MA MA - Joan Risch, 30, Lincoln, 24 Oct 1961

[Betty P]

I've never bought the abortion angle. The timing makes no sense. There was a toddler upstairs who could wake up at any time. Yes, he was 2, but by that age my kids had figured out how to escape their cribs. Her 4 year old could have come home, possibly with the neighbor, at any time, especially since Joan never even told the neighbor she was dropping her daughter off in their yard. Sounds far too impromptu and risky for a clandestine medical procedure.

And where was this abortion supposed to have happened? The vast majority of the blood was in the small kitchen, with only a few drops found upstairs. I've never seen any mention of blood in either bathroom.

I question both the highway sightings as well. It's not unusual for people to misinterpret what they've seen or think they've seen or to make up sightings or details to be "helpful". The fact that no others came forward to say they also saw this woman or attempted to assist her makes me wonder if the two sightings on different highways are red herrings. And where would she have gone from there?

I do think the sighting of the old, dirty unknown car in her driveway is important. The blood trail ended in the driveway, and I think that's probably where the clues end as well. Did Joan know someone was coming to see her? Someone she didn't really want her daughter to see? It just seems odd that she'd deposit her four year old across the street without a prior plan or so much as a brief warning that she'd returned the kids to the neighbor's.

Could this have been staged by Joan? I suppose it's possible. We never really know what's going on with someone else. But here again, it seems so impromptu and I don't believe she walked away from the house. There would have been more sightings and someone staging a disappearance would probably have avoided highways. And I find it hard to believe she just "dropped" into a construction site, never to be seen again. So someone would have had to take her away from the scene by car (the old dusty one?) and lead her to her new life.

If she didn't stage the scene, someone took her away, almost certainly against her will or under a threat that her little boy would be harmed if she didn't go along. Lincoln was probably an even quieter, safer place than it is now and it's hard to imagine an unknown assailant just wandering into that obscure neighborhood. And I'm still stuck on the dropping off of her daughter and neighbor boy (across a street the little girl had never crossed alone before this) without telling/checking in with the neighbor. Unless her little boy was being held hostage, she could have asked the neighbor to call the police. And the little girl saw no one, so this must have all happened before any assailant arrived at the house.

So I'm left to conclude that Joan probably knew her assailant and knew he was coming to see her. Boyfriend? Mentally ill/disgruntled family member? Who drank the beer? Why are the blood patterns so odd? Who tried to clean up the kitchen - and why? Where's the weapon? And where's the body?

All my speculation, of course. But this is a wild one.

Agree with all of this. She was taken against her will, but had just enough notice that she could take her daughter next door. I've also questioned her just dropping the kids off at the neighbors without telling the mom. It doesn't sound like the kind of thing most moms would do back then unless it was really important. As you say, the person was probably threatening to harm her son. After that, she was taken away in the older car.

One of the more frustrating items in the investigation is that LE claimed they were finally able to track down the owner of the car seen in her driveway. IIRC, someone in the neighborhood saw the car and managed to recall some of the license plate numbers. The owner of the car lived somewhere across town, but after discovering it, LE chose not to pursue it further. No reason was given.


The Risch marriage seemed to be fine. The blood in the kitchen was probably from Joan being struck by her abductor as she used the phone book to call for help. It seems unlikely it was a secret lover. She seemed to be frightened of them and they used violence against her. I think there's a small possibility it was an attack by a stranger who had been stalking her. The police did investigate people at the nearby military base. I think it was an Air Force Base.

 

[HarmonyE.]

Agree with all of this. She was taken against her will, but had just enough notice that she could take her daughter next door. I've also questioned her just dropping the kids off at the neighbors without telling the mom. It doesn't sound like the kind of thing most moms would do back then unless it was really important. As you say, the person was probably threatening to harm her son. After that, she was taken away in the older car.

One of the more frustrating items in the investigation is that LE claimed they were finally able to track down the owner of the car seen in her driveway. IIRC, someone in the neighborhood saw the car and managed to recall some of the license plate numbers. The owner of the car lived somewhere across town, but after discovering it, LE chose not to pursue it further. No reason was given.


The Risch marriage seemed to be fine. The blood in the kitchen was probably from Joan being struck by her abductor as she used the phone book to call for help. It seems unlikely it was a secret lover. She seemed to be frightened of them and they used violence against her. I think there's a small possibility it was an attack by a stranger who had been stalking her. The police did investigate people at the nearby military base. I think it was an Air Force Base.

I don't think they ever tracked the car down. IIRC from the Ahern book, investigators did settle on a possible model and did search, but nothing came of it. Maybe they claimed more at some point. However, the teen who noted the car that afternoon only reported that it was old, dirty and probably blue or gray. She didn't note a plate number. A milkman came forward to report he'd seen a car fitting that general description in the driveway several days earlier, but again, had limited details.

Hanscom Airforce base was, and still is, in Bedford about a mile from where the Risch house was located. I know investigators floated some theories about a perp coming from there. Nothing panned out.

