AR AR - Whitehall Motel in El Dorado, WhtFem, 81UFAR, 18-21, Jul'91 - #2 - Kelly from VA

[CarlK90245]

Anyone have an ancestry account? There is info on a Beth Welch of Sumter - could check if she's still alive?

There is a Beth Welch from South Carolina who was born in 1965, and died in 2012. Not sure if she's the same Beth Welch.

ETA: She wouldn't have been 17 in 1980 if she was born in 65. The photo of her in Ancestry doesn't quite look like the same girl.

 

[Alleykins]

The NamUs case admin said is out of the office and will take a look at the comparison next week. At least I got a reply! Yay!

 

[sunnynz]

Not sure if someone already submitted Cathy A. Smith (NamUs MP # 23402) for a potential match, so I sent something off to NamUs to get a rule out, if nothing else. I didn't see her on the list. Weight and height match. She's a tad older, but to me, this JD looks older than her purported age. I see a very strong resemblance. The nose seems a little off, however, this JD suffered a lot of injuries, according to what I've read, so perhaps that included damage to her face and nose.
I also couldn't find a doe, Charley or WS page for Cathy. She was added to NamUs in 2014. She has fingerprints but they don't appear to be in AFIS. That makes me wonder if she had troubles with the law at some point? Not sure.
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/23402/0

I would say given her multiple aliases and the fact that they don't really know how old she was when she went missing both indicate she was in trouble with the law. It sounds as though it wasn't family who reported her missing - if it was then they would have known her DOB. Great work on submitting, I do see a resemblance.
* Actually I see her DOB is listed on the Charley project page http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/smith_cathy.html
I wonder what that picture of her would be from - it looks like a formal portrait - for her employer maybe? The picture was taken around 1980 apparently.

 

[Alleykins]

I was thinking maybe high school yearbook/senior photo for Cathy's picture.

 

[sunnynz]

I was thinking maybe high school yearbook/senior photo for Cathy's picture.

Yes I thought that too but then it says it's from 1980 and if she was 25 when she went missing in that same year then she would have been too old for a school photo. Wonder what she did at the railroad and maybe she had an ID badge or something with her pic on it?

 

[KaylaraOwl]

Cathy looks very similar to me.

 

[Alleykins]

I think so, too, except for nose, but it's not so far off that it couldn't be her.
I'm thinking it might have an altered appearance if it were broken a few times since that picture of Cathy were taken.

 

[KaylaraOwl]

The nose looks closer in some of the other pictures of EDJD. And the ears look alike to me.

 

[sloane7777]

I really think Cathy looks close but I do want to make a few points, James just said her last name might be Stenner or Steiner I think we need to follow this avenue some , He says her family is just horrified at what her lifestyle was, he also said she was never reported missing , why would she be, I 100% believe this part , Why because when I was around 13 I was a lot like her (sans the topless clubs and johns) my family was pretty horrified too, they knew where I was and who I was hanging around but my dad was a judge and grandparents were totally disgusted, they NEVER NEVER would have reported me missing , too embarrassing!!! the Stenner avenue is very interesting and if you follow that as I have, I might have found her family (she really favors these peeps in looks) but here's the catch , how do I put this w/o offending anyone but, like I said it was the same time period as our JD and to put it bluntly the trails I have followed with the name to have a reputation for being a bit "redneckie" (I realize not a word) they are also a wealthy family with horses( remember the shirt with paseo horses?) and on their fb pages I do not see ONE person of ethnic background (I mean really people who aren't racist usually have at least one black friend on their facebook ) what I do see is a few people that look a hell of a lot like she does

 

[sloane7777]

he also said THEY KNOW and have known, so that totally fits (on this I do believe him) also wouldn't it be strange if it turned out to be Cathy Smith above as the detective on the case is Cathy Smith too !!!!!!!

 

[sunnynz]

I really think Cathy looks close but I do want to make a few points, James just said her last name might be Stenner or Steiner I think we need to follow this avenue some , He says her family is just horrified at what her lifestyle was, he also said she was never reported missing , why would she be, I 100% believe this part , Why because when I was around 13 I was a lot like her (sans the topless clubs and johns) my family was pretty horrified too, they knew where I was and who I was hanging around but my dad was a judge and grandparents were totally disgusted, they NEVER NEVER would have reported me missing , too embarrassing!!! the Stenner avenue is very interesting and if you follow that as I have, I might have found her family (she really favors these peeps in looks) but here's the catch , how do I put this w/o offending anyone but, like I said it was the same time period as our JD and to put it bluntly the trails I have followed with the name to have a reputation for being a bit "redneckie" (I realize not a word) they are also a wealthy family with horses( remember the shirt with paseo horses?) and on their fb pages I do not see ONE person of ethnic background (I mean really people who aren't racist usually have at least one black friend on their facebook ) what I do see is a few people that look a hell of a lot like she does

Where did you see the Stenner/Steiner info from James? I totally missed that. Do you have a link please?

