Possible Connections

[Richard]

Eileen Kelly, 18, Unsolved Murder December 1974, Washington DC

Could this case be linked with that of the missing Lyon sisters?

-------------------------------
This Sunday, 14 December 2014, marks 40 years since the abduction and murder of Eileen Kelly.

Eileen Kelly, 18 years old, disappeared on 14 December 1974. Nine days later, on 22 December 1974, her body was found in the 17 block of R Street Northeast, Washington DC.

The Coroner stated that she had been dead between 24 and 36 hours when she was found. This would mean that someone had held her captive for several days prior to her murder.

Eileen's killer has never been identified and the case is unsolved. The case is under investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

If you have any information concerning this case, please call:

Detective James Trainum: 202-727-5037

Or the Metropolitan Police Operations Center at 202-727-9099

or e-mail them at unsolved.murder@dc.gov


Source:
District of Columbia: Metropolitan Police Department

LINKS:

http://mpdc.dc.gov/mpdc/frames.asp?d...pdf&group=1533

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/lo...ington_DC.html

 

[Richard]

Here is another case which could be related to the disappearance of the Lyon Sisters:

-------------------

Teresa Lynn Rhodes, 13, Missing 27 September 1975 from Greensburg, PA

Teresa Lynn Rhodes
Missing since September 27, 1975 from Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Classification: Endangered Missing

Vital Statistics

Date Of Birth: January 15, 1962
Age at Time of Disappearance: 13 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'3"; 120 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Brown hair, long-below shoulders; hazel eyes. Dimple on left cheek.
Marks, Scars: Scar from a dog bite on her upper lip, believed to be on the left side.
Clothing: A red and white jacket and red slacks.
Nickname/AKA: Teri
Dentals: Available
DNA: Available

Circumstances of Disappearance

On Saturday, September 27, 1975, at around 11 a.m., Teri Rhodes, of South Greensburg, left her home to go to a girlfriend's house. At 13, Teri was not yet allowed to date. She never missed dinner time and always, when she left the house, would tell where she was going.

Teri's disappearance was initially viewed as that of a runaway and was treated as such, despite the fact that when she left her home that afternoon, she didn't take her purse or pack a bag and none of her clothes were missing.

Years after Teri disappeared her friend admitted that the two girls had been at a party at a Bell Way house on that Saturday. The friend last saw Teri at about 6:00 PM as the friend was leaving the party.


Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Westmoreland County Detective Bureau

724-830-3286
OR
724-834-2915

Agency Case Number: 05058911/

NamUs MP# 5133

NCMEC Number: NCMC1173371

Source Information

Pennsylvania Missing Persons
NamUs
The Doe Network: Case File 2610DFPA

 

[Richard]

Lorraine Kelly, 16 and Mary Ann Pryor, 17
Abducted and Murdered Ridgefield, NJ 9 August 1974

Here is a case which has some parallels with that of the missing Lyon sisters. These two girls went missing during a trip to a mall. They were abducted and murdered. The case is still unsolved.

------------------------------------------
Murder of Two Teenage Girls Still Haunts Town

It's a crime that many still remember the abduction and murder of two teenaged friends who vanished on a trip to the mall. It was August, 9th 1974 when 17 year old Mary Ann Pryor and her friend, 16 year old Lorraine Kelly were dropped off at a bus stop in Ridgefield, New Jersey.

The two girls from North Bergen, were dropped off by Kelly's boyfriend and were planning to take a bus to the Garden State Plaza Mall. It is not known if they took a bus or had hitchhiked.

On August 14th (1974) in a wooded area behind Rolling Ridge Road in Montvale, New Jersey, they had been beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled.

Pryor was last seen wearing a necklace with a gold cross and bell bottom pants with patches plus a halter top. Kelly was last seen wearing a white short sleeve shirt, brown corduroy pants, as well as tan clogs.

Kelly also had a beaded bracelet and a necklace with the inscription, “Lorraine and Ricky.”

The case is nearly four decades old, but the victim's family and Law Enforcement wants answers and justice.

