NM NM - Patty Pritz, 14, & Mattie Restine, 13, Carlsbad, 11 Aug 1961 - #1

[justthinkin]

Thank you, Legacy, yes, that's the one I needed.

 

[justthinkin]

From Hurricane's Time line: Time unknown, Wed. Aug. 9th. Nancy Mosley and Linda Lou Roberts witnessed a light colored 1956 Chevrolet pass by slowly three or four times as they walked down Church St. toward the beach. She described the driver as middle aged, husky with dark hair.

Fri. Aug. 11th. 6:00 – 6:30 p.m. Linda Lou Roberts witnessed an elderly man in a 1956 Chevrolet drive passed her house at 303 E. Church and stared. He wore a white tee shirt and had dark hair. He appeared to be husky with broad shoulders.

Fri. Aug. 11th. 9:00 p.m. Linda Lou Roberts witnessed the two girls walking west past her house at 303 E. Church St. Roberts stated that an elderly man in a 1956 Chevrolet, light colored (possibly cream colored) 2-dr. sedan with NM plates drove passed her house about 3 times, each time slowing down to watch the girls sitting in the front yard.

5:30 a.m. Aug 12th. Bill Smith driving back by the Artesia highway area sees a 1955 Chev. (pink over white) parked on Sitting Bull Falls Rd. with someone sleeping inside. LE believes that the colors may be somewhat off but that it is likely the same car that A.W. Craft saw that morning.

note: I doubt that Bill Smith could really confirm the color of the car he saw at that time of morning.


8:30 a.m. Aug. 12th. A.W. Craft drives back by the Artesia highway area and sees a 1955 Ford (light color two-tone cream).

9:30 a.m. Aug 13th. Willie Dee Blair and Bill Melton leave to go fishing. Melton is driving a 1956 Ford.


note: One of the things that occurs to me is that there are car afficionadoes, who know exactly what they're seeing and then there people who are less interested in cars, car makes, design, engine size, cubic feet displacement. Were either Craft or Smith known to be an auto enthusiast or work at a dealership or auto repair shop? We need to know if a job or hobby makes one man a more credible witness of the vehicle that was seen than the other.

In the above portions of the time line, Linda Lou Roberts switches from seeing a middle aged, husky built man to an elderly, husky built man. I seriously doubt she saw a middle aged man one day, and an elderly man two days later driving a car with the same description as the first one she saw. She also describes the car as a 2 door sedan. This is incorrect. 2 doors are coupes. 4doors are sedans. I would venture to say, she doesn't know cars all that well.

Her reports indicate an unknown male was cruising the area and watching and following young girls. This is how serial killers behave. They cruise an area looking for potential victims.

Where is the witness statement for Nancy Moseley? Was one taken? Surely if LE said both girls witnessed the male circling them, they would've gotten a statement from both girls.

On another note, would Linda Lou have known DB on sight or have known him personally or from school? Is she still living? If so, it would be great to hear from her own lips which she saw, a middle aged man or an elderly man. The reason we need to hear it from her is that her account could have been changed deliberately by someone other than herself if you KWIM.

 

[justthinkin]

http://www.classicbowtie.com/1955-1957 American Exterior Colors & Paint Codes.htm

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford...temZ110437719795QQcategoryZ6230QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford...temZ230381362875QQcategoryZ6230QQcmdZViewItem

The top link is to the available 2 tone colors for 1955 and 1956 Chevrolets.
Unfortunately I do not see a similar listing giving colors for Fords of the same years, darn it.

The second and third links are to individual cars, a 1955 Ford and a 1956 Ford.
Each is a strange pinkish beige and white 2 tone vehicle. From these pictures it's easy to see how one man could see a pink and white car and the other a beige and white car.

 

[justthinkin]

I have a question. Was there more than one potash mine, and did it or they operate 24 hours a day with workers coming on in shifts?

 

[Legacy]

From Hurricane's Time line: Time unknown, Wed. Aug. 9th. Nancy Mosley and Linda Lou Roberts witnessed a light colored 1956 Chevrolet pass by slowly three or four times as they walked down Church St. toward the beach. She described the driver as middle aged, husky with dark hair.

