Theory #1: Stranger Abduction by the "Couple in the Car"

[gardenmom]

Annasmom, I just wanted to let you know I still read here and think of you often. You are braver than you know, although I think Doogie is your Knight in Shining Armour.

 

[SherlockJr]

I can't help but think that if Anna were taken by a couple that she would suffer from Stockholm Syndrome. As Annasmom quoted in an earlier post regarding the tipster from the newspaper article, some of the people involved may be dead. I also think Anna will come forward sometime after her captors have passed on if she still has memories from the age of 5.

In regards to the e-mail Dr Doogie received from woman who attended the Tulsa Community College, is there maybe a message board for graduates. Can we try and locate any teachers from the college who taught the art of massage? If this was taught at this school.

The person we are searching (Anna) could fit the description of someone dealing with issues of her identity.

 

[Annasmom]

I can't help but think that if Anna were taken by a couple that she would suffer from Stockholm Syndrome. As Annasmom quoted in an earlier post regarding the tipster from the newspaper article, some of the people involved may be dead. I also think Anna will come forward sometime after her captors have passed on if she still has memories from the age of 5.
The person we are searching (Anna) could fit the description of someone dealing with issues of her identity.

We have spoken again at some length to the woman who believes she saw and spoke with Anna in fall of 1976 at a house barely 14 miles from where Anna disappeared. Although there are some discrepancies in the story, we believe this person is truthful and cannot entirely discount her belief. She says she never saw the little girl or the man who accompanied her after this one instance, but that she remembered the names and the scenario because it was so strange. She telephoned Doogie in response to the story in the Half Moon Bay Review. Much of what she says is found in the storyand there is no new hard evidence which we can follow to track Anna’s whereabouts after this time. This witness believes a couple (possibly named “Bill” and “Michelle”) took Anna from her home because they wanted a child. We have asked her to contact us if she remembers anything else which might help us, but we probably now have all she remembers, and then some. She seems to be a shy woman who wants to help and who has no agenda of her own in this matter. SherlockJr and Doogie are tracking two different time periods and situations related to the woman’s story. Hope for the best.

 

[Dr. Doogie]

The parts of the woman's story that can be verified have all proved to be true: who she is, the names of her relatives, where she went to high school, that she and her family owned many rental properties in San Mateo County. SherlockJr has also discovered that the woman is a licensed nurse with no disciplinary action against her, so that also tends to point out to her not being just some crazy person "jerking our chain". (It should be pointed out that George Waters was a doctor, yet he was still crazy, but his record showed a history of erractic behavior and ended with his license being revoked.)

One thing that she mentioned in this most recent conversation was that her father had also rented a house to Lawrence Singleton who was infamous as a rapist who kidnapped and chopped off the arms of a fifteen-year-old hitchhiker named Mary Vincent in the late 1970's. This is not related to Anna's disappearance (Singleton is not "Bill"), but this is another bit of data that can possibly be verified. I have not been able to locate any information on the internet that Singleton resided in San Mateo County in the 1970's - can any out there come up with this information? He would have probably lived in the cities of San Mateo, Redwood City or Mountain View. If we can verify this, it will add to the believability of other parts of her story that are not as easily verifiable.

Another part of her story that should be able to be confirmed is that there was a rash of home burglaries in her neighborhood during the the timeframe that she saw Anna (she believes that "Bill" was actually at her home to burglarize it). She mentioned at least one specific break-in on her street that should be easy to confirm. We are looking into verifying this rash of burglaries with local media/police records and should have an answer soon.

 

[SherlockJr]

... This witness believes a couple (possibly named “Bill” and “Michelle”) took Anna from her home because they wanted a child. We have asked her to contact us if she remembers anything else which might help us, but we probably now have all she remembers, and then some. She seems to be a shy woman who wants to help and who has no agenda of her own in this matter. SherlockJr and Doogie are tracking two different time periods and situations related to the woman’s story. Hope for the best.

Another thing that is digging inside of me is that if this was Anna that was seen and spoken to in 1976, the person who took Anna somehow knew, or was an aquaintance of Anna's family.

