This information was given to law enforcement in El Dorado in 2019. LE apparently investigated but either came up with a brick wall, or some other issue, but obviously nothing has come of it. I think there may be value to it.
"Earlier this year it was reported that DNA evidence had uncovered a connection to the Wood family. Recent information is that there may be a connection to Dennis Leroy Layman as a possible father. Dennis was a grandson of the Wood great-grandparents of EDJD. I have found information about a woman he may have had a relationship with in the early 1960’s when they were both married to other people. This woman may be EDJD’s mother—a woman who may not be on your radar because it appears she and Dennis had an affair with each other and if she was pregnant the child may have been adopted.
According to newspaper articles, on July 8, 1964 in Vienna, Virginia, five residents of a 2nd story apartment house were killed by fire. Two of the victims were a 36- year old mother, Elizabeth Worrell and her 10-year old son, Joseph. Mrs. Worrell's 17-year old daughter, Gloria Grubb was spared because she spent the night sleeping in a car parked outside with her friend, Dennis Layman, of Fairfax, VA.
Gloria Grubb had married the previous year as a 16-year old to James Grubb, they divorced in 1968 with no children.
Dennis appears to have still been married to Virginia Marie Smith, who he had two sons with by 1964
It's apparent that Gloria's relationship with her husband was already strained at the time of the fire because she had spent the night with Layman and possibly had a relationship with him.
Layman went on to marry Cheryl Lynn McMurray in 1975 and Gloria went on to marry Jerry Allen Shannon in 1970. They both lived in Virginia. Prior to her marriage to Jerry, Gloria had one daughter Theresa Marie Shannon born September 11, 1968. Subsequently she and Jerry had another daughter, Stacey Shannon born December 23, 1971. Gloria and Jerry divorced in 1976.
Gloria later married Robert Kenyon and was with him until her death in Groton, Connecticut, on July 26, 2013.
As a genealogist and family historian, I would research a path that assumed Gloria may have been pregnant in 1964 and had a baby in either late 1964 or 1965. If Layman was still married, and we know Gloria was still married, the baby may have been given up for adoption. That would explain why the Wood family was unaware of a baby girl.
EDJD may have been aware of these circumstances and may have known that her father married a woman named Cheryl in the 70’s and her mother married a man with the surname Shannon, in the 70’s as well. In my experience young people who take on aliases often have a familiar ‘connection’ name they adopt that is just beyond the names of immediate family members, but close enough that the name feels familiar. EDJD used both Cheryl and Shannon as alias names.
Also police found in EDJDs possession several menus. One menu is from Worrell Brothers restaurant in Virginia Beach. Worrell is the surname of Gloria Grubb. I have not found a direct connection yet between the two families, but I suspect the Worrell Brothers are cousins of Gloria’s family.
Worrell Brothers opened registered the trademark for the menu logo in February 1985.
Phillips Waterside Restaurant opened the first week of June 1983. A food reviewer quoted some prices on the menu. The price of Steamed Shrimp was $5.95, just as on EDJD’s menu, but Waterside coffee was only $2.50, not $3.50 as shown on EDJD’s menu. In December 1985 coffee prices in restaurants peaked, and by January 1986 they started going back down. Coffee peaked again January 1990 and then fell. The fact the food prices stayed the same, on the menu but coffee went up 40% tells me there was possibly a coffee issue soon after the restaurant opened and EDJD may have visited during Christmas 1985. Though, as a transient, I find it hard to believe she kept the menu intact for 6 years."
From an anonymous family historian with no ties to the case other than as a researcher.
