MO MO - Betty Alexander, 69, Sullivan, 11 April 2019

[Bit of hope]

Sorry I accidentally hit enter above before posting...anyway, I wanted to reply to say that I completely agree with your thoughts. I just became aware of this case, so am by no means an expert on it. That said, I am very experienced in providing services as a social worker and case manager to people living with dementia and their families. Dementia is a progressive illness. Meaning, just because someone hasn't wandered off before does not mean that they won't at some point due to progression. Families are often in denial about the severity of a loved one's limitations and will think that they are more capable than they really are, or will (unintentionally) downplay the symptoms. The fact that her husband passed away recently before her disappearance is also a potential factor. Spouses often compensate for the other with dementia without families being aware of how much they are doing or how much their presence "covers" for the one with cognitive loss. I am also guessing that her apartment might have been a relatively new situation (downsizing after death of a spouse) and may have led to her becoming more confused or disoriented. Again, all of this is my opinion only based on my experience (personal and professional).

Thank you for your insights and welcome @Shan12

 

[margarita25]

‎The Vanished Podcast: Betty Alexander on Apple Podcasts

“On April 10, 2019, 69-year-old Betty Alexander was at her apartment in Sullivan, Missouri. Nothing seemed amiss. Despite a recent visit to her deceased husband’s grave, Betty was in good spirits, excited about her grandchildren’s upcoming sports games and her regular visits with family. A few days later, her daughter knew something was wrong when Betty didn’t answer the phone, wasn’t at home, and hadn’t been to church. Without any warning at all, Betty was gone. Two years later, her daughter is continuing to carry the torch for Betty. She wants to find out exactly what happened to her mom because, as we all know, there are always clues left behind.
If you have any information about Betty’s disappearance, please call the Sullivan, Missouri Police Department at 573-468-8001.”

 

[Bit of hope]

This is such a frustrating case....where could sweet Betty be? There must be people who know more. If she died from natural causes somewhere out there...she would have been found by now, I think. One thing is certain...you don't bury yourself.....Did she ended up in a body of water? Why is there nowhere a report saying what was done to this day to find her. Seasons have come and went.....and still nothing.

 

[CSGen]

I am also guessing that her apartment might have been a relatively new situation (downsizing after death of a spouse) and may have led to her becoming more confused or disoriented. Again, all of this is my opinion only based on my experience (personal and professional).

I had the same thought about the apartment, but then in the Vanished podcast episode (which hopefully I can cite as a source?), her daughter mentioned that she had lived there with her husband for about four years prior to his death.

It’s just such a sad and unusual situation, I feel so terrible for her daughter. I went into the podcast episode thinking that, unfortunately, depression and/or dementia most likely led to an accident or to Betty taking her own life. However, it seems unlikely (IMO) that she wouldn’t have been found by now, given that (per her daughter in the podcast), she didn’t have a car. Moreover, some of the circumstances described by her daughter in the podcast episode regarding other members of the family, and the apparent visit to City Hall, strike me as very odd. Finally, although I recall reading about situations in which someone left their glasses at home before leaving to take their own life, it sounded from her daughter’s description in the podcast that Betty wouldn’t have been capable of transporting herself to a more remote area (explaining why she hasn’t been found) without her glasses. IMO of course, but I have what sounds like similarly poor vision, and I can’t imagine leaving without my glasses/contacts for anything short of a fire, and even then it would be a tough call

 

[TheArtfulDetective]

Anniversary of her disappearance today.

 

[Jbetty567]

I had the same thought about the apartment, but then in the Vanished podcast episode (which hopefully I can cite as a source?), her daughter mentioned that she had lived there with her husband for about four years prior to his death.

