Potential Suspects and Persons of Interest

[Richard]

Interesting that on FB, some people related to LLW and RAW, Sr have ON THEIR FRIEND'S LIST, some people with the last name---"COFFEY". Relatives of Fred Coffey???
Coincidence? I would not be surprised if he and LLW and RAW, Sr. knew each other in Maryland and/or Virginia. The same thing may follow suit with many known convicts throughout the country, especially since LLW traveled the country for 20 years. It may go deeper than just family.

It is not unreasonable or strange that someone in the Bedford, VA area would know people named Coffey. It is a rather common name in that area.

Fred Coffey, Jr. lived in Bristol, VA which is not too far from Bedford County.

Fred was never in prison in Maryland or Delaware where Lloyd Welch was incarcerated, so probably did not meet Lloyd Welch there. Fred has been a resident of the North Carolina prison system since 1986.

No indication that Richard Welch was ever in prison or for that matter ever in legal trouble.

It would be more probable that if there was a conspiracy to abduct the Lyon Sisters that it originated in Maryland.

 

[simplifymylife2014]

It is not unreasonable or strange that someone in the Bedford, VA area would know people named Coffey. It is a rather common name in that area.

Fred Coffey, Jr. lived in Bristol, VA which is not too far from Bedford County.

Fred was never in prison in Maryland or Delaware where Lloyd Welch was incarcerated, so probably did not meet Lloyd Welch there. Fred has been a resident of the North Carolina prison system since 1986.

No indication that Richard Welch was ever in prison or for that matter ever in legal trouble.

It would be more probable that if there was a conspiracy to abduct the Lyon Sisters that it originated in Maryland.

Thanks for your insight Richard.
However, my thoughts are toward it being interesting that, if I'm not mistaken, there are relatives with the last name Welch in Maryland (which the above quoted newspaper from Hyattsville mentions), that have friends on THEIR FB page of person's with the last name Coffey who live in Maryland.
In addition, as you mentioned, there may be connections with their families from Virginia.
I find that interesting because, going with what we KNOW, Fred Coffey was in the Montgomery Co area in 1975.
In addition, if he has FAMILY members in Maryland that knew LLW, perhaps it is possible that Coffey is friend's of
LLW and RAW, Sr.
I realize that RAW, Sr. has no criminal record that we know of, so I felt that if Coffey knew him and LLW, it wasn't meeting in prison, it may have been through connections with family that lived in Maryland.
I have a VERY strong feeling that the abduction was organized in Maryland.

 

[wfd]

I was the one who posted about Casey years ago. I remember Casey from when I was a little kid. Not too long after the post, the MCPD contacted me and we spoke on the phone in 2010. A detective also spoke to one of my parents. The MCPD originally had looked at Casey in 1975. But they told me they were going to be meeting with him again during that summer of 2010. I later followed up and spoke with a detective and he said Casey had become less of a suspect and they had very credible new leads on the case toward another individual. I am now wondering if this is when they originally started gathering info on Welch.
As for being TRM. Casey did use a tape recorder and would go around interview and record people. I remember seeing him with one back in 1974. He used to say he was writing a book on the all the people he was interviewing. But I also remember reading a theory on these threads that that it was quite possible there were 2 or more TRM going around to shopping centers back then. It is highly plausible as tape recorders were sort of a new phenomenon back then. I also did hear Casey passed away last year.

 

[Richard]

Thanks for your insight Richard.
However, my thoughts are toward it being interesting that, if I'm not mistaken, there are relatives with the last name Welch in Maryland (which the above quoted newspaper from Hyattsville mentions), that have friends on THEIR FB page of person's with the last name Coffey who live in Maryland....Fred Coffey was in the Montgomery Co area in 1975.
In addition, if he has FAMILY members in Maryland that knew LLW, perhaps it is possible that Coffey is friend's of LLW and RAW, Sr....I have a VERY strong feeling that the abduction was organized in Maryland.

-------------------

Some observations concerning Fred Coffey...


Fred Coffey was and is a serial offender. In all of his KNOWN crimes against children he acted on his own without accomplices.

Coffey was in the Navy until 17 September 1974 when he was discharged. At that time he was on trial for the rape of a 13 year old girl in Virginia Beach, VA. Sometime later he moved to Montgomery County, Maryland where he interviewed for a computer job with Vitro Laboratories in Aspen Hill on 1 April 1975.

