CA CA - Farren Stanberry, 18, San Francisco, 24 Apr 1980

[Odyssey]

Hey,

I found out that Farren's Aunt Sandra still lives in John Day Oregon according to whitepages.com. We can not post the address here for privacy reasons, but in my early research, this seems to be the only relative of Farren's that is out there. Maybe a moderator would have some ideas of how to contact her? If somebody wants to PM that information to Websleuth staff. Maybe they could get some connection from John Day Oregon LE. As I understand, it is a TOS violation to contact victim family members on Websleith's.

But if an inside contact could contact her, in all honesty it's the only connection that we are going to have regarding what communication she had with Farren when she claimed that she and her Mom dropped him off at the campsite.

My concern is that if this inside connection is not at least attempted to contact her, this case is never going to be solved. Anything that can help Farren and bring some closure.

So that several people don't contact a moderator with the same request for inside information, I would suggest just one person saying, "I PM'ed a mod about reaching out to Farren's Aunt." Than the moderator staff can decide where to go from there and may choose to respond or not to this thread. I hope what I am posting is OK. I think it is our best bet for closure. At least we would know what Ferren and his Aunt talked about that day, and her Mother based on what Sandra remembers. (if insiders could reach out to Farren's Aunt.)

Thinking of Farren,

Satch

My understanding is that you can contact anyone you want as an individual, you just can't make WS any part of it. For example, it's not ok to call someone and say "Hi, I'm a member of Websleuths".

At least, that's what I was told by a moderator years ago.

But the reason I'm posting is that I found some ads for the hotel in the newspaper from back then, and they did advertise gay management.

Still not sure if that is what drew Farren, or if he ended up there because it was the closest hotel to the Greyhound station.

 

[Satch]

My understanding is that you can contact anyone you want as an individual, you just can't make WS any part of it. For example, it's not ok to call someone and say "Hi, I'm a member of Websleuths".

At least, that's what I was told by a moderator years ago.

But the reason I'm posting is that I found some ads for the hotel in the newspaper from back then, and they did advertise gay management.

Still not sure if that is what drew Farren, or if he ended up there because it was the closest hotel to the Greyhound station.

Welcome back @Odyssey!

My research, although speculation, is that Farren wanted to "see the world" to find the male emotional friends in his life, about his age, that he likely never knew, and as the parents legally separated when Farren and his sister were just babies, and divorce was granted to Farren's Dad on the grounds of Farren's mother deserting the kids.

Farren and presumably his sister were raised by Farren's grandmother and aunt. The emotional impact of being raised in a house full of women with no steady male role model the same age as Farren, or connection bothered him. I don't think Farren's relationship with his mother was good at all. Growing up for Farren was an emotional challenge. Although he loved his grandmother, and likely his aunt and uncle as well, I think Farren really wanted to bond with male friends his own age. Farren's Uncle said that he was a "country boy at heat."

I think Farren was gay and had heard about San Fransisco through his worldly travels from August 1979 (His monthly 18th birthday) to May of 1980 when he disappeared. I believe that the June date of 1980 when his aunt said that his grandmother and she dropped him off at a campground is incorrect.He may have had sexual relationships with friends in San Fransisco, where at that time, it was a safe haven for the gay community and for Farren, a duration of about nine months, was a place that he could truly call "home."

When Farren lost his job, my belief is that he did not want to burden his grandmother, aunt, or uncle to send him money. It was a long shot when Farren called his mother asking to send him money. I think he knew that her answer would be "no."

Fearing authorities coming after him for not being able to pay his debts, and not wanting to have his friends at the National Hotel bothered by his troubles, I think Farren very quietly and very secretly chose to take his own life, feeling that there was no other option. Sadly, I think he may have gone down to the San Francisco Bay late at night, jumped off the bridge and drowned via suicide. I think Farren could have been saved if his mother had sent him money, or if he had been able to land another job. The lack of financial means, I think drove Farren to tragedy.

