the_dahlia
Silent but Active Member
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2018
- Messages
- 10
- Reaction score
- 57
I'm not as sure as others on here that she didn't meet with some foul play. I found out about this case recently are for some reason I just can't stop thinking about it. From what I gather, there are three main theories: illicit affair (resulting in pregnancy), some form of abuse at home or Beverly being gay. I'm kind of thinking out loud here, but to me the key questions that need breaking down are this -
1. Was Beverly really intending to get married that day? The alleged marriage links to the illicit affair theory. To me it seems very unlikely that she did actually end up getting married (if she did it was under an assumed name - why?) because there was no male counterparts who dissapeared from the neighbourhood at the same time. But the important thing is her intent. I'm wondering what clothes did she pack. Did she take her best suit or dress with her? That would support her intent on getting married. Another point is her message was in the past tense, "got married". Unless she had literally gotten married (as I said, in my opinion unlikely), she either was planning to get married in the immediate future and said that she already had so her parents would think it was too late to stop her, or she was making up the marriage altogether in the hopes that if her parents thought she was with a man who would support her they wouldn't worry/try so hard to find her.
2. What proof actually is there that Beverly sent the telegram herself? I've not seen any statement from anyone at the station who identifed Beverly being the one who sent the telegram. Of course, in those days telegrams were the more instant way of comminucating, but why send one (using some of her precious savings!) at all when she could have just left a note under her pillow or posted a letter. It's not at all out of the question that she did send it, but if we're talking foul play it's very convenient it takes handwriting out of the equation. Also - (and this is probably me REALLY overthinking things) the fact that it was signed "Babe" (a nickname that could be used for either sex) and not "Beverly" means that it could have been sent by a man and not raised any eyebrows signing it in a female name.
3. Was Beverly's mother being honest that she didn't know the reason for the dissapearace? This ties in with the next question. An interesting part of the story is her mother's account of Beverly approaching her the night before wanting to tell her something but changing her mind. This shows Beverly was still undecided fully on whether to leave or not, despite having planned it for at least a week. IMO this whole scenario indicates that there was one specific, impending issue on her mind. In my opinion, this is where the sexuality theory falls flat. As far as we know, no other girl disappeared on the same day and other than elopement, I don't know what issue would have brought the matter of sexuality to such an immediate forefront that she would need to dissapear. Maybe her parents having found out, but that would mean her Mother saying she didn't know why Beverly would run away and Beverly having something to tell her the night before were fictitious. The same goes for if the situation was bad at home. In both those scenarios, all the newspaper ads her family posted were peace offerings that Beverly either ignored or never saw.
4. What reason would Beverly have to cut off her entire family, forever? This is a sixteen year old we're talking about, basically still a child. Things that seem very scary and the end of the world at that age come into perspective as you grow up. If she did have an unplanned pregnancy, is it really believeable she wouldn't reach out after so many years had passed, even just to let them know she was still alive? If she had legitametly eloped and married a man, sure her parents would have been mad, but why wouldn't she reach out after the dust had settled? Her absolute and final disappearance seems very odd to me for a runaway that neither her friends or family had an inkling anything was wrong.
1. Was Beverly really intending to get married that day? The alleged marriage links to the illicit affair theory. To me it seems very unlikely that she did actually end up getting married (if she did it was under an assumed name - why?) because there was no male counterparts who dissapeared from the neighbourhood at the same time. But the important thing is her intent. I'm wondering what clothes did she pack. Did she take her best suit or dress with her? That would support her intent on getting married. Another point is her message was in the past tense, "got married". Unless she had literally gotten married (as I said, in my opinion unlikely), she either was planning to get married in the immediate future and said that she already had so her parents would think it was too late to stop her, or she was making up the marriage altogether in the hopes that if her parents thought she was with a man who would support her they wouldn't worry/try so hard to find her.
2. What proof actually is there that Beverly sent the telegram herself? I've not seen any statement from anyone at the station who identifed Beverly being the one who sent the telegram. Of course, in those days telegrams were the more instant way of comminucating, but why send one (using some of her precious savings!) at all when she could have just left a note under her pillow or posted a letter. It's not at all out of the question that she did send it, but if we're talking foul play it's very convenient it takes handwriting out of the equation. Also - (and this is probably me REALLY overthinking things) the fact that it was signed "Babe" (a nickname that could be used for either sex) and not "Beverly" means that it could have been sent by a man and not raised any eyebrows signing it in a female name.
3. Was Beverly's mother being honest that she didn't know the reason for the dissapearace? This ties in with the next question. An interesting part of the story is her mother's account of Beverly approaching her the night before wanting to tell her something but changing her mind. This shows Beverly was still undecided fully on whether to leave or not, despite having planned it for at least a week. IMO this whole scenario indicates that there was one specific, impending issue on her mind. In my opinion, this is where the sexuality theory falls flat. As far as we know, no other girl disappeared on the same day and other than elopement, I don't know what issue would have brought the matter of sexuality to such an immediate forefront that she would need to dissapear. Maybe her parents having found out, but that would mean her Mother saying she didn't know why Beverly would run away and Beverly having something to tell her the night before were fictitious. The same goes for if the situation was bad at home. In both those scenarios, all the newspaper ads her family posted were peace offerings that Beverly either ignored or never saw.
4. What reason would Beverly have to cut off her entire family, forever? This is a sixteen year old we're talking about, basically still a child. Things that seem very scary and the end of the world at that age come into perspective as you grow up. If she did have an unplanned pregnancy, is it really believeable she wouldn't reach out after so many years had passed, even just to let them know she was still alive? If she had legitametly eloped and married a man, sure her parents would have been mad, but why wouldn't she reach out after the dust had settled? Her absolute and final disappearance seems very odd to me for a runaway that neither her friends or family had an inkling anything was wrong.