Coffey left Maryland on or after 25 July 1975 very suddenly and without notice to his employer. Coincidentally this was right after Kathy Lynn Beatty was brutally attacked and left for dead (she died 12 days later) only a few hundred yards from the Vitro Laboratories parking lot. Coffey was back in Virginia Beach in October 1975 where he was arrested and charged with "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" with a 15 year old girl.

Coffey has numerous convictions for molesting children ages 3 to 15 and admitted to a court appointed Psychiatrist that he molested over 100 children.

He was convicted of only one murder: 10 year old Amanda Ray in North Carolina. He is the prime suspect in the murder of 5 year old Neely Smith or Charlotte, NC and 8 year old Travis Shane King of Bristol, VA. No doubt there were others as well.

As to relatives, I do not know if any live in Maryland. It is possible, but I would not assume or even speculate that he actively included them in his perversions and predations. He seemed to be a loner.

 

[steveP120]

http://hyattsvillelife.com/exclusiv...-family-home-property-for-clues-in-1975-case/

New article, not much new info but I missed this line- "At a press conference the day before the Hyattsville search, Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney Randy Krantz said, “We know who was responsible. Each and every one of them.”

Pretty strong language. Grand jury has been meeting for a week, hopefully they will indict soon.

Thanks for the link to the local Hyattsville article.

While there was not "new" information such as who did the crime, it looked to me that the local reporter did interview several locals, some family, some just living on the street, and gave a good background on the persons of interest.

 

[simplifymylife2014]

I was the one who posted about Casey years ago. I remember Casey from when I was a little kid. Not too long after the post, the MCPD contacted me and we spoke on the phone in 2010. A detective also spoke to one of my parents. The MCPD originally had looked at Casey in 1975. But they told me they were going to be meeting with him again during that summer of 2010. I later followed up and spoke with a detective and he said Casey had become less of a suspect and they had very credible new leads on the case toward another individual. I am now wondering if this is when they originally started gathering info on Welch.
As for being TRM. Casey did use a tape recorder and would go around interview and record people. I remember seeing him with one back in 1974. He used to say he was writing a book on the all the people he was interviewing. But I also remember reading a theory on these threads that that it was quite possible there were 2 or more TRM going around to shopping centers back then. It is highly plausible as tape recorders were sort of a new phenomenon back then. I also did hear Casey passed away last year.

Thank you so much wfd! I didn't think I could ever find that post again from you. Do you know which thread you posted the info under? Also, was Casey his first name and can you or your parents find an old pic of him? What was his full name?
Also, don't you find it more than coincidental that 10/2010 is the last post I see M. Dietz posted? I stayed up all night reading his posts and was crying at one point because I believe what he posted really did happen. Interesting, now that we have a possible pic of the vehicle. It would not surprise me one bit, if since 2010, LE has been turning also to M. Dietz for leads. Perhaps he is is VA even testifying as part of the grand jury and is not permitted to communicate with anyone, so as not to jeopardize the case. What do you and others here think about these thoughts? Thanks.

 

[simplifymylife2014]

-------------------

Some observations concerning Fred Coffey...


Fred Coffey was and is a serial offender. In all of his KNOWN crimes against children he acted on his own without accomplices.

Coffey was in the Navy until 17 September 1974 when he was discharged. At that time he was on trial for the rape of a 13 year old girl in Virginia Beach, VA. Sometime later he moved to Montgomery County, Maryland where he interviewed for a computer job with Vitro Laboratories in Aspen Hill on 1 April 1975.

Coffey left Maryland on or after 25 July 1975 very suddenly and without notice to his employer. Coincidentally this was right after Kathy Lynn Beatty was brutally attacked and left for dead (she died 12 days later) only a few hundred yards from the Vitro Laboratories parking lot. Coffey was back in Virginia Beach in October 1975 where he was arrested and charged with "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" with a 15 year old girl.

Coffey has numerous convictions for molesting children ages 3 to 15 and admitted to a court appointed Psychiatrist that he molested over 100 children.

He was convicted of only one murder: 10 year old Amanda Ray in North Carolina. He is the prime suspect in the murder of 5 year old Neely Smith or Charlotte, NC and 8 year old Travis Shane King of Bristol, VA. No doubt there were others as well.

As to relatives, I do not know if any live in Maryland. It is possible, but I would not assume or even speculate that he actively included them in his perversions and predations. He seemed to be a loner.