Satch

 

[Odyssey]

Very possible. Honestly I think just about anything is possible in this case though.

I sure wish I could find the hotel manager, that's who I was looking for tonight when I decided to search the newspaper archives and ended up finding those ads.

I would love to know what belongings he left there, whether he was staying in the room alone, how long he had been there, etc.

I was actually just researching the case of Claudia Kirschhoch who also went missing from a hotel and the staff of the hotel acted like she must have left voluntarily because they wanted to protect the hotel's "safe" image. It turns out one of the hotel employees is the main suspect. I wonder if the manager at National Hotel might have known more about what happened to Farren (such as an altercation) but couldn't say anything in the 90s when he still worked there.

I have nothing to base that on, just thinking out loud.

 

[summergirl1]

The manager might very well be deceased now or his memory may be affected by age. If not, I'm sure he may have useful info. Farren's uncle by marriage who searched for him in the 1990s is deceased now, I believe? The manager could be very well have been protecting the hotel's image and his job or may have had more personal reasons too for not disclosing info he may have known. It's hard to say, but it wouldn't be surprising if he knew more than he said. I don't know why LE apparently never talked to him, though? Or at least there's not publicly available records of such? Farren's uncle definitely did a lot in the right direction to find Farren, but it was much harder to find a lot of info back in the 1990s, before how easily available information is today. Did police ever interview the gay man Farren was visiting for a time at least ( before he may have rented his own room there since he had a hotel bill)? It would be interesting to have his name, although he is deceased. He'd likely have been the best source on Farren's disapearence. I feel Farren was murdered, that's just my instinct.

 

[summergirl1]

Interestingly, Farron is mentioned in his father's sister's husband's obit (an uncle by marriage) in 2021, along with his sister. The family listed him as presumably living. That is sometimes what families with missing family members do in family obits, when they simply don't know for sure whether someone who is missing is alive or dead. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/greatfallstribune/name/jerry-hybner-obituary?id=7858996

 

[chaddylex]

Farren's NamUs profile was modified on 10/5/22
He currently has 34 rule outs (and they are all in Virginia go figure)
UP14360
08/14/2015
Bland
VA

UP6639
07/28/2007
Fairfax
VA

UP6746
01/29/1982
Newport News
VA

UP6149
01/22/1996
Halifax
VA

UP14518
04/03/2010
Shenandoah
VA

UP2230
08/19/1991
Richmond
VA

UP6474
05/12/1990
Prince William
VA

UP2667
08/18/2008
Dinwiddie
VA

UP6762
10/08/1995
Richmond
VA

UP6640
08/30/1984
New Kent
VA

UP6637
10/07/2006
Fairfax
VA

UP6530
05/18/1990
Chesterfield
VA

UP9399
01/09/1983
Caroline
VA
01/26/1997
Warren
VA

UP8418
02/24/1992
Henrico
VA

UP7980
05/08/1981
Cuyahoga
OH

UP6643
04/11/1987
Caroline
VA

UP6513
01/01/1990
Brunswick
VA

UP6304
08/01/1993
Clarke
VA

UP9509
02/23/1983
Virginia Beach
VA

UP10908
08/29/2012
Fairfax
VA

UP6719
03/02/1986
Alleghany
VA

UP9340
11/19/1983
Chesapeake
VA

UP7605
07/21/2010
Mecklenburg
VA

UP6745
05/22/1981
Virginia Beach
VA

 

[Satch]

Bumping for Farren and any updates. New thoughts?

 

[Satch]

Another possibility,

While San Francisco was generally a safe haven for the gay community, it was also a place for some really bad people to hang out there around the homeless shelters and on the streets to exploit vulnerable victims. I believe that serial killer Randy Kraft was connected to murders in both California and Oregon from the 70's-80's. While there is no known evidence linking him to murdering Ferran, Ferran was originally from Oregon and had spent time in California.

Could Farren have possibly experimented with male prostitution in bonding with the gay community being desperate for money and his recent job loss, which could have lead to him being killed?

