The Springfield Three--missing since June 1992 - #4

[kemo]

I was reviewing a few things about this case I hadn't thought about in a while and something interesting occurred to me. It has been my understanding that Suzie was supposed to testify in court against the "grave robbers soon after the "disappearances". On 10/18/09, Indianagirl posted a copy of a July 1992 Kansas City Star article that mentioned that the "Grave robbers" were indicted 2 weeks earlier (two weeks after the "disappearances". Obviously this would not be a trial, they hadn't been indicted. It could only have been a Grand Jury. It would be highly unusual for a Grand Jury to be used in such a small time crime as as "grave robbing". In California, as in most states, DA's can get an indictment by filing a "complaint" and then having a probable cause hearing before a judge. Grand Juries are generally used as an investigative tool where "unwilling" witnesses can be pressured to talk.

If Suzie was going to testify at a Grand Jury, a serious question is raised: was there more to the investigation than just the "grave robbing" case? If there was a Grand Jury, there was probably a lot more to it than grave robbing and the boys may have really been part to something much bigger.

If there was no scheduled testimony, this would tend to lower any chance that the grave robbers were involved since they hadn't even been indicted so Suzie didn't represent any kind of immediate threat.

Does anyone have any more information on here supposed "testimony? Could it have just been rumor?

 

[Hurricane]

I was reviewing a few things about this case I hadn't thought about in a while and something interesting occurred to me. It has been my understanding that Suzie was supposed to testify in court against the "grave robbers soon after the "disappearances". On 10/18/09, Indianagirl posted a copy of a July 1992 Kansas City Star article that mentioned that the "Grave robbers" were indicted 2 weeks earlier (two weeks after the "disappearances". Obviously this would not be a trial, they hadn't been indicted. It could only have been a Grand Jury. It would be highly unusual for a Grand Jury to be used in such a small time crime as as "grave robbing". In California, as in most states, DA's can get an indictment by filing a "complaint" and then having a probable cause hearing before a judge. Grand Juries are generally used as an investigative tool where "unwilling" witnesses can be pressured to talk.

If Suzie was going to testify at a Grand Jury, a serious question is raised: was there more to the investigation than just the "grave robbing" case? If there was a Grand Jury, there was probably a lot more to it than grave robbing and the boys may have really been part to something much bigger.

If there was no scheduled testimony, this would tend to lower any chance that the grave robbers were involved since they hadn't even been indicted so Suzie didn't represent any kind of immediate threat.

Does anyone have any more information on here supposed "testimony? Could it have just been rumor?

The Greene county docket sheets prove that this was not a Grand Jury.

 

[Hurricane]

After obsessing further on this case I've got a couple of points and questions to throw out there:

According to the MoCasenet internet database for missouri courts, Francis Robb Sr.'s trial for 1st Degree Murder was scheduled to start on June 1, 1992.

The proximity to the date the 3MW disappeared bothers me...so to speak.

1.) Supposidly Suzie Streeter was to testify in the "Grave Robbers" trial.

2.) Supposidly either Francis Robb Sr., and/or, some/all of his associates/relatives were rumored to be tied to a "Fencing" operation for stolen goods and Drug/Meth dealing

3.) What if Francis Robb was worried about any loose connections that might tie him solidly to the 1st Degree Murder charges he was facing, and decided to "Eliminate" the loose ends.

4.) If one of the women..."Suzie", who had been rumored to have hung with a "Rougher Crowd", was targeted because she was going to testify to in court regarding the Grave Robbers Case....and possably the Grave Robbers had ties to the Francis Robb clan, and Francis Robb Sr. or the people who were tied to him, thought that Suzie's testimony in the Grave Robbers Case would "Inadvertantly" lead Law Enforcement back to the Francis Robb Sr. clan and their criminal activities...be it a Fencing Operation, or Drugs.

I would also like to point out that according to MoCasenet (2) grave robbers were convicted of Class D-Felonys. The reason I point this out is because some people have attempted to "Down Play" the charges the grave robbers were facing.

Also, one of the Grave Robbers, according to MoCasenet was sent to a Drug Treatment Program as part of his sentence...which PROVES, ONCE AND FOR ALL, that the people that Suzie Streeter ran with, at least some of them, WERE into drug use!

It’s my opinion that if there is a connection to the Robb farm; if that is where the women were taken that night then the link between the abductors and the Robb’s is thru the fencing operation and possibly personal drug use. Both Frances Sr. and Frances Jr. were locked away at the time. I don’t think that Frances Sr. was worried about anything concerning either fencing of stolen property or drug sales that Suzie or anyone else could have testified to. He had bigger problems, to which he ultimately confessed.