Thanks Richard. I did not mean at all that Coffey's relatives were involved. I meant that it is possible that through having family ties in Maryland, who know the Welches, that from that he may have come to know LLW and perhaps RAW, Sr. Thanks for pointing out about him being a loner in his crimes.

 

[simplifymylife2014]

Is Helen Craver officially NO LONGER a Person of Interest in this case?
If I heard correctly in the WJLA, channel 7 coverage of the latest press conference,
I believe someone from the news media asked about her and MC LE said she is no longer a person of interest.

So far, in reading these threads, I haven't seen anyone talk about the convictions LLW is serving in Delaware for apparently sexually offending one or more of Helen's children.
Would that have been children she had later, after she got married to someone else?

Are there any MORE DETAILED newspaper reports of what happened regarding Helen's children and the other offenses he was charged with from other states?

Also, what has become of I believe it was 4 children that LLW and Helen Craver had, who were taken away from them and put in foster homes?

Lastly, has anyone else wondered or SEEN what Helen Craver's CAUSE OF DEATH was on her death certificate? She died pretty young in her 50's, I believe.

Could she also have wanted to tell police anything she knew about LLW and other crimes?
Could there have been foul-play and her death planned for either having LLW incarcerated or
something else she knew?

 

[simplifymylife2014]

I don't know how much of those 30 or so years that HC was actually traveling throughout the country with LLW and the carnivals back then.

However, common sense dictates that IF HE WAS INDEED committing crimes throughout the country, even if HC was not directly involved, how could she NOT KNOW SOMETHING was going on?

 

[Richard]

Fred Howard Coffey, Jr. has been discussed on this thread as a potential suspect in the disappearance of the Lyon Sisters. In fact, he was so named by MCP back in 1987.

The following excerpt was posted by JuliaW in the Cold Case thread on 5 year-old Neely Smith, who was murdered in 1981. Fred Howard Coffey, Jr. is the primary suspect in her murder.

Quote: I remember Coffey. I'd seen him for days before her disappearance. We all had. He'd wander up on us as we were playing, in the creek or at the playground, try to be friendly and normally only strike it off with the youngest of us, the older ones, more jaded would move away pulling the smaller children with us. I saw him that day, at the playground, watching me, standing there, just watching me, alone, on the swing. I raised my stick and him and started yelling for help and he took off running. My aunt came out from where she'd been watching me in secret, my mother having sent her out behind me to make sure I was okay and just stroked my hair and pushed the swing for a bit. I never saw him again, but I remember them coming to question us, and coming again when they found her. I have a memory of her having a photo on her that I'd written the alphabet on, so she could learn it, but I may be blurring events. Unquote

LINK:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...ered-1981-Suspect-Fred-Howard-Coffey-Jr/page4

 

[thebigcookie]

Two other people I am wondering about. I have heard sometimes people disguised in costumes may do harmful things to children and sexually abuse them. I want to start off by mentioning that when I was a small child I was terrified of people in costumes and there is not a single picture of me with Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. In some ways, it may have shown that I didn't want to see them because they were strangers. Two people I am interested in are costumed. The first one is this Easter Bunny at Wheaton Plaza. I remember reading Shelia was sitting on his lap. I am wondering who this person is as to if he had any part in their disappearance. Were there more than one people that played the Easter Bunny at Wheaton Plaza that year? Was this bunny ever questioned about what happened? The other person is a Santa Claus. I have seen a picture floating around in recent months of Richard Welch in a police/security uniform sitting with Santa as seen in an article here:
http://hyattsvillelife.com/hyattsvi...975-disappearance-of-lyons-girls/#prettyPhoto

Does anyone know anything about this Santa Claus? Was a relative of the Welch's or someone that Richard Welch knew well? I'm also wondering if he had some part in the girls disappearance as well. Any info on these two would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[simplifymylife2014]

I saw in another post someone made, (I believe in a group about Wheaton Plaza on FB) that someone they knew was the Easter Bunny one year. What year I don't know. I may have tried to reply on the group to see if they would respond. You can learn a lot, just by joining those groups or reading the posts if it will allow you without joining.

I TOTALLY agree about NOT LIKING people in costumes as a child --especially Santa Claus, and was always creeped out to sit on a strange man's lap!!

I have read somewhere that LE may have checked out the Easter Bunny.
Richard is a good person for that.
Oh Richard?? Can you help with thebigcookie's questions about the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus?

