The Springfield Three--missing since June 1992 - #5

[Simply Caustic]

I still think the likely suspect driving was a newcomer. While I lived here during my college years, I used to turn on Cherry or Grand hoping to hit 65 then realize my mistake or sometimes going all the way down. It's done commonly among people who aren't direction saavy. Surely someone taking 3 women has somewhat of a plan or maybe this was the one thing they didn't think of.

CaliMama, are you sure you're not confusing left/right based on looking at a mirror image of Suzie...right would be HER left.

Also, I've been thinking more and more about Montgomery Wards delivery of the water bed. How many males do we know of entering 1717 E Delmar while Sherrill and Suzie lived there? Could perhaps the waterbed guys tipped off a perp or was a perp themselves? Are one of these guys the ones that came into Springfield recently before the crime? Given by the GJ 3 suspects? Someone could have easily seen a defenseless mother and her attractive daughter as a good rape target. If the delivery was made within a week or two, I think they are likely. I'm sure the cops were hard on this angle that's why I think if this was a suspect, they;d be one of the GJ3.

You've brought up an interesting point (at least IMO). Has it in fact been confirmed that the waterbed was bought from Montgomery Wards? I only ask because I know it has been speculated upon in the earlier threads, that since Sherrill owed Montgomery Wards money (as they laid a claim upon her estate, I believe) - that the bed was in fact purchased from there. The reason that I ask is, I don't recall Montgomery Wards - I remember the name, but that's about it. I thought they were more of a KMart type store. But then again, I'm 31, so perhaps I just don't recall what they sold because I wasn't old enough to purchase any big-ticket items by the time they went out of business....I just seem to remember them as a Venture-type business. But if the waterbed was in fact from Montgomery Wards - then you've brought up a very interesting idea that never crossed my mind.

 

[Missouri Mule]

You've brought up an interesting point (at least IMO). Has it in fact been confirmed that the waterbed was bought from Montgomery Wards? I only ask because I know it has been speculated upon in the earlier threads, that since Sherrill owed Montgomery Wards money (as they laid a claim upon her estate, I believe) - that the bed was in fact purchased from there. The reason that I ask is, I don't recall Montgomery Wards - I remember the name, but that's about it. I thought they were more of a KMart type store. But then again, I'm 31, so perhaps I just don't recall what they sold because I wasn't old enough to purchase any big-ticket items by the time they went out of business....I just seem to remember them as a Venture-type business. But if the waterbed was in fact from Montgomery Wards - then you've brought up a very interesting idea that never crossed my mind.

Montgomery Ward was similar to Sears but fell behind in its marketing and went out of business. Sears is also in trouble and may fail as well. The M/W store was in the Battlefield Mall and they handled appliances, clothes, auto parts, lawnmowers, exercise equipment and all the rest normally associated with a department store such as Sears.

I speculated that the waterbed was bought there because of the lawsuit that they brought against Sherrill but it was dismissed, evidently when they found out that she had gone missing and presumed dead. They would have had to file on the estate which at that time was still in limbo. So they just wrote it off. Of course it may have been for other things but that was the only thing I found on the circuit clerk's site.

 

[HmmWhoKnows]

Assuming Bartt has been to the house. Any male helping Sherrill move and the moving guys with the waterbed had to have instantly been suspects. Since I'm making the assumption that these people were hammered hard in the initial investigation, I'm guessing that if one is a suspect, then it'd most likely be one of the GJ3. Just reiterating that point.

And yes Mule is right, Montgomery Ward was where Macy's currently is in the Battlefield Mall. They had beds just like Macy's and JCPenny's do. Waterbeds were a popular thing again in the early 90s. People got them left and right. In fact Stacy wanted to sleep on it (part of the reason she went to Suzie's). I'm guessing since it was a graduation present for Suzie, that Sherrill bought it within at LEAST a month prior to the abduction. So any delivery driver in the month of May 1992 for MG had to be an initial suspect.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Assuming Bartt has been to the house. Any male helping Sherrill move and the moving guys with the waterbed had to have instantly been suspects. Since I'm making the assumption that these people were hammered hard in the initial investigation, I'm guessing that if one is a suspect, then it'd most likely be one of the GJ3. Just reiterating that point.