I still think suicide is most likely what happened to Farren as a result of fear of LE coming after him for unpaid debts, and the loss of any kind of financial or emotional support from his Mother. However, the tragic fear of him being murdered is out there for the reasons mentioned above.

Heartbreaking case. Farren really seems like a great guy!

Satch

 

[Ciriii57]

Why would they drop him off at a camp ground near US Highway 395 in June of 1980 when the NamUs link and title here says he went missing in late April/May of 1980 after leaving home 9 months earlier? The dates don’t line up. Was he traveling with someone who was staying at the campground?

Was this problem with the timeline ever sorted out satisfactorily or did I miss it because I feel I can't move on unless it is, it seems very crucial
-Farren was last seen getting on a greyhound bus to the East coast in aug/sept 1979
-Then he was on the West coast in April/May 1980 which is where he presumably went missing from?
-But then in June 1980 his aunt and grandma dropped him off at this isolated campsite.

So when was the last contact? Could this be why the San Francisco LE has no knowledge of his case originally,because he didn't go missing from there? Could it be why NamUs had originally removed alot of the circumstances of his disappearance, as they weren't correct.

Is it possible that his uncle made an error tracing him to San Francisco and he has in fact returned home. I can't square this with why he left all his possessions in the room though?

Any thoughts?

Well done everyone by the way, all your work on this case has been amazing

 

[Odyssey]

Was this problem with the timeline ever sorted out satisfactorily or did I miss it because I feel I can't move on unless it is, it seems very crucial
-Farren was last seen getting on a greyhound bus to the East coast in aug/sept 1979
-Then he was on the West coast in April/May 1980 which is where he presumably went missing from?
-But then in June 1980 his aunt and grandma dropped him off at this isolated campsite.

So when was the last contact? Could this be why the San Francisco LE has no knowledge of his case originally,because he didn't go missing from there? Could it be why NamUs had originally removed alot of the circumstances of his disappearance, as they weren't correct.

Is it possible that his uncle made an error tracing him to San Francisco and he has in fact returned home. I can't square this with why he left all his possessions in the room though?

Any thoughts?

Well done everyone by the way, all your work on this case has been amazing

As far as I can tell, none of the dates anyone has given can be considered exact. You're right, there are lots of problems with the timeline and I think it's because nobody really realized he was missing for quite some time. It wasn't until his uncle called the hotel sometime in the 90s that he learned that Farren had left all his stuff behind and just vanished.

And the fact that he was reported missing in John Day, OR instead of San Francisco didn't help much either. I don't believe LE ever questioned anyone.

As far as why Namus removed most of the information, I'm not 100% sure. I originally entered him into Namus and I know that LE up in Oregon spoke with Namus too. This was when we thought we had found his remains in the building next door and were trying to get a comparison done. The LE contact in Oregon seemed pretty confident that the UID was him even after SFPD ruled it out. So that may be why all the details were omitted. I had put lots of information in there (including the correct location, but it was gone when they published it. Last time I looked, it said he is missing from John Day, OR which is obviously not the case.

I hope someday we will know what happened to him. I still think of his case often.

 

[Satch]

Was this problem with the timeline ever sorted out satisfactorily or did I miss it because I feel I can't move on unless it is, it seems very crucial
-Farren was last seen getting on a greyhound bus to the East coast in aug/sept 1979
-Then he was on the West coast in April/May 1980 which is where he presumably went missing from?
-But then in June 1980 his aunt and grandma dropped him off at this isolated campsite.

So when was the last contact? Could this be why the San Francisco LE has no knowledge of his case originally,because he didn't go missing from there? Could it be why NamUs had originally removed alot of the circumstances of his disappearance, as they weren't correct.

Is it possible that his uncle made an error tracing him to San Francisco and he has in fact returned home. I can't square this with why he left all his possessions in the room though?

Any thoughts?

Well done everyone by the way, all your work on this case has been amazing

Thanks for sharing @Ciriii57!

