MA MA - Joan Risch, 30, Lincoln, 24 Oct 1961

[branmuffin]

"Preserving her honor” to me means she was trying not to be raped.

Yes, I'm aware that's what they were referring to. But I always get the impression that some people think dying preserving your honour is better than being fouled by the act of rape. I worked with a guy who's cousin got raped walking back to her residence while attending university in Ontario. Instead of providing a safe harbour to her, her family shunned her and she killed herself. The guy confided that her committing suicide preserved their honour and obliterated the shame she brought to her family. Needless to say, I was gobsmacked.

 

[charminglane]

Yes, I'm aware that's what they were referring to. But I always get the impression that some people think dying preserving your honour is better than being fouled by the act of rape. I worked with a guy who's cousin got raped walking back to her residence while attending university in Ontario. Instead of providing a safe harbour to her, her family shunned her and she killed herself. The guy confided that her committing suicide preserved their honour and obliterated the shame she brought to her family. Needless to say, I was gobsmacked.

Gross.

 

[Richard]

Bumping thread up. This month marks the 62 year anniversary of Joan's disappearance.

 

[Richard]

Joan Carolyn Risch, age 30, missing since 24 October 1961

 

[scruffydog]

Joan Carolyn Risch, age 30, missing since 24 October 1961

This is one of the cases I would love to see solved!! And I do think it can be done. Is her neighbor still alive? (The one that saw her outside with "something red")....It would be SO interesting to talk with her.

 

[jgfitzge]

I haven’t written on this thread in a while, but one aspect of this case raises questions with me, and that is the various time frames that people give on their errands and trips. Maybe it’s minor, but in particular Joan’s trip to the dentist and Barbara Barker’s last shopping trip that afternoon, the time frames they give seem to be extremely tight.

 

[Vedder]

I really hope we get answers on this case one day.

 

[DD Byrd]

the various time frames that people give on their errands and trips

Good point. IMO, life moved more slowly then, people weren't as wedded to multi-tasking and feeling virtuous for being go-go-go every waking hour. Not to say they didn't wear watches or weren't punctual, but there weren't timestamps EVERYwhere in one's field of vision...the TV, car, phone, tablet, laptop, etc. with myriad timers and reminder dings. In general, I don't think people were in as much as a chronic hurry or literally able to see minutes ticking by as often.

All to say that "oh, I had an appt, and then some errands...so it must have been around x o'clock" could easily be a much longer timeframe. Added to the fact that the urgency is in hindsight, that day neighbors weren't thinking "I'd better jot down what time I saw Joan chasing something red."

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Good point. IMO, life moved more slowly then, people weren't as wedded to multi-tasking and feeling virtuous for being go-go-go every waking hour. Not to say they didn't wear watches or weren't punctual, but there weren't timestamps EVERYwhere in one's field of vision...the TV, car, phone, tablet, laptop, etc. with myriad timers and reminder dings. In general, I don't think people were in as much as a chronic hurry or literally able to see minutes ticking by as often.

All to say that "oh, I had an appt, and then some errands...so it must have been around x o'clock" could easily be a much longer timeframe. Added to the fact that the urgency is in hindsight, that day neighbors weren't thinking "I'd better jot down what time I saw Joan chasing something red."

Rereading many of the old posts in this thread has been fun. I really wanted to "like" so many of them.
But from 2004 ? . What's the point
When I realized yours was brand new I got to smile! Yay, I really liked your post.

 

[Same Old Stella]

I can't get over the fact, from the Ahern book, that Joan's friends from the neighborhood, Mary Jane Butler and Barbara Barker, actually went inside what must have looked like a murder scene inside the Risch house. How in the world did they not think a killer might still be in there, waiting to get them too? And why did Barbara Barker not call the police immediately, instead of running around the neighborhood looking for Joan? I've only read the parts of the book available for preview online but I intend to order it next month. It's got great reviews and apparently contains info the public hasn't been privy to.

 

[Betty P]

I can't get over the fact, from the Ahern book, that Joan's friends from the neighborhood, Mary Jane Butler and Barbara Barker, actually went inside what must have looked like a murder scene inside the Risch house. How in the world did they not think a killer might still be in there, waiting to get them too? And why did Barbara Barker not call the police immediately, instead of running around the neighborhood looking for Joan? I've only read the parts of the book available for preview online but I intend to order it next month. It's got great reviews and apparently contains info the public hasn't been privy to.

I think they were in some sort of denial. A neighbor being attacked and kidnapped wasn’t something they could ever imagine. They were trying to find some rational answer for her disappearance and the blood in the kitchen. Messing with a crime scene wasn’t unusual back then. The public wasn’t aware of the need to leave everything untouched, in place.