Fri. Aug. 11th. 6:00 – 6:30 p.m. Linda Lou Roberts witnessed an elderly man in a 1956 Chevrolet drive passed her house at 303 E. Church and stared. He wore a white tee shirt and had dark hair. He appeared to be husky with broad shoulders.

Fri. Aug. 11th. 9:00 p.m. Linda Lou Roberts witnessed the two girls walking west past her house at 303 E. Church St. Roberts stated that an elderly man in a 1956 Chevrolet, light colored (possibly cream colored) 2-dr. sedan with NM plates drove passed her house about 3 times, each time slowing down to watch the girls sitting in the front yard.

5:30 a.m. Aug 12th. Bill Smith driving back by the Artesia highway area sees a 1955 Chev. (pink over white) parked on Sitting Bull Falls Rd. with someone sleeping inside. LE believes that the colors may be somewhat off but that it is likely the same car that A.W. Craft saw that morning.

note: I doubt that Bill Smith could really confirm the color of the car he saw at that time of morning.


8:30 a.m. Aug. 12th. A.W. Craft drives back by the Artesia highway area and sees a 1955 Ford (light color two-tone cream).

9:30 a.m. Aug 13th. Willie Dee Blair and Bill Melton leave to go fishing. Melton is driving a 1956 Ford.


note: One of the things that occurs to me is that there are car afficionadoes, who know exactly what they're seeing and then there people who are less interested in cars, car makes, design, engine size, cubic feet displacement. Were either Craft or Smith known to be an auto enthusiast or work at a dealership or auto repair shop? We need to know if a job or hobby makes one man a more credible witness of the vehicle that was seen than the other.

In the above portions of the time line, Linda Lou Roberts switches from seeing a middle aged, husky built man to an elderly, husky built man. I seriously doubt she saw a middle aged man one day, and an elderly man two days later driving a car with the same description as the first one she saw. She also describes the car as a 2 door sedan. This is incorrect. 2 doors are coupes. 4doors are sedans. I would venture to say, she doesn't know cars all that well.

Her reports indicate an unknown male was cruising the area and watching and following young girls. This is how serial killers behave. They cruise an area looking for potential victims.

Where is the witness statement for Nancy Moseley? Was one taken? Surely if LE said both girls witnessed the male circling them, they would've gotten a statement from both girls.

On another note, would Linda Lou have known DB on sight or have known him personally or from school? Is she still living? If so, it would be great to hear from her own lips which she saw, a middle aged man or an elderly man. The reason we need to hear it from her is that her account could have been changed deliberately by someone other than herself if you KWIM.

Good points, justthinkin. Could it be that the stalker disguised himself on different days and times through the use of a wig (toupee), glasses, facial hair, change of clothing, etc. to throw the investigation off and to make himself appear younger (and possibly safer, more attractive, etc.) to his would be victims until he could get them under his control? If he lurked under the shadows of night, from within a car, and in the shadows of buildings and out of the spotlight, a disguise is not out of the question.

I can visualize someone capable of inflicting this type of torture and pain on young, helpless victims as having a whole duffel bag, briefcase, car trunk, etc. of "tools of the trade." If no workable male DNA is found elsewhere, the fingernail scrapings are of utmost importance. Perhaps this was not about sex, but about fear, control, torture and murder - a different kind of release for the killer. Any of the girls' injuries could have been inflicted with a savvy killer's arsenal of torture/murder weapons. This was a very evil, sick individual indeed.

I'm most anxious to get more information from the Nichols family...I've also wondered if Nichols possibly had access to his daughter's, grandson's, etc. vehicles while he was in town. Also, I'm wondering how they can be sure the '53 vehicle would be the one he was driving at this time. I imagine he would have owned several vehicles throughout his lifetime. I'm sure they can clarify this and other questions we all have.

Above: "an elderly man wearing a white tee shirt...." worth noting - again.