 

[rideforfun]

This woman sounds like she wants to be helpful. I think we should ask her if she would be willing to under go hypnosis with the objective of remembering additional detail. I'm not sure how much that would cost but I know there are experts who do this type of hypnosis and I would personally find the way to raise the money. It is our best lead and we should go for it from every angle. And, if Bill was stealing perhaps he might have been questioned by the police at some point and be in the sytem in some capacity.

 

[SherlockJr]

This woman sounds like she wants to be helpful. I think we should ask her if she would be willing to under go hypnosis with the objective of remembering additional detail. I'm not sure how much that would cost but I know there are experts who do this type of hypnosis and I would personally find the way to raise the money. It is our best lead and we should go for it from every angle. And, if Bill was stealing perhaps he might have been questioned by the police at some point and be in the sytem in some capacity.

This certainly can be a direction to take after we can confirm the robberies and other information that she offered.

 

[Mr. E]

This is certainly a long shot, especially as to the "how," but if a photograph or sketch of the woman in question ("Michelle") could be procured, perhaps Anna's brother could see if it resembles the woman who approached them on the road that day, the woman who seemed to be so interested in Anna.

 

[Dr. Doogie]

Another part of her story that should be able to be confirmed is that there was a rash of home burglaries in her neighborhood during the the timeframe that she saw Anna (she believes that "Bill" was actually at her home to burglarize it). She mentioned at least one specific break-in on her street that should be easy to confirm. We are looking into verifying this rash of burglaries with local media/police records and should have an answer soon.

I was hoping that Marc Longpre (the reporter who wrote the article about Anna for the HMB Review) would be able to access the newspaper's archives to check the "Police Log" section of the paper to verify a rash of burglaries in the neighborhood in question. Unfortunately, the paper does not maintain archives that far back. He suggested that the local library probably has those papers on file. Sounds like another trip to HMB may in the near future...

 

[Gina_M]

One thing that she mentioned in this most recent conversation was that her father had also rented a house to Lawrence Singleton who was infamous as a rapist who kidnapped and chopped off the arms of a fifteen-year-old hitchhiker named Mary Vincent in the late 1970's. This is not related to Anna's disappearance (Singleton is not "Bill"), but this is another bit of data that can possibly be verified. I have not been able to locate any information on the internet that Singleton resided in San Mateo County in the 1970's - can any out there come up with this information? He would have probably lived in the cities of San Mateo, Redwood City or Mountain View. If we can verify this, it will add to the believability of other parts of her story that are not as easily verifiable.

I've been searching the internet for info about Lawrence Singleton...so far all I can find is that he lived in Contra Costa County (city of San Pablo) at the time he kidnapped and tortured Mary Vincent (1978). After serving just 8 years in prison, he was paroled, but several counties refused to let him live within their borders. Eventually he moved back to Florida.

I'll keep searching...

ETA:

Singleton also had a residence in Nevada at the same time he lived in San Pablo. He was a retired merchant seaman, so maybe he moved around a lot. Perhaps he had multiple residences that no one knew about :waitasec:

 

[mfmangel1]

Another thing that is digging inside of me is that if this was Anna that was seen and spoken to in 1976, the person who took Anna somehow knew, or was an aquaintance of Anna's family.

Hi Sherlock-

Have I missed something of great importance? What leads you to this conclusion?

 

[SherlockJr]

Hi Sherlock-

Have I missed something of great importance? What leads you to this conclusion?

Hi Mfm, just from the conversation with the person who claims to have seen Anna. Really just a gut feeling.

 

[Dr. Doogie]

I've been searching the internet for info about Lawrence Singleton...so far all I can find is that he lived in Contra Costa County (city of San Pablo) at the time he kidnapped and tortured Mary Vincent (1978). After serving just 8 years in prison, he was paroled, but several counties refused to let him live within their borders. Eventually he moved back to Florida.

I'll keep searching...

ETA:

Singleton also had a residence in Nevada at the same time he lived in San Pablo. He was a retired merchant seaman, so maybe he moved around a lot. Perhaps he had multiple residences that no one knew about :waitasec:

It dawned on me after I made my initial post about Singleton that he may have resided in one of the father's rental homes after he was paroled. Singleton settled and then was run out of several towns after his release from prison, and the woman stated that her father had no problem with renting to parolees.