 

[DD Byrd]

And why did Barbara Barker not call the police immediately, instead of running around the neighborhood looking for Joan?

In that very second, she couldn't call because the phone was ripped out of the wall. But as @Betty P said, I think the initial understanding of the scene was "somehow Joan has hurt herself and must be outside somewhere". I can see running out to look for her, especially having found David in his crib seemingly fine.

The reports said it looked like someone had tried to clean the blood with towels, etc. It likely appeared that way to them as well. There was no dripping switchblade or smoking gun, so to speak, so the assumption would be Joan did it, and so was not completely incapacitated. They'd have likely thought she was on her way to someone else's house to get bandages, cleaning supplies or use the phone and they had missed her, and set off to check the homes. Having not seen the mystery car, and certainly not knowing what else is in the book we know in hindsight, they'd have no reason to think she was kidnapped, let alone never to be seen again.

 

[Deleted member 326769]

The dark object under the towel is a toy tractor made by the Auburn Company.


Auburn Farm Toy Tractor

The paper roll probably was used by the children for drawing pictures. It was likely standing on end and got knocked over during the attack. When it fell, it began to roll on the floor, unrolling the paper until it stopped in the corner. It is not paper towel type of paper, but heavier. Perhaps wrapping paper or paper meant to be fed through a printing press of some sort.

The phone receiver being perched on the full trash can seems odd. Why would someone take such care to hang it there in light of the violence and struggle that took place?

I did this with my boys and they were born in 96 & 98. Bought the huge printer rolls and just rolled some out for them to draw on. I think that’s exactly what that roll is

 

[Deleted member 326769]

Are you looking for the pdf file or the actual police report?

 

[jgfitzge]

I think they were in some sort of denial. A neighbor being attacked and kidnapped wasn’t something they could ever imagine. They were trying to find some rational answer for her disappearance and the blood in the kitchen. Messing with a crime scene wasn’t unusual back then. The public wasn’t aware of the need to leave everything untouched, in place.

Betty, I don’t have the book in front of me, but if I recall Barbara

I think they were in some sort of denial. A neighbor being attacked and kidnapped wasn’t something they could ever imagine. They were trying to find some rational answer for her disappearance and the blood in the kitchen. Messing with a crime scene wasn’t unusual back then. The public wasn’t aware of the need to leave everything untouched, in place.

Betty, my recollection was surprisingly Barbara and Mary Jane were pretty careful when they first entered the crime scene in the Risch home, at least as far as touching was concerned. Ahern in his book thought it was an error and too early for the police to allow his Martin and his friends to clean the place after only 24 hours.

 

[HarmonyE.]

I've never bought the abortion angle. The timing makes no sense. There was a toddler upstairs who could wake up at any time. Yes, he was 2, but by that age my kids had figured out how to escape their cribs. Her 4 year old could have come home, possibly with the neighbor, at any time, especially since Joan never even told the neighbor she was dropping her daughter off in their yard. Sounds far too impromptu and risky for a clandestine medical procedure.

And where was this abortion supposed to have happened? The vast majority of the blood was in the small kitchen, with only a few drops found upstairs. I've never seen any mention of blood in either bathroom.

I question both the highway sightings as well. It's not unusual for people to misinterpret what they've seen or think they've seen or to make up sightings or details to be "helpful". The fact that no others came forward to say they also saw this woman or attempted to assist her makes me wonder if the two sightings on different highways are red herrings. And where would she have gone from there?

I do think the sighting of the old, dirty unknown car in her driveway is important. The blood trail ended in the driveway, and I think that's probably where the clues end as well. Did Joan know someone was coming to see her? Someone she didn't really want her daughter to see? It just seems odd that she'd deposit her four year old across the street without a prior plan or so much as a brief warning that she'd returned the kids to the neighbor's.

Could this have been staged by Joan? I suppose it's possible. We never really know what's going on with someone else. But here again, it seems so impromptu and I don't believe she walked away from the house. There would have been more sightings and someone staging a disappearance would probably have avoided highways. And I find it hard to believe she just "dropped" into a construction site, never to be seen again. So someone would have had to take her away from the scene by car (the old dusty one?) and lead her to her new life.

If she didn't stage the scene, someone took her away, almost certainly against her will or under a threat that her little boy would be harmed if she didn't go along. Lincoln was probably an even quieter, safer place than it is now and it's hard to imagine an unknown assailant just wandering into that obscure neighborhood. And I'm still stuck on the dropping off of her daughter and neighbor boy (across a street the little girl had never crossed alone before this) without telling/checking in with the neighbor. Unless her little boy was being held hostage, she could have asked the neighbor to call the police. And the little girl saw no one, so this must have all happened before any assailant arrived at the house.

