Theory #3: Other Stranger Abduction

[SideKick]

Maybe, maybe not. I'm sure he dealt with many clients over the years and doesn't remember them all. Now if he handled adoptions that might be diffeent.

Very true indeed, but Anna is a missing child, why not just say 'I don't recall' rather than taking the 5th? I am not American we don't have this option. It just comes across harsher than .. hey, I don't remember.

Thanks Cubby!!


SK

 

[Cubby]

While looking for something else, I found this older post regarding the picture of the girl from Synanon who resembles Anna.

I thought it was worth repeating.
(link to original post:
Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Searching for Anna )

On May 17, 2006, I received the following email from Gerry Nance of the NCMEC:

"My contact has shown the pictures of Anna to three members (former) who
lived in the Oakland facility during the 70s. None recognized the
photograph of Anna and all said that there were very few young children
there, and everyone would make a fuss over them, so the chances of one
being secreted into the facility would be nil. One member said there
were some children in the Santa Monica facility, but they were kids of
single parents who had no where else to leave them.

Although not officially a cult, they meet enough criteria in my mind
that I am looking at them from a cult standpoint: In the 70s and early
into the 80s, they had folks flocking to the door. That is also the
time when isolation started and continued. To isolate, you must first
isolate the member from family, but you also have to put a moat around
the member and the community, nothing that would give authorities reason
to rock your boat was allowed. The practice of kidnapping young
children when there are so many women in the facility of child bearing
age would be a high risk. I am not saying that this is not still a
possibility, but the odds of it are beginning to change."

Other sources within WS at the same time came to the same conclusion. The WS sources also supplied the name of the girl who the Synanon members identified as the girl in the picture. We were able to locate a family website where pictures of the family were posted (including girl in the picture as an adult). These pictures did not resemble the age-progressed pictures of Anna, and the girl showed a definite family resemblance to her siblings.

Because of this, I concluded that the girl in the picture was not Anna. Remember that the the possible Synanon connection only came about because of someone researching the Synanon archives during the hunt for Rose Cole came across this picture and recognized the resembance between Anna and the girl - no concrete evidence was every uncovered that would point us to believe that Synanon had any involvement in Anna's case (other than the general location and George Waters's employment in a drug-treatment facility).

Because the Synanon member's all came to the same conclusion independently and because they were not aware of why they were being asked about the girl in the picture, it is unlikely that they were being anything other than truthful in their responses. As much as I would have loved to concluded otherwise, I felt that we were attempting to fit the "square peg" of Anna's disappearance into the "round hole" of the Synanon cult.

​

 

[OzzieMum]

While looking for something else, I found this older post regarding the picture of the girl from Synanon who resembles Anna.

I thought it was worth repeating.
(link to original post:
Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Searching for Anna )

On May 17, 2006, I received the following email from Gerry Nance of the NCMEC:

"My contact has shown the pictures of Anna to three members (former) who
lived in the Oakland facility during the 70s. None recognized the
photograph of Anna and all said that there were very few young children
there, and everyone would make a fuss over them, so the chances of one
being secreted into the facility would be nil. One member said there
were some children in the Santa Monica facility, but they were kids of
single parents who had no where else to leave them.

Although not officially a cult, they meet enough criteria in my mind
that I am looking at them from a cult standpoint: In the 70s and early
into the 80s, they had folks flocking to the door. That is also the
time when isolation started and continued. To isolate, you must first
isolate the member from family, but you also have to put a moat around
the member and the community, nothing that would give authorities reason
to rock your boat was allowed. The practice of kidnapping young
children when there are so many women in the facility of child bearing
age would be a high risk. I am not saying that this is not still a
possibility, but the odds of it are beginning to change."

Other sources within WS at the same time came to the same conclusion. The WS sources also supplied the name of the girl who the Synanon members identified as the girl in the picture. We were able to locate a family website where pictures of the family were posted (including girl in the picture as an adult). These pictures did not resemble the age-progressed pictures of Anna, and the girl showed a definite family resemblance to her siblings.

