MI MI - Cynthia Coon, 13, Ann Arbor, 19 Jan 1970

[Richard]

Cynthia Coon Missing since January 19, 1970 from Ann Arbor, MI

Cynthia Coon
Missing since January 19, 1970 from Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan.
Classification: Missing

Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: March 24, 1956
Age at Time of Disappearance: 13 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'4 (162 cm.); 110 lbs. (50 kg.)
Distinguishing Characteristics: Brown hair; brown eyes.
The Doe Network: Case File 858DFMI

Circumstances of Disappearance
Cynthia Coon left her residence en route to school in Ann Arbor. She did not attend school at all that day and did not return home that evening. She made contact with her family twice, once on April 1, 1970 and again on April 2, 1970. She did not know her whereabouts at the time of the calls. An extortion-type call was received by the family on May 5, 1970. Since that time, no further contact has been made with the family.

Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office 313-971-8400

link
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/858dfmi.html

 

[Richard]

This case is now 35 years old. Cynthia is still missing.

 

[Richard]

From 1967 to August 1969, a series of murders were committed in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area. They were known as "The Co-ed Murders". In August of 1969, John Norman Collins was arrested, charged, and subsequently convicted of one of those murders. It was believed that he had committed others. While most of those girls were of College age (18-22), there was at least one young teenager killed as well.

Collins had two roomates, and one of them, Andrew Manuel, accompanied him on a trip to California where another girl was murdered. Manuel returned with Collins to Michigan in July 1969, but immediately returned to California. He was apprehended in Arizona on 6 August 1969 by the FBI. Manuel was not charged with murder, but was given lenient treatment for his testimony against Collins.

Was Manuel, or another accomplice avaiable to abduct Cynthia Coons? Could she be the victim of a "copy cat"?

Recently, another man was convicted of murdering one of the girls who had long been thought to be one of the serial killer's victims. Could he have been involved with the disappearance of Cynthia?

 

[Richard]

I wonder if Cynthia's case might be linked to that of another Michigan girl, Laurie Murninghan. Check out Laurie's thread here on Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - it is titled: Murninghan Murder Lansing Michigan 1970

There is a suspect mentioned who was released from a Michigan Prison in January 1970, and who abducted and raped two 14 year old girls from Flint, Michigan by February. Ann Arbor is only about 35 miles south of Flint.

Link:
http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12877&page=1&pp=25

 

[Mr. E]

Does anyone else find the April Fool's Day phone call suspicious? Are they sure it was Cynthia and not just a crank?

 

[Richard]

Does anyone else find the April Fool's Day phone call suspicious? Are they sure it was Cynthia and not just a crank?

It does seem odd that a call would come from her three months later, and that it would be on April Fool's day. It is possible that it was a crank call, but why would she call again the next day as well? If it was her, the timing was likely only a coincidence.

I wonder how long the calls were, and what she said, and why the family thinks that it was her.

 

[raindrops300]

I came across this and thought it might be a match. As I read further it looks like someone on WS already has worked on it.

Does anyone know if this has been pursued?

www.doenetwork.org/cases/858dfmi.html missing Cynthia Coon

www.doenetwork.org/cases/67uffl.html UID Female

The UID was found with another body, a victim of Joseph "Crazy Joe" Spaziano.

The differences in straight versus crooked teeth could be explained by:

http://s10.invisionfree.com/usedtobedoe/ar/t7423.htm

"Someone else's teeth'

McDonough said Spaziano ``had the habit of removing teeth from his victims.'' Those found in the skeleton ``probably weren't her teeth. They could very well be someone else's teeth.''

Maples said that if anyone had tried to adhere teeth from one body into the jaw of this body, it would have showed.

``If the corpse had fillings in places where there should not be fillings, there is a problem,'' Maples said.

Seminole police want the Coon family to give a blood sample for DNA testing. The family has not consented.

McDonough still sees Spaziano as a suspect. ``He was the type that removed teeth and put them back in other victims,'' McDonough said. ``He was very sick that way.''


JMO

 

[mjak]

I think this match is highly unlikly. If someone pulled teeth from one person and put them in the body of another it would be very obvious on autopsy. There is just no way not to recognize that. The filings could have happened after Cynthia Coon disappeared but the crookedness would have had to have been their prior to her dissapearing. Her father is a patholgoist and probably is convinced this can not be his daughter so has not give a DNA sample . However, it really would be helpful in DNA was submitted so that a definitive answer could be found. Not to mention to try and match up with other Unidenitfieds.

mjak

 

[Richard]

bumping case up due to recent interest...

 

[Gina_M]

This case is going on 38 years old...

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/coon_cynthia.html
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/858dfmi.html

 

[Richard]

Here are two website links where Cynthia's case is featured. For some reason, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children does not have her case in their data base.

