Identified! KY - Lexington, Vehicle & Human Bones Found in Kentucky River, Oct'16 - Martha Helmick

[fred&edna]

They stopped looking for additional remains in early November 2016 per the news report linked below. Anyone know if the VIN was identified and/or the remains have been tested/identified/entered in NamUs??

http://www.wtvq.com/2016/11/02/update-search-human-remains-ky-river-ends/

 

[tatertot]

Not that the UID necessarily lived in KY, but the only missing KY residents I could find who drove a Ford were Claude and Marie Shelton, last seen 88 miles away in May 1971:

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

 

[tatertot]

John Keyton and Flora and Martha Helmick were last seen in August 1973 in a Ford, driving from Bridgewater, VA to a family reunion in Dabolt, KY:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/k/keyton_john.html

Lexington is about 74 miles from Dabolt.

 

[AnnieOakley]

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/hale_ruvil.html

Mr. Hale was alleged to have taken an '88 Ford Tempo when he left... With a driving distance of at least two hours, I don't know if that's realistic given his apparent disabilities at the time. However, the car was said to have a 1/2 tank of gas, so that's feasible. Perhaps he drove to Fayette co in search of something or someone, got lost/disoriented, and drove into the river?

 

[bflocket]

The same is unlikely to be true with cars as metal rusts and will sort of disintegrate, but I saw something in a local "paper" about something somebody found in the Kentucky River a bit downstream from the ferry. The paper isn't a newspaper, but a little "interesting things" and "household tips" sheet that is distributed to local businesses. Something to give people something to look at while eating lunch, waiting for appointments, getting their oil changed, etc.

The story I'm talking about was kind of a plug for a local sawmill (a "logging" business). It talked about finding some old logs from a hundred years or so while they were either cleaning up or doing maintenance on one of the lock/dams. It was a load of limber that must have gotten stuck while floating downriver to where it would be used or sold. Anyway, The type of wood or the depth where it was stuck kept it from decomposing.

I don't have it at hand at the moment and don't know if they put their issues online. If I can find a link to it, I'll post it when I get back from work.

 

[bflocket]

The story I'm talking about was kind of a plug for a local sawmill (a "logging" business). It talked about finding some old logs from a hundred years or so while they were either cleaning up or doing maintenance on one of the lock/dams. It was a load of limber that must have gotten stuck while floating downriver to where it would be used or sold. Anyway, The type of wood or the depth where it was stuck kept it from decomposing.

I don't have it at hand at the moment and don't know if they put their issues online. If I can find a link to it, I'll post it when I get back from work.

Here's the link. For some reason, it looks like they just archived the first page. Luckily, that's where the story I was talking about was.

http://www.simplyputnewspaper.com/uplimg/documents/SimplyPut-NL-010317.swf

 

[nerosleuth]

Not that the UID necessarily lived in KY, but the only missing KY residents I could find who drove a Ford were Claude and Marie Shelton, last seen 88 miles away in May 1971:

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

John Keyton and Flora and Martha Helmick were last seen in August 1973 in a Ford, driving from Bridgewater, VA to a family reunion in Dabolt, KY:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/k/keyton_john.html

Lexington is about 74 miles from Dabolt.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/hale_ruvil.html

Mr. Hale was alleged to have taken an '88 Ford Tempo when he left... With a driving distance of at least two hours, I don't know if that's realistic given his apparent disabilities at the time.

However, the car was said to have a 1/2 tank of gas, so that's feasible. Perhaps he drove to Fayette co in search of something or someone, got lost/disoriented, and drove into the river?

The missing folks listed above have WS threads. Here are the links to their WS threads:


Claude Shelton & Susan Shelton


http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...e-Shelton-37-amp-Susan-Shelton-27-Corbin-1971


Ed Keyton, Martha Helmick, & Flora Helmick


http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...mp-Flora-Helmick-52-Bridgewater-3-August-1973

Ruvil Hale


http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?174967-KY-Ruvil-Hale-43-Paintsville-3-July-1990


I’m thinking that since Ed Keyton was known to travel on rural back roads, there is the possibility that as he may have made a wrong turn and accidentally drove on the wrong rural back road during the night time hours somewhere in Kentucky.

I’m also thinking that in the rural areas of Kentucky back then, the back roads didn’t have street name signs if there were a fork or intersection along the back roads.
I’m thinking the back roads only had route number signs if it was a state or county highway.

