CA CA - Rose Cole, 16, Oakland, 1972 - #1

[Goody]

Great work, Itsreenw! It's amazing that the librarian knew the author of the book and was able to give you their email address. I guess it shouldn't surprise me that there were others who "escaped" but never made it home... but it does.

A weekly newspaper (sorry, forget the name) won a Pulitzer prize for their expose on Synanon. I'll see what I can find on that today.

Have authorities any time over the years searched the grounds of this property for burial sites?

 

[HeartofTexas]

Have authorities any time over the years searched the grounds of this property for burial sites?

I was wondering the very same thing yesterday and even Googled to see if anything like that turned up, but the most I found was about beating up the neighbor who helped with the underground railroad and the lawyer with the snake in the mailbox.

 

[Goody]

I was wondering the very same thing yesterday and even Googled to see if anything like that turned up, but the most I found was about beating up the neighbor who helped with the underground railroad and the lawyer with the snake in the mailbox.

If they were killing people, I would expect them to dispose of the bodies on their own property to make sure they were never found by authorities.

 

[HeartofTexas]

If they were killing people, I would expect them to dispose of the bodies on their own property to make sure they were never found by authorities.

Agreed. I just can't find any place on the internet that says anyone checked the property for bodies. Itsreenw is trying to get to get a copy of an expose book on Synanon, and I'm hoping more details will be found. Also, they had several sites for the organization and they may have used one of the sites (possibly a more remote site) for burial.

 

[Goody]

Agreed. I just can't find any place on the internet that says anyone checked the property for bodies. Itsreenw is trying to get to get a copy of an expose book on Synanon, and I'm hoping more details will be found. Also, they had several sites for the organization and they may have used one of the sites (possibly a more remote site) for burial.

I don't think it will be documented by them as a burial site. They would most likely be hidden graves that would take a cadaver dog to find. Or maybe a plane flying overhead with special equipment. If the authorities never tried to search for such sites, it may never be known what is out there unless former members talk about it.

 

[itsreenw]

Have you read Chris Darden's book. He grew up in Oakland.

no I haven't read his book but I suppose if he is referring to the mean streets of Oakland, it was followed up with his story of becoming a succesful lawyer-cliche. My half-sister lived there through out her teen and adult life. She was much older than me and I loved going to her house on the weekends, She and her husband had a beautiful tri level home not far from Lake Merritt. My ex hubby's sports agent lives in Oakland as does my dear friend Vangie. Do you recall the Oakland Hills fires some years back? That was in Oakland. There is nothing rough about those areas. There are multi million dollar homes and exclusive neighborhoods there just as there are housing projects. As I said, Oakland has areas I wouldn't leave my car windows rolled down or door unlocked and it does have a high crime rate but the entire city is NOT rough Goody. By the sounds of things, Rose was safer on the streets of Oakland than behind the walls at Synanon. This will be my last comment on Oakland. :twocents: :silenced:

 

[itsreenw]

Agreed. I just can't find any place on the internet that says anyone checked the property for bodies. Itsreenw is trying to get to get a copy of an expose book on Synanon, and I'm hoping more details will be found. Also, they had several sites for the organization and they may have used one of the sites (possibly a more remote site) for burial.

I emailed Mr. Janzen-waiting for a reply. I also got the email from Rose's sil, thanx. I gave her a list of questions to reply to, with her permission I will post what I find from the info. Did I mention I emailed the mod of the Synanon site asking permission to access it because i was looking for a missing girl!! I emailed him before I even knew what kind of place this was?? He didn't reply and I will not be checking my mail box without first jabbing the inside with a long stick

 

[Shadow205]

First name(s) you used when you were in Synanon:
Last name(s) you used when you were in Synanon:
http://www.synanon.org/Synanon/MemberApply3.cfm

We need to find out what name(s), Rose might have used while living at synanon. If you did manage to run away from there, she might have continued to use that name. The above is from the application to the site.

itsreenw, you made me laugh with that one!

" I will not be checking my mail box without first jabbing the inside with a long stick

"

 

[HeartofTexas]

" I will not be checking my mail box without first jabbing the inside with a long stick"

LOL Itsreenw! I know the feeling. Rose's SIL was looking for her password to the Synanon site the other nite, but I haven't heard back from her since then. I doubt it will still be good anyway since she says she was kicked off of their site. It sounds like the SIL did everything she could to locate Rose via the internet.

 

[Shadow205]

I joined a cult education forum this morning which seems to be very active. I posted a request for anyone who may have been a resident of the synanon foundation to contact me. Maybe we'll get lucky!

 

[HeartofTexas]

I joined a cult education forum this morning

LOL! We're certainly expanding our base of knowledge on this case, aren't we! Thanks for doing that, Shadow. Hopefully we'll learn some things about what went on there. If it ever seems opportune, ask them if they knew anything about any killings in Synanon, or what they did to the kids who tried unsuccessfully to run away.

 

[HeartofTexas]

I received an email from the SIL today. She typed up the gist of what Rose said in her final letter. I'm going to copy it just as it was sent to me. It's a little confusing because of the various family members' names who are mentioned.

Here is Rose's last letter. I tried to preserve her writing style, meaning every comma, and hard space. But gave up after a while.

