The Springfield Three--missing since June 1992 - #4

[Trooogrit]

Trooogit, do you/anyone else know about the veracity of the eagle connection? I posted awhile back, but I got no response. I can repost.

I vaguely remember something with the eagle location, but I am not from that area so someone from Springfield, might be able to help you. It might be a good idea to repost

 

[Missouri Mule]

I vaguely remember something with the eagle location, but I am not from that area so someone from Springfield, might be able to help you. It might be a good idea to repost

I'm probably going to stir up a hornet's nest here but I want to raise two issues. One relates to this post. Since you stated "location" I will just say that a story was spun one time which I have never disregarded of what might have taken place at a certain location. I won't say anymore at this time except that I can categorically state that the SPD know all about the story and location. I wouldn't bet the farm on this but it probably needs to be run to ground. As usual the police have clammed up so we don't know if they ran it down or not.

The second is one that ought to be explored is the reward and WHO posted that reward. Now this is why this is important. The last I heard it had reached $100,000. The reason it is potentially important is that it has happened in other cases such as this that the PERPS will actually post these large rewards. They have nothing to lose because they hold the key to the crime but more importantly to generate a lot of bogus leads to tie the police departments in knots running down all of these leads not even counting all the phony confessions that come out of the woodwork. I have no idea what happened to that reward fund or whether it has been withdrawn. Perhaps someone knows the answer to that question or who posted the reward.

 

[Trooogrit]

I'm probably going to stir up a hornet's nest here but I want to raise two issues. One relates to this post. Since you stated "location" I will just say that a story was spun one time which I have never disregarded of what might have taken place at a certain location. I won't say anymore at this time except that I can categorically state that the SPD know all about the story and location. I wouldn't bet the farm on this but it probably needs to be run to ground. As usual the police have clammed up so we don't know if they ran it down or not.

The second is one that ought to be explored is the reward and WHO posted that reward. Now this is why this is important. The last I heard it had reached $100,000. The reason it is potentially important is that it has happened in other cases such as this that the PERPS will actually post these large rewards. They have nothing to lose because they hold the key to the crime but more importantly to generate a lot of bogus leads to tie the police departments in knots running down all of these leads not even counting all the phony confessions that come out of the woodwork. I have no idea what happened to that reward fund or whether it has been withdrawn. Perhaps someone knows the answer to that question or who posted the reward.

As far as the Eagle CONNECTION I am unfamiliar with the tip, and vaguely remember discussion about it. I will have to review but I believe it was in this thread.
THe anonomous donation was $40,000.00. I believe Smitty's gave $50,000.00 and some local donations and the National Inquirer gave the remainder to make a total of 100,000.00 reward.

 

[Hurricane]

As far as the Eagle CONNECTION I am unfamiliar with the tip, and vaguely remember discussion about it. I will have to review but I believe it was in this thread.
THe anonomous donation was $40,000.00. I believe Smitty's gave $50,000.00 and some local donations and the National Inquirer gave the remainder to make a total of 100,000.00 reward.

I have been told that corporate money such as the money contributed by Smitty's, the National Enquirer, and a local TV station is pledged to the reward fund, and is not collected from them until needed. These pledges usually have a time restrant to them as well; only good for so long. The only actual money in the reward fund is what was donated by the public in dribs and drabs.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Thanks for clearing up the reward/contributions angle. I believe we can safely rule that off the table as a contributing factor with none of those entities having any ties or incentive to muddle the investigation.

If only we knew who the 12 suspects were that would enable investigation of their backgrounds to narrow down the list. And I don't know how we would discuss it on this thread regardless.

Let me raise the issue of "George's" again. Is there any consensus this has legs or has it been totally eliminated by all of the four investigative agencies? So far as I know it is not impossible for the timeline to work and I have read or heard that Sherrill's favorite restaurant was in fact "George's." If that is the case, it is not illogical that the waitress would have recognized her had she come in that night. Thoughts?

 

[kemo]

The trouble with big rewards is that it encourages "wild guesses". If you make one and it turns out to be "right", you've struck it rich, if it doesn't pan out, you've lost nothing but LE wastes a lot of time following up on it.

