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

[Hurricane]

I miss spoke, Delmar jogs at Fremont, before goingh on to National. However if you google earth the area you will see a number of back yard INGROUND pools, and tennis courts. Not a real common occurrence in Springfield.

The jog makes it a little closer and easier to drive in and out from Glenstone unless you wanted to go west. In that case it is easier to go north on S. Kentwood to E. Grand. Any handyman with a van could have been working a job at one of the estate homes in that area. That time of the year there could have been lots of work as landscapers, painters, roofers, concrete workers and carpet layers which all require those old work vans. And if you happen to be an ex-con or parolee, or even a day laborer those are about the only kind of jobs that you can get. The van was seen driving past once or twice per day for up to two weeks before. It doesn’t mean that someone was surveilling 1717.

 

[former central time]

This ‘stalking’ issue has been raised several times on several boards, coupled with the ‘mixed’ neighborhood of Delmar. Across the street from the Levitt house is a parking area with an office building, and right next to them, to the east, is also a parking area with some kind of service building. I don’t know what role these areas had in 1992. They were there when I lived in the area in the mid 90’s, but how active they were in 1992, I don’t know. Beyond that, as has been pointed out, the house west of Levitt’s was empty at the time. The only other resident on that small block, was across the street and west of Levitt’s. I don’t know if someone lived there, and/or was home the night in question. On balance, to me, this appears an area a service truck could easily blend in.

Further, as for ‘stalking’ who says it would have to be a truck/van at all ? A car parked in these lots might blend in, with an observer quietly taking in the scene at different times of day, familiarizing himself with the routine of the area and/or house in question.

For the night of the attack, sure, they’d have to be equipped and ready to rock and roll. They could have followed the girls home, could have hung out that night at the Levitt house, or came by very late, early Sunday, 4 AM say, to do their business. I’m sure past severance revealed 4 AM was not a hub of activity at this house, pretty reasonable, if people where home, they were asleep, not to mention three cars parked out there that night. None of this tells us who the real targets were or if one or more of the women were taken extraneously.

I also don’t know what relationship Ms. Levitt had with her neighbors. Most of what I’ve read, particularly after moving there two months earlier, was not much. With these repeated accounts of ‘stalking’ before the disappearance, sounds as if her problems followed her to this house.

 

[theforgotten]

With these repeated accounts of ‘stalking’ before the disappearance, sounds as if her problems followed her to this house.

I have to agree with you. Ms. Levitt was a hair stylist. Maybe that is were she got the stalker from. I know people in the customer service field, who have had stalkers and it isn't unheard off. Believe me, I have wacky stories to tell. The target could of been Suzi. She was yound and pretty. I doubt it was Stacy. She wasn't even supposed to be there that night. I guess we will never really know. Sad.:twocents:

 

[Hurricane]

This ‘stalking’ issue has been raised several times on several boards, coupled with the ‘mixed’ neighborhood of Delmar.

Across the street from the Levitt house is a parking area with an office building, and right next to them, to the east, is also a parking area with some kind of service building.

I don’t know what role these areas had in 1992. They were there when I lived in the area in the mid 90’s, but how active they were in 1992, I don’t know.

Beyond that, as has been pointed out, the house west of Levitt’s was empty at the time.

The only other resident on that small block, was across the street and west of Levitt’s. I don’t know if someone lived there, and/or was home the night in question. On balance, to me, this appears an area a service truck could easily blend in.

Further, as for ‘stalking’ who says it would have to be a truck/van at all ? A car parked in these lots might blend in, with an observer quietly taking in the scene at different times of day, familiarizing himself with the routine of the area and/or house in question.

For the night of the attack, sure, they’d have to be equipped and ready to rock and roll. They could have followed the girls home, could have hung out that night at the Levitt house, or came by very late, early Sunday, 4 AM say, to do their business. I’m sure past severance revealed 4 AM was not a hub of activity at this house, pretty reasonable, if people where home, they were asleep, not to mention three cars parked out there that night. None of this tells us who the real targets were or if one or more of the women were taken extraneously.

