CA CA - Cynthia Sumpter, 5, San Jose, 27 April 1974

[Richard]

Cynthia Lynn Sumpter
Missing since April 27, 1974 from San Jose, Santa Clara County, California.
Classification: Non Family Abduction

Vital Statistics

Date Of Birth: July 18, 1968
Age at Time of Disappearance: 5 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 3'8; 55 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Blonde hair; blue eyes.
Marks, Scars: Sumpter has a cowlick on the right side of her hairline. She has a mole on the left side of her neck.
Dentals: Not available
Clothing: Red/White sleeveless blouse with blue star on chest, long purple slacks.
Nickname: Cindy

Circumstances of Disappearance

Sumpter was last seen playing outside of her residence in San Jose, California on April 27, 1974.

Investigators

If you have any information concerning Sumpter's whereabouts, please contact:

San Jose Police Department
408-277-4786

All information may be submitted anonymously.

Agency Case Number:
7483994

NCMEC #: NCMC601913

NCIC Number:
M-136918861

Please refer to these numbers when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

Source Information:

The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children
CA DOJ
The Doe Network: Case File 334DFCA

LINK:

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/334dfca.html

 

[Gina_M]

Thank you Richard. I've seen her name come up elsewhere but I guess Cynthia never had her own thread. She has been ruled out as a match for Sharon Marshall via DNA testing.

 

[Gina_M]

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/sumpter_cynthia.html

Sumpter was last seen playing in the front yard of her family's apartment house on Elm Street in San Jose, California on April 27, 1974. She has never been heard from again. Sumpter's mother began looking for her between 1:30 and 1:45 p.m. that same day. When she had searched for half an hour with no result, she called police. A massive search of San Jose turned up no sign of the child. Witnesses report that she was in a blue car driven by an unidentified young man with blond hair and a moustache; these sightings have not been confirmed. Sumpter's parents had had a bitter divorce a year before her disappearance and each one accused the other of hiding her. Both her mother and father passed polygraph tests and police ruled them out as suspects.

 

[Mr. E]

I wish there was a sketch of the man who supposedly took her. There was another Southern California missing persons case where a girl went to the store with her friend. When they came out, the girl's scooter was in the parking lot. She went to retrieve it, and a blonde-haired man grabbed her, put her in his car, and drove away.

It sounds like it could be connected, but I can't remember the girl's name to look at the statistics.

 

[Richard]

Cynthia Lynn Sumpter's case appears on several other websites. Here is a link to one featuring an age enhanced photo:

http://caag.state.ca.us/missing/qb/missing_bulletin.pdf

 

[iNTERESTEDWOMAN]

I've always wondered if this case and Anna Waters case weren't related. Anna missing since 1-16-73 from Rural Half Moon Bay, CA age 5. Blonde hair. Anna was last seen playing outside her residents.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=104

Similar appearance, as in they are both cute with dimples etc. (I didn't say exact for all those who like to disagree on appearance) Also, Anna has brown eyes whereas Cindy's are blue.

also see link for more detail:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/sumpter_cynthia.html

 

[diamondgirl]

I wish there was a sketch of the man who supposedly took her. There was another Southern California missing persons case where a girl went to the store with her friend. When they came out, the girl's scooter was in the parking lot. She went to retrieve it, and a blonde-haired man grabbed her, put her in his car, and drove away.

It sounds like it could be connected, but I can't remember the girl's name to look at the statistics.

That was Michaela Garecht. She disappeared in 1988. I thought the same thing when I read the first post.

 

[Dr. Doogie]

That was Michaela Garecht. She disappeared in 1988. I thought the same thing when I read the first post.

Michaela Garecht disappeared in Northern California (Hayward) which is not far from San Jose.

 

[Richard]

Several people claimed to know Sumpter's whereabouts and
attempted to extort money from her parents, but none of them really knew anything about her case.

Antonio Madrid was investigated for possible involvement in Sumpter's disappearance. He was the stepfather of one of her friends and lived only about 100 yards from her apartment. Madrid committed suicide two days after Sumpter disappeared. After his death, police found a bloodstained shirt belonging to him, and blonde hairs in his car.

A convicted murderer named Eugene Joseph Wesley is also a possible suspect. He took two polygraph tests about Sumpter's case and the results indicated that he knew more than he was saying about her disappearance. Wesley was never charged in connection with her case, however, and has since died in prison.

Sumpter's mother believes her daughter is still alive.
Police believe Sumpter was abducted.
Foul play is suspected in her case.

Source:

The Charley Project: Cynthia Lynn Sumpter

Link:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/sumpter_cynthia.html

 

[iNTERESTEDWOMAN]

...snip

Antonio Madrid was investigated for possible involvement in Sumpter's disappearance. He was the stepfather of one of her friends and lived only about 100 yards from her apartment. Madrid committed suicide two days after Sumpter disappeared. After his death, police found a bloodstained shirt belonging to him, and blonde hairs in his car....snip
Source:

The Charley Project: Cynthia Lynn Sumpter

Link:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/sumpter_cynthia.html

I've searched California death records for a few hours and this is as close as I can find to Antonio Madrid listed as possible suspect, (who committed suicide 2 days later). This guy is in the same county, but listed as Anthony and death date would be 4 days after Cynthia disappeared. I wonder if they still have the evidence found in his car for a DNA comparison? To me, he seems the most likely person to have abducted Cynthia. Considering he and his family was of Mexican decent, the blonde hair is very suspicious. Wish I could find more on this guy.