So I'm left to conclude that Joan probably knew her assailant and knew he was coming to see her. Boyfriend? Mentally ill/disgruntled family member? Who drank the beer? Why are the blood patterns so odd? Who tried to clean up the kitchen - and why? Where's the weapon? And where's the body?

All my speculation, of course. But this is a wild one.

 

[scrimpies]

I've never bought the abortion angle. The timing makes no sense. There was a toddler upstairs who could wake up at any time. Yes, he was 2, but by that age my kids had figured out how to escape their cribs. Her 4 year old could have come home, possibly with the neighbor, at any time, especially since Joan never even told the neighbor she was dropping her daughter off in their yard. Sounds far too impromptu and risky for a clandestine medical procedure.

And where was this abortion supposed to have happened? The vast majority of the blood was in the small kitchen, with only a few drops found upstairs. I've never seen any mention of blood in either bathroom.

I question both the highway sightings as well. It's not unusual for people to misinterpret what they've seen or think they've seen or to make up sightings or details to be "helpful". The fact that no others came forward to say they also saw this woman or attempted to assist her makes me wonder if the two sightings on different highways are red herrings. And where would she have gone from there?

I do think the sighting of the old, dirty unknown car in her driveway is important. The blood trail ended in the driveway, and I think that's probably where the clues end as well. Did Joan know someone was coming to see her? Someone she didn't really want her daughter to see? It just seems odd that she'd deposit her four year old across the street without a prior plan or so much as a brief warning that she'd returned the kids to the neighbor's.

Could this have been staged by Joan? I suppose it's possible. We never really know what's going on with someone else. But here again, it seems so impromptu and I don't believe she walked away from the house. There would have been more sightings and someone staging a disappearance would probably have avoided highways. And I find it hard to believe she just "dropped" into a construction site, never to be seen again. So someone would have had to take her away from the scene by car (the old dusty one?) and lead her to her new life.

If she didn't stage the scene, someone took her away, almost certainly against her will or under a threat that her little boy would be harmed if she didn't go along. Lincoln was probably an even quieter, safer place than it is now and it's hard to imagine an unknown assailant just wandering into that obscure neighborhood. And I'm still stuck on the dropping off of her daughter and neighbor boy (across a street the little girl had never crossed alone before this) without telling/checking in with the neighbor. Unless her little boy was being held hostage, she could have asked the neighbor to call the police. And the little girl saw no one, so this must have all happened before any assailant arrived at the house.

So I'm left to conclude that Joan probably knew her assailant and knew he was coming to see her. Boyfriend? Mentally ill/disgruntled family member? Who drank the beer? Why are the blood patterns so odd? Who tried to clean up the kitchen - and why? Where's the weapon? And where's the body?

All my speculation, of course. But this is a wild one.

I wonder if there are any blood samples that could be tested with modern technology to see if she was even pregnant and if she was, paternity.

 

[Betty P]

I've never bought the abortion angle. The timing makes no sense. There was a toddler upstairs who could wake up at any time. Yes, he was 2, but by that age my kids had figured out how to escape their cribs. Her 4 year old could have come home, possibly with the neighbor, at any time, especially since Joan never even told the neighbor she was dropping her daughter off in their yard. Sounds far too impromptu and risky for a clandestine medical procedure.

And where was this abortion supposed to have happened? The vast majority of the blood was in the small kitchen, with only a few drops found upstairs. I've never seen any mention of blood in either bathroom.

I question both the highway sightings as well. It's not unusual for people to misinterpret what they've seen or think they've seen or to make up sightings or details to be "helpful". The fact that no others came forward to say they also saw this woman or attempted to assist her makes me wonder if the two sightings on different highways are red herrings. And where would she have gone from there?

I do think the sighting of the old, dirty unknown car in her driveway is important. The blood trail ended in the driveway, and I think that's probably where the clues end as well. Did Joan know someone was coming to see her? Someone she didn't really want her daughter to see? It just seems odd that she'd deposit her four year old across the street without a prior plan or so much as a brief warning that she'd returned the kids to the neighbor's.

Could this have been staged by Joan? I suppose it's possible. We never really know what's going on with someone else. But here again, it seems so impromptu and I don't believe she walked away from the house. There would have been more sightings and someone staging a disappearance would probably have avoided highways. And I find it hard to believe she just "dropped" into a construction site, never to be seen again. So someone would have had to take her away from the scene by car (the old dusty one?) and lead her to her new life.