If you have any information about what happened to these two young woman please contact:

Sergeant Russ Christiana
at 201-226-5677
or you can email him at RChristiana@BCPO.net

Source:

New Jersey's Cold Cases

LINKS:

http://www.ctcoldcases.com/newjersey.html


http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...-Ann-Pryor-murdered-in-Ridgefield-August-1974

 

[Richard]

Monday, 22 December 2014 marks 40 years since Eileen Kelly's body was found in Washington DC. She had been abducted some 9 days earlier, possibly from or near a Metro bus stop. She was held captive for several days prior to being murdered.

The 22nd of December 1974 was the the date of the new moon. It was estimated that Eileen had been killed 24 to 36 hours prior to the discovery of her body. That means that she was killed on the date of the Winter Solstace.

This occurred exactly three months prior to the disappearance of Sheila and Kate Lyon, and not far from where they were last seen.

Eileen Kelly's abduction and murder is still an unsolved, but open case.


LINK:


http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?97069-DC-Eileen-Kelly-18-Washington-DC-December-1974

 

[RichardLewis]

For some geographical perspective on this case and any potential proximal connections that could be involved, Eileen Kelly's parents Patrick F. and Eileen L. moved from Greenbelt, MD in 1962 to 5602 37th Avenue in Hyattsville where they lived in 1974 and until the 1990s. This is in general proximity to several W family households including those of LLW2 and RAW1, as well as other related families by their marriage to the W sisters of RAW. Probability would indicate that the Kelly's likely would have crossed paths at some point over time with members of the W families. The significance of that, if any, is undetermined.

The Kelly's attended church at St. Jerome's located at 5207 42nd Place in Hyattsville. It has been stated that RAW1 lived at 5229 42nd Place (aka the Willoughby place) at the corner of 42nd Place and Jefferson Street, literally about 500 feet from St Jerome's. The significance of that, if any, is also undetermined. Is it possible that any members of the W families may have also attended the same church as the Kelly's?

I do not know what the bus route Eileen Kelly would have taken back in 1974 was (LE probably does know), however at this time there are 5 Metro bus stops on Jefferson Street, as Jefferson is a main connector between Rt.1 and Queens Chapel Road. For reference, both Queens Chapel Road (Michigan Ave from DC becomes Queens Chapel Rd. at the DC / MD line) and Rt. 1 are main arteries coming out of DC. Several of these bus stops on Jefferson are within clear eyesight of where RAW1 once lived at 5229 42nd Place and the corner of Jefferson Street.

 

[Richard]

Good observations and points, RichardLewis. According to a co worker of Eileen who posted on her Cold Case thread here, Eileen left work a bit early the day she disappeared. It was stated in the case summary that someone believed that she was seen on a bus shortly afterward.

Mass transit was the normal mode of travel for Lloyd Welch around that time (besides walking and hitch hiking), so it is possible that he may have been on the same bus, but that has not been established as fact. Interesting, however that she lived so close to the Welch clan in Hyattsville, MD. It is very likely that one of the Welchs knew her by sight, if not more closely.

Eileen was only 18 years old. She had just graduated from High School that year.

One problem with linking this case to that of the Lyon Sisters or Kathy Lynn Beatty is that it is under a different jurisdiction. Eileen Kelly was last seen alive in Washington DC and then nine days later, her body was found in Washington DC. Therefor it is a Washington DC Metropolitan Police case.

Eileen lived in Maryland, and it would make more sense that she was headed home rather than to somewhere in DC on the bus after leaving work. Since she lived in Hyattsville, MD it would be a Prince Georges County case if her imprisonment or murder occurred there.

 

[Richard]

Eileen Marie Kelly
Birth: Jul. 7, 1956 Death: Dec. 22, 1974

There is a photo of Eileen Kelly at the below link.

LINK:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=97820740

 

[Richard]

Eileen Kelly case and Lyon case similarities...

Eileen Kelly actually went missing on Friday, 13 December 1974 after leaving work at the Department of Justice in Washington DC (as opposed to 14 December as stated in several places). She was supposed to meet her father at a bus stop near her Hyattsville, MD home and then go with him to look at new cars.

