CA CA - Valerie Ann Larkin, 38, Needles, 31 Dec 1985

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PonderingThings

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The Doe Network has a new listing for Valerie Ann Larkin. She went missing in 1985. It is classified as voluntary missing. She was 38 at the time.
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1812dfca.html

There is a bellydancer who is quite celebrated. Based in Dublin, she has travelled to many countries dancing (she never mentions the U.S. specifically). She claims to have gotten her dance instructor accredidation in 1982 and the photo below was taken in 2005 ... its possible she is the missing 58 year old Valerie??? I read a whole bunch of articles about the dancer and they don't mention her age (although they do mention that she began to lose her eyesight around 1992).

One more reason why I think its possible....
They are both petite (Valerie the dancer is a size 8)

Valerie the missing is " Female of unknown race", which I found odd as she looks caucasian... maybe this was noted because the missing Valerie had an accent... maybe an Irish accent?

To read more (and more photos) of Valerie Larkin from Dublin go to:
http://www.ncbi.ie/news/artical_viewer.php?issue_id=7-2&artical_id=42
or her personal site: http://www.bellydanceireland.com/ (text and photos appear to be from 1995-2000)


Photo taken of the dancer Valerie in April 2005:
12-2.jpg
VALarkin.jpg
<<< photo taken of the missing Valerie Ann Larkin
12-3.jpg
<<< File photo of the dancer

I'm wondering if I should send an email to the dancer asking if she was ever in the States in 1985? What do you guys think? Do you think its possible its her?
 
Thanks for the support GeorgiaGirl! I find it hard to decide sometimes whether I should contact someone or not.

I did send off an email. There is an autoresponder that sends a message that says "Thank you for your email, please call me at..." and gives a telephone number. I'll wait a couple of days as this might be set up because she's blind and taking a phone number is easier than reading an email (although I suspect she has someone who reads them, or the computer reads them aloud).

Anyway, if I don't hear back in a few days I may just call her....
 
I wonder where the Doe Network got the phone number. Valerie's case on the California DOJ has an incomplete number: 909-38-7-36. I wrote them (the DOJ) about that and was waiting to post Valerie's case until I got the number.
 
I decided to send the Missing Person's unit an email.

I told them that the telephone number was incorrect on the site... and the Doe Network's number is also most likely wrong too as its a different area code from what I found online.

I have not, as yet, received a confirmation of receipt.
 
Wow - that is an interesting one, Pondering! The fact that she is listed as voluntary missing (no foul play suspected) and the striking resemblance (my gosh, the *eyes*!) makes me think you may have just made a match! Please keep us posted.....
 
Just in case I'm missing something (which wouldn't surprise anyone! :crazy: ) where does it say in the Doe Network page that her disappearance was voluntary?
 
shadowangel said:
Just in case I'm missing something (which wouldn't surprise anyone! :crazy: ) where does it say in the Doe Network page that her disappearance was voluntary?
Click to expand...
I must be blind too :p

But the phone number on Doe Network is:
San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department - Hesperia Station
909-387-3545
 
It doesn't say its voluntary on the Doe Network - but it does on the source document referenced) see the link at the bottom of the Doe Network page.

The 909 area code on the Doe Network is suspect, to me, as I looked up San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department - Hesperia Station on the net and it gave me a reference to the City of Hesperia, which has an area code that starts with a 7. Therefore, I think the number is wrong.


I sent the information to a police link on that page.

It could be a different place... don't know... I have not yet received a confirmation that the email was received....
 
Because the dancer Valerie and the missing Valerie have the same name, it is possible that they are related - and that's why there is such a strong resemblence.

It might not be her at all.
 
PonderingThings said:
The 909 area code on the Doe Network is suspect, to me, as I looked up San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department - Hesperia Station on the net and it gave me a reference to the City of Hesperia, which has an area code that starts with a 7. Therefore, I think the number is wrong.
Click to expand...
PT... several years ago many states in the US changed area codes for entire states. The need to make more numbers available was the reason. This may be the reason the area code is different or wrong. The site may not thought to update the change.