Michigan Does - Cynthia Coon LINK:

http://www.michigandoes.com/MP/CynthiaCoon.html
----------------------------------------------------

The Doe Network: Case File 858DFMI LINK:

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/858dfmi.html

 

[Richard]

From 1967 until August 1969, there was a series of abduction/murders of young girls and women in the Ann Arbor Area. These were called the "Co-ed Murders" and also the "Michigan Murders". John Norman Collins was a young, good looking guy who was eventually arrested and convicted of some of those murders. He has spent the past 38 years in the Michigan Prison System enjoying "Life" at taxpayer expense.

Andrew Manuel accompanied John Norman Collins on a cross country trip from Michigan to California in June of 1969. They parked their stolen camping trailer at the home of one of Manuel's grandfather and left it behind when they returned to Michigan in late July 1969. While in California, a young girl was abducted and murdered much in the same way that those in Michigan were. Although it is almost certain that John Norman Collins murdered her, he was never extradited or tried for that crime.

Following his return to Michigan in late July, Manuel immediately returned to California by bus and was in the Salinas area for a while before traveling on to Arizona where he was picked up on 6 August 1969 by the FBI. Returned to Michigan, he was given very lenient treatment in return for his testimony against Collins.

The question will always remain as to whether Collins alone murdered all the women, or if he had accomplices. Certainly Manuel was a close buddy of his and probably at least knew more than he ever let on. Where was Manuel at the time of Cynthia's disappearance?

Manuel did not keep his nose clean after getting off lightly in Michigan. He has two federal Inmate numbers, having served two separate unspecified sentences.

From the Federal Inmate Locator:

(key) Name Register - Inmate Number - Age - Race - Sex - Release Date (Actual/Projected) Location

1. ANDREW PAUL MANUEL 01845-196 60 A.Indian M 04-10-1990 RELEASED
2. ANDREW PAUL MANUEL 06345-156 60 A.Indian M 02-17-1983 RELEASED

Most recent address for Andrew P. Manuel...
MANUEL, ANDREW P
born 03/07/1947 (Age 60)
lives in AJO, AZ

See the following link for a more detaile discussion about Collins and Manuel.
-------------------------------------------------------


Unidentified White Female Located on 3 Aug 1969 near Lompoc, CA - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community LINK:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38363&highlight=andrew+manuel

 

[Lady Stardust]

http://doenetwork.org/cases/67uffl.html

 

[sleuthin4fun]

Lady Star- It could be possible. Thiks is the first I have read about this case. I wish the pictures we had of Cynthia were of better quality. The possible match has very distinct facial features.

 

[Sporky]

I also agree that it could be possible.

 

[forthelost]

http://www.forthelost.org/calikids/CCoon.doc

 

[Richard]

I believe that the Michigan State Police did check out the unknown girl found in Florida in 1973 and determined it was not Cynthia because the teeth did not match. See the link to the Doenetwork case file on her above.

It is certainly possible that someone could disappear from Michigan and turn up in Florida three years later, but the length of time and the fact that this girl disappeared on her way to school in January 1970 make the possibility a remote one.

 

[MaedchenX]

The Doe Network site updated today with the following listing and I thought of Cynthia as well as another possible, Denise Sheehy;


Case File 668UFNJ

Unidentified White Female

* The victim was discovered on December 6, 1971 in Galloway Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey
* Estimated Date of Death: Months prior

Vital Statistics

* Estimated age: 14-18 years old
* Approximate Height and Weight: 5'3"; 118 lbs.
* Distinguishing Characteristics: Possible wig - shades of blonde, brown and red brown with presence of a coloring additive. Extra sacral vertebrae (lower back).
* Dentals: Available. No restorations; good occlusion.
* Clothing: Ribbed blue cotton or synthetic shirt; white, blue, and orange striped canvas or cotton trouser of the hip-hugger variety; underwear; white bra. Brown leather sandals. Brown, wide leather band with small brass rings containing a ladies Westclock watch.
* DNA: Pending

http://www.doenetwork.org/

The description and similarity regarding the dentals are what struck me in particular.

 

[Richard]

Cynthia Coon
Missing since January 19, 1970 from Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan.
Classification: Endangered Missing

Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: March 24, 1956
Age at Time of Disappearance: 13 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'4" (162 cm.); 110 lbs. (50 kg.)
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Brown hair; brown eyes.
Dentals: She had straight teeth, no fillings, never been to a dentist.

Circumstances of Disappearance

Cynthia Coon left her residence en route to school in Ann Arbor. She did not attend school at all that day and did not return home that evening.
She made contact with her family twice, once on April 1, 1970 and again on April 2, 1970. She did not know her whereabouts at the time of the calls. An extortion-type call was received by the family on May 5, 1970. Since that time, no further contact has been made with the family.

Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office
313-971-8400
email: %20sheriffinfo@ewashtenaw.org

You may remain anonymous when submitting information.

Agency Case #: 70-0627
NCIC Number: M-360881150

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

Source Information:
Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office

LINK:
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/858dfmi.html

 

[Richard]

19 January 2010 marks the 40 year anniversary of Cynthia's disappearance.