Murder of George L. Gunkle

In February of 1967, George Gunkle was found murdered in Dayton, Ohio. There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES:

Ohio State Attorney

Dayton Police Department

Murder of Rita Irene Ellis

On the night of November 22, 2967, 19-year-old Rita Ellis was supposed to babysit for Wing Commander Roy Watson and his wife. Rita would be walked out of her housing with a nurse, Liz, and Liz's boyfriend Steve. Rita would wait in front of the WRAF women's housing block on the RAF Halton in England at 7:25 to be picked up by Roy. But when Roy came around at 7:40 she was nowhere to be seen. He would wait around 15 minutes for her.

He would return home and get his wife so that she could go into the women's block to look for Rita.  When they returned 10 minutes later his wife would go inside but she wasn't found. It was not known what had happened to her til the next day. 

The next day in Rowborough Copse a woodland on the west edge of the camp someone would walk their dog. The dog walker would make it to where a disused railway line was and find Rita's body under some foliage. Rita's death was brutal had been beaten, sexually assaulted, and strangled to death with her own underwear. 

Hundreds of civilians and military personnel were on the base. There were two public functions happening on the base that night, which were a bingo and a disco. It's believed that Rita may have been approached by a man in a vehicle and offered a ride. She may have mistakenly thought that he was Roy Watson because she had never met him before. She may have been too shy to question his identity. The man then took advantage of the opportunity and raped and murdered her. 

Rita had grown up in Stevenage and joined the WRAF on April 28, 1967. She accomplished her basic training at RAF Spitalgate in Grantham, Lincolnshire. At the time of her murder, she was working in the kitchen of the Princess Marys Royal Air Force Hospital the catering department on the camp at RAP Halton in Buckinghamshire. She was described as a gentle soul by those who knew her. 

DNA of the killer is available. It's possible that Rita was not the only victim. There was a case of a nurse being sexually assaulted and left for dead around 3 miles away from Rita's attack there's no definitive evidence that they were, but the two cases were very similar. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Wikipedia

Buckinghamshire October 2, 2021

Murder of Sarah Cox

 

In 1967 20-year-old Sarah Cox was a student of Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. She would be last seen getting on a bus at the university (unstated what day this was). On November 3, 1967 her body would be founder a pile of carboard in a wooded area. She had been strangled to death. 

SOURCES:

The City of Worcester

The Miami Herald December 5, 1967

Disappearance of Roy George Burn

On September 25, 1967, 59-year-old went to eat at the cafe attached to Claude's Shell Station in Sartell, Minnesota at 4 a.m. This would be the last time anyone saw him. He was driving a metallic blue four-door 1963 Buick Electra with the Minnesota license plate number 6DU516 and serial number 8J4036010. It's unknown if his vehicle was recovered.

Roy was a widower and his loved one stated he was happy with his life.  They don't believe he would have disappeared on his own. He owned a business the St. Cloud Gas and Appliance Service. At the time he lived in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. He was well-off with no debts, and usually carried a large amount of money with himself as he only used cash. He may have had several thousands of dollars with himself.

Roy is a white male and was 69-years-old at the time. He has thinning brown and grey eyes. He has a scar of the rightside of his left eyebrow. 

SOURCES:

Charley Project

NamUs

Doe Network

Disappearance of Boleslaw Nowak

In 1967 21-year-old Boleslaw Nowak lived in the worker's hostel and his little brother lived at the Coal Miner's House nearby in Knorow, Poland. He worked in the coal mines of Slask, his most recent job was at a coal mine in Knorow Szczakow. He was also serving his military service. 

On the night of May 16, 1967, Boleslaw came to see his younger brother. He had been beaten up and claimed that the ORMO forces. His brother advised him to see the head coal moner on the night shift and ask him for work in the baths. 

After this, he was never seen again. He didn't show up to work, or the hotel, or have been employed in the territory of Slask.

Boleslaw is a white male and was 21-years-old at the time.He has dark hair. 

SOURCES:

Doe Network

Ktokolwiek Widział

Feb 25, 1967 London, England John Doe

 On Feb. 25, 1967, a man took his life by jumping off of the top of the Shell Building, Belvedere Road in London, England. John Doe is an Asian male around 30-years-old. He was 165 cm and had a thin build. He was wearing a brown flecked jacket and trousers, a white shirt, maroon tie, black socks, black shoes, and a Lusina watch that was yellow metal with a stainless steel back no. 71220.

