WA WA - Misty Copsey, 14, Tacoma, 17 Sept 1992

[aThousandYearsWide]

I remember authorities seeking out photographs from people who were at the fair the night Misty disappeared, does anyone know if they got any tips from that? curious..

This case has always frustrated me, It seems authorities stereotyped Misty's mother because she drank and had past arrests, and just ASSUMED Misty came from a bad household and ran away from a bad situation, then wrote her off as a runaway. Don't judge a book by it's cover; you'd think authorities would know better, but because of this assumption, searches were delayed, suspects and witnesses weren't interviewed immediately, and evidence was put on the back-burner. Have those hairs been tested yet?

 

[a_nicole]

Brand new to web sleuths here. I'm a true crime fan and love the idea of solving mysteries. I have been listening to a lot of true crime podcasts lately which has lead me down a rabbit hole of googling unsolved murder cases. I noticed something while looking at the Wikipedia list of Michigan unidentified murder victims; there are crazy similarities between Misty Copsey and Michigan's 1996 Highland Park Jane Doe. Both had three fillings and a scar behind their right knee. Age and weight are a match and the timeline works. Only thing that doesn't line up is the original sketch of Jane doe. It looks nothing like Misty, but a sketch can be misleading and appearances can change or be altered. It was originally reported that Jane Doe was biracial but the case was reopened last year and now authorities are saying she could have been Caucasian. Anyone else have any thoughts about this?

 

[Springrain]

Bumping with prayers. I live in the general area where she went missing, and nobody I talked to has heard of her case.

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

Brand new to web sleuths here. I'm a true crime fan and love the idea of solving mysteries. I have been listening to a lot of true crime podcasts lately which has lead me down a rabbit hole of googling unsolved murder cases. I noticed something while looking at the Wikipedia list of Michigan unidentified murder victims; there are crazy similarities between Misty Copsey and Michigan's 1996 Highland Park Jane Doe. Both had three fillings and a scar behind their right knee. Age and weight are a match and the timeline works. Only thing that doesn't line up is the original sketch of Jane doe. It looks nothing like Misty, but a sketch can be misleading and appearances can change or be altered. It was originally reported that Jane Doe was biracial but the case was reopened last year and now authorities are saying she could have been Caucasian. Anyone else have any thoughts about this?

WELCOME TO WEBSLEUTHS A_NICOLE! :websleuther:​

Wow good work matching characteristics of the doe to Misty. The 3 fillings and the scar. I didn't even notice those!

There is a few things that lead to believe it is not our Misty though. The time-frame is 3 1/2 years after she went missing in 1992, and there also wasn't any evidence of her being a runaway like is expected of Highland. Also the signs of smoking and possible STD, which doesn't fit her, as her friends describe, goody two shoes personality. Then again you never really know.

The Highland park doe is believed to be another Misty though! Misty Ortega and her sister went missing in 1995 and both are though to be her.

 

[DDK1979]

Misty case has always weighed on my mind. Along with the Anna Chebotney (sp?) And Kim Delange murders. Thier bodies we're found very near to the place Misty's clothes were found. Yet, those two murders get no attention. I live in the area, and every time I drive by, I wonder why no one seems outraged that someone has murdered young girls and used this place for a dumping ground.

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[JusticeWillBeServed]

Puyallup police hope to solve 25-year-old case by channeling missing girl online

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/crime/article171924512.html

On Sunday, Sept. 17, 25 years after her disappearance, Misty Copsey will speak — in spirit.

“My name is Misty Copsey,” she will say. “I am missing and I need your help.”

In a double-barrelled social media push, the Puyallup Police Department will devote its Facebook and Twitter feeds to the 14-year-old who vanished after a visit to the Puyallup Fair in 1992. The twin feeds will be hers and hers alone for the entire day.

Using memories and photos provided by Misty’s family, department leaders have written social media posts in the teen’s voice that start with a short portrait of her early life before describing the night of her disappearance.

 

[Gardener1850]

[h=1]Missing girl to speak through Puyallup PD social media Sunday[/h]

Puyallup PD says its social media accounts will be Copsey's for one day. She will "speak" through the department's accounts in hopes of generating tips in the case. Her story will be told in her voice. (Editor's note: If viewing in the app, click here to see the social feed.)