 

[Legacy]

Proudsolver - from the Estrada investigation, page 9 - "Mr. Bunnell when asked if the girls sounded frightened at the time the contact was made stated that they didn't sound to be frightened." This means they knew the person in the car or at least were comfortable and there was no struggle.

After reading Post #134 relating to the actual police interview with Bunnell, I'm not so convinced of the accuracy of interpretation and/or completeness of Estrada's summary with respect to this crucial lead, or that the girls knew their abductor. The police interview paints another picture entirely. It could even be construed that they were ambushed by a person unknown to them...someone with something in his hand who "escorted" them to the car and hurriedly whisked them away.

This is just my opinion - and I certainly respect yours as well.

 

[Carlsbad Native]

I have a question. Was there more than one potash mine, and did it or they operate 24 hours a day with workers coming on in shifts?

Back then there were about 5 or 6 potash mines in Eddy County that worked 24/7. The mines were from 18 miles to about 70 miles from Carlsbad and some had a bus service. Back in the 50's and 60's in a school classroom of 30 kids, 90% of the dads worked at the mines, and 5% of the moms worked out there. There seemed to be a hierarchy of miner's kids to say where there dad worked (some kids were prouder to say, "My dad works at IMCC," and some one else would say, "so what, My dad used to --but now he works at PCA and he gets to go to Canada a lot.")

Since PCA and other mines had projects in Canada at the same time.

Some of the mine's names back then were Potash Company of America, International Mineral and Chemical Company, Duval, Southwest Potash, Borax...I can't remember the other names. Someone help me here

 

[justthinkin]

Good points, justthinkin. Could it be that the stalker disguised himself on different days and times through the use of a wig (toupee), glasses, facial hair, change of clothing, etc. to throw the investigation off and to make himself appear younger (and possibly safer, more attractive, etc.) to his would be victims until he could get them under his control? If he lurked under the shadows of night, from within a car, and in the shadows of buildings and out of the spotlight, a disguise is not out of the question.

I can visualize someone capable of inflicting this type of torture and pain on young, helpless victims as having a whole duffel bag, briefcase, car trunk, etc. of "tools of the trade." If no workable male DNA is found elsewhere, the fingernail scrapings are of utmost importance. Perhaps this was not about sex, but about fear, control, torture and murder - a different kind of release for the killer. Any of the girls' injuries could have been inflicted with a savvy killer's arsenal of torture/murder weapons. This was a very evil, sick individual indeed.

I'm most anxious to get more information from the Nichols family...I've also wondered if Nichols possibly had access to his daughter's, grandson's, etc. vehicles while he was in town. Also, I'm wondering how they can be sure the '53 vehicle would be the one he was driving at this time. I imagine he would have owned several vehicles throughout his lifetime. I'm sure they can clarify this and other questions we all have.

Above: "an elderly man wearing a white tee shirt...." worth noting - again.

Oh, I think this was definitely about sex, a sexual perversion driven by sexual fantasy. I just don't know what to make of Linda Lou's sightings. I don't think a man Nichols age could make himself look that much younger. Young teen girls would still have seen him as a dirty old man regardless what he did to disguise himself. Personally I tend to think the murderer was younger, 28-45.

 

[Sunshine 1950]

Good points, justthinkin. Could it be that the stalker disguised himself on different days and times through the use of a wig (toupee), glasses, facial hair, change of clothing, etc. to throw the investigation off and to make himself appear younger (and possibly safer, more attractive, etc.) to his would be victims until he could get them under his control? If he lurked under the shadows of night, from within a car, and in the shadows of buildings and out of the spotlight, a disguise is not out of the question.

I can visualize someone capable of inflicting this type of torture and pain on young, helpless victims as having a whole duffel bag, briefcase, car trunk, etc. of "tools of the trade." If no workable male DNA is found elsewhere, the fingernail scrapings are of utmost importance. Perhaps this was not about sex, but about fear, control, torture and murder - a different kind of release for the killer. Any of the girls' injuries could have been inflicted with a savvy killer's arsenal of torture/murder weapons. This was a very evil, sick individual indeed.