SOURCES:

UK Missing Persons Unit

Doe Network

March 16, 1968 Bristol Island, British Columbia, Canada John Doe

On March 16, 1968, the body of a man was found in Fraser River near Bristol Island, British Columbia, Canada. The man had died between September of 1967 up to March of 1968. He was a caucasian man between 30 to 49-years-old. He's 173cm (5'8") and had a medium build. He had brown hair. He had 3 well-healed finger amputations on his left hand, a 3 cm scar on his chin, no teeth in the upper jaw and some teeth in the lower jaw.

SOURCES:
Canada's Missing

Murder of Mildred May

On Feb. 4, 1967, two motorcyclists found the body of 38-year-old Mildred May was lying on the side of the Trinity River levee in Fort Worth, Texas. She was found naked, beaten, and believed to have died from strangulation. She was sexually assaulted and had only been dead for a few hours.

On the night of Feb. 3, Mildred went to a night club with some friends. Her husband was at a dinner in Dallas. A friend of hers said that she left around 10:30 p.m. and was heading home. But her car had stalled on the freeway and she locked the doors before leaving to head towards a telephone. It's believed this is where she was attacked as her car was still there.

It's believed that she was assaulted and killed in a separate area before they left her body at the Levee. Her purse was also found on West Freeway and it's believed to have been thrown from a moving vehicle. The white shirt and gold pants she was wearing were never found.

SOURCES:

Fort Worth Police Department

Find A Grave

The Tyler Courier Times 

Disappearance of Sylvia Linda Klayh

On August 13, 1967, 14-year-old Sylvia Klayh and her family were at their family cabin in Brereton Lake, Manitoba, Canada. Around 11 a.m. Sylvia and her father had an argument. She left the cabin without a word. When she didn't return for lunch her father reported her missing.

There was a ground search of the surrounding area of the cabin, but there was no trace of her. As she did leave the cabin on her own accord she was first considered a runaway, but since there has been such a long time without contact it's possible she met foul play.

Sylvia is a white female and was 14 at the time she disappeared. She may also be using the last name Ciprianovich. She was  5'6" and 119 lbs at the time. She has long brown hair and brown eyes.

SOURCES:
Canada's Missing
Unidentified Wikia
Calgary Herald 
The Ottawa Citizen 

Murder of Bernard Oliver

On  6 Jan 1967 17-year-old Bernard Oliver left his home in Muswell Hill, London, England that he shared with his father and five siblings. He was going to spend the evening with his friends, but he never came back home. His father reported him missing the next morning. 

People around the Muswell Hill area reported seeing him after his disappearance, but at the time these people didn't know he was reported missing. On 16 Jan 1967, a gruesome discovery happened. Two suitcases were found in a field in Tattingstone, Suffolk. near Ipswich. Inside them were the dismembered remains of the teenager. 

There was a towel found at the scene with a laundry mark of QL 42. On one of the suitcases, P.V.A. painted on it and a Clan shipping-line label on it. 

Pictures of Crime Scene:

SOURCES:

Suffolk Constabulary

The Guardian 

The Observer pt 1

The Observer pt 2

Disappearance of Lilian Culbert Williams

In either 1967 or 1968, 41-43year-old Lillian Williams was last seen at her residence at Grambling University in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana. There is little information in this case.

Lillian was in her early 40's when she went missing and is an African American woman. She's around 5'0" to 5'5" and around 900 to 200 lbs. She has black hair and brown eyes.

SOURCES:

NamUs

Charley Project

Disappearance of Mark Wendell Wilson

 

13-year-old Mark Wendell Wilson was planning to see a movie in Quincy, California on November 4, 1967. He was going to hitchhike from Meadow Valley to Quincy. He never returned and was never seen again. He also went by the nickname Wilson. He had just turned 13 on October 4. 

Mark is a white male and was 13 at the time of his disappearance. He was 5'2" and 110 lbs at the time. He has dark blond to brown hair and blue eyes. He has a slight dimple on one of his earlobes. He wore a dental retainer at the time. He was wearing dark pants, dark sweatshirt, white jacket and tennis shoes. 

SOURCES:

Doe Network

NamUs

Charley Project 

California General Attorney 

Murder of Mary Louise Ford

On September 30, 1967, 18-year-old Mary Louise Ford sister and brother-in-law dropped her off at the Parkway Grill in Dawson Springs, Kentucky. the 18-year-old mother was hoping to get a job here. Mary had a cup of coffee, but no one noticed when she left or if she had left with someone.