It could have been a random attack by a stalker or otherwise. But it would have had to have been a complete lunatic to attack someone in broad daylight inside a house on a street where people were out and about and likely would have heard screams. And if you want to attack, rape or kill someone, why take her with you after the attack? Very risky all around.

I really think it's an important clue that she took her daughter across the street shortly before whatever happened to her happened. The daughter was 4 years and 5 months old at the time, so old enough to reliable say she didn't see a stranger or unknown car before her mother brought her across the street. It seems so anticipatory on the part of Joan. And maybe rushed, because she didn't bother to take the time to alert the neighbor the kids were back or what time she'd return for her daughter. So no one has arrived yet (according to the child) but Joan is in hurry to remove her daughter from the scene.

One thing I don't know is if phone records were obtained or could have been obtained back then. My memory isn't all that clear about it - and I wasn't around in 1961 - but I seem to recall local calls could not be traced, but long distance calls possibly could be. Did she get a call from someone local or from a pay phone telling her he was coming by? Were any phone records pulled at all?

And coming back to the abortion theories, women have gotten abortions forever. The Risches were clearly upper middle class and living in an upscale town. Joan probably could have easily afforded a doctor who terminated early pregnancies on the side. Even if for some reason Joan thought it was okay to get an abortion in her small kitchen when her daughter or neighbor could have walked in the unlocked door at any time, I can't imagine any abortionist would have wanted to be caught in that situation. Joan had friends from college in neighboring towns. She could have easily arranged better childcare and made an appointment at a facility.

 

[Rhett]

Does anyone have the name and author of the book being referred to in the posts?

 

[Betty P]

Does anyone have the name and author of the book being referred to in the posts?

https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Painted-Blood-Unsolved-Disappearance/dp/1476681848

It’s a very good book. Well researched and written.

 

[HarmonyE.]

https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Painted-Blood-Unsolved-Disappearance/dp/1476681848

It’s a very good book. Well researched and written.

It really is very good. Unfortunately, it's likely to be the final word on this case.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

FACTS and MOO and SPECULATION follow:

The Risches had moved in to their new house on Old Bedford Rd six months previous to JR having gone missing. A National Park Service Minute Man Historical Park representative met with Joan Risch one month before she went missing. It was a discussuon regarding NPS intent on purchasing properties on Old Bedfod Rd for the Minute Man National Historical Park project. Other women residents on Old Bedford Rd reported they felt the representative overstayed his visits. This caught investigators attention, but to what degree is unknown.

During her interview with investigators, JR's friend Sabra Morton agreed with what another JR friend, Jane Butler said: “She [JR] was more protective with her children than the average mother.” Neighbor Jeanette Swartz talked about JR being “friendly and relaxed” at a coffee that Mrs. Swartz had at her home on October 4, 1961, and she added that JR said at the time “it was like living again to have her home in Connecticut sold.”

The Butlers were in the process of selling their home to the Minute Man National Historical Park project.

It makes me wonder what JR thought about the National Park Sevice's push for residents to sell their respective property on Old Bedford Rd, noting that it had been only a few months after the Risches moved in, and having it made known to neighbor friends that she was "living again" after their home on Connecticut was sold. JR was once again facing the stress of having to relocate to yet another location.

I have not found what JR explicitly thought of the prospect of selling their home to the Minute Man project, but given her previous off-the-cuff comment, we may assume she wasn't happy about it. Maybe to the point of *resisting*?

How would the Minute Man Historical Park representative have reacted to pushback from residents? Overall, approximately 100 residents in the broader area were facing NPS pressure and were not thrilled with losing their homes. Would there be any reason why JR's possible resistance might have been cause for her being in jeopardy of her well-being? This is just me pursuing a potential reason for JR having gone missing. I have no specific reason to suspect an NPS rep other than the timing of interactions with JR and her neighbors. One wonders if LE determined the make, model and color vehicle the rep was driving? Did it match description of the unknown vehicle seen parked in and backing out of the Risch's driveway on various days?

Here's another thought... going out on a long limb with this one. I'll keep this brief, as it's just a thought experiment: what if JR had an affair before leaving Connecticut and the man she may have been involved with suspected JR was pregnant, for whatever reason? The man discovered where Jr was then living, surprised her that afternoon and after stressing for months about it finally had his chance to end an 'assumed' pregnancy? JR's attempts to convince the man otherwiser (that she was not pregnant) fell short and ... I needn't go further with this as we're all familiar with the blood scene and JR's missing status. I'd suspect no harm was intended from him, other than he wanted to end the 'assumed' pregnancy. Could someone have become so crazed that they'd risk such exposure? He didn't want to hurt JR, and that could explain why they left the property together: he wanted to get her help after the frantic attempt but realized he couldn't bring her to a hospital. Your own conjecture can take it from here.

Getting back down to earth, this is most-likey IMO: someone who had been watching JR for some time had once again seem JR during her earlier excursion to the dentist's office and clothing shopping that day, and her grocery shopping the previous day. Two days in a row proved too much for him and he ultimately decided to follow her home and have his way. What I can't make sense of, though, is why not murder her and leave? Why force a bloodied JR into his vehicle? Maybe rape was his limit, and murder was an act too far, at least during the moments while still at the residence?