 

[thelilymaid]

Any updates on this? I'm not finding anything.

 

[AddysMom7610]

I cant go into specifics but Harvey Kays vehicle was actually found.

 

[KaylaraOwl]

For clarification, this was Harvey Kays's vehicle?

 

[nerosleuth]

Any updates on this? I'm not finding anything.

Here is an update from another Websleuths thread concerning the vehicle and bones that were found in the Kentucky River last year.

Bridgewater Cold Case Revived

Trio’s Car May Have Been Found In River

A newspaper from Virginia is reporting that a vehicle and human bones found last year in the Kentucky River may belong to a trio from Bridgewater, Virginia that vanished without a trace on August 3, 1973.

John Edwin Keyton, and sisters Flora and Martha Helmick were the trio that left Bridgewater, Virginia.

The trio was reported missing after they didn’t arrive at a family reunion in Dabolt, Jackson County, Kentucky.

The Virginia newspaper article is also reporting that the vehicle pulled from the Kentucky River last year was a 1967 Ford Fairlane.

According to the Virginia newspaper article, Kentucky investigators had first thought that the bones in the vehicle belonged to a missing Ohio woman. But DNA testing ruled out that possibility.

Then Kentucky investigators began searching for information about missing people on Websleuths.

Kentucky investigators contacted Bridgewater Police after learning about the missing Bridgewater trio.

The Virginia newspaper article stated that Bridgewater Police is in the process of getting DNA from one of the missing trio’s relatives.

Kentucky investigators say that it is now a waiting game as the next step is comparing DNA from the missing trio’s relatives to DNA from the bones found in the vehicle last year.

Sources:

http://www.dnronline.com/news/local...cle_9a13de5a-ab07-11e7-aa07-37d4180e3ffd.html


http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...-Keyton-WWI-Veteran-81-Bridgewater-3-Aug-1973

 

[fred&edna]

Here is an update from another Websleuths thread concerning the vehicle and bones that were found in the Kentucky River last year.

Bridgewater Cold Case Revived

Trio’s Car May Have Been Found In River

A newspaper from Virginia is reporting that a vehicle and human bones found last year in the Kentucky River may belong to a trio from Bridgewater, Virginia that vanished without a trace on August 3, 1973.

John Edwin Keyton, and sisters Flora and Martha Helmick were the trio that left Bridgewater, Virginia.

The trio was reported missing after they didn’t arrive at a family reunion in Dabolt, Jackson County, Kentucky.

The Virginia newspaper article is also reporting that the vehicle pulled from the Kentucky River last year was a 1967 Ford Fairlane.

According to the Virginia newspaper article, Kentucky investigators had first thought that the bones in the vehicle belonged to a missing Ohio woman. But DNA testing ruled out that possibility.

Then Kentucky investigators began searching for information about missing people on Websleuths.

Kentucky investigators contacted Bridgewater Police after learning about the missing Bridgewater trio.

The Virginia newspaper article stated that Bridgewater Police is in the process of getting DNA from one of the missing trio’s relatives.

Kentucky investigators say that it is now a waiting game as the next step is comparing DNA from the missing trio’s relatives to DNA from the bones found in the vehicle last year.

Sources:

http://www.dnronline.com/news/local...cle_9a13de5a-ab07-11e7-aa07-37d4180e3ffd.html


http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...-Keyton-WWI-Veteran-81-Bridgewater-3-Aug-1973

Wow! Could it really be them?!

Jackson would have been nearly 2 hours east.

 

[fred&edna]

I thought the trio were headed for Jackson Ky (Breathitt Co) , but after reading an old news report, I realize they were going to Dabolt (in Jackson County). This doesn't put them that much closer to Valley View Ferry, but... I thought I'd make the correction anyway.

These three really did make quite an unforgettable trio, and maybe they've finally been found. I remain hopeful !

 

[Al Ka]

News update Oct 26, 2017

Last October a training for the Lexington Fire Dept., pulling cars out of the river, was chalked with mystery by the day's end. Coroner Gary Ginn says bones were found along the shore; A couple days later crews went back out to search the river, pulling up part of a late 60s Ford Fairlane with more bones inside.

We thought we had a fairly good lead with a missing person out of Ohio," Ginn said.
That lead came to a halt when DNA didn't match up. There haven't been any other calls, except one.

Ginn said, "This particular group of people went missing in 1973."