On October 7, 1967, Mary's body was found floating in a stripper pit east of Hall Road in the Richland area of Hopkins County. Mary only had her tennis shoes, t-shirt, bra and wristwatch on when she was found her other items of clothing were found at the bottom of the strip pit.

Mary was the mother of a 3-year-old. Her husband, Elmer, was released from Eddyville State Penitentiary a month after her death. He was in prison for the last two years.

SOURCES:
Kentucky State Police 
The Messenger

Disappearance of Elaine Joyce Fauver

Around 8 p.m. on July 24, 1967, 37 to 39-year-old Elaine Joyce Fauver left her home in Denver, Colorado. She told her 17-year-old daughter Mary that she was going to be home soon. She had left to visit a male friend. The friend stated that shortly after she arrived she left with another man.

Her son (unsure of how long after she disappeared) found her car while he was driving on E. 17th Ave. between Emerson and Ogden Sts. Her purse was still intact and her keys were on the floormat.

Elaine is a white female who was 37 to 39 years old at the time of her disappearance. She is  5'3" and 123 lbs at the time. She had red/Auburn hair and brown eyes. She may use the last name Jones.


SOURCES:
Doe Network
Charley Project 
NamUs
Missing Person Directory 

Seven Yellow Balloons

In 1967 the Cold War had been going on, the Soviet Union and Cuba had diplomatic ties. On June 29, 1967, on the Florida coast near Hallandale, a crate was 18 inches and no bigger than a breadbox was spotted floating in the ocean. It was stamped "Property of U.S.S.R." and addressed to Institute of Mineral Resources of Cuba. Inside the crate was seven yellow balloons with black rubber stoppers.

It was indicated on the box that they were shipped from Leningrad, Russia and was supposed to go to Havana, Cuba. It's possible that the crates were in the water for at least 8 weeks.  The crates were listed as50 kg  (110 lbs)but they were only 13.6 kg (30 lbs). The air inside the balloons was originally believed to have been toxic. But it was found that there was no indication of the air being poisonous.

Another crate was found 217 km away in Marathon. The only difference in this crate was that it was empty. There were no balloons in it and the reason for the boxes to be shipped off this way is still a mystery. It's not believed that this was a hoax.

SOURCES:

http://www.weirduniverse.net/blog/comments/mystery_balloons/

https://www.thehits.co.nz/photos/the-yellow-cuban-balloons/

https://mysteriousfacts.com/3-historical-mysteries-you-wont-stop-thinking-about/

December 8, 1968 Lancaster, California Jane Doe

Pictures from Crime Scene

On December 8, 1968 a group of hunters were going into the desert in Lancaster, California. They had come across a coffin 15 feet away from 188th Street East, just south of Fort Tejon Road. The group called it into the Lancaster police.

It was a homemade coffin the top had been glued and hammered down and then painted red. It was buried and covered with rock leaves and dirt. Inside a woman was wrapped in two different quilts. One was 80” by 70” with various red and blues on one side and solid green on the other side. The other quilt was 67” by 76” with the same colors. Her head was resting on a brocade pillow (small decorative pillow). A Newspaper from the Los Angeles Times from 7/1/67 was found in the coffin. It isn't believed she was dead for that long though. It's believed she may have been dead for up to 3 months. 

She had been shot in the temple. It is believed that she may have been killed in a domestic situation. More than likely by a family member or close friend. Someone placed a paper bag over her head, showing there may have been regret. The over wrapping of the body may have also been seen as the same, but it could also be they were trying to prevent animal's from getting to it.

She was a white female between the ages of 30 and 50 years old. She had short red/auburn hair that was graying. She was around 5'4". She had a complete hysterectomy and evidence that she may have given birth to a child at some point.

She was wearing a two piece light pink or light blue (some sources state either) nylon Pj's with elastic waist band measuring 15 inches and the length was 35 inches, and a small Veyellared and white checkered bathrobe that was woven in Great Britain by the brand Sadie Shaw. She was also wearing a hairnet and bobby pins in her hair.

SOURCES:
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1205ufca.html
http://theavtimes.com/2012/05/25/detectives-seek-help-with-red-coffin-cold-case/
https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/2994

Murder of Nikki Benedict

On May 1, 1967, 14-year-old Nikki Benedict decided to go to a friend's house after school. She wanted to discuss with her about the upcoming art exhibit. Around 6 p.m. she was leaving her friend's house in Poway, California and heading home on a dirt trail.

