Colin was staying at a remote guesthouse in Arshan, Buryatia with a group of his Russian university mates, in preparation for scaling one of the nearby high-peaks together.

According to those young men, the skilled mountaineer and world-traveler allegedly went outdoors at dawn on March 27th -- during arctic temperatures dressed only in undergarments -- and never returned again.

Per this site's original coverage of his missing persons case, a broad search-and-rescue effort was launched and, approximately one week later, the frozen remains of Colin Madsen were found only a mile from his lodgings.

Just prior to that discovery, Russian authorities had opened a murder investigation naming each member of Colin Madsen's climbing party a suspect, including one fellow American, because their stories weren't adding up.

However, it wasn't long after finding the U.S. grad-student's prone but "uninjured" body outdoors, that police changed their theory about Madsen's suspicious disappearance and death, suggesting instead that it was somehow a "drug" related accident.

Dana Madsen, a physician who lives and works in Jefferson City Missouri, had immediately flown to the mountainous Russian region where Colin vanished, in hopes of assisting searchers in locating him still alive.

This week she posted on Facebook the below public appeal regarding the callous treatment she received from local officials once she arrived there. In it, she also describes their shoddy investigation and gross misstatement of facts surrounding the actions and activities leading up to Colin's death in Siberia:

"I want to know if any of you can help me get the right information about Colin out to the press. There is so much misinformation out that makes him appear foolish and they are simply not correct. It is very hurtful to his family. A: He did not go out in a tee shirt; it was a long sleeve thermal shirt. B: There is no substantiation that he went or told anyone he was going outside for a walk. The bathrooms are outside in an outhouse. C: If Colin did any drugs (which we don't know) he would have smoked marijuana and that was hours before this event occurred. There was no alcohol involved.

"D: There were not subzero temps that night. I have been told it was warm, and if anyone knows Colin, he had an incredible tolerance to cool weather. E: He was familiar with this place that he loved to hike, spoke fluent Russian, and had his pack, water and food ready for the climb. Those things were left at the cabin. F: He was found a mile away, one day after the Russian FBI came. Not huddled or covered with leaves but flat on his back in grass with his sleeves pushed up, his boots unlaced, no socks on, his eyes and mouth open. He was not in snow but on the grass under a tree. We know this, as an unscrupulous rescuer took this photo and sold it to a Russian tabloid. G: We know he wasn't suicidal, he was excited about wanting to work in the embassy in Vladivostok or the UN. H: He Loved his friends and family.

"I believe that the local police here did not do their job and even to me made innuendos and remarks that were defamatory about Colin, when they didn't know him and should have been looking for him. I think they are trying to cover up the ineptitude that occurred here before we came and the pressure to find him was accelerated . Help me if you can get the right information out there . He deserves better than this. Corruption, cover up abounds here in this place but I am so grateful for the Russian FBI, all of the volunteers, and Colin's dear, dear, friends. I also want to tell all of you how proud I am to be from the U.S. Our two consulate friends from the Moscow U S embassy, Courtney and Vassily, have been by our side every step of the way with compassion, wisdom, and love.

"The murder investigation is still open and I hate to even think it, but I believe barring some medical catastrophe like an aneurysm or pulmonary embolus, that it is likely [since] he would have never walked to a place in the pitch dark with his shoes unlaced, no socks, and when he was leaving for a climb in just a few hours that he was so excited about.

"Thanks, my friends for all of your love and support. The autopsy was done yesterday (and I hate to say it was in this place), Colin will be taken to Irkutsk today and then we will fly to Moscow and home, hopefully in a few days. I have so many other things to tell you about this debacle but I might not ever be ready to talk about it."  [end quote]

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