And yes Mule is right, Montgomery Ward was where Macy's currently is in the Battlefield Mall. They had beds just like Macy's and JCPenny's do. Waterbeds were a popular thing again in the early 90s. People got them left and right. In fact Stacy wanted to sleep on it (part of the reason she went to Suzie's). I'm guessing since it was a graduation present for Suzie, that Sherrill bought it within at LEAST a month prior to the abduction. So any delivery driver in the month of May 1992 for MG had to be an initial suspect.

Assuming if the payroll records are anywhere to be found, I think this would be good follow-up to rule out potential suspects. I can give credence to this myself. We moved while living in the Springfield area to the house we had built next door. However, we left a big screen TV at the house we had sold until I could go back and get it. A rock was tossed through the stained glass door to gain entry and the TV stolen. One thing I noticed was that who ever came into the house had about a size 16 sneakers. Just so happened that one of the movers previously had the big feet that caught my notice. I pointed this out to the sheriff's deputy but I never heard anything further although he took photographs of the shoe impression.

So this would be a viable area of future investigation. In fact, one of the movers of the water bed might be the same person who was seen in the neighborhood prior to the abduction.

 

[Kathee]

@ Cali....here is a link to a picture of Suzie and the tumor near her mouth.


http://www.myspace.com/sherrill_suzy_stacy/photos/5159623#{"ImageId":5159651}

 

[pittsburghgirl]

Do we know where and when the water bed was purchased? And were there other purchases that would require delivery, e.g., refrigerator or washing machine?

We can't assume that LE could even KNOW whom to investigate in this regard, as both Sherrill and Suzie would be the ones who would know exactly what theu had bought and who had been to the house, and of course they are not able to provide information. A charge on a charge account or credit card might indicate something, but as a hairdresser Sherrill might well use cash for many purposes. She was supposedly varnishing or painting a piece of furniture--where did that come from?

 

[monkeymann]

Do we know where and when the water bed was purchased? And were there other purchases that would require delivery, e.g., refrigerator or washing machine?

We can't assume that LE could even KNOW whom to investigate in this regard, as both Sherrill and Suzie would be the ones who would know exactly what theu had bought and who had been to the house, and of course they are not able to provide information. A charge on a charge account or credit card might indicate something, but as a hairdresser Sherrill might well use cash for many purposes. She was supposedly varnishing or painting a piece of furniture--where did that come from?

Part of their investigation involved the investigation of her finances. In course of that part of the investigation they apparently found that Sherrill had recently purchased the king size water bed for Susie from Montgomery Ward for a graduation present, and put it on a charge account she had with them. I pretty sure that charge account was a Montgomery Wards credit card.

Thats what they were talking about in the posts above.

It is an interesting point that you brought up.....Was the waterbed the only thing that she had delivered to the house?

It was a house that she was "Buying"......not....."Renting". Unless she already owned the other appliances from the apartment she and Susie were living in, which is doubtful.....(the appartment probably already had at least a Range, and probably a Refridgerator), the house at Delmar would have had to have been purchased with the Appliances. Which it highly probabe.

However, it may NOT have had the appliances, and would have required the purchase AND delivery of the appliances. I would think that police would have been able to confirm that with who ever had owned the house prior to Sherrill, or possibly with the Real Estate agent who sold it to her.

 

[_mb_]

Absolutely no idea why this never occured to me at this moment. And, I apologize if this idea has already been thrown out there...

Suzie & Sherril only lived there for a short amount of time (3 months?). Could this have been a crime that was planned and supposed to be committed against the previous owners? Maybe they knew a trick to getting into the home/had access to a key/etc. Get in, realize too late that these are no longer the people that they are after and continue with the crime anyway.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Absolutely no idea why this never occured to me at this moment. And, I apologize if this idea has already been thrown out there...