Nikki was late for dinner. Her parents began to worry and they checked in with the girl she was with. She had told them that she had already left. They were going to start searching for her after it got dark. They hadn't even left their driveway when a neighbor told them a girl was found murdered. They called the coroners office to make sure it wasn't Nikki. When the coroner told them she wasn't Identified yet and described her plaid dress and olive-colored purse they knew it was her. 

It was believed that someone had leaped from the grassy depression and attacked Nikki. She had a wound on her neck and bruises and dirt on her elbows and knees indicated that she may have struggled on the ground. It was theorized that sexual motivations may have been the purpose of the attack, but because of the struggle, they stabbed her instead. But in reality motivation for the murder has not been found. She was stabbed with a pocket knife. The murder weapon was never found.

Around 6:30 an 11-year-old boy riding his bike found her lying on the ground trying to breathe. There was evidence she traveled 200 ft from where she was stabbed and where she collapsed. he quickly went to get his father. He then covered her with his butcher smock and had another man call for help. She had passed away by the time they made it to the hospital. 

A white male was seen running from the area, but he was too far away for any descriptions. 

SOURCES:

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/1967-Cold-Case-Poway-Nikki-Benedict-Murder-Mystery-481372761.html

http://www.sdsheriff.net/coldcase/204249/index.html

http://www.cbs8.com/story/38086490/police-asking-public-for-tips-in-unsolved-51-year-old-cold-case

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19740833/nikki_benedict_murder/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19740814/nikki_benedict_murder/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19740863/nikki_benedict_murder/

The Murder of Roseanne Spina

On the night of Friday September 23, 1967 17 year old Roseanne Spina went out with her friend Ms. Jacobs. She never returned home, her mother had thought she had stayed the night with Ms. Jacobs. On Saturday she was reported missing. Ms. Jacobs had last seen Roseanne  talking to four college aged boys around 3 am on Saturday morning near the neighborhood bar in Syracuse, New York.

On Sunday September 25, 1967 the partially nude body of  Roseanne Spina was found in the tall weeds near a parking lot. She had been beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled to death. She was found with her slip tied around her neck.

Sources:
http://www.syracusepolice.org/listing.asp?orgId=181&parent=171
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15309765/rose_ann_spina_murder/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15309620/rose_ann_spina_murder/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15309633/roseanne_spina_murder/

October 20, 1967 Blendon Township, Michigan Jane Doe

On October 20, 1967, the body of a partially dressed African American girl in a wooded area near an intersection of 52nd and Fillmore of Blendon Township, west of Hudsonville, Michigan. It was estimated that the Jane Doe had died 4 days before.

She was an African American female estimated to be between 14 and 22 years old. She was estimated to be around 5'6 and 100 lbs. She had short (1- 2 inches) black hair and brown eyes. The right side of the face at the jawline had a hyper-pigmented scar, right side of neck had 3 scars about 2 cm each, on the left chest below the clavicle a 10 cm long scar extended towards the arm, and the rest of the scars upper right chest, the mid-chest, the lower chest, right hip, right outer thigh, and left thigh. Her liver indicated that she suffered from hepatitis. Her reproductive organs had evidence of gonorrhea.  There was no indication that she gave birth.

She was wearing two layers of pants. The outer pants were gold-colored ankle-length jeans that zipped up at the front and snapped at the waist. The bottom layer was pink cotton pants zipped up all the way on the left side and was too big for the girl. She was wearing men's grey socks that were not pulled all the way up. She wasn't wearing underwear and was using a makeshift sanitary napkin made out of newspaper.

From the clothing, she was wearing and the makeshift sanitary napkin it is possible that the Jane doe was a transient and or homeless.

Fingerprints are available elsewhere. DNA and Dentals are not available.

SOURCES:
https://www.identifyus.org/en/cases/13687

May 17, 1967 Natchez, Mississippi Jane Doe

The partial skeleton of an adult African American woman was found near Natchez, Mississippi. She was estimated to have died within the last 6 months. She was estimated to be between the ages of 30 to 40. There is no estimated height or weight and no hair color or eye color. Her TMJ the part where her the Jaw meets the skull, showed signs of previous injury or pathology that had been there for some time.

Dentals are available, DNA has been submitted, but tests aren't complete. Fingerprints are unavailable.

SOURCES:
https://www.identifyus.org/en/cases/2205