Letter details:

• It was written on her birthday Dec 23, 1972 but mailed Feb 3, 1973 because she didn't have a stamp
• A year has passed since she left to California
• She describes her life in living in the streets
• She can sleep ~ nightmares
• Her letters have not been answered, this one is address to her Mom, the other ones where to her siblings
• She talks about a baby. Billy had a baby at 19 with his girlfriend at the time~ not married ~ a lot of stress around that at home (Billy the oldest child, step brother ~ everyone including my husband loves BIlly best ~ he stood up to his stepfather Jesse Joseph and protected the other kids from bullies at school ~
• Norma and Opal are the youngest ones, when the judge sentenced her, he said that he couldn't sent her home because there were two small kids (Pose & Norma) that she would put at risk
• She asks for Norma's forgiveness (maybe from the letter to Pose)
• She doesn't like her looks, she feels she looks like her real Mom, Willie
• she talks about poor and rich people, it may be a stretch but maybe people with money ~ able to pay for prostitution?????
• She want to be love, and feels guilt which is normal under the circumstances but she talks very nicely about her Dad. I find that strange! Given the fact he is the only one with access to the letters, maybe he had a heart after all.

This is a stretch but he might have contacted her after this or any other available letters that we don't know about to appear in court in Michigan.

I am a very slow typer ~ I really suck at it ~ Next letter coming up!

]

 

[annemc2]

I did a little poking around (wishing all the while that I was a genuis hacker) to try to find something that would let us into the Synanon website. Didn't find anything but did end up on www.alumninow.com and www.classmates.com. I didn't fill out the profile on the alumninow site but there were some search hits for Synanon School. On the Classmates site there were five hits, one of which looked particularly interesting. This guy, C.H. said " 1968 disappeared into Synanon (you know why); was private investigator for 15 years;" - to read the rest you have to have a gold membership, and I know some of you guys have access. Anyone want to check it out and see if he could/would be of any help? I'm too much of a wuss to try it! :chicken:

 

[azure]

I'm confused, there have been many references to "Pose", is this a sibling or a nickname for Rose?

Does the letter say where she was at the time? Also, do we have any idea why Rose ended up at Synanon? The letter makes reference to a sentencing, was this for drugs? Can we assume that Rose was living on the streets somewhere at the time the letter was sent, possibly doing drugs or working as a prostitute?

Kelly

 

[HeartofTexas]

I'm confused, there have been many references to "Pose", is this a sibling or a nickname for Rose?

Does the letter say where she was at the time? Also, do we have any idea why Rose ended up at Synanon? The letter makes reference to a sentencing, was this for drugs? Can we assume that Rose was living on the streets somewhere at the time the letter was sent, possibly doing drugs or working as a prostitute?

Pose was a brother (there were 3 siblings... Pose, Jesse and Rose). There were also some step siblings.

I don't believe the letter says where she was.

I covered why Rose ended up at Synanon in a previous post but basically she was caught doing drugs at age 15, and the Judge sentenced her to a stay at Synanon. Those would be the same papers referenced above.

I don't believe the SIL knows for certain if Rose was doing prostitution to survive. And it does seem like she may have been living on the streets. Right now I don't know a whole lot more than anyone else does. About the only thing I know is other family member's names, which I plan to post later on this evening.

 

[Shadow205]

HoT, was Rose originally from Flint,MI.? I found a Rose Cole registered at Class Mates who attented Junior High School in Flint, MI. I have sent that Rose an email and waiting for a reply.

 

[Goody]

I joined a cult education forum this morning which seems to be very active. I posted a request for anyone who may have been a resident of the synanon foundation to contact me. Maybe we'll get lucky!

That sounds interesting. I know you will keep us posted. I am intrigued.

 

[HeartofTexas]

HoT, was Rose originally from Flint,MI.? I found a Rose Cole registered at Class Mates who attented Junior High School in Flint, MI. I have sent that Rose an email and waiting for a reply.

Shadow, you sent the message to Rose's SIL Yannette, the one I'm emailing! LOL! She just emailed me the following:

Today I got an e-mail from XXXXXXXXX from Pineville High School asking me if I had a brother called Pose and a sister called Norma.

And yes, Rose was originally from Flint, Michigan. Sorry you weren't really contacting Rose... but I appreciate your efforts a lot! Yannette will probably answer you. At first I told her I didn't think it was one of our posters but, after reading your post, I just emailed her back and said I thought it was.

 

[itsreenw]

Decided to take a break from my adoption search. I'm getting frustrated. This should be an easy one-I have all the info- but I can't get into the WA birth registry. If anyone has access can you PLEASE PM me.

I figured I'd take a time out and come see what the 'ol gang is doing here and to let y'all know that I got an email back from Rod Janzen. He gave me the phone # of Sue Richardson who was a teacher at Synanon, Oakland. I will call her Monday during business hours. Maybe she can tell us a little about Rose's activities at Synanon.

Ya know, it is so odd that a juvenile would be sent clear across the country to a drug program. I wonder if judges were being paid off to send wayward kids there.

HoT, was Rose originally from Flint,MI.? I found a Rose Cole registered at Class Mates who attented Junior High School in Flint, MI. I have sent that Rose an email and waiting for a reply.

Shadow, I know this was addressed to HoT, but I saw it and got totally excited!! Yes, she was from Flint, MI. Sorry for answering for you HoT.

HoT, did SIL say why she got kicked off the site?? Did she pose as Rose? How'd she get on in the 1st place? I'm game to try it if she tells me what to say to get in.

 

[HeartofTexas]

He gave me the phone # of Sue Richardson who was a teacher at Synanon, Oakland. I will call her Monday during business hours. Maybe she can tell us a little about Rose's activities at Synanon.

That's great news... can't wait to hear what you find out.

I guess by now you've read my response to Shadow... he was writing to Yannette, and not Rose.

No, the SIL didn't say why she got kicked off. Not sure if she posed as Rose. Someone gave her the password, and she used it to gain entry.