IL IL - Tricia Kellett, 8, Chicago, 7 May 1982

[joy_m_n]

I'm literally shaking right now. I had typed out the following post to post on Websleuths, without knowing where to put it:
"This my first Websleuths post, so if there is a better place to write this, please let me know! And move this if necessary.

Long story short- sometime in 1985, when I was in kindergarden, a friend and I were approached by a man in a car. He pulled over to where we were on the sidewalk, and offered us candy. We had run ahead of my mom, and she finally caught up to us after being around the corner. He saw her and sped off.
This was in Waupaca, WI. I can describe the car, the guy, the specific wording he used (he specifically used a word that was not part of the common vernacular in the area), and the season and the weather on that day, as well as the specific address. Additionally, we were about to enter the public library, where I would have both returned and checked out books about 20 minutes after the incident....which could maybe provide a time stamp?

Anyway, it didn't occur to me until recently (after watching a number of crime documentaries) that this info may be helpful in solving related cases-- if there were ever any cases involving the same guy. I don't recall ever seeing similar incidents within a couple years before or after that, in that area, where (female) kids that age went missing. But, I suppose it can't hurt to share the info, right? I've seen more than one show now where they've made the point that "the one who escapes/survives is the best source of information".

Any advice on what I could or should do with this info? Or if there were ever any cases that may be related in any way?

Thanks"

I couldn't find a forum specifically for "some guy tried to grab me, but was unsuccessful", so I decided to look around for cases in the area around the same time, with girls of the same age. I didn't find any in Wisconsin, so I tried Illinois. I found this one. My jaw dropped at the description of the car.

FYI- I literally *just* submitted a tip via the website for Jon Walsh's "The Hunt" on...Friday night? In my post there, I described the car I saw.
GUYS--- I described a light blue hatchback car that looked like an economy model. When I came to this thread and saw "1979 Dodge Dart", I googled what that car looks like. That doesn't match. But.... is it possible that it was a Dodge COLT?? *IF* that is possible.... I found this pic of a 1979 Dodge Colt, and it totally matches with the car I saw: http://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/1979-Colt-line.jpg

I don't want to jump to conclusions that the cases are totally related. I really have no real way of knowing that.
If anything else, I think I might now have a solid guess as to what type of car the guy who *I* saw was driving.

Any advice on what I could do with my info that may be more helpful to anyone involved with any potential related case?

 

[joy_m_n]

Also-- I saw a pic of a Plymouth Arrow from the same time. That car could also be a potential match for the car I saw. I just very strongly remember the back of the car being very....triangular-ish? It wasn't boxy like other sedans. It had more of a slanty slope to both the front and the back, but much more so in the back. I also remember it being a light, sort of powdery color. Grayish-blueish-pastel-ish. Kind of a dull color. Not super shiny.

 

[joy_m_n]

Apologies for the triple post-- I just realized that the year was most likely NOT 1985. I was in Kindergarten between the fall of 1983 and the spring of 1984. I'm about 98% sure I was in kindergarten when this happened.
Also- I recalled another piece of info that makes me believe that this may have occurred on either Labor Day or Memorial Day...or a similar holiday....

 

[ashadds]

Bumping up . This case broke my heart actually , very similar to Michaela garecht,s abduction. The man in the flyer is described as white , brown hair and moustache , early to mid 30s , 6.0 ft ,200 pounds driving a blue car with front door damage . This creep would not have stopped with tricia and I pray that he is caught and pays for his crimes

 

[STANDREID]

Were the plates on the suspect's car IL plates?

 

[joy_m_n]

This is just IF the same would-be abductor I escaped from was the same as the one who got Tricia (big "If", but....you never know....)
I am about 90% sure he was from a southern state. I can give specific reasons if it's helpful....but
That's only on the off chance that they were the same guy.

 

[hayaletcatcher]

Bump for Tricia.
The detective on her case was talking about a different missing child but said that boys disappearance, and Tricias, are two case that still haunt him, over a decade after retirement.

