CA CA - Pamela Pedro, 17, Atwater, 15 Sept 1982

Very interesting-thanks for the update! I am hoping they will continue to search spots indicated by SFK Shermantine. Either way, it will eliminate the possibility for families or confirm it, and there's an answer somewhere in both outcomes for families.
 
It says on Charley that she was a senior and was planning on graduating early. I know of some people in high school that have fulfilled most of their requirements and on some days they only need to be at school until noon because they have less classes to take. I'm assuming that was her situation as well and that's why she was being picked up at 1:30 instead of at the usual dismissal time. Of course, she may have had some appointment that day and needed to leave school early.
 
How sad. I hope her mother can figure out what happened to her precious daughter. I wonder who she was speaking with on the pay phone? She doesn't seem the type to run away by her description. And it is odd that no one saw anything. Would that gang have grabbed her that quickly while waiting on her mom to pick her up? So many thoughts.
 
Hey Jenstar - I was born and raised outside of Merced, very close to Atwater. The Federal Penitentiary in Atwater wasn't built until the early 2000s. It's also incredibly secure, and holds high level inmates that are regularly cycled through federal institutions.

This federal penitentiary was NOT open when this young woman went missing in the 1980s. Atwater in the 1980s was known for Castle Air Force Base, which was a Strategic Air Command (S.A.C.) base home to nuclear weapon armed B-52 bombers.
 
I grew up in Atwater and graduated from AHS in 77. Pamela's dad, Rich, was my music instructor and band director from 4th thru 6th grade. Pamela visited my home with her mom and dad to pick plums during the summers between those grades.

I just popped on today to see if there had been any updates on her case. I had left the area before Pamela went missing and lost contact with her dad long before he passed away. Sad that this is still unsolved and Rich died without knowing what happened to his daughter.
 
I'm not very concerned about her leaving at 1:30. It was a Wednesday, and could have been early release.
 
Was there ever verification that she actually attended any of her classes that day?
 
The question of when she actually vanished has never been resolved.

My understanding is that her mother dropped her of at school before her first class was scheduled and she wasn’t there when her father came to pick her up at 1:30 PM. Presumably 1:30 PM was before her last scheduled class was to end unless that was a scheduled Minimum Day when all classes were shortened and everyone left early.

What has never been explained is whether or not she went to any of her classes and if she did go to any, when was her whereabouts first unknown. In California school, attendance was taken in every class so it would be know if she missed any.

A common reason to leave early would be a medical appointment but there would be other reasons. Normally a parent would phone the school or send a note with the student to explain reason for the student to leave early and the time they were to be excused. The school would definitely have a record of such a request.

From what I have read, Pamela’s father went to 1:30PM and she wasn’t there. There was some sort of attempt by the school to locate her and she just wasn’t there. The father left and eventually a missing person report was filed.

I have always been intrigued by this case and have wondered why it has received so little interest. I suspect that the question of when she vanished is part of the problem. It has been reported that the last person to see her was her mother when she was dropped of at school that morning. That would suggest that she never went to any of her classes. Assuming she was dropped of in front of school, right before classes began would pretty much rule out forced abduction because there would have been plenty of people around. Pamela was 17, she wasn’t a child. A forced abduction would have been seen. That pretty much leads to the conclusion that she voluntarily left. Perhaps to run away or maybe just to ditch school for the day. Either way, it suggests “ high risk” behavior.

If, on the other hand, she had permission to leave school at 1:30PM an and left her last class at an appropriate time, her failure to meet her father at the agreed upon time and place is rather ominous. A teenaged girl waiting near a school that was otherwise in session, would be somewhat vulnerable. We just don’t know what the situation was.

I am a little concerned that no explanation has been given as to by her father was picking her up at that time. If it was not scheduled and she was not expecting him, something unusual is going on. This would not be routine at all. I wonder if there were some sort of problem going on in the Pedro household. This would put her disappearance in a totally different light.

Pamela was a very good student and there is no report of “problems” but we all know that there could be serious issues that would not be known. Runaways usually turn up eventually but there are all kinds of risks and dangers involved. There is just no way to tell what may have happened to her.
 
They are ruled out as a match according to Namus.
I wonder by what? I don't trust Namus rule outs, I have seen two cases now where UID and MP have been on each others "ruled out" lists, and later turned out to match.
It's because police can rule out matches at their discretion without any proof. It's a major, major flaw in the system that needs to be changed
 
1663312769790.jpeg1663312790377.jpeg

September 15 marks 40 years since a North Valley teen left for school and never returned home.

17-year-old Pamela Pedro was last seen on this date in 1982 when she was dropped off at Atwater High School.

When her mother when to pick her up that afternoon, Pamela was nowhere to be found.

The Merced County Sheriff's Office says they have investigated dozens of leads over the years, but have not found Pamela.

"It hurts to investigate something, pour your heart and soul into it and not be able to bring justice to a family," says Merced County Sgt. Clint Landrum. "Tthere's somebody out there that has information and they have been living with the fact they have that information for 40 years now."

Officials are hoping someone will come forward with information on the disappearance of Pamela.

 
Bringing Rap's post over from the UID forum.
WOW!! here is a brief update; to answer a few questions above.

Yes there is a possinbility of the speedfreak killers, the family (aunts & uncles) were asked to submit DNA so they can reference any possibilitry that Pamela may be a part of it. Everytime I see news updates, I cannot tell you how often I hold my breath. Still no answer from this scenario (so far)

The last person that saw her was my aunt, she dropped her off in the morning for school.

I also read in one post that the contact email had gone defunct. The most recent number I know of is the one at the end of this article:



Anyone with questions about the vigil can call the Merced County Sheriff's Department at (209) 385-7608. Anyone with information about Pedro's case should call the Major Crimes Unit at (209) 385-7472.

I really wish I could tell you more but that's all I have right now

Thank You everyone for your help!

-Rich
 

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The article @SSD posted is pretty interesting. Both Pamela and her brother David had been selected for karate training in Japan, along with an adult man from Castle AFB*. Richard Pedro, Pamela’s father, was the sensei of the karate school.

Pamela was the first woman to be selected for 1st degree black belt in the US or Japan in the kenkojuko style of karate.

What an amazing young woman.

*earlier reported that the only POI at the time was an airman from Castle.
 
A sidenote to the article SSD posted, which is from 26 July 1982. It’s a half-page write-up of a trip to Japan the karate students were taking ‘this summer’.

Pamela went missing on 13 September, so were they in Japan in August? No follow-up I could find in newspapers.com.

Attaching some clippings for future reference.

From 2012: ahe was seen talking on a pay phone.

From 2006: mom says she asked around school and nobody saw her.

From 1987: she ‘attended classes’.
 

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I’m an Atwater High School Alum if y’all need any local info.
 
Other photo attached to her file

1684448383372.png

Looks to be from when she was younger.
 

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