I'm most anxious to get more information from the Nichols family...I've also wondered if Nichols possibly had access to his daughter's, grandson's, etc. vehicles while he was in town. Also, I'm wondering how they can be sure the '53 vehicle would be the one he was driving at this time. I imagine he would have owned several vehicles throughout his lifetime. I'm sure they can clarify this and other questions we all have.

Above: "an elderly man wearing a white tee shirt...." worth noting - again.

When I talked with Gay Nell earlier...she did say Nichols wore white Tee Shirts most of the time and he did appear younger than his age.
Still haven't been able to get hold of her...but I will try later .....

 

[justthinkin]

Back then there were about 5 or 6 potash mines in Eddy County that worked 24/7. The mines were from 18 miles to about 70 miles from Carlsbad and some had a bus service. Back in the 50's and 60's in a school classroom of 30 kids, 90% of the dads worked at the mines, and 5% of the moms worked out there. There seemed to be a hierarchy of miner's kids to say where there dad worked (some kids were prouder to say, "My dad works at IMCC," and some one else would say, "so what, My dad used to --but now he works at PCA and he gets to go to Canada a lot.")

Since PCA and other mines had projects in Canada at the same time.

Some of the mine's names back then were Potash Company of America, International Mineral and Chemical Company, Duval, Southwest Potash, Borax...I can't remember the other names. Someone help me here

That WDB was not at work on Thursday or Friday, the day of the murders was what prompted my question. I sure wish we had some of these people's work schedules at the time of the murders.

Thanks for your answer, Carlsbad Native.

 

[justthinkin]

When I talked with Gay Nell earlier...she did say Nichols wore white Tee Shirts most of the time and he did appear younger than his age.
Still haven't been able to get hold of her...but I will try later .....

An elderly man wearing a T-shirt at that time would've been very unusual, and I would venture to say by doing so he was trying to make himself appear younger.

 

[Bobbi]

Wasn't Nichols the guy that had "scratches on his face"? Would fingernail scrapings still be in evidence today or were they "compromised by mice" as LE stated about some of the evidence? I do agree with *Legacy* that a devious killer could certainly disguise their appearance, it happens all the time.
I found a 1955 Ford color sample page of all the colors available that year but can't get it on here to display, I'll try again.

 

[justthinkin]

Legacy, I don't want to double quote you from the last post you made on Nichols, but if I were a teen girl, and saw some older creep following me and my girlfriends, then saw him a second day, I think I'd remember him well enough to know it was the same man and well enough to know he was in a disguise the second go round. At which point, I would call the police and alert them to his presence.
Surely she had to connect both her sightings to the same man since she described him as husky, and driving the same type of car both times.

 

[Legacy]

Wasn't Nichols the guy that had "scratches on his face"? Would fingernail scrapings still be in evidence today or were they "compromised by mice" as LE stated about some of the evidence? I do agree with *Legacy* that a devious killer could certainly disguise their appearance, it happens all the time.
I found a 1955 Ford color sample page of all the colors available that year but can't get it on here to display, I'll try again.

Yes. Nichols was reported by his family to have had scratches on his face. I'm hoping the "slides" mentioned in evidence were evidence slides and that the scrapings were preserved between panes of glass. I don't know how they collected this type of evidence back then. Without DNA things were so much more unsophisticated...but as sophisticated as things are now, perhaps there are still viable clues contained on the clothing and slides.

 

[justthinkin]

Here is a brief excerpt from Wikipedia concerning the use of a doll and Dennis Rader, the BTK killer.

"In December 2004, Wichita police received another package from the BTK killer. This time the package was found in Wichita's Murdock Park. It contained the driver's license of Nancy Fox, which was noted as stolen from the crime scene, as well as a doll that was symbolically bound at the hands and feet with a plastic bag tied over its head. In January 2005, Rader attempted to leave a cereal box in the bed of a pickup truck at a Home Depot in Wichita, but the box was at first discarded by the owner. It was later retrieved from the trash after Rader himself asked what had become of it in a later message. Surveillance tape of the parking lot from that date revealed a distant figure driving a black Jeep Cherokee leaving the box in the pickup. In February, more postcards were sent to KAKE, and another cereal box left at a rural location that contained another bound doll, apparently meant to symbolize the murder of 11-year-old Josephine Otero."