 

[Gina_M]

Singleton attempted to rent a room at the Burlingame Hotel, which has rooms for short- and long-term residents, in 1987. The owner turned him away. Burlingame is in San Mateo County. All the other places he lived or attempted to live, that I can find, are in Contra Costa County. But, if he tried this hotel, he probably tried other places in San Mateo County too.

 

[Annasmom]

Singleton attempted to rent a room at the Burlingame Hotel, which has rooms for short- and long-term residents, in 1987. The owner turned him away. Burlingame is in San Mateo County. All the other places he lived or attempted to live, that I can find, are in Contra Costa County. But, if he tried this hotel, he probably tried other places in San Mateo County too.

Burlingame is virtually next door to the rental properties which came up in our tipster's statement. But why are we looking for this Singleton?

 

[SherlockJr]

Burlingame is virtually next door to the rental properties which came up in our tipster's statement. But why are we looking for this Singleton?

Annasmom, I believe someone was trying to establish if Singleton lived in the area in the 1970's.

 

[SherlockJr]

This is certainly a long shot, especially as to the "how," but if a photograph or sketch of the woman in question ("Michelle") could be procured, perhaps Anna's brother could see if it resembles the woman who approached them on the road that day, the woman who seemed to be so interested in Anna.

The woman today, who saw Anna, was in her teens 30 years ago. She only mentioned seeing "Bill" and "Anna" in her home.

 

[Dr. Doogie]

...But why are we looking for this Singleton?

I am looking into Singleton only because the tipster mentioned that her father had rented to Singleton as an example of how he would rent to people of questionable character. Since this should be a verifiable fact (where Singleton lived), confirming it will help convince me in the truthfulness of the tipster.

 

[Annasmom]

I am looking into Singleton only because the tipster mentioned that her father had rented to Singleton as an example of how he would rent to people of questionable character. Since this should be a verifiable fact (where Singleton lived), confirming it will help convince me in the truthfulness of the tipster.

Doogie, you and Sherlock are going to be proud of me. I just got home from a marathon reading session at the Half Moon Bay Library. I read all the 1976 issues of the Half Moon Bay Review, looking for burglaries in particular, and in fact the paper reported many burglaries from May to September of that year (the informant believes she saw a 47-year-old man with an eight-year-old girl some time between September and November of 1976.) No names of suspects in these cases were given, and there was no follow-up on the stories.
In the June 17 issue, Assistant Sheriff John Barker of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department, commenting on Coastside burglaries, said “I realize that police protection over there isn’t as good as it should be, but getting more protection costs big bucks. We are working with the people on the north coast and are hoping to improve the protection over there."
In August, 1976, an important story appeared in the Review: “Following an outcry by many residents of the coastside about ‘unsolved burglary cases,’ the sheriff’s office of San Mateo County on Monday opened a branch office at the Half Moon Bay Airport. The office has direct radio and telephone communication to sheriff’s headquarters at Redwood City and is headed by Lt. Gerald Moerman, who served for many years as a detective and has worked on a number of coastside cases...”
“The greatest number of burglaries in the past two years have occurred on the coastside in the communities of El Granada, Montara and Moss Beach.” These are all unincorporated communities. The informant who believes she saw Anna in 1976 lived on a rural road between two of these communities. Her belief that the intruders with a little girl may have been burglars is justified (if not confirmed) by these news stories.
The August Review story continues, “With the new office on the coastside, some observers said that the number of ‘unsolved burglaries’ will decrease because the sheriff’s men can move more quickly to the scene of a crime from their new local base; also less time will be spent riding ‘to and from’ Redwood City.”
Only two other burglaries, both in El Granada, were reported in the Review in 1976 after the substation opened. Each burglary story in 1976 ends by stating that no suspects have been found.
I made copies of stories about burglaries which occurred near where our informant lives (from a microfiche machine probably as old as the tapes I was reading), but they add very little information to the above. The main point is that this aspect of the informant’s story is credible.

 

[rideforfun]

Excellent searching Annasmom. This is starting to really come together!! Any chance we can talk to some retired policemen who might be able to offer some personal insight into any suspects they had but couldn't charge???? Some of the police from that time must still be around!

Way to go. I believe we are getting closer to Anna everyday.