It’s just such a sad and unusual situation, I feel so terrible for her daughter. I went into the podcast episode thinking that, unfortunately, depression and/or dementia most likely led to an accident or to Betty taking her own life. However, it seems unlikely (IMO) that she wouldn’t have been found by now, given that (per her daughter in the podcast), she didn’t have a car. Moreover, some of the circumstances described by her daughter in the podcast episode regarding other members of the family, and the apparent visit to City Hall, strike me as very odd. Finally, although I recall reading about situations in which someone left their glasses at home before leaving to take their own life, it sounded from her daughter’s description in the podcast that Betty wouldn’t have been capable of transporting herself to a more remote area (explaining why she hasn’t been found) without her glasses. IMO of course, but I have what sounds like similarly poor vision, and I can’t imagine leaving without my glasses/contacts for anything short of a fire, and even then it would be a tough call

I definitely believe Betty was abducted, or harmed and removed from the apartment. The missing fentanyl patches are a clue.

 

[annpats]

Alexander’s disappearance has been narrowed down to after 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, 2019, and before the morning of Thursday, April 11, 2019.

So, she went missing at night then.

Wandering off when it was dark, would make it even worse.
No light, fewer witnesses, colder.

But to go wandering without her glasses at night (and apparently also without shoes) and with chronic back pain, makes you question how far she could've got! In theory, not very far. I reckon maybe just a couple of hundred metres/feet.

Then she couldn't remember or find her way back home.

But I don't think she was wandering all night. She must've laid down somewhere with cold and exhaustion and pain.

The abduction theory is a possibility, but the huge question is why. Abduction would make so sense. She had no enemies and wasn't particularly wealthy. There was no sign of a struggle in her home either.

As the area appears to be so wooded, I can only presume she got lost and passed in one of the wooden areas, although again, with out shoes, glasses and at night, how far would she have got?

A true mystery. May you rest in peace.

MOO.

 

[GuyfromCanada]

Missing for 3 years.

Sullivan Police Detective Ralph Finn continues to look for tips and answers for what happened to Betty Alexander who vanished from her home three years ago at then age 69, now 72.

This past Sunday saw a full three years come and go with no answers to what happened to Alexander who vanished from the Center St. Apartments and was discovered missing by her daughter Tonya Tolliver, who to this day has not given up in locating her mother.

More at Three Years And Still No Explanation On What Happened To Betty Alexander

 

[Jbetty567]

It's a terrible case. I featured it on Missing Persons podcast - my top 5 most intriguing cases - last week. I just can't make heads or tails of it. Where are you Betty?

 

[lymom3]

Maybe??

MSN

 

[Betty P]

Maybe??

MSN

Maybe, but its pretty far away from where Betty lived. I doubt Betty could have gotten that far on her own, but someone might have hurt her and left her there.

4100 N Service Rd W · 4100 N Service Rd W, Sullivan, MO 63080

4100 N Service Rd W, Sullivan, MO 63080

www.google.com

Here's a link to the local newspaper's Facebook page. The article says the remains were skeletal.

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=sullivan%20independent%20news

Log into Facebook

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[PommyMommy]

Maybe??

MSN

It's not out of the realm of possibility. According to Google it's roughly 2.5 miles or about 45 minutes on foot.

6 S Center St to 4100 N Service Rd W​

www.google.com

 

[Betty P]

It's not out of the realm of possibility. According to Google it's roughly 2.5 miles or about 45 minutes on foot.

6 S Center St to 4100 N Service Rd W​

www.google.com

It would also involve crossing Interstate Hwy 44, which is a very busy highway day and night. I've always felt if she were harmed by some shady people, there's a lot of rugged countryside around there where you could hide a body. Not uncommon for people outside the city to own large tracts of land, passed down through generations.

Her daughter said her back was in such bad shape that part of her spine was held together with screws. I don't know.

I'm hopeful Crawford County Coroner will be able to determine who it is. They always seem to have a tight budget, though. Missouri is such a terrible state anymore, they cut, cut, cut everything. Hopefully, they will do something to identify this person's body.

JMO, I've wondered if Betty became a threat to people who wanted to buy her Fentanyl patches. She resisted and they killed her because they didn't want her to report them to police.