I found this interesting because of the doll that was found prior to the Mattie and Patty murders even though LE determined the doll and the murders weren't connected. Still, I think it's something to just keep in the back of our minds as we pursue this case.

 

[Legacy]

Legacy, I don't want to double quote you from the last post you made on Nichols, but if I were a teen girl, and saw some older creep following me and my girlfriends, then saw him a second day, I think I'd remember him well enough to know it was the same man and well enough to know he was in a disguise the second go round. At which point, I would call the police and alert them to his presence.
Surely she had to connect both her sightings to the same man since she described him as husky, and driving the same type of car both times.

You're probably right. I just picture the early 1960's as being a much more innocent time in our history. Were children even warned about strangers as much as they are today? I know children were allowed more flexibility in where they went and what they did. Ah, the good ole days, when children were allowed to play outside all day, check in periodically, and be home by dark. Boy, have times changed...

 

[Legacy]

I've taken excerpts from an article I read online. I'm impressed with Stahlman's closing statement and hope that Eddy County will follow suit with an investigation.


Thirty-three-year-old fingernail scrapings helped Portland Police Bureau Cold Case Unit detectives find the person who killed an 80-year-old Southeast Portland grandmother in March 1976, one of the oldest murders solved through DNA evidence by the Oregon State Police Crime Lab.

Detectives said Tuesday that a 49-year-old convicted killer, Edward Delon Warren, who died in 2003, was most likely the person who brutally beat Rosa Cinnamon and then strangled her to death sometime between 8 p.m. March 24, 1976, and 9:20 a.m. March 25, 1976.

Scrapings taken from Cinnamon’s fingernails during her autopsy were persevered in paper bags and sent more than a year ago to the Oregon State Police Crime Lab in Clackamas, where technician Heather Feamon analyzed the samples and hit a match.

His DNA sample had been taken in 1999 under a new state law requiring felons to submit samples to check against past cases.

“I always knew someday we would find out who did this,” said Lorrie Cinnamon, who was 16 when her grandmother died.

“It’s always been up in the air,” said Robert Cinnamon, Lorrie’s brother who was 15 in 1976. “I’m just amazed that the detectives back then had the foresight to save evidence like fingernail scrapings so that someday technology might be able to solve the crime.”

Rosa Cinnamon’s unsolved murder ended up with about 300 other cases handled by the bureau’s Cold Case Unit. A $300,000 federal grant helped fund formation of the unit in September 2004, with three full-time detectives and eight retired detectives.

Stahlman retired from the police bureau in 2003 to play five-string banjo, but returned to work 20 hours a week on cold cases. He picked up the Cinnamon case and traced the evidence back with the help of a DNA profile gathered in January 2008 by the Oregon State Police Crime Lab.

Stahlman said he was happy to wrap up the case, especially for the family’s peace of mind. Someone from the Cinnamon family had kept in touch with Portland detectives for three decades, making certain the case didn’t fade away, he said.

“I think it’s important that we do this to give some last measure of dignity and respect to the victims,” Stahlman said.

 

[justthinkin]

Legacy, oh yes, we were warned, and I can remember several instances of announcements over the loud speakers at school in regards to someone suspiciously cruising the school grounds.

We were coached to not talk to strangers. Granted we didn't have near the idea back then of just how many predators were running around, but I know I was made aware of such things.

There were no computers so most of us of that era spent more time outside on bicycles or walking to friends houses. You don't see kids on bicycles these days. They're all holed up in their houses on computers.

 

[Legacy]

Legacy, oh yes, we were warned, and I can remember several instances of announcements over the loud speakers at school in regards to someone suspiciously cruising the school grounds.

We were coached to not talk to strangers. Granted we didn't have near the idea back then of just how many predators were running around, but I know I was made aware of such things.