Eileen was petite, blonde haired and blue eyed (like the Lyon sisters) and only 18 years old. Also like the Lyon sisters, she was of the Roman Catholic faith.

Her body was found on 22 December 1974, 9 days after she went missing. It was determined that she had been kept alive somewhere and killed by strangulation only 24 to 36 hours before her body was found. The place where she was found was inside the Washington DC boundaries but not far from Hyattsville, Prince Georges County, MD. She was found near the Catholic Cemetery, Mt. Olivet.

The case began as a missing person case in the jurisdiction of Prince Georges County, but when her body was found in DC, the case was transferred to Washington Metropolitan Police as a murder investigation. It has been an open and active case since.

Note that this occurred in the days prior to Christmas 1974. The Lyon Sisters went missing only five days before Easter 1975.

Note also that Lloyd Lee Welch, Jr.'s 18th birthday also occurred in December of 1974. Since he and Eileen were the same age and from the same town, he might have known her from school, church, or community events.

Recent investigation by MCP would possibly indicate the they Lyon sisters were abducted and kept alive for a time before being transferred and possibly murdered. Both currently named Persons of Interest resided in Hyattsville, MD at the time.

Could these cases be connected?

 

[Richard]

Cemetery connection?


Note that Eileen Kelly's body was found very close to Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery, Wash DC.

Kathy Lynn Beatty was found (barely alive but left for dead) in a trash strewn field across the road from Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery, Aspen Hill, MD - where Eileen Kelly was buried.

MCP has been searching for the Lyon sisters in and around a cemetery in Thaxton, VA.

 

[RichardLewis]

William Joseph Parker went by his middle name: Joe Parker. He was about 6 feet tall and weighed about 200 pounds. There are some descriptions of him and even sketches in the links in the Elizabeth Archard thread. He drove an early 1970's car in 1978.

Unfortunately, the Maryland prison locator does not have much on him, but photos of him would be in their records and in the Prince Georges County Police files. It would be nice to know where he lived in 1975 and whether or not he had any connection to Welch or other possible suspects.

Name: Parker, William Joseph
Date of Birth: 1/16/1951
Department of Corrections ID Number: 151132

Holding Facility:
Maryland Correctional Training Center
Address: 18800 Roxbury Rd., Hagerstown, MD 21746

Here is a picture of William Joseph Parker outside the courthouse during his trial. I would like to know more about his family lineage and what he was doing the few years prior to his arrest for the murder of Elizabeth Archard.

 

[Richard]

Here is a picture of William Joseph Parker outside the courthouse during his trial. I would like to know more about his family lineage and what he was doing the few years prior to his arrest for the murder of Elizabeth Archard.View attachment 66702

Parker would have been 24 years old when the Lyon sisters went missing. I don't have any geneological info on him.

Here is a news article about him:

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1997-05-23/news/1997143071_1_parker-sneer-sentence

 

[Richard]

Side by Side.....

By looking at the two below linked websites, you can do a "side by side" comparison between the sketches of the Tape Recorder Man made in March 1975 and a more recent photo of Convicted child molester/murderer Fred Howard Coffey. (May have to load into your browser rather than just clicking on the links.)

While no such comparison is in any way positive identification or evidence, much has been made by MCP and the FBI about a similar "side by side" of Lloyd Welch and a recently released composite sketch of a Long Haired Man.

LINK to Photo at inmate locator site of Fred H. Coffey:

http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/opi...turl=pagelistoffendersearchresults&listpage=1

LINK showing TRM sketches:

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/65dfmd.html

 

[Richard]

Could this case be linked in some way? Note that Nancy disappeared two years after the Lyon Sisters did and from the same county. She too is still mising.

While the case summary mentions that she was affiliated with a cult which was planning a trip to Florida, note that all of her packed belongings were left behind, indicating possibly that she was abducted by someone outside that group while still in Maryland.