Because of this, I concluded that the girl in the picture was not Anna. Remember that the the possible Synanon connection only came about because of someone researching the Synanon archives during the hunt for Rose Cole came across this picture and recognized the resembance between Anna and the girl - no concrete evidence was every uncovered that would point us to believe that Synanon had any involvement in Anna's case (other than the general location and George Waters's employment in a drug-treatment facility).

Because the Synanon member's all came to the same conclusion independently and because they were not aware of why they were being asked about the girl in the picture, it is unlikely that they were being anything other than truthful in their responses. As much as I would have loved to concluded otherwise, I felt that we were attempting to fit the "square peg" of Anna's disappearance into the "round hole" of the Synanon cult.

​

I did a post just recently about the little "girl" in a photo taken in the bathroom of the Synanon compound and I think it was Annasmom that posted that this actually turned out to be a little boy with long hair. Is this the same photo that you are talking about?

 

[Cubby]

Yes, it is the same photo. It was a little girl, not a little boy.

FWIW, I was looking for a different post regarding Jerry Nance and ran across this in my search. Since the topic has on occasion been brought up again, (myself included after this post I am repeating, but when I was newer to the forum). I thought it would be worth the repost so fresh eyes could see why that picture/person was ruled out way back.

 

[OzzieMum]

Yes, it is the same photo. It was a little girl, not a little boy.

FWIW, I was looking for a different post regarding Jerry Nance and ran across this in my search. Since the topic has on occasion been brought up again, (myself included after this post I am repeating, but when I was newer to the forum). I thought it would be worth the repost so fresh eyes could see why that picture/person was ruled out way back.

I think Annasmom can clear this up.

 

[Annasmom]

I think Annasmom can clear this up.

All I remember is that we ruled out this child; at some point, we decided that we had to have something besides physical resemblance in order to seriously consider a candidate as being a possible Anna candidate, and in this case there was nothing except a close resemblance. The information is here on the Forum somewhere.

 

[Reels]

I'm sorry if I'm asking this in the wrong place. I'm trying to read all the threads, but there are a lot of them.

Have you ever heard back from Texas Equusearch (however it is spelled)?

Then, I was thinking about the little girl you were babysitting (Annasmom). Now that she is older, do you think she would remember saying that? Maybe she saw something and was trying to tell you? Even if it's nothing, or she doesn't remember it now, would it be worth asking?

There was something else...oh, raf's post of what he would have done, and I was thinking the same thing. I would never kidnap a child, but in trying to think like a kidnapper I came up with the same idea. I'd drug the child somehow, and then either hide her under the house (if possible, like in a crawlspace) or I'd move quickly towards the creek, go up the bank somewhat, then cross through the water and make an escape that way. It's interesting that the scent dogs turned that way and then stopped. I hadn't known that before, and I admit it made me sit up a little straighter when I read it.

It bothers me the man killed the rooster, but maybe that's just because I am so against animal cruelty, and I think there are other ways to deal with an angry rooster. That said, I have been bitten by a Peking duck more than once and I can understand reacting. Not that it matters, but that is one fact that just keeps standing out to me. Did you know this man who did it?

I was going to say I didn't think that GB must have been a socialist, because he considered himself a kind of messiah, and in socialism, the idea is that we are all equal (basically). On the other hand, I can see how he would talk about Hitler often, because of the charisma Hitler had (NOT that I approve in ANY way of that evil man). Though people who hated him even admitted he exuded charm and confidence and could command attention and frenzy crowds like no one else. And I agree that I don't think they would have given Anna to any "group" or "cult" like Peoples Temple or Synanon. GB would not have been able to control anything about Anna if she were sent there, and if he truly believed she was the incarnation of MK, he would want that control. At least in my opinion.

 

[Annasmom]

I'm sorry if I'm asking this in the wrong place. I'm trying to read all the threads, but there are a lot of them.

Have you ever heard back from Texas Equusearch (however it is spelled)?

Then, I was thinking about the little girl you were babysitting (Annasmom). Now that she is older, do you think she would remember saying that? Maybe she saw something and was trying to tell you? Even if it's nothing, or she doesn't remember it now, would it be worth asking?

