VA VA - Ed Keyton, 81, Martha, 54, (found deceased) & Flora Helmick, 52, Bridgewater, 3 Aug 1973

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Tricia said:
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY THIS ENTIRE POST
​

Dear Websleuths Members,

On August 3rd, 1973 three people went missing from Bridgewater Virgina.

The Bridgewater Virginia Chief of Police, J. M. Simmons, has reached out to Websleuths for help.

Recently a car matching the description of the vehicle believed to be driven by missing John Edwin Keyton with passengers Flora and Martha Helmick, (also missing) has been found along with some skeletal remains

Chief Simmons needs to find a relative of the missing to conduct DNA testing to see if the remains match any of the missing people.

What we need from you Websleuths members is for you to dig and find anyone who could be related to:


*John Edwin Keyton

*Flora Vesta Smith Helmick

*Martha Smith Helmick

You can find all the vital statistics, detailed information, and discussion posts by clicking on this thread VA - Ed Keyton, 81, Martha, 54, & Flora Helmick, 52, Bridgewater, 3 August 1973

If you have any questions please post them at the link above. Feel free to send me a private message or email me at triciastruecrimeradio@gmail.com

Here comes the part you need to understand and follow closely because it goes against our normal rules:

If you find someone you believe could be related to any of the three people missing EMAIL Chief Simmons at jsimmons@bridgewater.town

Please do not contact anyone you find who could be related to these three people. Email Chief Simmons all the information and his office will contact them.

If you think you may be related to the missing, please call Chief Simmons ASAP at 540-828-2611.

Everyone, it is imperative that we handle this properly. Chief Simmons is very grateful and is giving us a chance to show what we know we can do.

This one time only, you are allowed to sleuth any family members you can find BUT, do not contact them. Send Chief Simmons any information you find out about possible family members to jsimmons@bridgewater.town.

This case is very old and the missing people were middle-aged to elderly back when they went missing in 1973. If anyone can do it you all can.

For the in-depth details including vital stats of the missing, to continue to discuss, or to post a question go toVA - Ed Keyton, 81, Martha, 54, & Flora Helmick, 52, Bridgewater, 3 August 1973
Lastly, please use your common sense. Yes, you can post about where you are looking and what you may have found but please do not post any contact information of the possible relatives. For example, you can post, "Hey I found a granddaughter first name Gina ( I would not post any last names) in VA, Sending the police chief more info now". Again, just common sense when it comes to protecting innocent people's information

You are the best there is when it comes to sleuthing. Thank you for coming to Websleuths to help people you don't even know.

Tricia
Click to expand...

Very close to providing all the details. Waiting on final DNA results. I’ll keep you posted. Couldn’t have done it without this site. Thanks to all!
 
Remains identified as Bridgewater woman missing since 1973

The remains of a Bridgewater woman who went missing nearly five decades ago will be returned to Virginia after further research and DNA analysis confirmed her identity.

According to The Associated Press, Gary Ginn, coroner of Fayette County in Kentucky, said remains pulled from a car discovered in the Kentucky River five years ago are those of Martha Smith Helmick.

In August 2018, Joe Simmons, then police chief of Bridgewater, said results from DNA tests at the time were inconclusive.


But on Wednesday, Ginn said diligent research by Lexington Fire Capt. Chris Warren and new DNA technology helped confirm the identification.

Remains of the other two people who went missing with Helmick in August 1973 still have not been found, Ginn said.

Helmick was last seen leaving Bridgewater with her sister, Flora, and John Ed Keyton on Aug. 3, 1973. They were driving to a family reunion in Dabolt, Ky., but never arrived.
 
Detail of their disappearances were updated.

John Edwin Keyton – The Charley Project
Details of Disappearance
Keyton was last seen driving his light green 1967 Ford Fairlane in Bridgewater, Virginia at approximately 12:00 p.m. on August 3, 1973. He was accompanied by his housekeeper, Flora Helmick, and Flora's sister, Martha, at the time. They were driving to a family reunion at the home of Keyton's brother in Dabolt, Kentucky; the event was scheduled for the following day.

Keyton and the Helmick sisters never arrived. Keyton was not a good driver in 1973. He had been in at least one accident and received many traffic citations. His driver's license had been taken from him, but he continued to drive.

Keyton served in the armed forces in World War I and won medals for heroism, but lost his left leg in battle. He was mentally affected by the war and had a reputation as an eccentric. Keyton was ruled incompetent by Rockingham Circuit Court in 1932 and a committee, or guardian, was appointed to look after his affairs. Keyton's committee in 1973 stated he would frequently leave the area without telling anyone. Sometimes during these absences he would visit relatives in Ohio.

In 2016, the remains of the trio's car was found inside the Kentucky River, near the Kentucky River Valley Ferry. Martha's body was found inside it and was identified in 2021. There was no indication of the whereabouts of Flora, or of Keyton, but investigators believe all three were killed after accidentally driving into the river.
Click to expand...
 
I wonder if all of the car windows were rolled down and if any of the car doors were partially opened when the vehicle was found in the Kentucky River in 2016.

I remember that back then the only vehicles that had an air conditioner were the luxury model vehicles.

The car that Keyton drove was not a luxury model vehicle and it would not had an air conditioner.

Folks that didn't have an car air conditioner drove with their windows rolled down during the summer back then.
 
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