Puyallup PD says this has only be done one other time in the United States and once in Canada.

Copsey's story will appear on Puyallup PD's Facebook and Twitter accounts from 9 a.m. through 11 p.m. Sunday. Her story will also be highlighted on Instagram.

Fair visitors who enter through the Blue Gate will see a message board sign with details on Copsey's case.

http://www.king5.com/news/local/missing-girl-to-tell-her-story-on-puyallup-pd-social-media/475684333

https://twitter.com/PuyallupPD

 

[Springrain]

I'm so glad the Puyallup PD is trying to bring her case back into the spotlight.

I was at the Puyallup Fair the other week and I thought about Misty.

 

[thenotebook]

I read the police twitter recap of her story. One thing they didn't mention is why her and her BFF Trina separated at the fair. Why did they part ways? Why did Trina walk home but Misty was going to take the bus? It said they lived in the same mobile home park. Did they have a fight? Did Trina say if they met up with any people at the fair?

 

[DDK1979]

I read the police twitter recap of her story. One thing they didn't mention is why her and her BFF Trina separated at the fair. Why did they part ways? Why did Trina walk home but Misty was going to take the bus? It said they lived in the same mobile home park. Did they have a fight? Did Trina say if they met up with any people at the fair?

Both her and her friend we're supposed to take the bus. They missed it. Misty didn't live in the same park anymore, she had recently moved to a neighboring town. So Trina reported she walked home while Misty tried to catch another bus. Later in the investigation is was discovered Trina got a ride from a friend ( or boyfriend depending on the report). Trina says they did not meet with anyone at the fair.

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[Springrain]

Also, Trina said that they weren't hit on or followed by anyone while at the fair.

 

[thenotebook]

Both her and her friend we're supposed to take the bus. They missed it. Misty didn't live in the same park anymore, she had recently moved to a neighboring town. So Trina reported she walked home while Misty tried to catch another bus. Later in the investigation is was discovered Trina got a ride from a friend ( or boyfriend depending on the report). Trina says they did not meet with anyone at the fair.

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Wow you answered all of my questions. Thank you!

 

[kemo]

From what I recall, from the long form article in the New Times, that is no longer available (anybody still have access to it) there is a major divergence in the investigation of this case.

After Misty missed the last bus back to Spanaway at 8:15 PM, she called her mother who was at work and was told to call someone for a ride. She called this guy named Schmidt who wasn't her boyfriend but he may have been an admirer of hers in the trailer park. There is a question of whether or not he agreed to give her a ride. He claimed he didn't have any gas or money so he couldn't help her. His roommate, however, told the police Schmidt did agree to pick her up and his sketchy uncle went along with him. Schmidt' account of his activities the rest of the night were really vague and included a blackout and waking up at his grandmothers place with no memory of how he got there. The trouble was that he was not questioned until months after the events. If he did go get Misty, he knows damned well what happened but if he didn't he may have forgotten or was confused about the night in question.

On the other hand, a transit driver remembers Misty inquiring about a bus to Spanaway about 9:30PM, a sighting that is considered rock solid. There was also another reported sighting of her walking on Meridian South of Puyallup about 10:00PM this sighting was considered somewhat solid. That would have been the logical route for her to take if she were to walk home. If she was walking home at 10:00PM it probably means that Schmidt did not come and pick her up ( it would also tend to rule out her 14 year old friends 21 year old boyfriend).

The pants that Bober found may have been the ones Misty had been wearing that night but during the initial investigation nobody got the information from the mother as to brand. Style and size of the pants which the mother would have known since they were actually hers. This would have been Standard operating procedure. As it was, the police were suspicious that the mother and Bober planted them or the mother was falsely claiming they were Misty's in hopes of getting the investigation going again.

There are reasons to suspect that the initial report was dismissed because They lived in a trailer park and the mother had a history of minor run-ins with the law but it is true that the mother made some sort of "mistaken" missing person report on Misty the week before.

At this point, it is hard to say what will happen. The bodies of two abducted and murdered girls were found not too far from where the pants were found. Those cases are still unsolved.. That may be the best lead of all.

 

[Springrain]

RS claimed that he "blacked out" and woke up in his grandmother's farm in Buckley, which is in Pierce County, not far from Puyallup.