The GJ3 had been locked up since their teens and twenties for crimes such as stealing, breaking & entering, bad checks, escape from custody, etc. Cox’s resume does not list such crimes. The GJ3 had only been out of prison a very short time. If they were working at jobs as required by their parole it would have been some manual labor, hard working jobs. It would have been easy for them to make the leap back to their old ways of stealing and B&E crimes. If they were involved in such crimes they would have ultimately been doing business with a fence such as the Robb’s were said to be.

The two grave robbers who were convicted of a Class-D felony were the two that entered the mausoleum. That is the difference in their convictions vs the 3rd one.

 

[monkeymann]

The Docket Sheets show the following as it pertains to the Grave Robbers Case:

Joseph Riedel: 6/22/92

Felony complaint filed. Probable cause found. Warrant issu ed to the Sheriff of Greene County, MO. Bond set at $10,000 .00. BJK/kj

12/4/92
12-4-92 P OF G ON 10-16-92 TO INSTITUTIONAL VANDALISM. DEF T SENT TO DOC FOR TERM OF 3 YRS, SENT SUSP AND DEFT PLACED O N PROB FOR TERM OF 5 YRS. DEFT TO PAY REST. $150.00 PD'S L IEN, $46.00 CVF JDMT AND COURT COST ASSESSED. /JL (1) 3-7-94 PROB REVOKED; SENT OF 12-4-92 IMPOSED. $46.00 CVF J MDT & $25.00 PD'S LIEN ASSESSED. /GMG (1)

03/04/94
State by Ron Carrier. Defendant in person and by atty. PD St eve Lada. Court hears counsel on probation violation and ord ers revocation of deft's probation and orders sentence impos ed by this Court per Sentence and Judgment of 12-04-92. Defe ndant remanded to custody of Sheriff for delivery to DOC. sc Public Defender's Lien of $25.00 filed. sc





Michael K. Clay 6/26/92

Felony complaint filed. Probable cause found. Warrant issu ed. Bond set at $2500.00 each W.I./ia

09/10/92 Bondsman Ailshie requests to be let off the bond due to Deft 's apparent incarceration in California. Bond discharged. New bond set at $10,000.00. Judge Westbrooke acting for Div 21/tdt

09/16/92 Deft Recla in person and by Attorney Yocom. State by Asst. P. A. Davis. Preliminary hearing held. Court finds probable cause to believe that the crime alleged was committed and th at deft. committed it. Case bound over for arraignment in Circuit Court on 9/18/92 at 9:00 A.M. Deft. advised as to l egal consequences of failure to appear. Signed: Bob J. Keete r, Judge, Div. 21. el

12/03/93 P OF G ON 10-1-93 TO INSTITUTIONAL VANDALISM. DEFT SENT TO DOC FOR 5YRS. DEFT PLACED IN MINERAL AREA TREATMEN T CENTER UNDER SEC 559.115. P.D. LIEN OF $150.00 & $46.00 C VF ASSESSED. /HR (4) 3-28-94 DEFT RELEASED UNDER 120-DAY PROB FOR 5YRS EFFECTIVE 4-7-94. /HR 11-18-94 PROB REVOKED & SENT OF 12-3-94 ORDERED EXECUTED. /HR (4)

Dustin Recla 09/17/92

Felony Information and Request for Disclosure by Defendant w ithout Court Order filed

09/10/93 P OF G ON 7-16-93 TO INSTITUTIONAL VANDALISM. DEFT SENT TO DOC FOR TERM OF 3YRS; SENT SUSP AND DEFT PLACED ON P ROB FOR TERM OF 5YRS. DEFT TO PAY REST W/IN 1ST 6MOS OF PROB & TO COMP 150HRS COMM SERV DURING 2ND 6MOS OF 1ST YR OF PRO B. DEFT TO SERVE 14 DAYS OF SHOCK PROB IN GCJ BEG 8:30 AM 9/ 13/93. $46.00 CVF JDMT & COURT COSTS ASSESSED. /GMG

 

[monkeymann]

It's just my observation that there just seems to be too many "Coincidental" time lines with certain people and the time line of the 3MW disappearance.

Robb Sr. trial is scheduled to start on 06/01/92

Joseph Riedel is Charged with a Felony in the Grave Robbers case on 06/22/92

Michael Clay is Charged with a Felony in the Grave Robbers case on 06/26/92

Is it just me, or does the time line of all these cases/charges falling in the same month that the 3MW disappeared, seem way way too suspicous???!!!
Especially the Grave Robbers case in which "THERE WAS" a solid connection to Suzie Streeter!

