AZ AZ - Mindi Chambers, 17, Mesa, 19 October 1982

[Alleykins]

One of the news articles I came across, posted on another site, claims her family thought she might have gone to UT.
Why Utah, of all places, and not NY where her family was from? Does anyone in her family know why it Utah was mentioned? Did she have other family members there?

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Mindy's father being a truck driver, suspected of two murders and having a history of violence against women really rings alarm bells for me. I wonder if he was one of the truck drivers who has come onto the FBI database in connection with historic highway murders and disappearances.

The other thing that strikes me, having read through many threads here, is just how many teenagers and young women who disappear are very small for their age. The current case of Katy Roe, missing from Depoe Bay in OR, for example.

Obviously very petite and slight women might be snatched by strangers because their abductor correctly assesses their age but decides they are unlikely to put up much of a fight, but I wonder if some are snatched because their abductor thinks they are grabbing a child. This is a general point since I realise Mindy was very likely taken by her father.

 

[Odyssey]

Justin had said somewhere that Mindi's father was not a truck driver when Mindi went missing, he was unemployed at that time and lived in the same metro area as Mindi did.

He became a truck driver later and was killed in an accident while driving truck.

From where they lived to the Houston area is a good 16 hour drive at least. Plus I'm not sure if there are ways around it, but there is an immigration checkpoint in El Paso and going the fastest(16 hour) route would take you right through it. I can't be sure it was there in 1982 though. I've been on that route several times, there are a zillion cameras and sniffing dogs, I'm not sure he would have risked that, if he had already harmed her. JMO.

My guess is that she is closer to home.

 

[Odyssey]

I found a couple PMs in the same county she went missing from.

This first one (skull) is not all that likely because she was found on 10/2/82 and Mindi wasn't missing until 10/19/82. I'm wondering though, how sure we can be of the date she went missing. She wasn't reported missing until the mid 1990s so the date could be off

https://www.identifyus.org/en/cases/12148

Then this one was found in a dumpster in 1984, no interval listed. It looks like there were no identifiers but now DNA is in progress. What struck me about this one is that it doesn't appear that the death was too recent but a dumpster wouldn't have the same contents for very long. I'd guess these partial remains were elsewhere and then moved. Also this one says "head not recovered" so it could be the same person as the skull referred to above. (Though it does say brown head hair in addition to head not recovered so something is off here).

https://www.identifyus.org/en/cases/1903

 

[Odyssey]

I just wanted to add that the skull found on 10/2 can't be Mindi. I just found a message from Justin where he was positive she was alive on 10/16/82 because that is the day she reported the abuse.

Sorry, I should have checked my old messages first.

The 1984 UID is still a possibility though, I guess we will see when the DNA is complete.

Hoping she is found soon!

 

[Ozoner]

Justin had said somewhere that Mindi's father was not a truck driver when Mindi went missing, he was unemployed at that time and lived in the same metro area as Mindi did.

He became a truck driver later and was killed in an accident while driving truck.

From where they lived to the Houston area is a good 16 hour drive at least. Plus I'm not sure if there are ways around it, but there is an immigration checkpoint in El Paso and going the fastest(16 hour) route would take you right through it. I can't be sure it was there in 1982 though. I've been on that route several times, there are a zillion cameras and sniffing dogs, I'm not sure he would have risked that, if he had already harmed her. JMO.

My guess is that she is closer to home.

BBBM

I agree with you.

With the only suspect dead, finding her won't be easy, though.

 

[Alleykins]

Bumping for Mindi. Nothing new to report. It's been nearly a year since the last post so I thought I'd dropped by see if there are any updates. As of last month, she's been gone for 36 years. I hope she's out there, living her life.
I'll add her Charley Project link: Mindi Chambers – The Charley Project

 

[MadMcGoo]

Mindi reminds me so much of Valentine Sally! I know it’s not possible, but reading both of their stories, they sound similar IMO. I sure wish Mindi could be found, such a sad case

• NamUs MP5247
• The Doe Network 2638DFAZ
• NCMEC
• The Charley Project
• Find A Grave

Mindi Chambers

Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: October 19, 1982
Location Last Seen: Tempe, Maricopa County, Arizona

Physical Description
Date of Birth: May 28, 1965
Age: 17 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 4'10"
Weight: 86 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers
Dentals: Not Available. She had braces prior to the date she went missing but they had been removed in 1980.
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance
Mindi Chambers was was last seen walking her stepsister to school on the 2100 block of East University Drive, in Mesa. She left behind her purse, ID and other personal items. She was not reported missing until April 17, 1995, by her aunt.