Suzie & Sherril only lived there for a short amount of time (3 months?). Could this have been a crime that was planned and supposed to be committed against the previous owners? Maybe they knew a trick to getting into the home/had access to a key/etc. Get in, realize too late that these are no longer the people that they are after and continue with the crime anyway.

I tend to doubt that but you do make a good point; a very good point and one that has never, to my knowledge been made. If the previous owner had a key and the locks were not rekeyed, it is perhaps the ticket into the home rather than that of a "ruse" or other method previously discussed. As a concrete example, we recently purchased a previously owned home and the day we moved in found that someone had gotten into the home while we were out that day. I have my suspicions but in any event, the next thing we did was to rekey all the locks in the home and reset the garage door opener.

The police should probably look into this possibility if they have not already done so and do not know what happened. Some believe they do know but do not have the evidence or confession to close the case. Others evidently believe they have made no real progress. This potentially could open up a new avenue of possibilities.

 

[wfgodot]

Who was the previous owner of the house?

(I think we may have discussed this already but my brain's not volunteering the info, if in fact we did.)

 

[Missouri Mule]

Who was the previous owner of the house?

(I think we may have discussed this already but my brain's not volunteering the info, if in fact we did.)

Hurricane did extensive work on this subject. I believe the previous owner had his mother living there for about five years prior to the purchase of the home by Sherrill Levitt. But he can, if he chooses to, speak to this with greater specificity.

I think the question comes down to whether Sherrill Levitt rekeyed the locks. Someone may know that information. I do not.

 

[wfgodot]

Thanks MM.

 

[former central time]

Hurricane did extensive work on this subject. I believe the previous owner had his mother living there for about five years prior to the purchase of the home by Sherrill Levitt. But he can, if he chooses to, speak to this with greater specificity.

I think the question comes down to whether Sherrill Levitt rekeyed the locks. Someone may know that information. I do not.

If I remember correctly, from private correspondence with Hurricane, the 'previous owner' route is a dead end and of no interest. But, I'm not sure.

Rekeying the house is, no pun intended, key, and two months is a short time for residence. I'm currently renting a condo from some friends on a short sale. The other keys are with the real estate agent, she has ALL the access to the building and this unit I do. And the keys to the unit say nothing about 'do not copy.' Sure, it's in a very nice area, great building, never the less, copies of those keys can be made (regardless of they say on them), and I suspect the new owners will not rekey the unit (they can't rekey the building entrance).

So, was Sherrill's house bought through an agent or was it a FSBO from the previous owner. I suspect the latter.

 

[_mb_]

I tend to doubt that but you do make a good point; a very good point and one that has never, to my knowledge been made. If the previous owner had a key and the locks were not rekeyed, it is perhaps the ticket into the home rather than that of a "ruse" or other method previously discussed. As a concrete example, we recently purchased a previously owned home and the day we moved in found that someone had gotten into the home while we were out that day. I have my suspicions but in any event, the next thing we did was to rekey all the locks in the home and reset the garage door opener.

The police should probably look into this possibility if they have not already done so and do not know what happened. Some believe they do know but do not have the evidence or confession to close the case. Others evidently believe they have made no real progress. This potentially could open up a new avenue of possibilities.

It's a situation that I doubt happened, but the possibility exists. Though it sounds like Hurricane may have researched and nothing came up to make the previous owners or renters seem like an intended target.

If there were rumors or knowledge of drugs or cash being stored in the house or even bad blood between someone and the previous owner, I can maybe see something like this happening.Especially if there was some sort of third party involved where they may not know enough about the intended victim to know what car they drive, etc.

All of the above is hypothetical. I have no evidence to back it, just an overactive imagination.

 

[Hurricane]

It's a situation that I doubt happened, but the possibility exists. Though it sounds like Hurricane may have researched and nothing came up to make the previous owners or renters seem like an intended target.