Realistically, who is going to pass up on a 40K reward but go for a 100K one? Nobody. If there anyone out there who knows something and is not "involved" they would have come forward by now. Probably the most effective "reward" is the exchange of information on some "bigger" crime for a "break" on some susequent beef. The fact that nothing has come up is evidence that this crime was confined to a very tight circle. I'm guessing a circle of "1".

 

[monkeymann]

Thanks for clearing up the reward/contributions angle. I believe we can safely rule that off the table as a contributing factor with none of those entities having any ties or incentive to muddle the investigation.

If only we knew who the 12 suspects were that would enable investigation of their backgrounds to narrow down the list. And I don't know how we would discuss it on this thread regardless.

Let me raise the issue of "George's" again. Is there any consensus this has legs or has it been totally eliminated by all of the four investigative agencies? So far as I know it is not impossible for the timeline to work and I have read or heard that Sherrill's favorite restaurant was in fact "George's." If that is the case, it is not illogical that the waitress would have recognized her had she come in that night. Thoughts?

I've wondered about the George's theory too....If it has any merit to begin with. I've also wondered if Sherrell was even home when the girls got home. I've wondered if she went out later that night and may be brought someone home with her, or had someone follow her home. I've also thougt about the scenereo with George's. If they all three were there, one of them might have had words with someone there, who might have then subsequently followed them home. I had thought that may be they decided to get out of the house for a while either because the fumes from the refinishing of the chest of drawers were too intense, or because the girls came home late and wanted to go out and get something to eat after a night of partying.

 

[Indianagirl]

Assuming the direction the girls traveled on the way to Delmar from the graduation parties, was George's on the way home? Or would they have needed to divert their route to go to George's?

 

[monkeymann]

Assuming the direction the girls traveled on the way to Delmar from the graduation parties, was George's on the way home? Or would they have needed to divert their route to go to George's?

Georges is aprox. 10-Blocks North of Delmar on Glenstone.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Assuming the direction the girls traveled on the way to Delmar from the graduation parties, was George's on the way home? Or would they have needed to divert their route to go to George's?

It is a short distance from the Delmar address but there is no reason why they all three might not have met there together leaving plenty of time for the waitress to have seen them. After eating something and getting in better shape, they could then have gone home in all three vehicles. And that might explain why Sherrill's vehicle was all the way in the garage and her car keys in her purse. These "clean cut young men" might have followed them home and Sherrill went into the home while the girls and these guys continued to party or converse outside the home. At some point Sherrill may have come out to check on them. Perhaps they all went in and were preparing for bed and these "clean cut men" showed up later at the front door and were let in.

None of these theories are all encompassing but until and unless we know who the agreed upon suspects are we are reduced to educated guesses. It is altogether possible that these young men had previously been in the home and they could explain away their DNA or other forensic evidence.

Frankly, I'm not comfortable with any theory because of the obvious holes in any possible scenario.

 

[Indianagirl]

So just to clarify, George's would not have been on the route directly to Delmar. If they went to George's, say from the parties, they would have gone out of their way to get there? Even though it's a short distance from Delmar, it still would have been out of their way?

 

[Missouri Mule]

So just to clarify, George's would not have been on the route directly to Delmar. If they went to George's, say from the parties, they would have gone out of their way to get there? Even though it's a short distance from Delmar, it still would have been out of their way?

I don't think the time from the intersection of Delmar and Glenstone and driving straight to George's would have been significantly different in the time expended. They would logically have come up Glenstone going north after turning off Sunshine would be my best guess. They would simply have continued north a short distance to get to George's. The time they would have had to spend driving into the driveway, getting out of the car and into the house would probably have taken as much time as it would have been to drive straight onto George's. It is .9 mile and 2 minutes from the Delmar address to George's according to Mapquest.

 

[monkeymann]

I agree...They would have had plenty of time to even stop by the Delmar address before going to George's. The Delmar address is about a half a block...if even...off of Glenstone. It would have been only a couple of minute drive to George's from the Delmar address. I would be interested to hear the "George's" story again. As I recall a waitress stated that she was sure that she saw them 3MW in George's early that morning...but thats about all of the story that I've heard...other then the part inwhich Sherrell was trying to "Calm" Susie Streeter. I never understood what the whole story was. Can someone please refresh this story for clairifacation purposes.