Name:Anthony Madrid
Sex:MALE
Birth Date:23 Mar 1941
Birthplace:New Mexico
Death Date:1 May 1974
Death Place:Santa Clara county

 

[Gina_M]

Cynthia has been missing for 34 years now...

 

[phylliyum]

I've searched California death records for a few hours and this is as close as I can find to Antonio Madrid listed as possible suspect, (who committed suicide 2 days later). This guy is in the same county, but listed as Anthony and death date would be 4 days after Cynthia disappeared. I wonder if they still have the evidence found in his car for a DNA comparison? To me, he seems the most likely person to have abducted Cynthia. Considering he and his family was of Mexican decent, the blonde hair is very suspicious. Wish I could find more on this guy.

Name:Anthony Madrid
Sex:MALE
Birth Date:23 Mar 1941
Birthplace:New Mexico
Death Date:1 May 1974
Death Place:Santa Clara county

I agree...he does seem suspicious, especially since he died just a few days later. I doubt that they have compared the DNA. They didn't have that kind of technology then, and i highly doubt that when they finally did, the first thing that came to their minds was to test DNA on a case that was probably well over 20 years old by the time the technology came out.
I hope someone would suggest it to them now though.

What a beautiful little girl...I hope her parents someday get the answers they deserve, although I doubt they will.

 

[SunnieRN]

It seems to me they should still have the shirt in an evidence file, as well as the blond hair. I can't see that it should be a problem obtaining a dna sample from her Mother. This may help bring her closure.

 

[Cubby]

Cynthia's NamUs profile doesn't show a dna is currently available..

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/6703/0/

The blonde hairs alone might not be enough but if the blood on the shirt proved to belong to Cynthia along with the hairs at least it might mean partial closure.

I so wish there were answers for Cynthia's case.
I've always kept her case in my prayers.

 

[amber1]

So many young girls vanished around the area that Michaela Garecht, Amanda Campbell, Angela Bugay and many others disappeared, all within the same time period...there HAS to be some connection!

 

[Richard]

So many young girls vanished around the area that Michaela Garecht, Amanda Campbell, Angela Bugay and many others disappeared, all within the same time period...there HAS to be some connection!

Possibly some of these cases are connected. But California has many, many unsolved cases and what seems to be an abundance of murders and nut cases as well.

For almost any unsolved murder or disappearance, there might be several known serial killers who could fit the profile and who were in the area at the time.

 

[j. smith]

I was Cynthia's babysitter at one point in time & I saw her mother at my high school graduation. That was in June 1974, her mom told me that they still hadn't found "Cindy" yet. I went on to join the U.S. Air Force & was stationed in England For 4 yrs. but I always wondered if they ever found her. Cynthia was the sweetest little girl I ever babysat for & I've always had her on my mind hoping that she would be found. J. Julius formerly J. Smith. jackiejulius54@yahoo.com

 

[Richard]

I was Cynthia's babysitter at one point in time & I saw her mother at my high school graduation. That was in June 1974, her mom told me that they still hadn't found "Cindy" yet. I went on to join the U.S. Air Force & was stationed in England For 4 yrs. but I always wondered if they ever found her. Cynthia was the sweetest little girl I ever babysat for & I've always had her on my mind hoping that she would be found. J. Julius formerly J. Smith. jackiejulius54@yahoo.com

j. smith, Welcome to websleuths and to this discussion of the disappearance of Cynthia.

What do you recall from when she first went missing?

 

[j. smith]

Well it's been a very long time so my memory is a little off but I remember coming home from school one day & my mom showed me the San Jose Mercury Newspaper with a picture of Cynthia on the front page & she asked me if this was the little girl I babysat for & I said yes. I immediately called Cynthia's mom's house to say that I was sorry to hear about Cynthia's disappearance. A female answered the phone & I knew right away that it was not Cynthia's mom, I knew it was an FBI agent & I knew I was being recorded so I asked the agent to tell Cynthia's mom that I was sorry to hear that Cynthia was missing. One night when I was at Cynthia's house her mom asked me if I remembered what her boyfriend looked like & I said yes. She explained that the night before she had caught her boyfriend fondling Cynthia in the bathtub & she told me that if he came over not to let him in. He never came over & I never saw him again. So I automatically assumed that he might have been the one who took Cynthia. I can't remember how I found out but he was questioned & was let go. When I saw Cynthia's mom at my graduation she had told me that out of all the babysitters Cynthia had that Cynthia loved me the most & that really touched me. My memories are vague now but I sometimes cry because Cynthia was such a beautiful & very warm hearted little girl. I can't remember Cynthia's mom's name so please forgive me. I would really like to be in touch with her mom but I can understand that she may want her privacy. I just wish there was some kind of closure for her because it has been too long a road to travel. Sincerely, J. Julius, formerly J. Smith

 

[Leprikawn]

There are so many people missing from the bay area. I live in Livermore now, but I have lived in Fremont and San Jose.......it seems that there are so many predators that have been through this area over the years. I dont remember this case because I was rather young at the time, I was born in 1965, but I do remember Michaela and Amber Swartz garcia, and Illene Mischelof........so sad.