Three people driving from Virginia went missing, according to Ginn who's talked with Virginia law enforcement. They're trying to find out if DNA matches.

"From what my vehicle people tell me, the shape that the car was in, and the amount of rust and how the car fell apart during the dragging of the river, they tell me it has probably been in the river 35, maybe 40 years." If this lead isn't a match, Ginn said this process could take years. They're not giving up.

Information about the remains has been added to national database Namus [National Missing and Unidentified Persons System].

http://www.wkyt.com/content/news/Co...emains-found-in-Kentucky-River-453416163.html

I have just checked Namus and case is not there yet, or there but not made public.

 

[Al Ka]

Just to add, as per above article Lexington police confirmed car pulled out of water was 60s Ford Fairlane.

Man from the trio missing out of Virginia, John Edwin Keyton, was driving 1967 Ford Fairline when they disappeared. (as per Charley Project) http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/k/keyton_john.html

 

[nerosleuth]

It is my understanding that the Valley View Ferry Crossing is located at the Fayette-Madison County line along the Kentucky River.

I do know that Lexington is in Fayette County, and I’m thinking that the car was likely pulled from the Fayette County side of the Kentucky River.

And when the car was pulled from the Kentucky River, I’m wondering what direction the trio’s car was heading to when it was pulled from the river.

If the car was heading towards Lexington, it had to go into the river from the Madison County side.

But if the car was heading towards Madison County, then it had to go into the river from the Fayette County side.

Now if the trio’s car did go into the river from the Fayette County side, the trio may have been lost on the back roads somewhere East of Fayette County.

They could have possibly went into Fayette County from Clark County and perhaps found themselves in Lexington while they were lost.

Now here is an interesting fact about the missing trio’s car that I want to point out from a recent newspaper article from Virginia.


Bridgewater Cold Case Revived


Trio’s Car May Have Been Found In River


The 1967 Ford Fairlane that Keyton and the Helmick sisters took to Kentucky that day in 1973 was acquired on credit one month earlier.

Source:

http://www.dnronline.com/news/local...cle_9a13de5a-ab07-11e7-aa07-37d4180e3ffd.html


I’m thinking that since Keyton had purchased the car a month earlier, his car likely had temporary tags rather than regular license plates when the trio went missing.

When a car has regular license plates, the license plates would be metal plates. But when a car has temporary tags, the temporary tags would be cardboard plates.

My thinking is that if the trio’s car did have temporary tags, at some point in time the cardboard temporary tags simply disintegrated after being in the river.

So I’m wondering if the car didn’t have any license plates when it was pulled from the river.

 

[fred&edna]

'Sounds correct about the car tag likely disintegrating, Nero. Certainly makes sense!

Also, regarding direction of travel, IIRC (from an old news report - which I can no longer find a link ) Keyton had a half-brother residing in Nicholasville KY, and I've wondered if he had thoughts of visiting this relative while in Kentucky. 'Just a wild guess only because this would put them closer to Valley View Ferry.

 

[bflocket]

, John Edwin Keyton, was driving 1967 Ford Fairline when they disappeared. (as per Charley Project) http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/k/keyton_john.html

John Edwin Keyton

I think they're still missing, but his link has been updated. Maybe with Charley's revamping...

 

[doodles1211]

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18)– During a training exercise in October 2016, Lexington firefighters found human bones inside a car at the bottom of the Kentucky River.

The car was near the Clays Ferry Bridge. Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn said that it appeared the vehicle had been submerged for decades. Three independent car experts verified his best guess. They determined that the vehicle was a light blue 1960’s Ford Fairlane.

Ginn said that the right femur was consistent with a female. He has an idea that the remains could belong to an out-of-state person but says that is as far as he’ll elaborate.

He said that previous DNA tests have not found any matches, but Ginn hopes that a private laboratory with advanced DNA techniques can go deep enough to match the specimens to the person’s distant relatives.

“I’d ask it be specifically tested between the person we think it is, the DNA we have on sample, and the DNA from Namus from our bone structures that we found, and hopefully we’d come up with a match,” said Ginn.

He believes that science can and will put a name to this mystery.

“My hopes are, I’d like to see this family or any family that has a loved one that has been missing for them to know the final story,” he said.

Ginn is still researching private labs who can do that testing.

New Information On Human Remains Found In Kentucky River

 

[watcher9]

I wonder if the license plate on the car gave them the indication that the person was from out of town?
Can they go by the car ID number to identify the owner or has it been too long ago?