I also don’t know what relationship Ms. Levitt had with her neighbors. Most of what I’ve read, particularly after moving there two months earlier, was not much. With these repeated accounts of ‘stalking’ before the disappearance, sounds as if her problems followed her to this house.[/

quote]


The small building on Delmar just to the east of 1717 was a dentist office in 1992. To the north just behind the dentist office is an area of open ground which is most likely an easement for the utility companies. That area is where the previous resident of 1717 said that “homeless types” of people would congregate at sundown during the 5-1/2 yrs that she lived there. She also stated that “lovers” frequently parked in the lot behind the office building that faced Glenstone, north of Delmar. And she had witnessed what she suspected to have been drug sales activity from car to car in the parking lot behind the office building which faced Glenstone, south of Delmar. So if all of this is true then the area was active, being so close to Glenstone.

The first house west of 1717 was 1705 and was owned in 1992 by Kenneth Shrum. Mr. Shrum had been appointed as an appeals court judge in 1990. He averaged being in court only 3 days per week (good work if you can get it). During his short work week he stayed at 1705 but spent his long weekends at his other home in eastern Missouri and was there over the weekend of June 6th – 7th. His daughter was a student at SMSU and lived at 1705 while attending classes. It is said that she somewhat resembled Suzie & Stacy and drove a small red car similar to Suzie’s car. SPD checked into the possibility that someone was trying to get to the judge (who had also been a PA in eastern MO for 22 yrs) and got the wrong house by mistake. They found no substance to support that theory. It is not publicly known if Shrum’s daughter was at home at 1705 on the night of June 6th – 7th or elsewhere. Mr. Shrum stated that he had not met and did not know either Sherrill or Suzie.

The information concerning the white van seen in the neighborhood before the abduction was not given to SPD until they went door to door during a recanvassing of the neighborhood in October, 92, and came from just one witness. The “transient male” was seen only 3 times over 2 days and one of those sightings was when he was at the bus stop on Glenstone apparently waiting on a transfer. It is entirely possible that the 2 times that the transient male was seen in the neighborhood he was checking to see if any of his “homeless type” friends were behind the dentist office while waiting on his bus transfer. I’m not aware of any other incidences that would go to “repeated accounts of stalking” before their abduction.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Very useful post Hurricane. I was particularly struck by the reference to the possible easement near the home. As we now know, a certain Robert Cox was a utility worker marking gas lines and the such and was said to be working in the area near this time. No known connection but it seems of some interest to me. I wonder if there remain any records of such activities back during this time in the company that marks these utility lines. Doubtful but one never knows for sure.

If he were marking such utility lines it is conceivable that he could also have been observing the best entry points into the home while he was doing this work.

If I could make a suggestion, I would query all of the known clients of Sherill Levitt to see if they recall Robert Cox ever going to Sherrill Levitt to have his hair cut. It may be that he was rebuffed and in his warped world decided to exact revenge and if fate put him in the same neighborhood and the wheels in his mind started clicking with a plan to grab her and/or her daughter. Just a thought to kick around.

Of her known 223 clients at least seven were male customers so she did haircuts or men's styling in addition to her predominant female client base.

 

[former central time]

The talk of 'stalking,' I think, was mostly of speculation, I don't think they were official filed reports of such. I'm not necessarily convinced stalking did happen. My observation was, that these accounts of stalking always involved a white van. As if it were physically exclusionary. They don't have to be, you don't need a white van to stalk.

If stalking to that house did occur before the disappearances, it is possible to be done with conventional cars, by foot or pick-up. I too am unaware of any accounts of this, but just because we have no proof it did occur, doesn't mean it didn't happen. It can be demonstrated to be physically possible.

As to Sherill's client list, that might be helpful. As someone whose been in MANY of these places around the country I can tell you gossip flows quite freely. It might have been a customer with another stylist, that 'mined' them for info ON Sherill. I would think if that would have come out in the days/weeks that followed the disappearances, but they might have been real smooth, subtle talker, and it was dismissed.

 

[Missouri Mule]

The talk of 'stalking,' I think, was mostly of speculation, I don't think they were official filed reports of such. I'm not necessarily convinced stalking did happen. My observation was, that these accounts of stalking always involved a white van. As if it were physically exclusionary. They don't have to be, you don't need a white van to stalk.

If stalking to that house did occur before the disappearances, it is possible to be done with conventional cars, by foot or pick-up. I too am unaware of any accounts of this, but just because we have no proof it did occur, doesn't mean it didn't happen. It can be demonstrated to be physically possible.

As to Sherill's client list, that might be helpful. As someone whose been in MANY of these places around the country I can tell you gossip flows quite freely. It might have been a customer with another stylist, that 'mined' them for info ON Sherill. I would think if that would have come out in the days/weeks that followed the disappearances, but they might have been real smooth, subtle talker, and it was dismissed.