I was in town for a couple weeks about a year ago. It's a shame how the old downtown area where Betty lived has gone downhill. So much drugs there, very sad.

 

[Laughing]

Probably no additional information yet, but multiple sources are good:

Human remains found in West Sullivan, Mo.

An investigation is underway after authorities spotted and confirmed human remains Friday in Crawford County.

fox2now.com

 

[djdaleo]

It would also involve crossing Interstate Hwy 44, which is a very busy highway day and night. I've always felt if she were harmed by some shady people, there's a lot of rugged countryside around there where you could hide a body. Not uncommon for people outside the city to own large tracts of land, passed down through generations.

Her daughter said her back was in such bad shape that part of her spine was held together with screws. I don't know.

I'm hopeful Crawford County Coroner will be able to determine who it is. They always seem to have a tight budget, though. Missouri is such a terrible state anymore, they cut, cut, cut everything. Hopefully, they will do something to identify this person's body.

JMO, I've wondered if Betty became a threat to people who wanted to buy her Fentanyl patches. She resisted and they killed her because they didn't want her to report them to police.

I was in town for a couple weeks about a year ago. It's a shame how the old downtown area where Betty lived has gone downhill. So much drugs there, very sad.

Animals could have dragged these remains from other places - hopefully these remains can be identified, especially if there are screws in the spine

 

[djdaleo]

Maybe, but its pretty far away from where Betty lived. I doubt Betty could have gotten that far on her own, but someone might have hurt her and left her there.

4100 N Service Rd W · 4100 N Service Rd W, Sullivan, MO 63080

4100 N Service Rd W, Sullivan, MO 63080

www.google.com

Here's a link to the local newspaper's Facebook page. The article says the remains were skeletal.

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=sullivan%20independent%20news

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

Animals could have dragged the remains from other locations, especially over time.

 

[Laughing]

Odd location for animal activity of this sort -- the map pin is between the service road & the Interstate. No idea how many vehicles drive by that spot daily, but I-44 is busy and that grassy area seems quite narrow.

Recently moved remains? Recent mowing or brush clearing?

Map pin inaccurate?

And, next to the Interstate, this could be a body dump from anywhere east. Sullivan is just about an hour west of the interchange of I-44, I-55, I-270, I-64.

I would like these remains to change the course of a thread here!

Awaiting word from the coroner, I guess. Not too patiently.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[Betty P]

Odd location for animal activity of this sort -- the map pin is between the service road & the Interstate. No idea how many vehicles drive by that spot daily, but I-44 is busy and that grassy area seems quite narrow.

Recently moved remains? Recent mowing or brush clearing?

Map pin inaccurate?

And, next to the Interstate, this could be a body dump from anywhere east. Sullivan is just about an hour west of the interchange of I-44, I-55, I-270, I-64.

I would like these remains to change the course of a thread here!

Awaiting word from the coroner, I guess. Not too patiently.

jmho ymmv lrr

It also used to be a corridor for drug traffic from Mexico. Also a major route for over the road truckers hauling to and from the West coast.

 

[Laughing]

It also used to be a corridor for drug traffic from Mexico. Also a major route for over the road truckers hauling to and from the West coast.

Absolutely! I-44 is modern-day Route 66 (overlaps in some places) running from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA through St. Louis, Tulsa & Oklahoma City, Amarillo, TX, Albuquerque, NM, and northern Arizona before reaching Cali.

Water, rail, and trucking -- intersect in Chicago, St. Louis, and Tulsa.

America's Main Street, for sure.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[lymom3]

Human remains found Friday near Sullivan, Missouri

Police said it could take several weeks for the remains to be identified.

www.ksdk.com

Preliminary findings from the medical examiner's office indicate the skeletal remains found are that of an adult Caucasian male. The skeletal remains are being sent to a forensic anthropologist for further examination and identification.