Is it too far fetched to think that those envolved in the Grave Robbers case, could have comitted the crime, and not gotten caught?

May be the police just didn't have enough "SOLID" evidence to establish Probable Cause to arrest them?

 

[monkeymann]

Another Note: These guys were facing "Prison Time". If Streeter was to be a witness in their upcoming trials, then it would make perfect sense that their mind set could have been to eliminate the "Threat", and possiably elude having to go to prison.

People have "Disappeared/Died" for a lot less!

Everyone seems to discount the Grave Robbers as not being capable of either comitting the crime, or not being able to keep their mouths shut.

But may be they were wrong?

Just a thought!!

 

[monkeymann]

I would still like to know "How Valid" the story of the Spoon Rings being found in a box with other jewelry and newspaper clippings, in a house that Steven Garrison supposidly once occupied, is.

If this in fact "TRUE"....that could be very segnificant to the case. However I have a hard time at this point taking this too seriously. Sorry, but at this point I have a serious problem with the virasaty of the source from which the information came.

It would have to be able to be PROVEN that Steven Garrison had actually lived at the house.
It would also have to be PROVEN that the jewelry and the box of newspaper clippings were actually found in the crawl space of the house.

Would anyone like to help me "Believe" that this is a true story? I'm just being cautiously pesamistic.......

 

[monkeymann]

Also:

From what I am seeing in the Mo. Case Net Docket's, Francis Robb, Jr. doesn't appear to have been incarcerated at the time of the 3MW disappearance.
At least not as of: 5/6/92 when he was served with an Ex-Parte order of child protection by the Webster Co. Sherriff's Dept.

05/6/92
Docket Entry: Summons Personally Served
Text: Child Protection Order returned from the Sheriff of Webster County, MO non-est on Francis Lee Robb, Jr. /pb
6/9/92
Docket Entry: Judge/Clerk - Note
Text: Cause dismissed without prejudice at Pltf's costs. TKM/ms

Francis Robb, Jr. doesn't appear to have much of a Court Record according to Mo.Casenet. He is only listed as having a Felony DWI charge in 1994, and then a couple misdemeanors for posession of CS, and for a traffic offence a couple years later.

Where was he Incarcerated/In custody at the time of the 3MW's disappearance?
DOES he have a lengthy police record?

 

[Missouri Mule]

Another Note: These guys were facing "Prison Time". If Streeter was to be a witness in their upcoming trials, then it would make perfect sense that their mind set could have been to eliminate the "Threat", and possiably elude having to go to prison.

People have "Disappeared/Died" for a lot less!

Everyone seems to discount the Grave Robbers as not being capable of either committing the crime, or not being able to keep their mouths shut.

But may be they were wrong?

Just a thought!!

I wouldn't want to go that far. If there was other activities involved; especially drugs, that would be exposed during an upcoming trial regarding the grave robbing, it is not unreasonable to believe that there were bigger fish who had a vested interest in the unwelcomed opening of a Pandora's box.

Personally, I doubt they had it within themselves to have committed this crime but others higher up the food chain might not have wanted this to go any further. I'd want to know who their associates were if I were the police investigators.

But it is not impossible that a crime of sexual passion would have led someone to commit a crime they would otherwise not do. It can't be ruled out. How this might square with that mysterious white van circling the neighborhood prior to the abduction doesn't seem to square with this however. Neither one of the known grave robbers fits the description of the driver, based on published accounts.

 

[wfgodot]

Agreeing totally with Mule on this one.

 

[monkeymann]

With me...It seemed to go either way. I thought about the fact that the Grave Robbers case might have just been the catalist, based on their connections with other "Bad" people, that put the wheels in motion for the 3MW to disappear.

Thats why I'd LOVE to see what the EVIDENCE is regarding the Spoon Rings and Steven Garrison.
Remember that Garrison is the one who lead LE to the farm in Webster Co.

 

[Missouri Mule]

We have made reference to the three individuals looked at by the federal grand jury in 1994.

My question is this and I am not an expert in the workings of a grand jury so bear with me. Because three individuals were looked at does this mean that only these individuals are considered or is it possible to bring in other individuals to the grand jury to consider indictment?

For example, if the three individuals cited in various news articles were considered and discarded as not viable would the proceeding end there or could the grand jury be presented with new names and individuals to consider to indict? In particular, was it not possible for the prosecutor to present Robert Cox to the grand jury as a viable suspect if information was available to indict him; perhaps information that came to the prosecutor's knowledge at the time the grand jury was in deliberations.