I talked to two of her clients as they were co-workers of mine. They were never interviewed which always struck me as odd. However, they were not on the rolodex file so I suppose that is not unexpected if they were not known to the police. Neither seemed to recall anything out of the ordinary indicating any issues. One went to her just two days prior to the abductions and merely spoke of the upcoming graduations.

 

[Trooogrit]

Long weekend coming up, looking to set the record straight. WS seems to be the most factually based site. Some of us have more resources than others, so I am open to questions that seem to be left unanswered. The rumormill has killed this case. I personally like to see things verified.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Long weekend coming up, looking to set the record straight. WS seems to be the most factually based site. Some of us have more resources than others, so I am open to questions that seem to be left unanswered. The rumor mill has killed this case. I personally like to see things verified.

In your opinion or knowledge is there any direct evidence that the girls actually arrived at the Levitt home on 6/7/92? We know that their vehicles arrived. We know that there were various tissues, some items of clothing, jewelry but was there any provable way to establish they actually arrived in person? Could they have been intercepted on the way to the Delmar address after leaving the Battlefield address? At approximately 2:20 AM it was reported by Janelle Kirby's mother who observed her alarm clock at that time and heard the girls talking to one another. That, to my knowledge is the last proven time the girls were seen alive. Can you speak to this subject?

 

[Indianagirl]

In your opinion or knowledge is there any direct evidence that the girls actually arrived at the Levitt home on 6/7/92? We know that their vehicles arrived. We know that there were various tissues, some items of clothing, jewelry but was there any provable way to establish they actually arrived in person? Could they have been intercepted on the way to the Delmar address after leaving the Battlefield address? At approximately 2:20 AM it was reported by Janelle Kirby's mother who observed her alarm clock at that time and heard the girls talking to one another. That, to my knowledge is the last proven time the girls were seen alive. Can you speak to this subject?

Wasn't Stacy's fingerprint found on the door? Or was that rumor?

ETA: I thought that was how LE determined they left through the front door. Was that just speculation?

 

[Trooogrit]

In your opinion or knowledge is there any direct evidence that the girls actually arrived at the Levitt home on 6/7/92? We know that their vehicles arrived. We know that there were various tissues, some items of clothing, jewelry but was there any provable way to establish they actually arrived in person? Could they have been intercepted on the way to the Delmar address after leaving the Battlefield address? At approximately 2:20 AM it was reported by Janelle Kirby's mother who observed her alarm clock at that time and heard the girls talking to one another. That, to my knowledge is the last proven time the girls were seen alive. Can you speak to this subject?

"Police have found thumbprints and concluded that the three women left through the front door rather than the carport door of levitt's house. They also have concluded McCall left barefoot." NL July 8 1992
I think this might clear it up.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Wasn't Stacy's fingerprint found on the door? Or was that rumor?

ETA: I thought that was how LE determined they left through the front door. Was that just speculation?

I believe that is correct but if she visited in the home at any prior time she could have left a fingerprint.

 

[Missouri Mule]

"Police have found thumbprints and concluded that the three women left through the front door rather than the carport door of levitt's house. They also have concluded McCall left barefoot." NL July 8 1992
I think this might clear it up.

I believe I have seen that. I suppose that perhaps she had cut her foot on the broken glass and traced her through DNA samples from her parents.

Obviously the police have held back information that would only be known to the perpetrators. I don't know how they concluded that they left through the front door. Perhaps the car in the carport left little room for them to exit and they made this conclusion. We also don't know how "sexual assault" was a conclusion of four agencies who looked at the case.

I seem to recall that it was also concluded that both Sherrill and Suzie voluntarily left the home but that Stacy resisted. How well founded that is I do not know.

If there were food containers containing DNA that could be dated to that night it would be the best proof they actually were in the home. Such things as half eaten food purchased or opened that night containing their DNA would pretty much establish they actually arrived.

The larger problems left unexplained are why was the furniture inside the home with such strong fumes which makes little sense since there was more than adequate room out on the carport? And of course what I firmly believed is the staged crime scene. It is as though considerable effort was made so as not to appear to be a burglary. Who might have wanted to do that? A burglar wouldn't and I speak from personal knowledge having two burglaries in my own home where the electrical receptacles were unscrewed and the refrigerator ice cube trays turned over looking for money and valuables. Nothing of that nature was found in the home so far as I know. Many people do not accept the staging of the crime scene. I have an opposing view and have long believed the crime scene was staged. This is why I have asked the original question of whether it can be proven beyond any doubt that they actually arrived in person.