I know Richard has stated before that he believes that the Santa Claus in the picture with RAW, Sr. may have been at a Christmas party.

However Richard, couldn't that be the same Santa from the mall who was AT that party?

Looking forward the the December 5, 2014 Grand Jury Meeting!!

I hope we hear a lot more info soon!!

 

[RichardLewis]

Where is the Denial?

There is something blatantly and conspicuously missing in all of the news reports and discussions regarding the Lyon Sisters. Where is the denial from Richard Welch?

Richard, where is your indignation at being named a “person of interest” in such a horrible crime?

If you are innocent you should:

Vehemently deny any involvement. Proclaim your innocence. Offer a rebuttal. Vow to clear your good name.

Volunteer to take a lie detector test.

Pledge to cooperate and help the investigation in any way you can. Tell everything you know and encourage your friends and family to tell everything they know.

Express some compassion for the Lyon family. Tell the Lyon family directly if you have no knowledge of anything regarding their daughter’s abduction.

Tell the world where you were and what you were doing on March 25, 1975 and the days after. You can say “Yes, I did happen to work in Wheaton at the “XYZ” company, but I had nothing to do with any of this. Listen to me and I will prove it to you… “

What kind of man would risk his wife going to prison for her lying to a grand jury?
The world is watching, Dick, and you’re acting like you’ve got something to hide.
Your silence speaks volumes.

 

[simplifymylife2014]

You are very observant RichardLewis and may be SPOT-ON with what you have said!

Could he have chosen to remain silent, so as not to incriminate himself or could he be waiting for a lawyer to represent him?

I agree that the part about allowing his wife to face prison time--is PRETTY TELLING!!

 

[Richard]

Richard Welch is innocent until proven guilty. So far, there have been no formal charges and no specific public statements made by MCP regarding what connection he might have with the case.

Any lawyer worth his salt would tell him to remain silent on the subject.

Regarding Mrs. Welch, again no specifics as to what she is suspected of lying about - and she is probably under a gag order NOT to reveal anything asked of her by the Grand Jury. By now, she probably has a lawyer also advising her to be silent.

It is possible that Investigators have charged Mrs. Welch in an effort to pressure Richard Welch into cooperating with them.

 

[Richard]

Prince Georges County, Maryland


MCP has named two persons of interest in this case: Lloyd Lee "Michael" Welch, Jr. and his uncle Richard "Dick" Welch.

Both of these men lived in Hyattsville, Prince Georges County, Maryland in 1974/75 and for some years afterward. Richard Welch is still a resident of Hyattsville.

It would be interesting to know all of the addresses that these two men were associated with (homes, rental property, business places, etc) at that time.

If, in fact, one or both of these men were involved in the abduction of the Lyon sisters, then LE should be looking at potential places where they could have been taken. Could either man have had friends or associates in the Kensington area?

Richard Welch had other relatives and in-laws residing in Hyattsville and Lloyd's girl friend, Helen Craver probably lived in the area. There could still be some recoverable forensic evidence at one of those locations.

Prince Georges County, Maryland is generally south of Montgomery County. They are the two Maryland counties that border the District of Columbia. From early in the investigation, PG county has figured into the picture.

When a Tape Recorder Man (TRM) was identifed and said to be seen with the Lyon sisters in Wheaton Plaza, many other reports of the same or a similar TRM in Prince Georges County malls came in to MCP.

MCP was said to have immediately questioned several men in PG county about the girls on or after 1 April 1975.

Later, an unnamed Prince Georges County man contacted MCP to state that he was the TRM seen in Prince Georges County, but claimed that he had never taken his tape recorder to Montgomery County. Further, he claimed to have been involved in an accident with a government vehicle at the same time as the Lyon sisters' disappearance.

In 1982, MCP attention was focussed on convicted murderer Raymond Mileski and his former Suitland, MD (PG County) home. They dug up his back yard for a few hours, but stated they only found bird bones.

Later, in 2001 Mileski again came to LE attention and he claimed to have information about the case.

 

[alliemay]

http://crimedaily.com/news/archives/cat_cold_cases.html

Not sure if this has been posted before, or on another thread about the girls, but they are interested in finding a station wagon associated with the suspect.

 

[Richard]

http://crimedaily.com/news/archives/cat_cold_cases.html

Not sure if this has been posted before, or on another thread about the girls, but they are interested in finding a station wagon associated with the suspect.

Thanks for the link, Skeet. Yes, the search for a station wagon has been discussed, but on another thread this topic.