It has been my understanding that grand juries are convened for a period of time at the prosecutor's discretion or something along those lines. It may have been evident early on that the evidence linking these three was wholly insufficient and if the convening would amount to anything it would have to include new suspects and new information. In the back of my mind I seem to recall that some nine people were actually looked at during this time. And as the published accounts have said, four separate LE agencies concluded that there were 12 agreed upon suspects although not in the same order by all agencies.

Can anyone clear this up for me so I have a better understanding? Thanking you in advance.

 

[Missouri Mule]

With me...It seemed to go either way. I thought about the fact that the Grave Robbers case might have just been the catalist, based on their connections with other "Bad" people, that put the wheels in motion for the 3MW to disappear.

Thats why I'd LOVE to see what the EVIDENCE is regarding the Spoon Rings and Steven Garrison.

Remember that Garrison is the one who lead LE to the farm in Webster Co.

Not trying to be picky but how is it we know that he did this? How do we know that it was Garrison? Did he really do this? I think he did; I've seen it eluded to but has that been established? I've not seen that in print.

I ask this question in good faith. I am starting to collect known certain facts about this case to present to a cable network to run a story on this case to get the case moving again. Sometimes I wonder how much we actually know for a certain fact.

 

[kemo]

It would appear that the Grave Robbers had preliminary hearings scheduled later in June 1992. Preliminary hearing (at least in California) do not involve testimony from witnesses, just a presentation by the DA of "probable cause". Suzie apparently spoke to police about the case and she may well have been expected to eventually testify at trial, but this would be way down the line. It is not unheard of for a witness to be killed over a "Class D Felony", but I would expect even the most hardned perp to at least try to convince a witness to change her story, particularly an ex-girlfriend of one of the suspects, before resorting to murder.

This doesn't prove anything; it just makes the "timing" look less suspicious and add credence to the claim that the Grave Robbers were effectivly cleared.

From what I understand, Robb Sr. and his associates were quite notorious at the time and were "looked at" for this crime. I am not aware that there was any link between them and any other "suspects". People who ran afoul of this crew had a nasty habit of disappearing during this time. Springfield was big enough that "networks" of burglars/meth users could exist without any overlapping connections yet links would certainly be possible.

If this was "just" a sex crime, it still could involve someone with involvement in other criminal activities. If this was a sex crime, there are definite indications of criminal sophistication.

 

[Hurricane]

Agreeing totally with Mule on this one.

How can it be said that the description of the driver of the white van does not match with any of the suspects being discussed here is beyond me. Here is the only known description of the driver that I am aware of, directly from the News-Leader. All underlining is mine:

“A neighbor living near Levitt’s former home (it was sold last week) told police when he was re-contacted this week that a dirty white van had cruised the neighborhood for up to three weeks before the disappearances, detective David Asher said.”


“The driver was described as a white male in his mid-20’s to mid-30’s. He wore prominent sideburns and kept a mane of brown-hair pulled away from his face, Asher said. The witness recalled that the driver wore sleeveless T-shirts.”

“But that’s all police know about him.”

Steven Garrison was 33 yrs old in June, 1992. He has brown hair, some would call it dish-water blonde, and from prison pictures taken at the time of his release he wore it long. While it is impossible to know if he was clean shaven during June 1992 he frequently went back and forth from wearing a full beard to wearing mutton chop/bell bottom side burns. He is fond of wearing sleeveless tee shirts or tee shirts with a cigarette pack rolled up in the sleeve, as witnessed by pictures taken upon his capture from escape in 1990. On June 6th, 1992 he had been out of prison exactly 21 days. If he was working as a painter, roofer, landscaper, concrete worker, or carpet layer at one of the big estate type homes to the west of the Levitt home (any occupation requiring a van) he could very well have been seen twice each day as he came and went. What eliminates Garrison as being the possible driver of the white van?

Michael Clay was in his twenties. His hair is blonde or brown and he wore it long as can be seen on the 48 Hrs video.

It is unknown if Riedel wore his hair long or not, or what color it is. He certainly fits the age bracket as the driver.

Dustin Recla can be eliminated because he wore his hair short as can be seen on the 48 Hrs video.

Robert Cox wore his hair short when employed selling used trucks. Even if he was permitted to he had not been employed as a utility locater long enough to have had long hair.

 

[monkeymann]

How can it be said that the description of the driver of the white van does not match with any of the suspects being discussed here is beyond me. Here is the only known description of the driver that I am aware of, directly from the News-Leader. All underlining is mine:

“A neighbor living near Levitt’s former home (it was sold last week) told police when he was re-contacted this week that a dirty white van had cruised the neighborhood for up to three weeks before the disappearances, detective David Asher said.”


