OK OK - Sandy Pathresa Rea, 17, Shawnee, 19 Sept 1984

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I'm on a computer so posting to mark my spot. I just ran across this one and would like to get caught up on it.
 
I'm on a computer so posting to mark my spot. I just ran across this one and would like to get caught up on it.

I think the best source for this case is the red dirt report article by Mindy Wood. Lot's of great stuff in that article! A good example of investigative journalism.
 
This may sound naive, but I watch Cold Justice and I see them solving 20-30+ year cold cases. Is there any way possible someone could contact those detectives?
 
Where's Sandy Rea? Shawnee case still unsolved 34 years later

For years, it was reported that Sandy was last seen at the Shawnee bowling alley on North Harrison Street, but witness statements in later years of the investigation indicated other possible sightings of her at parties.

The case has been assigned to different detectives at the Shawnee Police Department over the past three decades. Hundreds of people have been interviewed as part of the investigation and some people have been interviewed three or four times. Numerous leads have been followed and many places have been searched for a body, yet there’s been no sign of Sandy.

Price, who said the family’s own efforts have uncovered possible scenarios, said the family feels certain they are looking for Sandy’s remains after all these years, but they still need that closure. He said Sandy’s mother, who conducted searches of her own over the years, needs to know what happened to her daughter
 
Oklahoma case remains unsolved 34 years later

The disappearance of Sandy Pathresa Rea 34 years ago is still one of the biggest crime mysteries in the Shawnee area, but a new set of local investigators are putting a fresh set of eyes on the unsolved cold case.

Now, 34 years later, her disappearance still remains a mystery and her whereabouts are unknown, but her family still hasn't given up hope to find her remains to give her a proper burial.
 
Age progression picture added at the Charley Project: Sandy Pathresa Rea – The Charley Project

sandy_pathresa_rea_3.jpg
 
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17 year old Sandy Rae was last seen at the Windsor Bowling Alley in Shawnee Oklahoma around 9:00pm on September 19th, 1984. Sandy called several people from a payphone asking for a ride, but who eventually agreed to pick her up and where they were headed, is still unclear.

Sandy moved out of her family's residence in 1984 and supported herself by working in local restaurants. Sandy and her former boyfriend lived together for a time, but he was physically abusive towards her and she moved in with her girlfriend several weeks before her disappearance. Sandy still saw her ex-boyfriend and they continued to socialize, however. Some believe Sandy’s ex-boyfriend May be involved in her disappearance.

Another theory about her disappearance involves something called suit parties, which are parties where older men lure teenage girls to have sex using promises of alcohol, drugs, or money. A detective investigating her disappearance believes Sandy attended a party the night she disappeared, although he didn’t specify whether he felt this was a normal party or a suit party. He believes other guests at the party may know what happened to her. There is no evidence to support his theory, however. Sandy's case remains unsolved.

Will Oklahoma Teen Sandy Rea's Case Ever Be Solved?
Many theories have persisted over the years. One such theory surrounds what many in Shawnee have called "Suit Parties"; stories of prominent local men exchanging drugs for sex with underage teens. The story goes the girls would congregate in hotel rooms, drink alcohol and take the drugs provided in exchange for performing various sexual acts with the "suits". The rumor is that Sandy may have just known too much.

Where's Sandy Rea? Shawnee case still unsolved 34 years later
On Sept. 19, 1984, the freckled 17-year-old Shawnee teenager made a phone call from the Shawnee bowling alley in hopes of getting a ride to a party. There are many different scenarios about what may have happened to her after that, but her family believes she met a deadly fate.
Now, 34 years later, her disappearance still remains a mystery and her whereabouts are unknown, but her family still hasn’t given up hope to find her remains to give her a proper burial.
.....For years, it was reported that Sandy was last seen at the Shawnee bowling alley on North Harrison Street, but witness statements in later years of the investigation indicated other possible sightings of her at parties.

- Height and Weight: 5'2, 111 pounds

- Clothing/Jewelry Description: A gray cropped shirt with the initials "SH" on the front, pink jogging pants and flip-flops.

- Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Light brown hair, brown eyes. Sandy has facial freckles and she has an appendectomy scar on her abdomen. Her right ear is smaller than her left ear and the top of it turns downward. Sandy was a cigarette smoker in 1984.

Sandy Pathresa Rea – The Charley Project

What Happened to Sandy? Mystery haunts Oklahoma town

Click here to support THE FINDING SANDY REA FUND by Sandy Rea
 
Skeletal remains found right outside of Shawnee in an area known as 'Harjo'. Detectives believe it may solve a missing persons case back from 1988 of Kenneth Lester Spencer. The remains were found about 1/4 of a mile from his house. According to the article, it may take a while to ID the remains. Its a long shot, but any time skeletal remains are found in the greater Shawnee area, I have to check to see if it could be Sandy.

Update: Skeletal remains found in Pott. County may solve 1988 case

These remains are in Namus as UID17861. It's unclear if they are definately not Mr Spencer (and therefore could still be Sandy or another MP) or whether testing is still underway 3.5 years after their March 2017 discovery.
Crossposting here just in case. UID's thread is www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ok-pottawatomie-co-up17861-mar17.547351/
 
Oklahoma's Cold Case Files: What happened to Sandy Rae?

SHAWNEE, Okla. — Sandy Rae disappeared from a bowling alley in September 1984. The 17-year-old Shawnee native is still missing.

It's been four decades, but her family's search for any clue about what happened to her hasn't ended.

Sandy and her younger sister Brandy Winkleman shared a special bond. "She was kind of like a second mom to me."

Today, Winkleman holds on to the simple things her big sister would do, "her sitting there braiding my hair and she used to sing this song 'Delta Dawn' to me all the time."

Her cousin Johnny Price said Sandy caught everyone's attention, "if she walked in a room, you could bet she was smiling."

That smile vanished on September 19, 1984.

Brandy remembers the day, "she left to go to the bowling alley to visit my cousin."

Sandy left the bowling alley and hasn't been seen since. Her mother called Shawnee Police Department, but they chose not to search for her or interview witnesses.

"They had considered her a runaway and um, that she had left on her own accord," Winkleman said.

Price said his cousin would never walk away from her family, "I would bet my life on it that she would never go away and never return."

Winkleman said her childhood ended the day her sister vanished. "That was my childhood, digging and searching through, you know, a lot of this, every creek bed, every bridge."

Now, the Shawnee Police Department is investigating Sandy Rae's disappearance as a cold case. If you have any information, contact them at 405-273-2121.

https://www.kjrh.com/news/oklahomas...as-cold-case-files-what-happened-to-sandy-rae
 
Sandy+Rea+1987.jpg

36 years unsolved: Sandy Rea disappearance still a mystery in Shawnee

Price feels certain someone knows a secret that could end years of wondering and torment for the family and he hopes they eventually decide to do the right thing and share what they know.

Sandy is still listed as missing in the database of The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The latest age progression photograph shows what Sandy might have looked like at the age of 46.6 years unsolved: Sandy Rea disappearance still a mystery in Shawnee

The disappearance of Sandy Rea 36 years ago on Sept. 19, 1984 remains a mystery in the Shawnee community.

The 17-year-old teenager made a phone call from a Shawnee bowling alley on that Wednesday in hopes of getting a ride to a party. Over the decades, there have been many stories shared and theories exchanged about where Sandy went, who she was with and what really happened to her in the hours or even days after that phone call.

Sandy’s disappearance has been an open case for the Shawnee Police Department for decades. Last year, new Pottawatomie County District Attorney Allan Grubb said the disappearance of Sandy Rea has troubled him and many citizens in the community, as his office pledged an investigator with a fresh set of eyes would also look at the case.

Sandy’s family continues to be steadfast in their quest for answers and they haven’t given up searching on their own. Sandy’s cousin, Johnny Price, made a vow eight years ago that he would find Sandy and he intends to keep that promise to his family, no matter how long it takes.