She was last seen three days after she told Mesa police her father had been molesting her for five years. Child Protective Services immediately placed her in the care of her stepmother, who said Mindi had helped her get her children ready for school the day she disappeared, but wasn't home when she returned from work.

Her father had previously been sentenced to seven years in prison for assaulting a woman. He was also a suspect in the death of Mindy's mother in 1968. He died in 1994.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: Mesa Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Investigator Debbie Coates
Agency Phone Number: (480) 644-2211
Agency Case Number: 1995-1070-353

Unidentified Person Exclusions per NamUs:
UP1513 07/15/1982 Warren NJ
UP4574 01/01/1984 Orange TX
UP102 07/04/1984 Warren KY
UP8314 03/10/1985 -- NM
UP6796 11/18/1985 Alleghany VA
UP4768 04/19/1990 Licking OH
UP6279 12/18/1996 Fairfax VA
UP8419 01/16/2001 Isle of Wight VA
UP12683 06/06/2014 Newport News VA

 

[MadMcGoo]

(BBM)- hadn’t read that before. Although I don’t follow Facebook much, it could have been mentioned there.

Cold Cases | City of Mesa
Mindi Chambers
Date Last Seen: October 19, 1982 (Tuesday)
Location: 2100 block of East University, Mesa AZ

Top photo is when she disappeared. Bottom photo is what she may look like today.

The Mesa Police Department is investigating the disappearance of 17-year-old Mindi Chambers, who was last seen walking her step-sister to school. She was not reported missing until April 17, 1995. One of her high school friends may have information related to her disappearance.

Please contact the Mesa Police Department or Silent Witness.

 

[fidgeypie]

I saw this case on a YouTube channel. So very very sad . Poor Mindi, I hope that someone finds her

 

[Savemecastiel]

Following

 

[PrivateInspector007]

This is a frustrating case! The police, CPS and even her own family have failed poor Mindi. They didn't report her missing for several years after the fact!? Especially, when she reported that she was being molested - how difficult must that have been to go to the authorities for help and not be taken seriously. Her father was in prison for abuse/rape on a woman (women?) and CPS or whoever, allowed children back into his care? REALLY!?
Curious about her siblings and step mother, no one thought to report her missing? Did any of them also experience abuse from the father? Surely, someone must have known more. If she ran away she would have taken something with her, clothes, money etc. Another thing that is weird, is the time frame she goes missing, so the last time she was seen was walking her siblings to school, yet she is at work? Which is it?
It seems like her father killed her after she reported that he was molesting her. The same car he had was the one she got into. He obviously had an anger/control problem and killed before. Was his belongings searched when he died? Maybe he kept mementos, notes, or other relevant information.
Hope justice is served for Mindi, her mother, and other victim(s).

Mindi Chambers
Mindi Chambers (1965-1982) - Find A Grave...

 

[Alleykins]

Not sure why it took them so long to report her missing, per Charley Project family believed she ran away.
What bothers me is her maternal family suspected the father may have been responsible for Mindi's mother's death, but there appears to have been no evidence of foul play. And it bothers me she, as a child, was released to her father's custody after being incarcerated for assault and attempted rape. What judge or child protective services worker in their right mind would allow someone with a violent sexual history to have their child back?
Mindi Chambers – The Charley Project

 

[MadMcGoo]

26 Jul 2009, Page 5 - Arizona Republic at Newspapers.com

www.newspapers.com

 

[MadMcGoo]

(BBM)- hadn’t read that before. Although I don’t follow Facebook much, it could have been mentioned there.

Cold Cases | City of Mesa
Mindi Chambers
Date Last Seen: October 19, 1982 (Tuesday)
Location: 2100 block of East University, Mesa AZ

Top photo is when she disappeared. Bottom photo is what she may look like today.

The Mesa Police Department is investigating the disappearance of 17-year-old Mindi Chambers, who was last seen walking her step-sister to school. She was not reported missing until April 17, 1995. One of her high school friends may have information related to her disappearance.

Please contact the Mesa Police Department or Silent Witness.

New link to this information.

Cold Cases | Mesa Police

Mesa Police Department Cold Cases

www.mesaazpolice.gov

 

[Caring1]

Bump for Mindi

8 Unidentified Person Exclusions