 

[Brotherfudz]

Sounds like they knew who did it, suspect had a dark past and came from a wealthy suspect, when we was gonna be charged in somewhat related/unrelated crimes the witnesses were paid off...Sad case

Troubling Clues in Case of Unsolved 1982 Chicago Kidnapping

 

[Moonwalker9]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Tricia J. Kellett – The Charley Project

• 
• 
• 
• 
• • Missing Since05/07/1982
  • Missing FromChicago, Illinois
  • ClassificationNon-Family Abduction
  • Date of Birth05/31/1973 (45)
  • Age8 years old
  • Height and Weight4'0, 70 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry DescriptionA blue long-sleeved sweater, blue jeans and brown shoes.
  • Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian female. Blonde hair, hazel eyes. Tricia had a space between her upper front teeth at the time of her disappearance. She has previously broken her left wrist and fractured her skull.
  Details of Disappearance
  Tricia left her family's Uptown apartment in Chicago, Illinois after school on May 7, 1982, and went to play with friends in the street. She was apparently seen speaking to an unidentified male shortly before her disappearance.
  
  Witnesses told investigators that they saw the man pull Tricia into a blue four-door 1979 Dodge or Pontiac car. The vehicle was described as having a damaged front passenger door and a license plate beginning with the letters "Q" and "R."
  
  Her mother realized she was missing at 4:00 p.m. and the family started looking for Tricia. Her mother called the police a few times that evening, but the authorities didn't join in the search until 10:00 p.m. Tricia has never been heard from again and the vehicle remains unidentified.
  
  Tricia's parents are divorced. She lived with her mother and stepfather at the time of her disappearance, but saw her father regularly. She was well-known in her neighborhood and was active in a local church.
  
  Her mother moved out of their former apartment later in 1982 and now lives in Missouri. Tricia's disappearance remains unsolved.
  

 

[Richard]

Tricia J. Kellett, age 8
Missing since 7 May 1982

 

[TheArtfulDetective]

Anniversary of disappearance.

 

[spartanx]

They say this girl's parents were seen driving around in expensive sports cars after the charges were dropped...This is the worst part of the story. How can you sleep at night knowing that you let the pedophile who victimized your son and victimized other children go free so you could buy a sports car? If you don't protect your own children, who will?...It's super tragic that so many cases, especially those involving children, are never heard of and barely receive any attention.... Poor girl. I read this post and decided to look on Facebook and saw that there was a family page dedicated to her... They haven't posted much but at least they are still trying to find some answers.... She is still very loved and missed. Everyone They deserve answers and closure. Her family has spent a long time not knowing what happened to this baby...
rest in peace

 

[Richard]

Tricia J. Kellett, age 8, Missing since 7 May 1982

Tricia Kellett was in a great mood when she got home from school on Friday, May 7, 1982. She proudly presented her mother, Dorothy Jo, with a painting she had made for her for Mother’s Day, then asked if she could play outside. Tricia always had energy to burn and had trouble sitting still for long periods of time. Unlike many kids, she grew bored whenever she tried to watch television. She preferred to be on the go all the time. Her father would be arriving shortly — she and her brother were going to be spending the weekend with him — but she didn’t want to sit around and wait for him. Her mother agreed that she could go outside, but reminded her to watch for her father’s car. Tricia promised she would and then bounded out of the front door.

Tricia, like most 8-year-old girls, loved puppies. Her neighbor’s dog had recently given birth to a litter, and Tricia loved visiting so she could play with them. Her neighbor wasn’t at all surprised when Tricia appeared on her porch that afternoon, begging to be allowed to see the puppies. The little girl played with them for a while, then reluctantly got ready to leave. She knew her father would arrive any minute, so she headed back towards her house. She would never get there.

Brad Kellett arrived at 4:00 pm and found his son waiting expectantly for him, but there was no sign of Tricia. Brad assumed Tricia had simply lost track of time, and after waiting for a few minutes he checked with Dorothy Jo to see if she knew where Tricia might have gone. They searched the immediate area, but Tricia was nowhere to be found. With the help of neighbors, they expanded the search area, combing through a nearby park and churchyard where Tricia would sometimes go to play. They had no luck.

Learning that Tricia was missing, a couple children came forward and said they had seen Tricia walking down the sidewalk with an unknown male. They appeared to be having a conversation, and then Tricia got into a blue car with him. Dorothy Jo panicked when she heard this, and immediately called the police while neighbors continued searching for the missing child. The Chicago Police…

LINK:

The Tricia Kellett Case: Did Police Allow a Child Killer to Go Free?

Police identified her killer just days after she went missing, but this information was hidden from the public for more than 35 years.

medium.com

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Tricia J. Kellett – The Charley Project

 

[John/Jane Doe]

272DFIL - Tricia J. Kellett