“I’m not going to give up — I’m not going to stop looking,” he said. “Over the years, we’ve heard so many stories. How can so many people be so adamant about what they saw or what happened? All of these stories can’t be true. The deeper we dig, the more convoluted it gets.”

A police-organized dig for possible remains commenced in Shawnee a few years back, but Price feels there are many more places that could be searched.

“We’ll never know where she’s at until we find out where she’s not,” he said, adding every search, even when unfounded, crosses another possibility off the list.

Inquiries for any updates from investigators on the case were not received by press deadlines.

Anyone with tips or information can contact Shawnee police at 405-273-2122, or contact the district attorney’s office, 405-275-6800.

36 years unsolved: Sandy Rea disappearance still a mystery in Shawnee

News-Star Staff Reports
Price feels certain someone knows a secret that could end years of wondering and torment for the family and he hopes they eventually decide to do the right thing and share what they know.

Sandy is still listed as missing in the database of The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The latest age progression photograph shows what Sandy might have looked like at the age of 46.6 years unsolved:
Sandy Rea — Oklahoma Cold Cases
 
I don't think the ex-boyfriend had anything to do with her disappearance... perhaps the unknown man was the kidnapper... it may be that he offered her cigarettes or a party with alcohol... but I don't think there is an end to this story...
rest in peace
 


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Sandy, circa 1984; Age-progression at age 46 (circa 2012)
  • Missing Since 09/19/1984
  • Missing From Shawnee, Oklahoma
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Female
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 11/25/1966 (57)
  • Age 17 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'2, 111 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A gray cropped shirt with the initials "SH" on the front, pink jogging pants and flip-flops.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Light brown hair, brown eyes. Sandy has facial freckles and she has an appendectomy scar on her abdomen. Her right ear is smaller than her left ear and the top of it turns downward. Sandy was a cigarette smoker in 1984.

Details of Disappearance​

Sandy's mother divorced in the early 1980s. Her mother said Sandy took on additional responsibilities afterwards and was considered the "second mother" in their household.

She moved out of her family's residence in 1984 and stayed with a nearby girlfriend's family, and supported herself by working in local restaurants. She returned to her mother's home regularly to visit her younger siblings. Sandy served as president of the Vocational Industrial Club of America (VICA) at her high school.

Sandy planned to walk to a convenience store near Highland Street and Bryan Road to purchase cigarettes on September 19, 1984. A group of her friends passed and gave her a ride to the Windsor Bowling Alley, where Sandy's cousin worked. Her cousin told authorities that she asked him for a ride, but he was unable to leave work at the time.

Sandy's cousin said that she placed several telephone calls from the alley shortly afterwards, asking various people for a ride. She walked away from the business with an unidentified individual at approximately 9:00 p.m. Sandy has never been heard from again.

Several investigators believed Sandy left of her own accord, but her mother disagrees with the theory. Sandy's case remains classified as a non-family abduction by the majority of agencies. Police are investigating the case as an endangered missing person.

One theory about Sandy's disappearance involves her former boyfriend. They lived together for a time, but he was physically abusive towards her. She moved in with her girlfriend several weeks before her disappearance, but still saw the ex-boyfriend. She and the ex-boyfriend continued to socialize, however.

Another theory is that Sandy accidentally died of a drug overdose at a party and her body was disposed of. She did have a reputation as a "party girl" and was known to experiment with marijuana and alcohol.

A third theory involves "Suit Parties" in the Shawnee area, where prominent local men would supposedly exchange drugs and alcohol for sex with underage teenagers in local hotel rooms. There is no hard evidence that Sandy was involved in these events, however, or even that they happened at all.

Several possible witnesses in Sandy's case have died in the years since her disappearance. There have been searches in various places for her body but no evidence was uncovered. Police continue to pursue her case but have not gotten any good leads in years.

A detective investigating her disappearance believes Sandy attended a party on the night she disappeared and that other guests at the party may know what happened to her. There is no evidence to support his theory, however. Sandy's case remains unsolved.
 

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