 

[Trooogrit]

I am not sure if Stacy had been to that house before that night. They had only lived there for two months and it has been said that Stacy and Suzie were renewing a friendship. It is possible that she had been there, but I find it unlikely that they would have CONCLUDED this if she was a regular visitor. I am going to keep it simple on this one. Given the fact that her clothes and shoes were there it is a high percentage that they did arrive and prepare for bed. Of course I cannot rule it out of hand but I find it extremely unlikely it happened any other way.

 

[Indianagirl]

I believe that is correct but if she visited in the home at any prior time she could have left a fingerprint.

This brings up a good question, had Stacy been to the delmar house before that night? We know her and Stacy had drifted apart and had only recently started hanging around together again b/c of Janelle.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Stacy had never been there before. They had only lived in that house a few months. This would also explain why Suzie said "follow me to my house".

 

[Trooogrit]

I believe I have seen that. I suppose that perhaps she had cut her foot on the broken glass and traced her through DNA samples from her parents.

Obviously the police have held back information that would only be known to the perpetrators. I don't know how they concluded that they left through the front door. Perhaps the car in the carport left little room for them to exit and they made this conclusion. We also don't know how "sexual assault" was a conclusion of four agencies who looked at the case.

I seem to recall that it was also concluded that both Sherrill and Suzie voluntarily left the home but that Stacy resisted. How well founded that is I do not know.

If there were food containers containing DNA that could be dated to that night it would be the best proof they actually were in the home. Such things as half eaten food purchased or opened that night containing their DNA would pretty much establish they actually arrived.

The larger problems left unexplained are why was the furniture inside the home with such strong fumes which makes little sense since there was more than adequate room out on the carport? And of course what I firmly believed is the staged crime scene. It is as though considerable effort was made so as not to appear to be a burglary. Who might have wanted to do that? A burglar wouldn't and I speak from personal knowledge having two burglaries in my own home where the electrical receptacles were unscrewed and the refrigerator ice cube trays turned over looking for money and valuables. Nothing of that nature was found in the home so far as I know. Many people do not accept the staging of the crime scene. I have an opposing view and have long believed the crime scene was staged. This is why I have asked the original question of whether it can be proven beyond any doubt that they actually arrived in person.

There was a sewing room in that house. Was this where the painting occurred? Suzie's bedroom was detached from the house for the most part. Sherrills window was open partially I believe. The night was in the 50s according to the weather almanac. A good night to sleep with the windows open. I think the smell of varnish could have been tolerable. I believe that the resistance by Stacy could have occurred but that is not part of the public record.

 

[Missouri Mule]

This brings up a good question, had Stacy been to the Delmar house before that night? We know her and Stacy had drifted apart and had only recently started hanging around together again b/c of Janelle.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Stacy had never been there before. They had only lived in that house a few months. This would also explain why Suzie said "follow me to my house".

Possibly, but she may not have driven from the Battlefield address to the Delmar address prior to that night. I used to live in Battlefield myself and the road twisted and turned all the way to Sunshine Street which is where I imagine they went. If Stacy was in any way impaired it is plausible that is why Suzie would have simply told her to follow her to her home.

 

[Hurricane]

Can you imagine just how many bugs would have been stuck to the fresh finish of the furniture if it had been varnished there and left outside under the carport that night? And what would be the odds of a finger print being left behind if the furniture had been carried inside by the perps, as has been speculated by someone?

Refinish work is not the kind of thing that one would do outdoors, afte dark, in the summer time.

 

[Hurricane]

There was a sewing room in that house. Was this where the painting occurred? Suzie's bedroom was detached from the house for the most part. Sherrills window was open partially I believe. The night was in the 50s according to the weather almanac. A good night to sleep with the windows open. I think the smell of varnish could have been tolerable. I believe that the resistance by Stacy could have occurred but that is not part of the public record.

Besides confining the dog to her bedroom the varnish smell is just another reason for Sherrill's bedroom door to have been closed, whether someone was already in there with her or not.

 

[Hurricane]

"Police have found thumbprints and concluded that the three women left through the front door rather than the carport door of levitt's house. They also have concluded McCall left barefoot." NL July 8 1992
I think this might clear it up.

And as I recall the print on the door frame was somewhat smeared and enlongated as if from a pulling action. She was resisting from going out the door.