A station wagon was sighted in Manassas, Virginia back on 7 April 1975, two weeks after the girls went missing. Two separate eyewitnesses claimed to have seen a Ford Station Wagon driven by a man who resembled a composite sketch of a "Tape Recorder Man" seen talking to the girls in Wheaton Plaza shortly before they disappeared.

Both eyewitnesses also thought they saw a girl possibly tied up in the back of the vehicle. The station wagon ran a red light in morning rush hour traffic and drove away.

Recently, following a police search of the Hyattsville home of Richard Welch, a photo of a man (thought to be Richard Welch) standing next to a Ford Pinto Stationwagon turned up. That is the vehicle that police are seeking.

 

[simplifymylife2014]

I have some questions that I was wondering if anyone
here knows the answers to or can find the answers from
someone or any legitimate source.

1) First of all, is LE PERMITTED to be viewing the
"other family members" as Persons of Interest,
WITHOUT NAMING THEM TO THE PUBLIC??

There has been discussion on here of ones who LE,
to MY KNOWLEDGE HAS NEVER REVEALED THE
NAME(S) to THE PUBLIC.

2) HOW THEN, should WE HERE, who are researching
VIEW EVEN MENTIONING A NAME NOT STATED BY LE
AS "A PERSON OF INTEREST"??

3) Can A DEAD PERSON, WHO WAS INVOLVED IN
A CRIME BE CHARGED IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM, EVEN
IF IT IS JUST ON PAPER FOR THE SAKE OF CLOSURE??

Thanks!!

 

[Richard]

I have some questions that I was wondering if anyone
here knows the answers to or can find the answers from
someone or any legitimate source.

1) First of all, is LE PERMITTED to be viewing the
"other family members" as Persons of Interest,
WITHOUT NAMING THEM TO THE PUBLIC??

There has been discussion on here of ones who LE,
to MY KNOWLEDGE HAS NEVER REVEALED THE
NAME(S) to THE PUBLIC.

2) HOW THEN, should WE HERE, who are researching
VIEW EVEN MENTIONING A NAME NOT STATED BY LE
AS "A PERSON OF INTEREST"??

3) Can A DEAD PERSON, WHO WAS INVOLVED IN
A CRIME BE CHARGED IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM, EVEN
IF IT IS JUST ON PAPER FOR THE SAKE OF CLOSURE??

Thanks!!

Your questions cover a wide area and there is no finite answer to them. Rather, perhaps there could be a long open discussion on each. The comments which follow are only my own ideas, and not meant to be definitive answers.

1. I think that Law Enforcement has the ability and the responsibility to consider anyone as a potential suspect or person of interest in the course of their investigation into the disappearance of the Lyon sisters. However, they have to consider very carefully how, why, or when they would PUBLICLY NAME someone a POI or suspect - this for a number of reasons.

I personally feel that LE has overstepped the line by implying in their press statements the the entire Welch family was involved in the abduction and murder of the Lyon sisters. They have only named Lloyd Welch and his uncle Richard Welch as "Persons of Interest" but have presented no evidence to date. I believe that if they had named them as "Suspects" they would have been required to charge them within a certain amount of time.

LE probably believes that other family members are with holding information or hindering their investigation, but they have not specifically named any other family members in this case.

2. Persons posting on internet sites, or reporting in newspapers, etc. are not under the same constraints as a Law Enforcement Agency in some ways, but certainly could be held responsible for libel or slander against someone, just as LE could be. Just because LE names someone as a Person of Interest, does not mean that the person actually committed a crime, but a reporter can state as a fact that the person has been named as a POI without the reporter/writer being held culpable of libel (unless he/she adds a lot of speculation or untrue information beyond what LE has stated).

A writer, reporter, website poster, could also name someone as a potential suspect in a crime, even if LE has never mentioned them as a suspect or POI. BUT... one would have to be very careful of this sort of thing. I personally have named a number of potential suspects in this case but when I have done this, it is based on the fact that the person was convicted of serious crimes, or (in one case) killed in the act of committing multiple murders. I do know of some other persons who have been considered by LE as potential suspects, but I have never named them in my posts, because they do not have criminal records of capital crimes or crimes against children.

3. A dead person could be named as a POI or as a suspect by LE, if they believe he or she was involved in a crime that they are trying to solve. This is certainly true of a number of recently solved cases. They cannot, however, be charged with anything after their death.