1.Fred started work at Vitro 24Apr75. I was told by a reliable source that he did not apply for the job 1Apr75, as reported in many `Papers`. I saw TRM twice, and he appeared to be 50, 6 FT tall, 200 #`s. In reality Fred was 30 yrs. old,5 ft 9 inches tall,155#,s in 1975. How could I have been that far off ? The Police & newspapers suggested he may have altered his appearance(like dying his hair to make himself look older).If you consider the man I saw had flaired pants, & a suit jacket, this could have made him look heavier than he actually was. The TRM I saw was wearing shoes/boots with high heels which would put him at about 6 ft. tall. The composit sketch, age, height & weight were compiled from witness accounts.(could he have fooled everyone including me ?) These differences, would be all he needed to discuise himself, since he was from Bristol,Va., & nobody at Vitro a month later would have recognized him by the witnesses descriptions. Today, 31 yrs. later, I am 80% possitive that theTRM I saw, was none other than Fred Howard Coffey JR.ShurlT said:Hi everyone. I'm new to the forum but have watched the accounts posted here since October of 04 or 05. My heart goes out to the Lyon family as the anniversary date approaches and they will be in my prayers as usual.
I have some questions for Richard or anyone who may know. Also some thoughts have come to mind that I've wondered about for some time.
1. Since Fred Coffey, Jr. was in the area when the composites of TRM were in the newspapers April 1; 2; 4 and 17 and he applied at Vitro on the 1st and started work on the 27th why didn't anyone at Vitro recognize him as the man in the composite?
2. If Coffey was still in the area until supposedly seen transporting the girls somewhere on the 7th why didn't he see the composite and leave the area for good? Could he have been at a motel outside the metropolitan area with the girls?
This is not meant to discredit the possibility that Fred Coffey, Jr could have been TRM. It just seems strange to me that the composite was shown so often in April and he still went to work for Vitro and no one reported his where abouts at the time from either Vitro or a motel, etc. and it makes sense to me that if he was the one who went to MCP claiming responsibility for being the one with the recorder interviewing young girls it would have been to protect the job he had applied for at Vitro. That ploy could have worked very well for him back then but nevertheless he was seen talking to them just prior to their disappearance. MCP must have gotten his name when he talked to them. Wouldn't they have kept an eye on him after that?
3. What's the possibility he might have changed one of the letters on the license plate number that was seen in Manassas, VA by painting over it with black/white paint, i.e. changing a B to D. It wouldn't show up from a distance.
4. If he actually was transporting the girls on the 7th was it because he knew he got the job, had to transfer the girls elsewhere and went back to VA, TN or NC to get the belongings he would need to live and work in the MD area?
What exactly was going on from the time the girls disappeared until Coffey went to work at Vitro?
I'll have to return later.
Thanks.
2. I don`t think Fred feared the composit scetch at all, particularly if his hair was now brown as indicated in his Vitro picture taken in Apr75. I also noted that his hair was brown when he was arrested in 1987. In NC women warned their daughters not to befriend the grey haired stranger, but when the grey haired stanger was arrested, it was non other than Fred who again had brown hair. Fred was known to have stayed at the Holiday Motel on Rt. 355 in Gaithersburg. It is however not known how long he may have stayed there. The Motel was somewhat isolated back then, about 10 or 12 rooms with a lot of construction workers renting at night & working during the day. Fred may have been able to come & go without notice. Also, which 'Fred' showed up at the Motel, the Fred with grey hair, or the Fred with brown hair? Again, from a reliable source, there were possibly 2 TRM`s & the one who claimed responsibility for talking to young girls, had never been to Wheaton Plaza, nor was he Fred Coffey. Fred`s name did not surface until 1987 when he was ch arged with the murder of a 10 yr. old girl. I have tried to answer `2` of your questions, to the best of my ability.