 

[HarmonyE.]

It makes me wonder what JR thought about the National Park Sevice's push for residents to sell their respective property on Old Bedford Rd, noting that it had been only a few months after the Risches moved in, and having it made known to neighbor friends that she was "living again" after their home on Connecticut was sold. JR was once again facing the stress of having to relocate to yet another location.

I have not found what JR explicitly thought of the prospect of selling their home to the Minute Man project, but given her previous off-the-cuff comment, we may assume she wasn't happy about it. Maybe to the point of *resisting*?

It's always been my understanding that they were fully aware that the house would have to be moved some day down the road when they decided to buy the property, but they got a deal on it because of the park plans and hadn't planned on living in it for too many years anyway. The house was not moved until the mid-1970s, nearly 15 years later. It's supposedly still standing somewhere in Lexington. Martin bought a similar Cape (the traditional ones all seem to have the same floor plan) in Lincoln and continued to live in that house until his death in 2009.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

It's always been my understanding that they were fully aware that the house would have to be moved some day down the road when they decided to buy the property, but they got a deal on it because of the park plans and hadn't planned on living in it for too many years anyway. The house was not moved until the mid-1970s, nearly 15 years later. It's supposedly still standing somewhere in Lexington. Martin bought a similar Cape (the traditional ones all seem to have the same floor plan) in Lincoln and continued to live in that house until his death in 2009.

I now recall much of what you posted. It's been some time since I last posted on this case, and my then-research was more extensive then than what I incorporated this time around. I'm slowing down in my older years.

All of my previous research items are in storage. I was planning on retrieving it all but decided to not pursue this further, as it appears the case is frozen. Opinion and Speculation are the only furtherances we might expect unless we see additional LE reports. I'm guessing even LE isn't expecting fresh info if they were to release remaining case files, if any still exist; paper and memories are covered under sixty+ years of dust.

The main standout of this case is that JR('s body) wasn't left at the scene. This tells me one of two possibilities: one thought is a perp wanting to abduct JR in whatever condition to satisfy sick urges elsewhere, and the other is the perp concern that JR's children would see their mother's body if he left it behind.

 

[HarmonyE.]

The main standout of this case is that JR('s body) wasn't left at the scene. This tells me one of two possibilities: one thought is a perp wanting to abduct JR in whatever condition to satisfy sick urges elsewhere, and the other is the perp concern that JR's children would see their mother's body if he left it behind.

Agree. My best guess is that she knew the perp pretty well, and agreed to go with him under threat that little David would be harmed. But it's a very mysterious case.

 

[jgfitzge]

It's always been my understanding that they were fully aware that the house would have to be moved some day down the road when they decided to buy the property, but they got a deal on it because of the park plans and hadn't planned on living in it for too many years anyway. The house was not moved until the mid-1970s, nearly 15 years later. It's supposedly still standing somewhere in Lexington. Martin bought a similar Cape (the traditional ones all seem to have the same floor plan) in Lincoln and continued to live in that house until his death in 2009.

One thing I’ve never quite understood is why were all the other homes on old Bedford Road taken over by the federal government for Minuteman Park except for the Barker house and I believe the Butler house on the opposite side of the street from the Risch’s house. Today those are the only two homes that still exist on old Bedford Road.

 

[Same Old Stella]

I believe there was a map of the street and the houses that may have shown where Minuteman Park was going to be located. As it was in the earlier part of this thread, I can't find it; most of the links no longer work.

 

[HarmonyE.]

One thing I’ve never quite understood is why were all the other homes on old Bedford Road taken over by the federal government for Minuteman Park except for the Barker house and I believe the Butler house on the opposite side of the street from the Risch’s house. Today those are the only two homes that still exist on old Bedford Road.

I read somewhere that all homes that were built after the Revolutionary period were to be moved for the sake of authenticity. Older homes of the correct time period were allowed to stay. Is it possible those two homes were significantly older than those that were moved?

 

[jgfitzge]

I read somewhere that all homes that were built after the Revolutionary period were to be moved for the sake of authenticity. Older homes of the correct time period were allowed to stay. Is it possible those two homes were significantly older than those that were moved?

Those two homes were built in 1950. There were not many houses on Old Bedford Rd in 1961. I think there were 8-10 houses total.I am going to assume the other homes on the street were built around the same time

 

[Skigirl]

I found an article from the Boston Globe (Nov 2, 1975, p. 5) that says that the house was purchased by the Lexington Housing Authority in August, 1974 and was to be moved to "tax-title" land on Wood Street in Lexington to be used as low/middle-income housing. I found one Lexington Housing Authority property at 50 Wood Street, and it looks like a house of about the right age, but not the same house. There are a number around it that are possibly the house, though I couldn't find one with the right window configuration and chimney placement. It's possible that they did not move the chimney with the house. You can see the area by via google street view.