Murder of Jeanne Melville

On September 24, 1970, Phyllis Nichols arrived at the Greyhound Station in Richmond, Indiana. She was there to pick up her niece 18-year-old Jeanne Melville. Jeanne was visiting from Wisconsin. She waited and waited, but Jeanne didn't arrive so she left and came back. Jeanne never arrived.

On October 11th a nude body of a young woman was found in a cornfield near Arcanum, Ohio. She was found 60 ft from Frazers Rd by two teens wandering the area on horseback. She had been Asphyxiated. It was Jeanne, but she would be a Jane Doe until July of 2009. Her ring was found with her, but has gone missing since then. Her clothing was found beneath two bridges nearby over the line in Preble County.

It was initially believed that Jeanne never made it to Indiana, but seeing as her body was found about 40 minutes away it's now believed that she did. She may have gotten to the Station early or late and possibly missed her aunt. She likely got a ride from someone she perceived as friendly and that person killed the young woman. It could be possible that this person was a local or even someone who was on the bus with her.

SOURCES:
Ohio Attorney General
Charley Project
Uncovered
Unidentified Wiki

Daily Advocate April 1, 2018

Murder of Dawn Andrea "Magic" Svocak

On the night of August 16, 1984 20-year-old Dawn "Magic" Svocak went to Blair's Bar on Marion St. in Plattsburgh, New York. This was a gay bar at the time. She would leave around 2:30 a.m. the next morning.She would fail to return to her apartment at 71 Clinton St. Her ex-girlfriend and her then-partner would report her missing.

A belt, knife one of her red boots were found in the alleyway that connects Marion St and Oak St. This was within a block of her apartment and the bar. Police believe that these items were left here by the killer to stage a scene and detour the search for Dawn. So that the search would be focused downtown.

It wasn't until a little over a month later on September 21st that she would be found. In Beekman along ST-9 and Stafford Rd just a few miles outside of Plattsburgh two farmers were cutting down crops in a cornfield when they found Dawn's body. She had died from blunt force trauma. 

A friend of Dawn's believes that it was probably someone they were close to. Likely someone they knew from the bar and a part of their community.

There may be people who were part of the LGBTQ scene in the area who may know something. At the time the LGBTQ  people and the community as whole did not see eye to eye. At this time people weren't as accepting of LGBTQ people. The bar itself was also a place where drugs and fights were more common than not. It was a rough place for partying. Likely people who didn't come foward were probably afraid of what they'd be asked.

Though there was a rift between the gay community and community as a whole the police did not drop the ball in this case. If this case is to ever go to trial because of the throughness of the investigators the crime scene could be recreated down to the exact measurements. 

SOURCES:
New York Trooper
Uncovered

NBC June 18, 2016

New York Upstate October 8, 2019

My Champlain Valley May 6, 2021

Murder of Sandra Talbott

At 5:30 p.m. of July 10, 1977, 27-year-old Sandra Talbott was dropped off at St. John's Church in El Dorado, Kansas. She would participate in a Bingo night at the church. When her mother returned about 5 hours later to pick her up she found that Sandra had already left. At the time Sandra had a bad lim from a vehicle accident several years before. She walked with a cane. The next day Sandra would be reported missing. It was believed that she had hitchhiked to Witchita to be with friends. One article states that she had been seen at a bar talking to two men on the 13th. One man left before her and the other man and it's unknown if the other man left with Sandra. 

On July 30th at 111th St. S. & 231st St. West Sedgwick County in a tree row, Sandra's body would be found. She had been murdered. 

SOURCES:

Sedgwick County

Sedgwick County (PDF)

The Witchita Eagle July 31, 1977

The Witchita Eagle September 8, 1977

Murder of Esco Hunter

 

On December 1, 1999, 27-year-old Esco Hunter's body was found in a field adjacent to the railroad tracks in the area of 44th st. and Central Ave in Sarasota, Florida. He had been murdered. His 1998 maroon van was found at the dead-end of Orange Ave north of Myrtle St. Somebody had torched the van.

Esco was involved in rap music and went by Laylow. He's from the Miami-Dade area.

SOURCES:

Sarasota County Sheriff's Office

Brandon Herald December 5, 1999

Brandon Herald December 7, 1999

Murder of Loni Kai

By 2001 28-year-old trans woman Loni Kai lived most of her life as a woman. On August 26, 2001 around 2 a.m. Loni was seen talking to a woman at the 7-Eleven near Southwest TV Highway and Cornelius Pass Road in Washington County, Oregon. She was then seen around 3:30 a.m. where a Beverton police officer asked her if she needed help while she was hitchhiking along the highway near Southwest Murray Blvd. She declined and this was the last time anyone saw her alive.

At 8 a.m. a jogger found Loni's body in a field Southwest Farmington Road, which is not far from Southwest Rood Bridge Road. Loni was severely beaten and had severe blunt trauma to her head likely caused from a metal object. It's believed that she was killed elsewhere and her body was left at the field. 

It's possible that the murderer picked her up when she was hitchhiking and found out she was transgender and killed her. 

SOURCES:

Washington County

Fox 12 Oregon October 11, 2018

Oregon Live March 26, 2019

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Unsolved Murder of Megan McDonald

On March 15, 2003, a local found 20-year-old Megan McDonald's body in a muddy field off Bowser Road in Wallkill, New York. She had been beaten to death. Her car was later found at the Kensington Manor apartments.

SOURCES:

New York State Police

Record Online