If there were rumors or knowledge of drugs or cash being stored in the house or even bad blood between someone and the previous owner, I can maybe see something like this happening.Especially if there was some sort of third party involved where they may not know enough about the intended victim to know what car they drive, etc.

All of the above is hypothetical. I have no evidence to back it, just an overactive imagination.

Sorry, but I have been gone and am just catching up.

The home was previously owned by a successful married couple in the real estate business, who also owned other rental properties. For the previous 5 yrs or so his mother rented the home before it was sold to Sherrill. She lived there alone except for a couple of months one summer when she allowed a family friend to stay in the converted garage (Suzie's bedroom) while going thru some life changes. Without looking it up I don't recall if that was the summer of 1990 or 1991. At any rate, they all check out including the family friend. There is no reason to believe they could have been the real intended victims or to believe any of them could be suspects.

 

[CaliMama]

I still think the likely suspect driving was a newcomer. While I lived here during my college years, I used to turn on Cherry or Grand hoping to hit 65 then realize my mistake or sometimes going all the way down. It's done commonly among people who aren't direction saavy. Surely someone taking 3 women has somewhat of a plan or maybe this was the one thing they didn't think of.

CaliMama, are you sure you're not confusing left/right based on looking at a mirror image of Suzie...right would be HER left.

Also, I've been thinking more and more about Montgomery Wards delivery of the water bed. How many males do we know of entering 1717 E Delmar while Sherrill and Suzie lived there? Could perhaps the waterbed guys tipped off a perp or was a perp themselves? Are one of these guys the ones that came into Springfield recently before the crime? Given by the GJ 3 suspects? Someone could have easily seen a defenseless mother and her attractive daughter as a good rape target. If the delivery was made within a week or two, I think they are likely. I'm sure the cops were hard on this angle that's why I think if this was a suspect, they;d be one of the GJ3.

I was thinking that MW might have hired the ex cons from Kansas but my husband seems to think that MW would have most definitely only hired guys who were bonded. That doesn't mean guys who were bonded couldn't have committed this crime, but it does mean that the guys from the Kansas prison probably didn't work for MW. Just thought I'd share my small insight

 

[badbob55]

I have read several times that the tv/vcr was on and it was just static no picture, this means they were probably watching a movie my question is what was the movie in the vcr?

 

[pittsburghgirl]

Do you have a citation for the static? Most media reports just say the TV was on.

 

[badbob55]

Im sorry pittsburghgirl but no I dont have that right at this moment but I clearly remember reading the tv/vcr was on and just static, Ill look around and see if I can find that.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Im sorry pittsburghgirl but no I don't have that right at this moment but I clearly remember reading the tv/vcr was on and just static, I'll look around and see if I can find that.

I seem to have the same recollection from reading of it somewhere. In fact, I believe I saw it just the other day. But then perhaps I was 'dreaming.' Even the police report states the "TV set" in Suzie's bedroom was on...(snip) "Kirby and Henson state they announced themselves and went on in the residence where they found the T.V. set in Suzanne's bedroom on."...(snip) The News-Leader summary from 2002 also stated the TV set; didn't mention the VCR. I have mentioned in one of my posts (on another site after doing a "google" search) about the TV/VCR as being on but I also seem to recall reading about the "static" as well. If I run across what I thought I had read of the "static" that I will cite it. Curious..... I might unwittingly be the source of this controversy. Sigh....

I did find this so another poster believes the VCR was on: (snip).... "The perp either gets in place a bit before or a bit after the girls arrive and start to settle in for the night, and that’s when they likely give him the ideal setup of opening the sliding door to air out fumes from the varnish, and at the same time settle down watching a movie on the tv (there’s nothing on tv to watch at that time of morning other than skinemax, thus accounting for the VCR being on), which is facing opposite from the sliding door."....(snip)This was from Thread #4, post #86, 08-05-2009, 11:43 AM on Websleuths.