------------------------------------

Nancy Lynn Jason, 18, Missing 20 July1977 from Montgomery County, MD


Nancy Lynn Jason
Missing Since: July 20, 1977
Location Last Seen: Chevy Chase, Montogomery County, Maryland

Physical Description

Date of Birth: September 9, 1958
Age at Time of Disappearance: 18
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height at Time of Disappearance: 5'7
Weight at Time of Disappearance: 124 lbs
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Alias(s) / Nickname(s): Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Nancy has Epilepsy and A Neg Bloodtype
Dentals: Not available
Fingerprints: Not available
DNA: Available Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance

Nancy was known to be involved with the Divine Light Mission, the Guru Maharaj Ji, was the Cult Leader originally from India. Little is known about her disappearance. One of Nancy's hobbies was jewelry making. Nancy was reported to be off her medications for epilepsy.

Nancy was reported living in a house located in Bethesda, Maryland with other cult members. Information was gained that Nancy may have traveled to Florida with other cult members to hear Guru Maharaj Ji.

Nancy was last seen at her residence in Bethesda, MD on 07/20/1977 when she picked up some medication at her residence. Nancy was affiliated with the Divine Light Mission and was planning a trip to Florida to attend a meeting of that group.

She had laid out clothes, money, and a camera for this trip, but these items were left behind at the residence.

Jason was known to travel via hitchhiking Investigating

Agency(s)

If you have any information about this case please contact;

Agency Name: Montgomery County Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Detective Brian Stafford
Agency Phone Number: 240-773-5086 (8477) Anonymous Crime Tip Line

E-Mail mailto:Brian.Stafford@montgomerycountymd.gov

Agency Case Number: B735487
NCIC Case Number: M402395221
NamUs Case Number: MP #13877

Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

Information Source(s)
Family of Nancy Jason
NamUs
The Doe Network: Nancy Lynn Jason - 3142DFMD

LINK:

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/3142dfmd.html

 

[Motherof5]

I still think that this case is related.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...isappearance/2012/06/13/gJQAz6z1aV_story.html

 

[simplifymylife2014]

I still think that this case is related.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...isappearance/2012/06/13/gJQAz6z1aV_story.html

Thank you for sharing this information.
This case also shows me how we SHOULD NEVER GIVE
UP HOPE that AT LEAST ONE of the girls MAY BE ALIVE!!

The article says it's a "fresh wound" when it is discovered
a victim is identified and confirmed by DNA.

 

[Richard]

Cynthia Gastelle, Abducted and murdered 1980, Identified 2010, Montgomery County, MD.

I still think that this case is related.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...isappearance/2012/06/13/gJQAz6z1aV_story.html

From above link:

quote ... Cynthia stood 5-foot-1 and weighed about 90 pounds.

Detectives said they want to speak with Cynthia Gastelle’s former boyfriend, a man who was called Mike or Michael and who was a part-time student in his late teens or early 20s at the time of her disappearance. Police said they are unsure of his full name, but they showed a photo of him in which he has long, curly hair, lambchop sideburns, a goatee and mustache. They emphasized that he is not a suspect in the case.

Cynthia, who had recently received a general equivalency diploma from Montgomery Blair High School and a cosmetology certificate, left home about 10:30 that April morning in 1980 and boarded a Ride On bus to Silver Spring, Peter Gastelle said. There were no hints that she was in trouble before she vanished, relatives said.


Takoma Park police interviewed relatives and friends and checked records in the days and weeks that followed, but no sign of Cynthia turned up. In 2001, her DNA was entered in a national database, and police have periodically asked the public for help with the case.

Police said it is unclear how she ended up in Prince William, about 45 miles from her home. “We don’t see any connection between Cynthia Gastelle and Northern Virginia,” said Detective Brian Cody of the Prince William police. ... unqoute.

Cynthia's case has been mentioned in the past as a possible connected case with the disappearance of the Lyon Sisters. There are some similarities or coincidental elements as those included in the above quoted excerpt.

Interesting that a long haired young man named Michael or Mike was a person of interest being sought. Could this have been the same "Long Haired Man" mentioned in recent MCP press releases? Could it have been Lloyd "Michael" Welch?