It is believed by most us us studying Farren's case that the June 1980 date given by his grandmother/aunt is incorrect. I share that view. We feel that he left the hotel where he was staying around April 23-24th, 1980. The date that he was actually reported missing was May 1, 1980.

You will see our thoughts and my "most likely" timeline, as you advance into the thread!

Satch

 

[Odyssey]

I would also add that I find interesting that when Farren's uncle called the hotel in the 90's (at least 10 years after the disappearance) that the manager remembered details about it. This makes me wonder if there was some kind of incident that made it memorable. Because at a hotel that catered to transients, I would think that people leaving without paying their bill and/or leaving belongings there probably happened all the time. Why did he remember Farren after so long? He hadn't been in San Francisco very long when he went missing.

That's one of the reasons I really tried to find the manager.

 

[Ciriii57]

. It wasn't until his uncle called the hotel sometime in the 90s that he learned that Farren had left all his stuff behind and just vanished.

Hey @Odyssey thanks for answering! My god it's heartbreaking that LE or any agency never properly looked into this at the time and how a proper timeline can't even be established! I can't get why it took over a decade to check out the hotel. And you're right, it seems a little suspicious that the hotel manager remembered Farren in such detail...seems to me he stood out in his memory for some reason, but why? God if only we could speak to someone who remembers him!
You've really done fantastic work on this over the years!

But apart from the timeline there are other things that I can't wrap my head around too.
It seems obvious that he was last in San Francisco as that's where his stuff and bank account was, but something is niggling at the back of my mind that I can't quite work out yet...like there's a massive piece of the puzzle missing(isn't there always!)

I am going to do some research about that camp site, just on the off chance that bit of the timeline is actually accurate. I know it's unlikely, but at least if it can be excluded we can be certain he was actually last in San Francisco. (I'm sure he was, but I think it's important to check).

Also, I wondered if anyone had ever seriously looked into serial killers in the area? I believe there were several operating at this time in SF? Perhaps there's a mention of a similar victim who has never been found?

BTW The $45 ish in his account would be about $110 today, so although not loads, he certainly wasn't destitute. I think that would have paid for his room and food etc for a couple of weeks anyway until he got another job? Could it be that he wanted more money because he was planning to leave SF and travel again?

And one last question; did this hotel definitely cater to transients and homeless people or was it just a crummy hotel? Because I was wondering how homeless people would pay for a room? Did they get government assistance and if so, could there be a record somewhere of Farren getting some government assistance or even other people who were staying there at the same time? I've no idea where to look??
I do worry the Farren may have fallen into prostitution.

You will see our thoughts and my "most likely" timeline, as you advance into the thread!

Hey @Satch ! Thanks, I actually stayed up late to finish the thread so it's now all fresh in my mind.

I know I'm a newcomer here so I hope no one thinks I'm interfering! But I really want to help find Farren, this one has really got to me.

 

[Ciriii57]

Oh I forgot to ask, somebody in an earlier post mentioned they thought Farren may have been working at the Marriott. But I can't find that post now. Does anyone remember why, was it regarding his money in his account...did it show Marriott as the source?
Thanks in advance

 

[Odyssey]

That hotel was described as an SRO, which means it was used as a residence. It also had a sign stating it was under gay management, which makes me think it catered to those who were coming to San Francisco for acceptance. (That's just my own opinion)

IIRC there was that $45 ish that was in Farren's name in the unclaimed property, but there was another unclaimed property listed under F. Stanberry that was wages from Marriott, but there was no address listed on that one, so we aren't sure if it was Farren's. I think it's somewhat likely though, I could only find a few F. Stanberry's in California. Especially since we know he lost his job around that time, and then disappeared.

Of course you aren't interfering! We love seeing interest in Farren's case. I honestly hadn't thought about prostitution before.

 

[Ciriii57]

but there was another unclaimed property listed under F. Stanberry that was wages from Marriott, but there was no address listed on that one, so we aren't sure if it was Farren's.