 

[Alleykins]

Where did you see the Stenner/Steiner info from James? I totally missed that. Do you have a link please?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/eldorado-jane-doe_us_56e6d679e4b0b25c918276a3
Hi Sunny, James was the pimp who claims to know who she really was and is willing to divulge that information for a fee, but I'm not sure about the Stenner/Steiner connection so I will let the Sloane7777 answer that and provide the links for the theory, etc, because I don't remember the Stenner/Steiner name, only Stroud, the name in the bible.
From what I've read, the police don't put much stock in what James has said, and neither do I. There may be a kernel of truth in it, like she has kids, but if she were hiding from her family or the law, I see no reason why she would tell her pimp the truth, either.
Sloane7777, if you feel strongly that this JD is part of the Stenner/Steiner family and you know where they are, call an anonymous tip into their local police department. If she hasn't been reported missing for a reason, like her family wants nothing to do with her because of her lifestyle, then explain that to law enforcement. You might find someone on the force who knows the family and the person you're talking about. I don't see the harm in it. I wouldn't feel comfortable approaching the family, either, especially if there was a not so civil parting of the ways, but if it turns out that EDJD is their family member, and the family finds out she is deceased, their feelings toward her may change toward her and they may want her back.

 

[Alleykins]

The nose looks closer in some of the other pictures of EDJD. And the ears look alike to me.

I agree about the ears, too.

 

[sloane7777]

Where did you see the Stenner/Steiner info from James? I totally missed that. Do you have a link please?

it was in David' s notes from the letters James sent from jail on Scribd for the huffington post article. James said Helen Stenner was her name he thought he always just called her Mercedes as did her old roommate so he wasn't sure of the spelling of her last name.
The link is upthread but i'm at work right now so I don't have time to search.

 

[sloane7777]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/eldorado-jane-doe_us_56e6d679e4b0b25c918276a3
Hi Sunny, James was the pimp who claims to know who she really was and is willing to divulge that information for a fee, but I'm not sure about the Stenner/Steiner connection so I will let the Sloane7777 answer that and provide the links for the theory, etc, because I don't remember the Stenner/Steiner name, only Stroud, the name in the bible.
From what I've read, the police don't put much stock in what James has said, and neither do I. There may be a kernel of truth in it, like she has kids, but if she were hiding from her family or the law, I see no reason why she would tell her pimp the truth, either.
Sloane7777, if you feel strongly that this JD is part of the Stenner/Steiner family and you know where they are, call an anonymous tip into their local police department. If she hasn't been reported missing for a reason, like her family wants nothing to do with her because of her lifestyle, then explain that to law enforcement. You might find someone on the force who knows the family and the person you're talking about. I don't see the harm in it. I wouldn't feel comfortable approaching the family, either, especially if there was a not so civil parting of the ways, but if it turns out that EDJD is their family member, and the family finds out she is deceased, their feelings toward her may change toward her and they may want her back.

James had said lots of things , true and untrue I really do believe this part HER FAMILY KNOWS and wont claim her due to her lifestyle. it explains pretty much everything!
and the authorities in TX , I'm willing to bet that would be a total dead end, and the DET. on her case has all this info.

 

[sunnynz]

it was in David' s notes from the letters James sent from jail on Scribd for the huffington post article. James said Helen Stenner was her name he thought he always just called her Mercedes as did her old roommate so he wasn't sure of the spelling of her last name.
The link is upthread but i'm at work right now so I don't have time to search.

Thanks, I had read that but must have missed the Helen Stenner thing, will take another look.

 

[Alleykins]

Well, Sloane7777, you'll never know unless you try. You may be surprised. :crazy:

 

[carbuff]

James had said lots of things , true and untrue I really do believe this part HER FAMILY KNOWS and wont claim her due to her lifestyle. it explains pretty much everything!
and the authorities in TX , I'm willing to bet that would be a total dead end, and the DET. on her case has all this info.

I knew a family like that. Their son died of AIDS in the early days of the epidemic and he was in the San Francisco morgue for a long time before some cousins heard about it and claimed him. And since his father was a cop, I suspect local LE would have turned aside most queries.

So I have no trouble believing the older generation would feel that way. I wonder if some of the younger family members might be more open, though.


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[Alleykins]

I was thinking along those lines, too, Carbuff, that just because some of the family might have rejected her lifestyle doesn't mean a sister or brother or cousin isn't more accepting. I was also thinking of all the time that's gone by, too. It might be worth making inquiries now.

 

[sloane7777]

I knew a family like that. Their son died of AIDS in the early days of the epidemic and he was in the San Francisco morgue for a long time before some cousins heard about it and claimed him. And since his father was a cop, I suspect local LE would have turned aside most queries.

So I have no trouble believing the older generation would feel that way. I wonder if some of the younger family members might be more open, though.


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MY family IS EXACTLY LIKE THAT! if you follow the Stenner (spelling ) you will find a very wealthy family that REALLY favors her in looks, they have horses (remember the shirt David posted) James said Dallas was where they met so........