NI am 49 and at the age of 11-12, I lived in the Windy Hill area. In 1973/1974 I was riding my bike to the majic market (called that back then) to buy candy before having to catch the bus for school. My brother and I would take turns going because we were not supposed to leave the house and one of us would take turns (this day was my turn). It was real foggy that morning and on a stretch of road called Anders blvd....I car pulled up beside me. A lot of cars that day were heading to work and continued to have to pass this car because he was driving at my bike speed. He said "good morning" to me and I pretended not to hear him...he quickly became very angry and said again" I SAID GOOD MORNING". I started to peddle faster and focused on what was a head of me because the side walk had lots of bumps and cracks and it would be easy to crash my bike and land in the ditch/wooded area of this street. It was right near a place we nicknamed Mud Hills (now is called Peach/Beach park). I finally looked over at this man (mostly to see if he was trying to expose himself, which I had experinced in once or twice in Windy Hill area). When I looked over he was not exposing himself but had the most evil, angry look on his face and a little voice inside my head told me he wanted to really hurt me. I started peddling faster and the man was screaming and moving car closer to my bike like he was going to hit me. I was peddling like I had never peddled before and told him there were houses coming up and I was going to scream! He quickly stopped his car, backed into Mud Hills and parked his car. I was crying now because he stopped his car but I knew this was the only way to get back home from the store. I got to the store and called my brother at home and he told me to start riding back home and he would ride his bike up to meet me somewhere in the middle. I was hysterically crying and did not want to get back on that bike and ride home because I knew he was waiting for me at Mud Hills. I am sure now the little voice in my head saved my life. The man was not going to stick around because he did not want to get caught. I remembered the details to this day although they are not as sharp. My brother made me promise not to tell my mother or my father because he was afraid of getting into trouble...so we didn't!
I was 18 or in my early 20's when my mother and I were talking about the past...when I starting mentioning all the secrets my brother and I kept from her and my dad. I told her about being stuck in the dryer by my brother and how we would dive off the roof of the house into the swimming pool and our conversation went a little more serious. I told her about us being molested by our neighbors son's while baby sitting us one night (again sworn to secrecy by my brother), and then I told her of the time and what happened with the evil man. My mother was in shock thinking about all the things that could have happened to us. She then told me about the two dead girls...and how one of the girls were found in a shallow grave not to far from our neighborhood... now I was in shock because it was the same time frame. I said I know this was the man...don't ask me how but I knew that man wanted to really hurt me. The look on his face, those angry expressions towards me, the way he tried to slide his car towards my bike like he wanted to knock me off or get me to stop.
I called the police and reported what had taken place so many years ago and they patched me through to the original coroners office. I think there was miscommunication because he thought I was talking about the anderson girls, which was believed to have been killed by the serial killer knowles. He told me "I know who you are talking about and he was killed in a shoot out in Georgia." I had described the car and gave him a description of the man, so I left it alone and went on with my life.
A lot of years later a tragic murder of a little girl in orange park would once again bring back those horrifying events that took place many years ago and how lucky I was that day. I was online and hit a story about the 5 missing girls in 1974 and it mentioned knowles. I clicked on his name and a picture of him appeared. I look at his photograph and out loud said "That is not the same man that approached me that day on Anders blvd"! I called the reporter who had written the story and he still had the phone number of investigator who was assigned that case in 1974. Eventually Mr. Prementer would call me and I again advised him of all the details. He had retired but still thought about that little girl found off beach blvd but told me of his thoughts about the different cases and which ones he thought were related or not. How the FBI thought that knowles had killed the anderson girls but he always had his doubts and how he thought Rebecca Green was also not related to the girls in southside area. I explained I felt bad for not speaking up all those years ago and he was sweet and consoled me and we ended our conversation about the how his daughter 4 years later would have a run in with Ted Bundy and how his son actually chased after the van Bundy was in and got the tag number, which led them to the stolen car report and how 2 days later Kimberly would be murdered by Ted Bundy and that not many people knew but Ted Bundy was staying at a rented hotel in Jacksonville, Florida....but something still bugs me about these missing and deceased girls. So you read and decide for yourself and tell me what you think!
Rebecca Green (although she was missing from the Northside area while going to the store...She lived somewhere in my neighborhood for a brief time before she stopped showing up at the bus stop one day. We would stand at the same bus stop. I had always wondered what happened to her because at the end of next year our 7th grade year book had a dedication page with her birth and death date. She never made it to Sandalwood High School. Of course did not mention how she died but at that time I did not know anything about little girls getting killed or missing. I did not read the paper or watch the TV...I was playing with all the other children in my neighborhood. I remember thinking I should have taken more time to get to know the shy little neighbor girl who was my age with my same last name but spelled differently and she seemed to be very sweet and hardly said word.
Jean Marie Schoen I believe she went to Love Grove Elementary which is within 5 miles of my childhood neighborhood on her way to the connivance store.
Virginia Suzanne Helm She was found dead off of beach blvd., less then 3 miles east away from my home. She lived off dean rd, which is in the san soucie area, which again was less then 3 miles west from my neighborhood.
The only case that had no close connection to my neighborhood was the two anderson sisters.
So recently I called the police and I have had no response as of yet.
Do I think it was the same serial child killer I saw that day...I don't know but I question if anyone in cold case cares about my story or perhaps it is just too old. Maybe they think I am a crack pot...or crazy person but I am not. I am trying to make certain my leads are followed up on by the police to bring justice to the girls and their family members who have never given up. What if someone else saw a baby blue car, what if one of family members had a neighbor who drove a baby blue car.
I am willing to go under hypnosis to not only sharpen my memory of that day but perhaps unveil some hidden details that could help solve these cases. These girls and family members deserve to know who, how, why and deserve justice for their girls.
Maybe this man is now dead or serving a life sentence already for the same offences. I need to know too...I have plenty of guilt not telling what happened that day. If I had spoke up then perhaps the other girls would have been spared. Maybe he saw his approach with me did not work and changed his approach. It just haunts me even after all these years I have not forgotten these girls. Maybe like the parents I will only know the truth when my time comes.
If anyone has any suggestion on how I can get someone to listen to me please contact me. If you know one of the family members and they would like to hear what I have to say... I have even thought about calling Mr. Walsh from AMW to see if they can do a segment on his show. He knows the hell...family members go through not knowing.
Thanks and I hope one day these cases can be solved