Thanks for that! Oh I think it has to be him! What are the odds of two F Stanberrys having unclaimed property in the same state. I wonder if the Marriott offerred him a room to work there and when he lost his job he had to vacate and went to The National.

I have set myself the task in the next couple of days to blanket bomb social media accounts in San Francisco (gay groups, historic interest etc) with Farren's photo and details and hope that someone remembers him and contacts me. Someone has to remember him from that time! His uncle did an amazing job looking for him but that was before the magic of social media. So fingers crossed!

 

[Ciriii57]

Sorry everyone but I have another question:
If Farren was staying at the National and left without paying his bill and leaving all his possessions
Then
How can he also have been visiting a gay man at the same hotel?

Either he was visiting a person at the hotel or he was a paying resident. I feel it would be strange for the hotel manager to have told Ferren's uncle he was visiting someone when in fact he was a resident?
Is it possible that a mistake was made or this information got lost in translation and in fact it was the other man who left without paying?

 

[Satch]

Sorry everyone but I have another question:
If Farren was staying at the National and left without paying his bill and leaving all his possessions
Then
How can he also have been visiting a gay man at the same hotel?

Either he was visiting a person at the hotel or he was a paying resident. I feel it would be strange for the hotel manager to have told Ferren's uncle he was visiting someone when in fact he was a resident?
Is it possible that a mistake was made or this information got lost in translation and in fact it was the other man who left without paying?

Great point!

Since the manager claimed to remember Farren when his Uncle did the search for him in the early 90''s, and the last phone contract that Farren had with family was that "He was staying with a group of young men, at the International Hotel and liking it there." We all think that Farren actually meant the "National Hotel" and not the "International Hotel," which was vacant by 1980. His Market Street address with that unclaimed $42 and change, goes to the "National Hotel."

This is correct, Farren can't be registered as both a guest and a resident. Unless maybe he moved around from place to place, and lived somewhere else at the time, and at some point during his travels in San Francisco, he befriended a young man, who was gay and was visiting him. I would like to find out WHY the hotel manager remembered Farran after at least a ten year period? What was Farren like when he was there? Did he have a strong good relationship with the manager? Or did the manager remember Farren because of a tragic event, or powerful event? Or when he knew that Farren went missing, he knew Farren, and was emotionally effected by it cuz it brought back memories of him being there?

The big break is finding the name of that hotel manager, but if he is still alive, his memory may now be clouded by age, as well as this group of people with whom Farren was staying at the hotel! They would give the best insight. We also know that the young man whom Farren was visiting died of AIDS, so Farren's Uncle must have found that out from his own research, or maybe the hotel manager himself.

My personal "vibe" is that Farren had been staying in San Francisco for several months before he disappeared, and had formed an amazing friendship, possibly sexual, with guys who built a very strong emotional and loving experience for him. Living in a house full of women all his life, and because the extent of the relationship with his father is unknown. We don't even know if Farren remembered his father, because his father had filed for divorce when Farren was just a toddler. His Dad won custody of Farren and his sister and turned over responsibility to Farren's aunt and grandmother.

Satch

Satch

 

[Satch]

I wonder if the Marriott offered him a room to work there and when he lost his job he had to vacate and went to The National.

I wonder the same thing, @Ciriii57!

Or along similar lines, was Farren working as an employee, or staying at the Marriot? But yea, when he lost his job, he took up residence at The National?

Satch

 

[Ciriii57]

Hey everyone, I just found the below article from 1996 that mentions Farren. I haven't seen it before. It mentions that Farren was last seen June 1982! It also suggests to me that he went by the name Wade, not Farren.

The coroner's tale: Death is a mystery

Bud Moorman is relaxing at home reading the personal classified ads in the Sunday edition...

www.sfgate.com

Any thoughts, especially about the year?

Edit- my original post just shared a photo as I couldn't access the link but thanks to a genius it's now accessible and above.