 

[Indianagirl]

I agree...They would have had plenty of time to even stop by the Delmar address before going to George's. The Delmar address is about a half a block...if even...off of Glenstone. It would have been only a couple of minute drive to George's from the Delmar address. I would be interested to hear the "George's" story again. As I recall a waitress stated that she was sure that she saw them 3MW in George's early that morning...but thats about all of the story that I've heard...other then the part inwhich Sherrell was trying to "Calm" Susie Streeter. I never understood what the whole story was. Can someone please refresh this story for clairifacation purposes.

The Kansas City Star
June 24, 1992
Edition: MID-AMERICA
Section: MID-AMERICA
Page: C1

Waitress recalls seeing women on morning of disappearances Three missing since June 7 in Springfield. Author: The Associated Press
Article Text:
SPRINGFIELD - A waitress says she saw a mother and her daughter at a late-night restaurant shortly before they disappeared more than two weeks ago, police said Tuesday.
Sgt. Mark Webb said the waitress told investigators that Sherrill Levitt, 47, and Suzie Streeter, 19, were accompanied by a third female with long, brown hair.
That description matches Stacy McCall, an 18-year-old friend of Streeter's who also vanished in the early hours of June 7. Investigators think the women were abducted. Their cars, purses, keys, cash and other items were found at Levitt's unlocked home in central Springfield.
The waitress at George's Steak House, a few blocks from the home, first spoke with investigators Sunday night, authorities said.
The waitress identified Levitt and Streeter as regular customers. She said the two were at the restaurant sometime between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., and possibly as late as 4 a.m. on June 7. The waitress saw men she did not recognize talking to the three women, she told police.
George's Steak House usually is packed with an after-hours crowd on weekend nights. The waitress is the only one who has reported that Levitt and her daughter were there on June 7, police said.
"If somebody else was there and saw them, we'd like to talk to them," Webb said.
Police have established that Streeter and McCall left a party in nearby Battlefield around 2:30 a.m., driving separate cars to Levitt's home.
The teen-agers had graduated from high school the night before they vanished.
About 30 Springfield police officers and the FBI say they haven't found a trace of the three women after early June 7.
Copyright 1992, 1996 The Kansas City Star Co.
Record Number: 103120

 

[monkeymann]

The Kansas City Star
June 24, 1992
Edition: MID-AMERICA
Section: MID-AMERICA
Page: C1

Waitress recalls seeing women on morning of disappearances Three missing since June 7 in Springfield. Author: The Associated Press
Article Text:
SPRINGFIELD - A waitress says she saw a mother and her daughter at a late-night restaurant shortly before they disappeared more than two weeks ago, police said Tuesday.
Sgt. Mark Webb said the waitress told investigators that Sherrill Levitt, 47, and Suzie Streeter, 19, were accompanied by a third female with long, brown hair.
That description matches Stacy McCall, an 18-year-old friend of Streeter's who also vanished in the early hours of June 7. Investigators think the women were abducted. Their cars, purses, keys, cash and other items were found at Levitt's unlocked home in central Springfield.
The waitress at George's Steak House, a few blocks from the home, first spoke with investigators Sunday night, authorities said.
The waitress identified Levitt and Streeter as regular customers. She said the two were at the restaurant sometime between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., and possibly as late as 4 a.m. on June 7. The waitress saw men she did not recognize talking to the three women, she told police.
George's Steak House usually is packed with an after-hours crowd on weekend nights. The waitress is the only one who has reported that Levitt and her daughter were there on June 7, police said.
"If somebody else was there and saw them, we'd like to talk to them," Webb said.
Police have established that Streeter and McCall left a party in nearby Battlefield around 2:30 a.m., driving separate cars to Levitt's home.
The teen-agers had graduated from high school the night before they vanished.
About 30 Springfield police officers and the FBI say they haven't found a trace of the three women after early June 7.
Copyright 1992, 1996 The Kansas City Star Co.
Record Number: 103120

Sounds like a the waitress was pretty sure about who she saw!! Said the two were "Regulars". I would think this is one of the more solid leads if the waitress was correct in who she saw.