Note that she was last seen or beleived to have been traveling on a city bus. This is very similar to the December 1974 disappearance of Eileen Kelly, who was also found murdered.

Silver Spring is in Montgomery County, Maryland and very close to both Hyattsville and Wheaton. And note that her remains turned up 45 miles away in Northern Virginia.

 

[RichardLewis]

Here's a picture of the supposed "Michael". Strange that the Gastelle family would not know his full name or anything else about him. Very conspicuous that this guy has apparently never been heard from after her disappearance? An innocent person who was not involved in the disappearance should want to clear their name and assist LE in finding her killer. Apparently not this guy...

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...ssing-maryland-teen-identified-after-32-years

From above link:

quote ... Cynthia stood 5-foot-1 and weighed about 90 pounds.

Detectives said they want to speak with Cynthia Gastelle’s former boyfriend, a man who was called Mike or Michael and who was a part-time student in his late teens or early 20s at the time of her disappearance. Police said they are unsure of his full name, but they showed a photo of him in which he has long, curly hair, lambchop sideburns, a goatee and mustache. They emphasized that he is not a suspect in the case.

Cynthia, who had recently received a general equivalency diploma from Montgomery Blair High School and a cosmetology certificate, left home about 10:30 that April morning in 1980 and boarded a Ride On bus to Silver Spring, Peter Gastelle said. There were no hints that she was in trouble before she vanished, relatives said.


Takoma Park police interviewed relatives and friends and checked records in the days and weeks that followed, but no sign of Cynthia turned up. In 2001, her DNA was entered in a national database, and police have periodically asked the public for help with the case.

Police said it is unclear how she ended up in Prince William, about 45 miles from her home. “We don’t see any connection between Cynthia Gastelle and Northern Virginia,” said Detective Brian Cody of the Prince William police. ... unqoute.

Cynthia's case has been mentioned in the past as a possible connected case with the disappearance of the Lyon Sisters. There are some similarities or coincidental elements as those included in the above quoted excerpt.

Interesting that a long haired young man named Michael or Mike was a person of interest being sought. Could this have been the same "Long Haired Man" mentioned in recent MCP press releases? Could it have been Lloyd "Michael" Welch?

Note that she was last seen or beleived to have been traveling on a city bus. This is very similar to the December 1974 disappearance of Eileen Kelly, who was also found murdered.

Silver Spring is in Montgomery County, Maryland and very close to both Hyattsville and Wheaton. And note that her remains turned up 45 miles away in Northern Virginia.

 

[Richard]

Here's a picture of the supposed "Michael". Strange that the Gastelle family would not know his full name or anything else about him. Very conspicuous that this guy has apparently never been heard from after her disappearance? An innocent person who was not involved in the disappearance should want to clear their name and assist LE in finding her killer. Apparently not this guy...

I agree with your observations. It is indeed strange that the parents had a photo of the guy, and yet did not know his full name or much about him. And also very interesting that he seems to have disappeared at the same time she did and has never come forward.

Not known when the photo was taken. Also, I wonder - considering the little known about the boyfriend - if it is an actual photo of him, or possibly a photo of someone who was misidentified as the boyfriend because of a resemblance.
Note that Lloyd Lee Welch, Jr. did go by the name "Michael" or "Mike". It might be interesting to do a "side-by-side" comparison between this photo and the 1977 mugshot of Lloyd Welch.

 

[RichardLewis]

Side by Side of LLW2 and the mystery "Michael". It would be cool if the science / technology had evolved where LE could do facial recognition on "Michael" and find out who he is that way. The long, hard way would be look for every "20 something" Michael in the Takoma Park area in 1980 via whatever available records. A needle in a haystack. Somebody should know this guy, if that is truly the "Michael" in question.

 

[Fukiyama]

That doesn't reach out and grab me at all. The nose really doesn't do anything for me and if you look hard at "Michael's" eye behind his sunglasses, it looks like it is hooded, not at all like LW's.