<snipped with respect>
ETA: “Fox was in eighth grade at St. Paul's Roman Catholic School in Burlington when she and a cousin, Lynn Parks, placed a classified ad in a local newspaper, with a phone number, seeking babysitting work. A man who identified himself as John Marshall responded. He told Parks he had a 5-year-old son, a backyard swimming pool, and a swing set at his Mount Holly home.
Parks' parents wouldn't give her permission to go, so she gave Fox the man's number and phone number. When Fox called him, he said he would pay her $40 to babysit the child for four hours a day, five days a week, and that he would meet her at the bus stop on June 24.
A South Jersey teen left for a babysitting job 43 years ago and disappeared. Is she still alive?
Thanks for the info HeyJudette. I read the whole thread now and also all the different presented information from article etc. The information is pretty messed up. Some things don't seem to be accurate and makes me think...
The article you quoted says;
Parks' <the cousin> parents wouldn't give her permission to go <IIRC she was only 11 and her parents found it to far away, sounds logical> so she <who is she? sounds like the cousin> gave Fox the man's number and phone number <I thought the only phone number given was to Margaret where she could reach him, later traced back to a phone boot outside an A&P supermarket in Lumberton>. When Fox <Margaret or the father"?>
called him <again this is suggesting somebody from the Fox family called "John Marshall", instead the other way around>, he said he would pay her $40 to babysit the child for four hours a day, five days a week, and that he would meet her at the bus stop on June 24. I will go with this version "She received a response to the ad from a man who called himself John Marshall. He finally told the teen he would meet her in a red Volkswagen Beetle and gave her a telephone number to reach him. That number was ultimately traced to a public phone booth at a supermarket in Lumberton, New Jersey".
In the Doe Network file: to meet a man who had advertised for a baby sitter. The telephone number in the ad was traced to a Lumberton supermarket.
Incorrect. Margaret and her cousin placed an add in The Burlington Times with both their phone numbers.
Suspects being possibly "John Marshall":
There was the supermarket manager's named Jack Marshall, he was cleared by LE.
There is also the talk about an employee of the A&P supermarket;
“Fellow officers also attempted to work every angle of the case and found their first suspect, an employee at the A & P named John Marshall. Marshall was eventually cleared after his alibi checked out and he passed a polygraph exam". Are Jack and John Marshall both named as suspects, mabye the same person and is intel mixed up?
Fact is the number "John Marshal" gave was traced back to the phone boot at the supermarket. The ransom call wasn't traced back.
The ransom call came after the police reported Margaret missing in the media. (read that somewhere...have to find it again) Although in this statement they are talking about hours after Margaret went missing.
An audio recording from the hours after Margaret Fox's disappearance in which a man claiming he had Margaret in his custody demands money for her return" FBI Newark Margaret Fox Cold Case Phone Call — FBI That would make a huge difference. If it was after the release in the media a (sick) prank would be more likely.
The father spoke to "John Marshall" on the phone about the babysitting, thinking him to be a man between 30-40. Margaret's mother answered the ransom call on June 28, but the caller never contacted the Fox family again, according to the FBI.
I wonder if Margaret's father ever had the opportunity to listen to the ransom call recording. I'm afraid not. Did Margaret's mother and father exchanged information about the voice/phone conversations?
About the delivery range the Burlington County Times where Margaret placed the add in (I'm not sure this is accurate for 1974, but to get a broad impression) "The best source to get news about Burlington County, New Jersey and towns of Bordentown, Moorestown, Burlington, Cinnaminson, Mount Laurel, Pemberton, Riverside and Maple Shade".
From wiki
Burlington County Times - Wikipedia The paper publishes weekly special sections, including "To Do", a guide to local entertainment, and "Spot" a weekly guide to things to see and do in
Marlton, New Jersey,
Medford, New Jersey,
Medford Lakes, New Jersey,
Moorestown, New Jersey,
Mount Laurel, New Jersey,
Riverton, New Jersey, and
Southampton, New Jersey.
About other missing and murdered New Jersey girls.
Cases New Jersey Girl Murders 1960-1980
Margaret Fox, 14 [MISSING]
1974 June 24 Mount Holly, Burlington County, NJ.
Cause of death: unknown
Forensic characteristics: Lured from home to an abduction in Mount Holly - highly organized abduction -
On Tuesday, June 18, 1974 Margaret Fox, 14, and her cousin Lynn Park, 11, placed ad in newspaper seeking baby sitter work, giving their two phone numbers: "BABYSITTERS - Experienced. Teen girls. Love Kids. Work at your house. Call..." The two girls lived on Penn Street in Burlington a few doors away from each other. On June 19, Lynn Park received a call from a "John Marshall" offering her work in Mount Holly to take care of "his five-year-old son". Park's mother refused to allow her to work so far away from home. Fox was then called and offered the same job which she accepted. "Marshall" instructed her to travel on Friday to the bus stop at High and Mill Street, in Mount Holly, approximately 20 minutes away, where "his wife would come and pick her up in a red volkwagen." Margaret wrote down "Marshall's" phone number. Later that night "Marshall" called again, and spoke to Margaret's father, changing the date to next Monday because of a "death in the family." The father would later state that "Marshall" appeared to have a voice of a 30-40 year-old male.
On, Monday, June 24 Fox boarded a Transport of New Jersey’s 8:40 a.m. bus to Mount Holly. Two witnesses saw her get off at the destination - one saw her speak to a young man in his twenties driving a red sports car. Margaret Fox remains missing.
Fox failed to return home. When the family called the "John Marshall" telephone number, it turned out to be for a phone booth at an A&P Supermarket parking lot on Route 38 in Lumberton managed by a Jack Marshall. Jack Marshall was cleared by police.
According to this article Fox made arrangements to meet the man's wife at the corner of High and Mill streets in Mount Holly on June 24, 1974. The teen was told the wife would be driving a red Volkswagen.
NJ cold case: FBI releases audio file in 14-year-old babysitter's 1974 disappearance
Someone up the thread mentioned Jack Owens Houseman, same MO. His female friend was also arrested; New Jersey Briefs scroll down. Won't mention her name, can't find anything about her being declared quilty, what if the purp had indeed a female accomplish. Of course this also be told not making her suspicious, flipping a woman in. Sadly enough we all know not all women are trustworthy, but still mainstream thinking.
The saddest thing, if the info in this 2017 article is still accurate.
- Dental records got lost
- Police are also working with no DNA
(two of her 4 brothers are still alive......see for statement the above article.....is there still no DNA?)
Retired NJ Officer Works to Solve Cold Case of Missing Teen
In the murder list is also a possible suspect mentioned with a NY connection. (thinking about the possible accent of the ransom money caller, which I don't know nothing about, saw some people mention this)
Sorry for this long post, don't want to clutter up this thread with all kinds of loose comments.