Missouri - The Springfield Three--missing since June 1992 - #7

[pittsburghgirl]

Good to see interest in the thread revived. I think when we come up on graduation time it often heats up. But I'm surprised to see that the discussion has taken some new turns.

Here, for example, is an idea that Missouri Mule raised a few pages back:

t is important to note that there is no known whereabouts of Sherrill after approximately 11:15 P:M. so far as I am aware. That is to say we have no way to know if Suzie and Sherrill had any contact with Sherrill after the graduation ceremony.

This possibility had never, ever been in my mind. It's at least possible that Sherrill was taken and killed earlier--or went out after 11:15 with someone she knew and never returned. If she had taken her car, the perp(s) could have encountered the girls when they brought the car back. That's sort of a wild theory but I'm going to let it wool around in my head for a while. It would also explain why Suzie would open the door to someone she knows, if she came home and her mother wasn't in the house. But that could just be a screenplay rolling in my head. Meanwhile, following MM's directed to read thread one.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Good to see interest in the thread revived. I think when we come up on graduation time it often heats up. But I'm surprised to see that the discussion has taken some new turns.

Here, for example, is an idea that Missouri Mule raised a few pages back:

This possibility had never, ever been in my mind. It's at least possible that Sherrill was taken and killed earlier--or went out after 11:15 with someone she knew and never returned. If she had taken her car, the perp(s) could have encountered the girls when they brought the car back. That's sort of a wild theory but I'm going to let it wool around in my head for a while. It would also explain why Suzie would open the door to someone she knows, if she came home and her mother wasn't in the house. But that could just be a screenplay rolling in my head. Meanwhile, following MM's directed to read thread one.

And if that happened and when it returned Suzie assumed it was her mother which might explain the allegedly reported movement of the cars in the driveway. Their cars may have blocked her car from fitting in the carport.

If that didn't happened and if all three were in the home, the only thing that makes sense to me is that only two individuals would have been allowed entry into the home. That would be someone Sherrll knew and trusted or someone who appeared to be or was an actual police officer.

All the other possible entry points simply don't make sense. But then again there is the matter of the missing key to the side door on Suzie's key chain.

 

[Missouri Mule]

And let me throw out one other thought that frankly just occurred to me.

Everyone assumes, I believe, that whoever came to the door, came via automobile, van or other motorized vehicle. Why wouldn't it be equally possible that someone walked to the door; someone who lived nearby the home, perhaps walking a dog and they knew one another well? He was trusted and allowed in the house.

Since the paint fumes were obvious it may have been suggested that they go somewhere, perhaps to George's down the street and have a coffee and light meal as she was working off the day's activities; she would have been "wound up" and receptive to a change after working hard on the furniture and would have welcomed a chance to get out of the house. Since the other individual did not have a car, it would have been obvious that it would be her car that would be taken as George's is about a mile or slightly less north of her home on Glenstone. As they left the other dog along with Sherrill's Yorkie were put into the backyard through the small doggy door. My recollection is that it was reported to have been heard at about 1:30 AM that morning a full hour and 15 minutes before the girls would have possibly arrived there.

A couple of things I will state from personal knowledge:

1) I have a more less complete list of her clients. It numbers some 221 names and include mostly women who would ordinarily be expected to go to her. In addition to those 221 names, there are two other individuals who went to her; a clerk who worked near to my office and my own boss. I knew but one of the clients in addition to my own co-workers. At that time, I believe her salon was on the mezzanine level of the now defunct Heer's department store. There were some botique shops there near the coffee bar where many of us congregated during our morning break. I have no recollection of seeing her or the salon if that is where it was at that time. It is always possible her clients followed her to her new location.

Many, many times I asked the clerk if she noticed anything odd in that she went to Sherrill just three days before she went missing. She said she noticed nothing and that they mainly discussed their respective daughter's graduations. I asked her many time and her recollection never varied.

The other thing is that the one time I called to the police station to offer my services I was connected to a certain officer who discussed the case with me. He asked me my interest in the case and I explained my background and believed I could be a good new set of eyes and see what might have been overlooked. I never could understand why it was said there wasn't information to go forward on the case. It simply didn't make any sense and still doesn't.

In any event, he told me something that wasn't generally known and perhaps he should not have told me this but it was that a key to the side door was missing from her keychain. Another persons familiar with the family said it was because Suzie was somewhat remiss in locking the side door and due to Sherrill's instance on security she only allowed her to have the key to front door. I'm not really sold on this idea but it may be true. The other thing that has been alleged is that Sherrill, not once but twice had the locks rekeyed due to security concerns. That would tend to back up that story. I have been told many times I must have lied in that no police officer would have volunteered that information. I have to make a choice of whether to believe my lying ears or what is told to me that I must believe to be true. I choose to trust my "lying ears."

