Just a few thoughts on this case:
It was stated that a man was talking with Debra at the restaurant where she worked, and that he was asking about getting a ride. Then he was seen to leave at the same time that she did.
The unidentified stranger would be the most likely suspect in my opinion. He was probably lying about how he got to the restaurant and about where he was headed. It is unlikely that Debra would have given him a ride out of the area for any reason. If she gave him a ride voluntarily, it would have been with the idea that it was to be of short duration. It is also possible that he pulled a weapon on her in the parking lot and forced her to leave with him.
I wonder if LE bothered to have a sketch made of him or if they took a detailed description at the time.
If he wanted to steal the car, he could have killed her and disposed of her body somewhere along his route of travel. With no known direction of travel or destination, this could mean her body might have been left anywhere.
It doesn't make much sense for him to dispose of the car and the body at the same time in an isolated lake or pond, as he would now need another ride and he would be out in an isolated area. And if he placed the body in the trunk and then sunk the car, it would be a clear case of murder rather than an accident. The chances of her being found and identified and him being described would be too great a risk.
The car might still be a viable clue. The VIN is known (6W66X173520) and a search might still locate it - either as a currently registered Antique/Historic Vehicle, or as one abandoned or registered since 1974.
Abandoned vehicles are impounded by Law Enforcement agencies for a period of time and their VIN numbers are published in newspaper legal advertisements prior to them being auctioned off or scrapped. If this 1966 Ford Galaxy was sold in such an auction, it could have been titled and registered by the new owner using the auction sales paperwork.
Another (rather grim) thought is that there was a serial killer named Paul John Knowles who was in the middle of a country wide murder spree at the time that Debra went missing. Knowles traveled from Nevada, through Texas, Alabama, Connecticut, Virginia, Georgia, and Florida between July and December 1974. During that time frame, he often stole the victim's automobiles and other possessions. He is believed to have killed at least 35 persons.
Link:
www.websleuths.com
It was stated that a man was talking with Debra at the restaurant where she worked, and that he was asking about getting a ride. Then he was seen to leave at the same time that she did.
The unidentified stranger would be the most likely suspect in my opinion. He was probably lying about how he got to the restaurant and about where he was headed. It is unlikely that Debra would have given him a ride out of the area for any reason. If she gave him a ride voluntarily, it would have been with the idea that it was to be of short duration. It is also possible that he pulled a weapon on her in the parking lot and forced her to leave with him.
I wonder if LE bothered to have a sketch made of him or if they took a detailed description at the time.
If he wanted to steal the car, he could have killed her and disposed of her body somewhere along his route of travel. With no known direction of travel or destination, this could mean her body might have been left anywhere.
It doesn't make much sense for him to dispose of the car and the body at the same time in an isolated lake or pond, as he would now need another ride and he would be out in an isolated area. And if he placed the body in the trunk and then sunk the car, it would be a clear case of murder rather than an accident. The chances of her being found and identified and him being described would be too great a risk.
The car might still be a viable clue. The VIN is known (6W66X173520) and a search might still locate it - either as a currently registered Antique/Historic Vehicle, or as one abandoned or registered since 1974.
Abandoned vehicles are impounded by Law Enforcement agencies for a period of time and their VIN numbers are published in newspaper legal advertisements prior to them being auctioned off or scrapped. If this 1966 Ford Galaxy was sold in such an auction, it could have been titled and registered by the new owner using the auction sales paperwork.
Another (rather grim) thought is that there was a serial killer named Paul John Knowles who was in the middle of a country wide murder spree at the time that Debra went missing. Knowles traveled from Nevada, through Texas, Alabama, Connecticut, Virginia, Georgia, and Florida between July and December 1974. During that time frame, he often stole the victim's automobiles and other possessions. He is believed to have killed at least 35 persons.
Link:
FL - FL/GA - Paul John Knowles, active 1965 - 1974
Paul John Knowles (1946-1974) often traveled Highway 75 from Florida to Georgia. In 1965, he kidnapped a police officer and got 5 years. By 1967, he was paroled and soon back in prison the same year. In 1970, he was again out on parole, and was loose until 1972 when he was again sentenced to...
www.websleuths.com
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