 

[Trooogrit]

The problem with this tip is it came in almost 10 days after the crime occurred. This is a long time to wait before coming forward making it easily scrutinized. The police put considerable effort into trying to prove that they were there. unfortunately, there is no record of them being in the place that night like reciepts, credit cards etc. It was reported that the women waved at people that they apparently knew while there. NONE of those people came forward claiming seeing them there. If Sherrill was a popular hairdresser and the girls were popular I would think that someone in that place would be able to verify that they were there. The lead went absolutely no where in 92. Until someone actually can substantiate it I would say it is useless. One thing that stands out in my mind is that Suzie had a stomach ache and this is verified by her friends, so I would think going home and going to bed would be have been there intention.

 

[kemo]

The "Georges" lead would be huge and SPD should have checked it out. If the "clean cut" young men existed, they would have come forward, unless they were involved. The waitress should have been able to identify the "ticket" for that table. There are many ways patrons who were there at that time could have been located: credit card records, appeals through the media, have someone interviewing people late the following Sat. night etc.

LE invested a lot of resources on the "porch lady" van lead. This lead would have been better since they should have been able to get descriptions and perhaps composites of the Perps IF, at its a big IF, the lead was worth pursueing. Apperantly the lead was not.

The decision to "clear" the grave robbers, to pursue the "Van" lead and not the "Georges" lead and the decision not to contact everyone on the "roledex" are all "calls" that someone in charge of the investigation made. We can't "judge" the wisdom of these decisions because we have little information.

 

[Missouri Mule]

The Kansas City Star
June 24, 1992
Edition: MID-AMERICA
Section: MID-AMERICA
Page: C1

Waitress recalls seeing women on morning of disappearances Three missing since June 7 in Springfield. Author: The Associated Press
Article Text:
SPRINGFIELD - A waitress says she saw a mother and her daughter at a late-night restaurant shortly before they disappeared more than two weeks ago, police said Tuesday.
Sgt. Mark Webb said the waitress told investigators that Sherrill Levitt, 47, and Suzie Streeter, 19, were accompanied by a third female with long, brown hair.
That description matches Stacy McCall, an 18-year-old friend of Streeter's who also vanished in the early hours of June 7. Investigators think the women were abducted. Their cars, purses, keys, cash and other items were found at Levitt's unlocked home in central Springfield.
The waitress at George's Steak House, a few blocks from the home, first spoke with investigators Sunday night, authorities said.
The waitress identified Levitt and Streeter as regular customers. She said the two were at the restaurant sometime between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., and possibly as late as 4 a.m. on June 7. The waitress saw men she did not recognize talking to the three women, she told police.
George's Steak House usually is packed with an after-hours crowd on weekend nights. The waitress is the only one who has reported that Levitt and her daughter were there on June 7, police said.
"If somebody else was there and saw them, we'd like to talk to them," Webb said.
Police have established that Streeter and McCall left a party in nearby Battlefield around 2:30 a.m., driving separate cars to Levitt's home.
The teen-agers had graduated from high school the night before they vanished.
About 30 Springfield police officers and the FBI say they haven't found a trace of the three women after early June 7.
Copyright 1992, 1996 The Kansas City Star Co.
Record Number: 103120

I have to say this is the first time I have ever seen it reported that the women could have been there as late as 4 PM. That leaves oodles and gobs of time that they could have been there meaning that the timeline is not at all critical.

I must have watched the "48 hours" tape at least 25 times. And as early as shortly after it first aired in 1992 I found the waitress highly credible. Why would she lie? Why would she be mistaken if they were regular customers? Surely she would distinguish between someone who looked like her and someone else.

But for the purpose of argumentation, let us suppose the waitress was mistaken and it wasn't Sherrill or Suzie. It seems perfectly reasonable that as much publicity as this case had generated a look alike would have revealed herself to knock this story down. That never happened. We had an earlier sighting at a convenience store. The clerk was certain that Sherrill was there but that was knocked down when the actual woman came in to identify herself plus the clerk across the street also said it wasn't her. This "lead" occupied a lot of press space in the early beginning but the George's sighting never, in my opinion, received the attention it deserved. And furthermore, it in no way obviates the later sighting of the Porch Lady. If the story is in fact true, then we would have three "clean cut young men" who would have arguably been the last people known to have seen the women alive. Why didn't any of them, if it wasn't Sherrill and Suzie, come forth to knock the story down? And finally, we have the prosecutor stating explicitly that he wanted this story nailed down tight as he was not satisfied it was investigated properly.