There were no computers so most of us of that era spent more time outside on bicycles or walking to friends houses. You don't see kids on bicycles these days. They're all holed up in their houses on computers.

I remember being warned, but I never attended a "Stranger Danger" or some of the other presentations in existence today through school, and there was more of an innocence about those things than there is today - more of an overall sense of trust that has been lost over the years and with each generation - and with each child abduction and murder. I was allowed to walk or ride bikes several blocks from home to the swimming pool, skating rink, etc., as long as I was accompanied by someone. We were always taught there was safety in numbers. That is what is so tragic about this case. The girls were walking home together and were only two blocks from home. As the newspapers and others have said, much of Carlsbad's innocence and trust was lost with the murders of Mattie and Patty.

 

[justthinkin]

First, take into account that in the prior year, the elder Blair was arrested for the molestation of 2 ten year old girls, but Hughes provided him with an alibi so charges were dropped. That does not mean he didn't molest the two 10 yr. old girls, just that LE couldn't prove it because he had a ready alibi.

When asked about his whereabouts on the night of the murders, the elder Blair says the Hughes came over around 5:00PM to see if he and his wife wanted to go fishing. It was decided that's what they'd do so they left Blair's house around sundown that evening, drove out to Hardesty's Ranch near Lakewood or in Precinct 4, and fished until 9:00PM. No mention of the Hughes having dinner with them that evening at all.

Now that doesn't make a whole lot of sense because if they left at sundown that's only 30 minutes before dark. Did they even have time just to make the drive out there and back, let alone drop a line in the water? Yet, Mr. Blair notes that they paid Mr. Hardesty $1.00 to cross his land to go to the river.

The foursome then returns to Blair's house where they chat until 10:00PM when the Hughes leave, and the Blairs go to bed. Blair notes "we did not go anywhere." Why does he find it necessary to add that to the end of his statement when he'd already said he and his wife went to bed after the Hugheses left?

I'm not sure how LE caught the elder Blair in his lie, either by checking with the Hughes or Mr. Hardesty, but catch him they did, so Blair provides a new statement because his memory isn't too keen, and he forgot that account of events was what happened on Thursday the 10th. of August, 1961, not the following night of the 11th.

So he says that Friday in question, he worked on his boy's car from 11:00AM to 4:00PM, then HE went over to the Hughes house to ask them if they wanted to go fishing, and it was decided that's what they'd do. I'm not sure how his wife got to the Hughes house or if the two Hugheses and Blair went back to Blair's house to pick her up, but once again they go fishing at sundown, pay Mr. Hardesty $1 to cross his land, and they fish until 9:00PM. I still don't see where they have enough time to make the trip out and back, let alone drop a line in the water. That bunch must be the fastest fishers in the west.

Now on the further adventures of the elder Blair, one of the guys from work , Mr. Melton who has never ever gone fishing or hunting with Blair before that day just happens to pop over Sunday morning at 8:00AM, Aug. 13th. 1961 to ask if the elder Blair wants to go fishing.

I'm curious how it takes the elder Blair an hour and a half to get ready to go fishing when he had just been out fishing, 2 days before, and the day before that. He must scatter his fishing gear all over, and have to go look for it again. Ya know it took him 3 1/2 hours to get ready to fish on Thursday and took the Hughes 3 1/2 hours on Friday of that week to get ready. Seems like they spend one heck of alot more time getting ready than they do of actual fishing.

So here's the scoop. Melton and Blair left Blair's house about 9:30AM, and went north on Artesia Highway. "We turned off before coming to Sitting Bull Falls Road, and went back to a ranch. Bill said it was the Cox Ranch. Cox wasn't home. We went on by his house on down where there were some water holes, and fished and shot turtles until 12 noon." Keep in mind, Blair is 43 yrs. old. Now I can see where that might entertain a couple of 12 yr. old boys for two hours, but 40 something year old men?

And why did he have to say we turned off before coming to Sitting Bull Falls Road? Why wouldn't he have just said we turned onto such and such road? It seems an unnatural progression to me.