If she didn't stage the scene, someone took her away, almost certainly against her will or under a threat that her little boy would be harmed if she didn't go along. Lincoln was probably an even quieter, safer place than it is now and it's hard to imagine an unknown assailant just wandering into that obscure neighborhood. And I'm still stuck on the dropping off of her daughter and neighbor boy (across a street the little girl had never crossed alone before this) without telling/checking in with the neighbor. Unless her little boy was being held hostage, she could have asked the neighbor to call the police. And the little girl saw no one, so this must have all happened before any assailant arrived at the house.

So I'm left to conclude that Joan probably knew her assailant and knew he was coming to see her. Boyfriend? Mentally ill/disgruntled family member? Who drank the beer? Why are the blood patterns so odd? Who tried to clean up the kitchen - and why? Where's the weapon? And where's the body?

All my speculation, of course. But this is a wild one.

Agree with all of this. She was taken against her will, but had just enough notice that she could take her daughter next door. I've also questioned her just dropping the kids off at the neighbors without telling the mom. It doesn't sound like the kind of thing most moms would do back then unless it was really important. As you say, the person was probably threatening to harm her son. After that, she was taken away in the older car.

One of the more frustrating items in the investigation is that LE claimed they were finally able to track down the owner of the car seen in her driveway. IIRC, someone in the neighborhood saw the car and managed to recall some of the license plate numbers. The owner of the car lived somewhere across town, but after discovering it, LE chose not to pursue it further. No reason was given.


The Risch marriage seemed to be fine. The blood in the kitchen was probably from Joan being struck by her abductor as she used the phone book to call for help. It seems unlikely it was a secret lover. She seemed to be frightened of them and they used violence against her. I think there's a small possibility it was an attack by a stranger who had been stalking her. The police did investigate people at the nearby military base. I think it was an Air Force Base.

 

[HarmonyE.]

Agree with all of this. She was taken against her will, but had just enough notice that she could take her daughter next door. I've also questioned her just dropping the kids off at the neighbors without telling the mom. It doesn't sound like the kind of thing most moms would do back then unless it was really important. As you say, the person was probably threatening to harm her son. After that, she was taken away in the older car.

One of the more frustrating items in the investigation is that LE claimed they were finally able to track down the owner of the car seen in her driveway. IIRC, someone in the neighborhood saw the car and managed to recall some of the license plate numbers. The owner of the car lived somewhere across town, but after discovering it, LE chose not to pursue it further. No reason was given.


The Risch marriage seemed to be fine. The blood in the kitchen was probably from Joan being struck by her abductor as she used the phone book to call for help. It seems unlikely it was a secret lover. She seemed to be frightened of them and they used violence against her. I think there's a small possibility it was an attack by a stranger who had been stalking her. The police did investigate people at the nearby military base. I think it was an Air Force Base.

I don't think they ever tracked the car down. IIRC from the Ahern book, investigators did settle on a possible model and did search, but nothing came of it. Maybe they claimed more at some point. However, the teen who noted the car that afternoon only reported that it was old, dirty and probably blue or gray. She didn't note a plate number. A milkman came forward to report he'd seen a car fitting that general description in the driveway several days earlier, but again, had limited details.

Hanscom Airforce base was, and still is, in Bedford about a mile from where the Risch house was located. I know investigators floated some theories about a perp coming from there. Nothing panned out.

It could have been a random attack by a stalker or otherwise. But it would have had to have been a complete lunatic to attack someone in broad daylight inside a house on a street where people were out and about and likely would have heard screams. And if you want to attack, rape or kill someone, why take her with you after the attack? Very risky all around.

I really think it's an important clue that she took her daughter across the street shortly before whatever happened to her happened. The daughter was 4 years and 5 months old at the time, so old enough to reliable say she didn't see a stranger or unknown car before her mother brought her across the street. It seems so anticipatory on the part of Joan. And maybe rushed, because she didn't bother to take the time to alert the neighbor the kids were back or what time she'd return for her daughter. So no one has arrived yet (according to the child) but Joan is in hurry to remove her daughter from the scene.

One thing I don't know is if phone records were obtained or could have been obtained back then. My memory isn't all that clear about it - and I wasn't around in 1961 - but I seem to recall local calls could not be traced, but long distance calls possibly could be. Did she get a call from someone local or from a pay phone telling her he was coming by? Were any phone records pulled at all?

And coming back to the abortion theories, women have gotten abortions forever. The Risches were clearly upper middle class and living in an upscale town. Joan probably could have easily afforded a doctor who terminated early pregnancies on the side. Even if for some reason Joan thought it was okay to get an abortion in her small kitchen when her daughter or neighbor could have walked in the unlocked door at any time, I can't imagine any abortionist would have wanted to be caught in that situation. Joan had friends from college in neighboring towns. She could have easily arranged better childcare and made an appointment at a facility.

 

[Rhett]

Does anyone have the name and author of the book being referred to in the posts?