Now before anyone jumps to the notion that one person would be the ideal suspect who walked up to her door, I'm not saying that. There is yet another person I have in mind.

In point of fact, a source close to the investigation itself told me in one of the many thousands of emails and private messages that one of the suspects lived not far away and had a "terrible alibi." So it could have been him. It is also my understanding that he may not have had a car. But that is a wild guess but I seem to have seen that description attached to a strong suspect as well. So it can't be ruled out of hand.

In any event, we know this to be true. She was finishing furniture. There would have been the strong smell of paint, etc., that would make it difficult to sleep comfortably short of opening the windows and running a box fan to move the odor from her bedroom. There is, however, no evidence that I am aware of that any entry came from any of the windows.

Just thought I would throw this out for consideration.

I would also suggest looking at a certain dedicated website devoted exclusively to this case on Proboards. The other is a brilliant analysis on Reddit.

 

[TexasT]

Folks in Salons give out WAY too much personal information . I'm not suggesting one of the 221 clients is responsible . But , I wouldn't be surprised if they knew .
1 . She lived alone , until her beautiful 18 yr old daughter moved back in .

2. Graduation night and even possible mention of the girls going to WW , leaving Sherrill " home alone " that evening / weekend .

3. She was single ( IE likely no man in the house ). And estranged from her son.

I'm always amazed at getting someone's life story during a 15 min haircut . And that's strangers , not a repeat stylist .


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[Kittycat01]

TexasT brings up a good point-in my experience hair stylist's do talk way too much about their personal lives. I recently started going to a new stylist and on the first visit I learned her whole life history including (and this is kinda creepy) she's single and lives alone with her daughter. I wonder if LE truly investigated Sherrill's clientele?

 

[Missouri Mule]

TexasT brings up a good point-in my experience hair stylist's do talk way too much about their personal lives. I recently started going to a new stylist and on the first visit I learned her whole life history including (and this is kinda creepy) she's single and lives alone with her daughter. I wonder if LE truly investigated Sherrill's clientele?

Good questions. My coworkers were never questioned to my knowledge. Of course that may be because their names were not in the Rolodex.

 

[monkeymann]

Exactly, or the cars could have been "Used" in the commission of the 3MW crime and returned in a different order than they had been seen earlier in, per the witness's statement.

 

[monkeymann]

I want to add to what you've said about "Hair Stylist's". Not only, like you've mentioned is there a lot of idle chit chat and gossip that occurs with in this profession........just what people do when they have nothing else to talk about, while they're getting their hair cut......HOWEVER.......Cocaine and Meth seem to be common in this industry.

Not meaning to sound weird here, but just factual.....In the "Gay Community" there is a preponderance of Cocaine and Meth Use.

There is a lot of Cocaine and Meth Use amongst people in this industry, gay or other wise.

And I'm not making a "Judgement Statement Here". Just stating what I have learned in my many years of being on this planet and seeing what goes on "Between the PC lines".

Just saying.........I've always thought this crime was drug related in some manor.

 

[Blue Girl1991]

It seems that most of the Forum members and probably also the police think that the motive was related to drugs, I think that too.

 

[TexasT]

Good questions. My coworkers were never questioned to my knowledge. Of course that may be because their names were not in the Rolodex.

If I was newly assigned to cold case I think I would go back and check everyone criminal history since 1992 and see if any assault / kidnapping or drug trafficking charges pop up .


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[pittsburghgirl]

OK. Let's see what the "Sherrill went out" idea gets us.
1. We have an alternative to the speculation that one of the three women let their killers into the house "cold," based on a knock on the door. These weren't the days of texting and cell phones. In the "middle of the night visit" scenario, either one of the three women let the killer(s) in because she knew him/them OR the killer(s) got in based on some ruse (e.g., the dog got loose, we're the gas company, etc).
2. If Sherrill had gone out, there are multiple possibilities for how the killers could get into the house: she and the killer came in at the same time, because her date was the killer; she got home before the girls but the "date" had some personal item she left in the car (or he left in hers) and he reappears at the door.
3. It's possible that Sherrill went out with the killer(s) thinking they were going to get something to eat or whatever but was killed right away. The killer does a drive-by of the Delmar house or goes to return Sherrill's vehicle and sees that the girls are at the house and their presence creates a problem. Maybe Suzie knew him. Maybe he was afraid Suzie would worry about her mother and call the police. And that wouldn't do.
4. This scenario also makes the staging of the crime scene look more "staged" than ever. Grouping the purses makes us see the women as a group rather than 2 people plus one person. Either (Sherrill and Susie) / Stacy or Sherrill / (Suzie and Stacy).

That's all I've got for now. But that 11:15 call to Sherrill looks more interesting to me, as do the so-called prank phone calls the next day.

ETA: The idea that Sherrill might have gone out would also explain why LE thinks she was the target.