"We then went to the fillings station at Sitting Bull Falls Road, and I drank a 7 Up." Now, I'm sure everyone will see the importance of what the elder Blair drank in conjunction with the discovery of the bodies of two young teens. Ok, I'm being facetious. And didn't someone post saying that filling station wasn't even open on Sundays? I believe someone did, so that makes it very interesting how Blair got that 7Up if the station was closed.

"Bill then said he wanted to show me where there was alot of rabbits. We had just one gun, a 22 LR, single shot which was mine." Why the necessity of saying "just one gun"? Does he know something about the murders that we don't know?

"We turned on this road and Bill shot 3 rabbits. Blair never says Bill got out of the car to shoot the rabbits, so was Bill driving and juggling Blair's 22? Or was it Blair that was really doing the shooting as they drove along the road? That would make more sense, but....

"I thought I saw something red on my right and I told Bill to stop. I thought it looked like someone lying down. He backed up and pulled off the road and went out there and I saw the body."

Now here's where things get real interesting. They are still on the cut-off road going north from Sitting Bull Falls Road, and have not yet even entered the pasture to their right when Blair sees a body out in the pasture. Melton has to back the car up to pull off the road and drive out into the pasture.

Now which was it? Did Blair see the body from the road or did he see it after they went out there, meaning out into the pasture? Blair seems to want to have it both ways. That Blair says what he says in the order he says it in gives credence to a statement made by a citizen overhearing a conversation between Melton and a shift foreman at work as reported to detective Estrada when the case was reopened in 2003.

From that statement: "According to this citizen, Mr. Melton had commented that on the day the girls were found was the first time he and Willie Blair ( the other man that found the bodies) had ever been hunting for anything. He stated that Melton had indicated that as they were driving down the road that he remembered that Blair from a good distance from where the girls were had started telling him to look over and that when he did he could not see what Blair was talking about. He stated (citizen) that Melton stated that it wasn't until they were almost up to the bodies that he saw one of the bodies and returned to town to call the police. He (citizen) stated that Mr. Melton had made mention that he felt like Blair knew the bodies were there before they had even gone to the site. "

Blair: "I just saw the one with the red shorts--we did not come to a stop. Bill said there was another body there--but I didn't see it." I believe the elder Blair to be lying to distance himself in the only way that presents itself to him, and that's by saying he only saw the one body which as so happens would've been the fully clothed body of Mattie wearing red shorts. I don't believe for a moment that a man that had been accused of molestation in the prior year could go to a crime scene and would not have seen the naked body of Patty Pritz lying just 50 feet away from that of Mattie Restine's body.

Blair: "We returned to the filling station to phone --but they didn't have a phone. We came on to Carlsbad and stopped at the North Y and called the Carlsbad Police Dept. 4 Officers came by and picked us up and we took them to the scene. We were in Bill's care I believe a 1956 Ford and he drove all the time."

Again, why does Blair find it necessary to say Melton drove the whole time?


I think it was Mr. Blair who called Bill Melton to come fishing with him on the morning of August 13, 196, and not the other way around. I believe Mr. Melton was chosen because he had not been a prior associate of Blair's until that day--ya know, guilt by association or lack of it?

Could it have been that Blair wanted his son out of town because the elder Blair suspected he might not be able to talk himself out of the predicament he was in, and didn't want his son to know about it until he could figure out a way to explain it to his son by way of yet another lie in the event that Blair might be arrested for the crime?

Does anyone know who those two 10 year old girls were that may have been molested by WDB? I guarantee if they were molested, they'd remember it well.

Due to the statements of the accounts of his whereabouts on the night of the murders and in being on the scene at the location of the bodies in discovering them, the lies, the mistatements, things that don't quite add up, I find no better suspect than the elder Blair who wears a size 7 1/2 shoe or boot, the same size footprint left at the scene. I would even go further as to say the murders may have been committed in his son's car, and that's why the son and the car were ushered out of state and into Texas.

Was he just callous enough to have tried to lay the blame on his dead son years later by telling his grandchildren their daddy did a bad thing?