My area code was changed and I find it still listed wrong on many sites who don't think to update the phone numbers.
 
YaYa that makes a lot of sense! Hopefully with MeggilyWeggily and I bringing it to their attention, they'll correct/confirm the right telephone numbers.
smile.gif
 
If I may, the classifications (voluntary missing, etc) on the California DOJ are extremely tentative and I don't put much weight to them. Several times I've come across people listed as "voluntary missing" on the DOJ, and subsequent research proved that they almost certainly did NOT voluntarily disappear.
I really wish they'd keep their database updated better, especially removing old cases. They've got people on there that were found years ago.
 
Wow MeggilyWeggily how sad! I can't imagine being listed as missing, then being found, then being missing again (at least clerically)!!!!! Also, what a waste of resources!

Or being a family member, who suspects their loved one is a victim of a crime, then sees an official missing persons site that says they voluntarily went missing - how crushing!

Hopefully the clerical stuff will be cleared up after the holidays... I will be checking both sites, in the new year, to see if anything has changed. I will also be contacting them again (after the holidays) if they don't confirm receipt of the email.
 
Update: I got a nicely worded "thanks for the tip" email, the Captain is going to ask his Detective Sergeant to check it out.

Hopefully that means they'll also correct their telephone number.
 
The same day the Doenetwork put up the missing Valerie I remembered a UID in Nevada that I thought she looked like. I emailed the detective that was handing the case and he is looking into it. I do not think she looks like the bellydancer Valerie..

Anne
 
Update: I had a terrific conversation with the Deputy (who is a very nice man) who is looking into the leads. He is very appreciative and if any of us get anything that looks solid he will follow it up, so please contact their office if you find anything that looks promising.

Anne (AWagner) I can confirm that they have your tip on the Jane Doe and they are following up on it. When I saw the information, on the Doe Network, I too have the strong feeling it is Valerie [SIZE=-1][url]http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/387ufnv.html[/SIZE][/URL]
thank you for pointing it out. Not only does the sketch look like her, the bracelet with the name "Valerie" is too coincidental.

Meanwhile, until there is confirmation, the Deputy is going to look into other possibilities, including the possible tip I supplied.

The family is still looking for Valerie and have been in contact with LE. Hopefully they will get some news as to where she is soon.
 
Many times I went through my mini database and sorted by name looking at Valeries but this one actually fit her as well but I have had many that I was so sure looked good that turned out not.

PonderingThings said:
Update: I had a terrific conversation with the Deputy (who is a very nice man) who is looking into the leads. He is very appreciative and if any of us get anything that looks solid he will follow it up, so please contact their office if you find anything that looks promising.

Anne (AWagner) I can confirm that they have your tip on the Jane Doe and they are following up on it. When I saw the information, on the Doe Network, I too have the strong feeling it is Valerie [SIZE=-1][url]http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/387ufnv.html[/SIZE][/URL]
thank you for pointing it out. Not only does the sketch look like her, the bracelet with the name "Valerie" is too coincidental.

Meanwhile, until there is confirmation, the Deputy is going to look into other possibilities, including the possible tip I supplied.

The family is still looking for Valerie and have been in contact with LE. Hopefully they will get some news as to where she is soon.
Click to expand...
 
https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/2656

No dental or fingerprints. DNA submitted and tests complete. (mtDNA)



May 1985. Valerie made it to Needles and somehow lost all her money and her bus ticket. She called her parents for help and they wired her money to continue on her journey. There was no other contact with her after that. She is described as 5'2', 120 lbs, with brown hair and hazel eyes. Her teeth were in poor condition. She had a large chip in one or both of her upper front teeth that had not been corrected. She had a slight overbite.
Click to expand...
 
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