GA GA - Carlene Tengelsen, 16, Macon, 21 June 1972

James3219 said:

I was debating posting this for everyone to see or just sending a couple private messages. Carlene is my moms sister. I was researching some family history and was suprised to see anyone still working this case. I don't have any information on the case I was more wanting to say thanks for keeping her and my family in your thoughts.

I wish I had something to offer on the case, but it seems that everything that has been posted about locations on where the car was found and Krispy Kreme are already here.

Again, thanks for everything that you all are doing.

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We have not forgotten Carlene although we have no new info but I think of her on a daily basis. From the first time I ever saw her case I was drawn to it, I don't know why, but my thoughts and prayers are with her family.

Bumping for Carlene.

Also, can anyone tell me if this is true? I saw on another thread that a missing person's name only appears on rule-out lists if they have been specifically (manually) run against a UID. I had been concerned that I never saw Carlene on any rule-out lists, but since NAMUS states there is DNA on file, then I assume CODIS runs it against UIDs in the system, and would only list her as a rule-out if her family or LE requested they manually check her against someone. Is this the case?

dogperson said:

Bumping for Carlene.

Also, can anyone tell me if this is true? I saw on another thread that a missing person's name only appears on rule-out lists if they have been specifically (manually) run against a UID. I had been concerned that I never saw Carlene on any rule-out lists, but since NAMUS states there is DNA on file, then I assume CODIS runs it against UIDs in the system, and would only list her as a rule-out if her family or LE requested they manually check her against someone. Is this the case?

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I don't know the answer to your question for sure, but I think you may be correct. I have heard/read similar info.

To tell the truth, I have gotten discouraged about efforts to search UIDs, knowing so little. About the time I was rolling up my sleeves and getting ready to try to dive on in, it seemed that NAMUS protocol/practices went through some big changes that had even the "oldtimers" in the WS Unidentified forum confused/grumbling. I was already intimidated, now I just don't know where to start at all! I generally feel peppier in the spring, so maybe I will get my nerve back.

Also, on another topic: I posted the article below on another WS thread a while back and meant to bring it to Carlene's thread but I've realized that I never did (I don't think). It has to do with the fact that Macon and Bibb County have undergone a merger in the past year which has brought sweeping changes to government, including LE:

Crime lab reorganization underway with Macon-Bibb merger

...The sheriff’s office now operates two labs, one in the old GBI Division of Forensic Sciences at the corner of Oglethorpe and Second streets, which the county took over in 2010. The other is the former Macon Police Crime Lab, which shares a building with the old precinct office on Houston Avenue.


Just like a couple marrying late in life and merging two homes, there is a lot of sorting and organizing to do. ...


...A mammoth job will be to go through dozens of boxes of evidence files collected over decades.


Hagerman said once everything is reviewed, he can appeal to a judge to allow for some items to be destroyed or sold.


“It’s a monumental task right now, but I’m hoping in the next few months we’ll be in much better shape.” ...

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more at: http://www.macon.com/2014/01/27/2901993/crime-lab-reorganization-underway.html

I don't know how much, if anything, the crime lab would have to do with Carlene's case at this point. (If there is still stored evidence, not sure this is where it would be.) But all this does have me wondering how the merger might affect Carlene's case and other old "cold cases" from the Macon Police Department.

It could go a lot of ways, I guess. There could have been some person in MPD who was really interested and dedicated to Carlene's case who is not remaining with LE after the merger -- that would be awful. On the other hand, new eyes might take a look at Carlene's case -- and more resources (people and money and time) might be available for cold case work now -- that would be great.

I sure wish macon.com/The Telegraph would do another article -- this time about how the merger might impact cold-case investigation!

ETA: Almost forgot -- I started a thread a few days ago for another Macon cold case -- not nearly as old as Carlene's; it's here: GA GA - Sophia LaTessa Denmark, 27, strangled in Macon, 2-21-2009 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community


In one of the articles I linked in that thread is this:

...Initially under Macon Police Department jurisdiction, Sophia’s case now has Bibb County Sheriff’s Office investigators assigned to it. The police department folded into the sheriff’s office last month.


Sheriff’s Office officials were not immediately available for comment late Thursday, but spokesman Lt. Sean DeFoe has been in touch with the family over the past several weeks, Austin said. ...

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http://www.macon.com/2014/02/20/2950156/five-years-later-unsolved-macon.html

So -- I wonder if similar things will happen with Carlene's case, even given its age? I hope SOMEONE is looking at it and that it will be a GOOD look.

I still think this has the potential to be solved, especially if a local man did it. If it was someone like Knowles (deceased) it could likely never be proven.

It would be great if someone would be willing to work this as a cold case.

I wonder if the evidence from Carlene's case is still around. Whatever happened to the car? Was it sold?

scriptgirl said:

I wonder if the evidence from Carlene's case is still around. Whatever happened to the car? Was it sold?

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Yeah, I wonder, too. I'm not really sure there ever even was much real "evidence" -- but I wonder about the case files, the interviews, etc. I sure hope they are still around.

As for the car, the long two-part article linked earlier in the thread says the family gave it away eventually:

...Your parents gave away their white station wagon. They gave everything to keep three children from spiraling into the shadow of the fourth. ...