All-in-all, I am inclined to believe the story especially now that we know they could have been there as late as 4 AM, which as I said, I had never seen before.

The truth is that the K.C. paper reporting exceeded the Springfield reporting where far too many promising leads simply appeared and then were dropped and not explained away. At one time I had every one of the Springfield papers and read and reread them many, many times for the slightest clue as to what was missed. To this day, I am more confused than I have ever been. But with the K.C. story, and the 4 AM time, if a gun were held to my head, I'd say it is the best lead yet. Those three "clean cut young men" could easily have been among the group at the Hanover party who followed the women home and then met them at George's. Things got out of hand and the women disappeared. It wouldn't be the first time something like this would have occurred. Were any of the Hanover group fully cleared or is any of them among the 12 agreed upon suspects? We don't know.

 

[Missouri Mule]

The problem with this tip is it came in almost 10 days after the crime occurred. This is a long time to wait before coming forward making it easily scrutinized. The police put considerable effort into trying to prove that they were there. unfortunately, there is no record of them being in the place that night like reciepts, credit cards etc. It was reported that the women waved at people that they apparently knew while there. NONE of those people came forward claiming seeing them there. If Sherrill was a popular hairdresser and the girls were popular I would think that someone in that place would be able to verify that they were there. The lead went absolutely no where in 92. Until someone actually can substantiate it I would say it is useless. One thing that stands out in my mind is that Suzie had a stomach ache and this is verified by her friends, so I would think going home and going to bed would be have been there intention.

Your argument is perfectly valid but let me put a slightly different spin on it. If these women were not Sherrill and Suzie and if these look alike women waved at people they apparently knew why didn't any of those people ever come forth to say that they were someone else? All it would have taken would have been one customer to have gone to the police and said the waitress was mistaken because they recognized "Jane Doe" in the restaurant and it definitely wasn't Sherrill or Suzie. Then the story would have been knocked down without any question. I am puzzled to this day why no one ever bothered to make known what they knew especially if they either knew Sherrill or Suzie or two look alikes and simply set the record straight. This story occupied virtually all of the television time and new print during that time. A person would have had to been living in a cave not to know the importance of such a lead if they were from the area.

The stomach ache is a valid argument but it is also true that alcohol on an empty stomach will also cause an upset stomach and merely a good meal will often settle things down. Who among us has not stopped in an early morning eatery to get a good helping of eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy after a night on the town? I know I certainly did years ago. Sherrill may simply have looked at Suzie and rather than dragging out some leftovers simply packed all three into her car and went to George's for a good meal. Sure beats reheating cold pizza from the refrigerator.

 

[monkeymann]

I agree that even though we have all gone round and round with this case over the past few years, that if this lead is true, then it HAS to be the strongest lead we've got to date. Not only does it help establish a time line, it also gives us a starting point for the investigation. Missouri Mule, where are you getting the number (3) as the number of men that were at Georges? I didn't see anywhere where it listed an actual number. The article stated "Men", implying that there was more then one man talking to the 3MW.
I wonder if the police gathered all of the reciepts for the business for that night? Wouldn't it be something if one of the perp's paid with a credit card and the police never checked Georges reciepts for the night. Probably didn't happen that way...surely it couldn't be that easy. However...stranger things have happened.
It seems like a more plausable scenereo to me:
1.) Girls attend graduation party
2.) Girls "Possiably" have a little to drink
3.) Girls go to Sherrell's house
4.) All three go to Georges for food
5.) Girls are approached by some men who are unknown to them, or known?
6.) Possiably women don't want to be hit on by the men and words are exchanged
7.) Men follow women home when they leave
8.) Women disappear

This might explain the story regarding Sherrell trying to calm Susie down when they're leaving Georges.
It also might explain why the men decided to committ the act. May be they decided to get back at the women for rebuffing their advances.
It could all be as simple as that. No big conspiricy, No crazy theorys, Just a random event that got out of hand and ended up bad.
Just some things to think about.....................