My Theory: I personally believe that after Misty asked about the bus to Spanaway, she called RS again and he agreed to pick her up that time. I personally believe she started walking to a designated place where he was to pick her up. I don't think that he had planned to kill her when he picked her up, but he tried to get with her and it got "out of hand", resulting in him killing her.

I would not be surprised if she was buried in Bonney Lake.

 

[DDK1979]

RS claimed that he "blacked out" and woke up in his grandmother's farm in Buckley, which is in Pierce County, not far from Puyallup.

My Theory: I personally believe that after Misty asked about the bus to Spanaway, she called RS again and he agreed to pick her up that time. I personally believe she started walking to a designated place where he was to pick her up. I don't think that he had planned to kill her when he picked her up, but he tried to get with her and it got "out of hand", resulting in him killing her.

I would not be surprised if she was buried in Bonney Lake.

I have pretty much the same theory. Except location. RS said something to his boss about Misty being 8 miles away from where they found her clothes. His grandmother's house is about 8 miles away. Also, when they tested the clothing it was noted that the dirt or pollen was exclusive to a valley in Eatonville and they hadn't sat in that ditch in Enumclaw the whole time.

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[Considering]

SBM

From what I recall, from the long form article in the New Times, that is no longer available (anybody still have access to it) there is a major divergence in the investigation of this case.

Is this what you're looking for?

From May 2009:

The Stolen Child: Part 1
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25857745.html
(10 May 2009)

Cast of Characters
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25857778.html
(10 May 2009)

The Stolen Child: Part 2
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25857751.html
(11 May 2009)

The Stolen Child: Part 3
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25857754.html
(12 May 2009)

How We Got This Story
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25857769.html
(12 May 2009)

Loose Ends/FAQ
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25857760.html
(12 May 2009)

 

[Considering]

Additional older articles about Misty from the The News Tribune:

Puyallup Police Department's response to TNT article on Misty Copsey
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25857781.html
(16 May 2009)

The Stolen Child in print: What happened to Misty?
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25857784.html
(17 May 2009)

The Stolen Child in print: Leads not followed, steps not taken
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25857787.html
(17 May 2009)

Puyallup police request DNA test in case of teen missing since '92
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25857799.html
10 June 2009)

Long gone, still sought: The search for Misty Copsey
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25859440.html
(19 August 2011)

A roster of possible suspects in the Misty Copsey case
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25859446.html
(19 August 2011)

More discussion of the Misty paint chip evidence
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25859449.html
(19 August 2011)

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

A question I have about Misty's case is if they ever checked to see if the money was still in her room. When Rheuban said he had no gas she allegedly told him how to get in her house and where to find money in her room. Was that ever checked out? It could further confirm that he picked her up that night. Could be a detail from later investigation though.

He could have also told her to walk to a location where he could meet her half way hence the sightings.

Another thing is why he admitted to killing Misty to his boss to "just get him off his back". And why he ran from investigators when they first came to interview him. https://www.google.com/amp/amp.thenewstribune.com/news/special-reports/article25859440.html

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[Ozoner]

RS claimed that he "blacked out" and woke up in his grandmother's farm in Buckley, which is in Pierce County, not far from Puyallup.

My Theory: I personally believe that after Misty asked about the bus to Spanaway, she called RS again and he agreed to pick her up that time. I personally believe she started walking to a designated place where he was to pick her up. I don't think that he had planned to kill her when he picked her up, but he tried to get with her and it got "out of hand", resulting in him killing her.

I would not be surprised if she was buried in Bonney Lake.

I have pretty much the same theory. Except location. RS said something to his boss about Misty being 8 miles away from where they found her clothes. His grandmother's house is about 8 miles away. Also, when they tested the clothing it was noted that the dirt or pollen was exclusive to a valley in Eatonville and they hadn't sat in that ditch in Enumclaw the whole time.

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I have pretty much the same theory as both of you, but I can't rule out the sketchy uncle's involvement.

 

[DDK1979]

I have pretty much the same theory as both of you, but I can't rule out the sketchy uncle's involvement.

Agreed. The uncle has never been named or questioned, yet he is mentioned in most articles as going with RS to pick Misty up. Doesn't sit right with me.

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