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http://www.macon.com/2009/08/07/802938_p2/the-miracle-of-loss-a-two-part.html

From the articles at the beginning of this thread, I don't think the police did very much, and they treated Carlene as a runaway. Her dad had to beg them to fingerprint the car. The articles stated nothing was found, but I don't know if that means they found no prints at all or if it means no prints but those belonging to the family were found. Police contacted Carlene's mom later on to ask her if Carlene had returned so they could close out the case, so that shows us LE didn't work the case or else they would have known she was still missing. It's a shame so many kids from the 70s were treated as runaways, despite the families insisting to LE that their children had no reason to run away.

Bumping for Carlene, who will soon be missing 42 years in June.

dogperson said:

Bumping for Carlene, who will soon be missing 42 years in June.

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Not forgetting Carlene here, either.

The article from the Macon paper was heartbreaking, but this line struck me.

Then there was the dingbat over in east Macon who swore Carlene lived in her attic. "Comes down every night and raids my refrigerator."

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Makes you wonder if this woman really was a dingbat, or if she had a male relation living with her who might've been kidnapping young women and holding them in the attic.

AMP1979 said:

The article from the Macon paper was heartbreaking, but this line struck me.



Makes you wonder if this woman really was a dingbat, or if she had a male relation living with her who might've been kidnapping young women and holding them in the attic.

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It could be that this lady knew something, or thought she did, but was too mentally unstable for anybody to pay attention to her.

Since the anniversary of Carlene's disappearance is so very near I wanted to give her thread a bump.

I think often of Carlene's case.

So happy you are still thinking of her, Backwoods. I am too. 42 years is too long for a family to not have answers.

dogperson said:

So happy you are still thinking of her, Backwoods. I am too. 42 years is too long for a family to not have answers.

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bbm: Yes, it is, dogperson!

Just posted an appeal on the very active thread for Shirley and Russell Dermond for members and guests to take a look at Carlene's case on this day, the anniversary of her disappearance. Since that thread is visited by many, and by many Georgia posters particularly, who knows -- maybe somehow it might lead to a discussion somewhere that will help someone recall some small thing, some unfollowed lead, SOMETHING ... that will be what is needed in Carlene's case. I hope so, I pray so!

Carlene has been much on my mind as this day has approached, and I know I will think very much of her during the coming day ... the FIRST day of summer ... as it would have been in 1972, as well, I guess -- how sad.

I have nothing new ... but just wanted to give Carlene's thread a bump as the holiday season settles over us.

I know that my own thoughts tend especially to revisit the past at this time of year -- memories made long ago, people long gone. I'm sure it is an especially poignant time for many families of the missing, even the long-missing.

Whoever took her-I don't think she lived long after.

Backwoods said:

I think it just says "people behind Westgate" said they heard screaming. I have no idea when/where this was first reported (or to whom). Also don't know if it means people in a neighborhood or what. Behind part of Westgate, the south end, down the big drop was the shopping center where I'm pretty sure the Winn Dixie where the boyfriend worked was. Behind that center would also have been behind Westgate -- behind the north end of Westgate -- and there may have been/may be houses there, I'm not sure -- or it may have been undeveloped, even wooded, at that time...?

Guess it could just refer to people in the back parking lot of Westgate, too.

Would be really interesting to know who the "people behind Westgate" were and exactly what they reported ... and what LE thought of it.

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bbm Do any of the locals recall if it was easy to walk between the shopping centers in the Westgate area? IMO it is quite possible that Carlene traveled on foot between the Westgate shopping center and Winn Dixie shopping. Or, conversely, perhaps the rain that occurred that day deterred her from that option. If she did walk between the plazas, that could have given her abductor a chance to strike up a conversation and initiate the beginning of his plan. Parking lots can be isolated in areas especially as you reach the further outskirts.

Mountain Mama said:

bbm Do any of the locals recall if it was easy to walk between the shopping centers in the Westgate area? IMO it is quite possible that Carlene traveled on foot between the Westgate shopping center and Winn Dixie shopping. Or, conversely, perhaps the rain that occurred that day deterred her from that option. If she did walk between the plazas, that could have given her abductor a chance to strike up a conversation and initiate the beginning of his plan. Parking lots can be isolated in areas especially as you reach the further outskirts.

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I remember that there was a footpath (or maybe a few) down that very steep drop that separated the Westgate center/parking lot from the center/parking lot just west of Westgate, where I think the Winn Dixie was. (Westgate was on the higher ground, the other center on the lower.) I remember because, to me (I was pretty young), it looked kind of enticing but treacherous. So I don't know whether I'd say it was "easy" --but obviously it was done by some. I never walked down that way -- I was from out of town and not of driving age, so if we (whoever I was with, usually my mom) wanted to go to another location from Westgate, we would get back in the car to go. But clearly there was enough foot traffic to make that/those path/s. Maybe mostly people, and probably young ones, who lived in nearby neighborhoods used that path.

I bet there may STILL be a path down that drop -- between whatever is at the old Westgate site and whatever is now in the other center. If I get a chance sometime, I'll try to check it out and get a pic to post if there's something interesting to see.

I'm happy to see some posts on Carlene's thread. I was just thinking of her over Christmas and that yet another year has passed without any answers for her family.