“The driver was described as a white male in his mid-20’s to mid-30’s. He wore prominent sideburns and kept a mane of brown-hair pulled away from his face, Asher said. The witness recalled that the driver wore sleeveless T-shirts.”

“But that’s all police know about him.”

Steven Garrison was 33 yrs old in June, 1992. He has brown hair, some would call it dish-water blonde, and from prison pictures taken at the time of his release he wore it long. While it is impossible to know if he was clean shaven during June 1992 he frequently went back and forth from wearing a full beard to wearing mutton chop/bell bottom side burns. He is fond of wearing sleeveless tee shirts or tee shirts with a cigarette pack rolled up in the sleeve, as witnessed by pictures taken upon his capture from escape in 1990. On June 6th, 1992 he had been out of prison exactly 21 days. If he was working as a painter, roofer, landscaper, concrete worker, or carpet layer at one of the big estate type homes to the west of the Levitt home (any occupation requiring a van) he could very well have been seen twice each day as he came and went. What eliminates Garrison as being the possible driver of the white van?

Michael Clay was in his twenties. His hair is blonde or brown and he wore it long as can be seen on the 48 Hrs video.

It is unknown if Riedel wore his hair long or not, or what color it is. He certainly fits the age bracket as the driver.

Dustin Recla can be eliminated because he wore his hair short as can be seen on the 48 Hrs video.

Robert Cox wore his hair short when employed selling used trucks. Even if he was permitted to he had not been employed as a utility locater long enough to have had long hair.

Interesting: If you take a look at Ricky Evans in the mug shot shown in the story about his arrest in 2006 for the disappearance of John Smith and his girlfriend...Ricky Evans is wearing a grey sleeveless shirt, has long brown hair. Ricky Evans was 34 yrs old in 1992. People are creatures of habbit as we all know...wonder how much of a long shot it would be to think that this might have been Ricky Evans that was "Trolling" the neighborhood back then.......Very Interesting. Remember it was Evans' Farm south of Marshfield that John Smith and his girlfriend were supposidly murdered and their bodys disposed of on....the same farm that the police came and dug up and found some bones that a medical examiner said showed signs of having been in a fire, as well as being cut on with a saw or other cutting tool.

 

[Indianagirl]

For clarification, does anyone know the story behind Suzie and the graverobbers? I've seen conflicting stories on different sites. Was she arrested with them? The only known information that I've been able to find is from the 48 Hours tape. It says Recla and Clay were scheduled to stand trial the week after Suzie's disappearance, but the charges were dropped for lack of witnesses. Suzie was a witness. The charges were later refiled.

 

[Trooogrit]

Interesting: If you take a look at Ricky Evans in the mug shot shown in the story about his arrest in 2006 for the disappearance of John Smith and his girlfriend...Ricky Evans is wearing a grey sleeveless shirt, has long brown hair. Ricky Evans was 34 yrs old in 1992. People are creatures of habbit as we all know...wonder how much of a long shot it would be to think that this might have been Ricky Evans that was "Trolling" the neighborhood back then.......Very Interesting. Remember it was Evans' Farm south of Marshfield that John Smith and his girlfriend were supposidly murdered and their bodys disposed of on....the same farm that the police came and dug up and found some bones that a medical examiner said showed signs of having been in a fire, as well as being cut on with a saw or other cutting tool.

Why would he tie to this case?

 

[Trooogrit]

I would still like to know "How Valid" the story of the Spoon Rings being found in a box with other jewelry and newspaper clippings, in a house that Steven Garrison supposidly once occupied, is.

If this in fact "TRUE"....that could be very segnificant to the case. However I have a hard time at this point taking this too seriously. Sorry, but at this point I have a serious problem with the virasaty of the source from which the information came.

It would have to be able to be PROVEN that Steven Garrison had actually lived at the house.
It would also have to be PROVEN that the jewelry and the box of newspaper clippings were actually found in the crawl space of the house.

Would anyone like to help me "Believe" that this is a true story? I'm just being cautiously pesamistic.......

Steven Garrison never lived at that house, nor any of his family members.

 

[Indianagirl]

I just wanted to add, I just read a great cold case book called "This Night Wounds Time", which had the following great quote:
"Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, via his creation Sherlock Holmes, once said, "As a rule, the more bizarre a thing is the less mysterious it proves to be. In other words, as William of Occam first put forth in the 14th century hypothesis known as "Occam's Razor," if two or more cometing theories exist to explain a given action, outcome, or event, more often than not, the theory that is the least complicated will prove to be the correct one."