 

[Blue Girl1991]

Do you think it's possible Scenario? , Sherrill was kidnapped first and then Suzie and stacy came to the house , maybe when the perps came back to take suzie they told Suzie and stacy not to make any sound and come with them
"willingly " and quietly Otherwise they will hurt sherrill?
the girls Didn't knew that sherrill already kidnapped and not at home
so they didn't make any sound even when they were outside and could a wake neighbors.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Do you think it's possible Scenario? , Sherrill was kidnapped first and then Suzie and stacy came to the house , maybe when the perps came back to take suzie they told Suzie and stacy not to make any sound and come with them
"willingly " and quietly Otherwise they will hurt sherrill?
the girls Didn't knew that sherrill already kidnapped and not at home
so they didn't make any sound even when they were outside and could a wake neighbors.

Entirely possible. That would have been incentive not to make a scene especially to Suzie.

I am fairly confident that a gun was used to force compliance as told to me by a source deemed reliable. I believe that Stacy was the last to leave and may have resisted leading to the broken globe. It is at that point that her foot was cut leading to her DNA allegedly found during the forensic investigation.

i think we should circle back to Cox as a likely killer. But he had to have had someone trusted to get into the house. Cox has no alibi so far as I know.

 

[asyousay]

This is one of the most puzzling cases to me - it's so intriguing how 3 adult women can vanish without trace and there not be evidence and nobody saw or heard anything that night.

 

[Blue Girl1991]

Entirely possible. That would have been incentive not to make a scene especially to Suzie.

I am fairly confident that a gun was used to force compliance as told to me by a source deemed reliable. I believe that Stacy was the last to leave and may have resisted leading to the broken globe. It is at that point that her foot was cut leading to her DNA allegedly found during the forensic investigation.

i think we should circle back to Cox as a likely killer. But he had to have had someone trusted to get into the house. Cox has no alibi so far as I know.

I'm sure too that the perps had Guns in order to get full and quick compliance.
What I can't understand how 3 women vanished and 25 years later there is no any progress in the investigation .

There must be few circles of people who know what happened : beside the perps there was/ were also the ones who planned the crime, maybe other circle who related to assistance after the crime and maybe even partners in life of the criminals ,someone in their families / or friends who knows what happened and still no one is talking , I am not sure that there is any real pressure on them from the law To extract information from them.

 

[kemo]

There are four possible scenarios for the situation when the girl's arrived:

1) Sherrill had already been taken.

2) Sherrill was dead, restrained or under control of the abductor who hid, probably in Sherrill's bedroom.

3) Sherrill was "comfortably entertaining" one or more guests.

4) Everything was normal, Sherrill was either asleep or reading in bed.

I can not see any reason to absolutely rule any of these out but I am inclined to suspect it was #4. Any ideas. I'm going to think on this a little more

 

[terry67401]

Did anyone ever hear the theory about these three woman being buried beneath a hospital parking garage in Springfield? I think I saw this on television somewhere. Was that ever checked out by police? Is it a plausible theory? I'm curious as to where that theory originated from.


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[Missouri Mule]

Did anyone ever hear the theory about these three woman being buried beneath a hospital parking garage in Springfield? I think I saw this on television somewhere. Was that ever checked out by police? Is it a plausible theory? I'm curious as to where that theory originated from.


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It was a psychic vision from a fellow in Michigan. It was also said to be from others. When at least one other source spoke of it, it came back to the same psychic vision.

I personally believe it is total malarkey. It also wasted enormous time and energies better spent elsewhere.

The police put no credence in whatsoever.

 

[intothenight]

I believe those claims came about around 10 or 11 years ago, but I'm not entirely sure how or why they came about. I became invested in this case about 3 years ago when I first saw the Disappeared episode - those rumors were quite heavily featured in the documentary but personally, I've read other accounts on where the remains may be that seem more logical. I do think that the parking garage would have been dug up if police had sufficient reason to believe the three women were buried there, but I get the impression they have some sort of information that leads or has, lead them elsewhere. Although there's no official evidence to suggest it, I kind of get the impression that the women were likely driven out of Springfield, either dead or alive at the point they left the city. It honestly makes me physically sick to imagine the fear and dread they must have felt, a truly terrifying situation to find yourself in.

 

[intothenight]

It was a psychic vision from a fellow in Michigan. It was also said to be from others. When at least one other source spoke of it, it came back to the same psychic vision.

I personally believe it is total malarkey. It also wasted enormous time and energies better spent elsewhere.

The police put no credence in whatsoever.

Richard, you have an undeniable amount of knowledge and history looking into this case. Do you remember posts made about 4 years ago on Topix by someone who claimed they may have possibly witnessed a van around the time the women were believed to have disappeared? I remember something about the relatives of Francis Robb and how this poster was somehow romantically involved with one of his nephews. I could be misremembering information here because it has probably been about a year since I read those posts, but they seemed legitimate to me.