There was something else...oh, raf's post of what he would have done, and I was thinking the same thing. I would never kidnap a child, but in trying to think like a kidnapper I came up with the same idea. I'd drug the child somehow, and then either hide her under the house (if possible, like in a crawlspace) or I'd move quickly towards the creek, go up the bank somewhat, then cross through the water and make an escape that way. It's interesting that the scent dogs turned that way and then stopped. I hadn't known that before, and I admit it made me sit up a little straighter when I read it.

It bothers me the man killed the rooster, but maybe that's just because I am so against animal cruelty, and I think there are other ways to deal with an angry rooster. That said, I have been bitten by a Peking duck more than once and I can understand reacting. Not that it matters, but that is one fact that just keeps standing out to me. Did you know this man who did it?

I was going to say I didn't think that GB must have been a socialist, because he considered himself a kind of messiah, and in socialism, the idea is that we are all equal (basically). On the other hand, I can see how he would talk about Hitler often, because of the charisma Hitler had (NOT that I approve in ANY way of that evil man). Though people who hated him even admitted he exuded charm and confidence and could command attention and frenzy crowds like no one else. And I agree that I don't think they would have given Anna to any "group" or "cult" like Peoples Temple or Synanon. GB would not have been able to control anything about Anna if she were sent there, and if he truly believed she was the incarnation of MK, he would want that control. At least in my opinion.

Reels,
I was amazed by your descriptions in the "What do you remember" thread. Yes, I would hope Anna would have memories of her early life. The little girl I was baby-sitting lived far away; I don't think she ever even knew Anna, and she wasn't around when Anna disappeared. Her remark was very strange, considering this (I don't remember her exact words, but it was something like "the lady made the little girl hurry so much, she dropped her doll.")

The man who killed the rooster was the blacksmith the bird made the mistake of attacking. He was questioned very extensively at the time by the police. In fact, I think they made the poor man very miserable. But they were satisfied that he had nothing to do with Anna's disappearance.

I don't remember anything about Texas Equusearch, but neither do I have anything in my files about this (or at least I can't find it), so I doubt we had an answer. There was no crawl space under the house and I can't quite figure out how they might have crossed the creek unless they used the bridge. The dogs ran along the near side of the creek and then headed upstream before they stopped. The neighbor out on horseback on the road above the house said that she heard rustling in the trees along the creek and thought that somebody was stealing something...another remark which was impossible to ignore. She was questioned and did not actually SEE anything; she only heard the rustling and then heard the siren when the sheriff's people arrived.

I agree with you about GB and socialism, and also about the unlikely connection with a cult or group. Thank you so much for your insights.

 

[Reels]

Reels,
I was amazed by your descriptions in the "What do you remember" thread. Yes, I would hope Anna would have memories of her early life. The little girl I was baby-sitting lived far away; I don't think she ever even knew Anna, and she wasn't around when Anna disappeared. Her remark was very strange, considering this (I don't remember her exact words, but it was something like "the lady made the little girl hurry so much, she dropped her doll.")

The man who killed the rooster was the blacksmith the bird made the mistake of attacking. He was questioned very extensively at the time by the police. In fact, I think they made the poor man very miserable. But they were satisfied that he had nothing to do with Anna's disappearance.

I don't remember anything about Texas Equusearch, but neither do I have anything in my files about this (or at least I can't find it), so I doubt we had an answer. There was no crawl space under the house and I can't quite figure out how they might have crossed the creek unless they used the bridge. The dogs ran along the near side of the creek and then headed upstream before they stopped. The neighbor out on horseback on the road above the house said that she heard rustling in the trees along the creek and thought that somebody was stealing something...another remark which was impossible to ignore. She was questioned and did not actually SEE anything; she only heard the rustling and then heard the siren when the sheriff's people arrived.

I agree with you about GB and socialism, and also about the unlikely connection with a cult or group. Thank you so much for your insights.

Ok, so that makes it particularly strange, since the little girl was far away. hm.

Ok, so the man that killed the rooster was probably more of a distraction then. Though I'm glad they questioned him because it seems like a pretty big reaction. I was thinking about it last night, and the rooster's body actually ended up helping when you searched the river, because you could see how far he travelled, and know that if something that relatively small would get snared on something, surely a little girl would.

I keep picturing the river/creek near my house that was randomly deep and shallow, but I have to stop doing that. It is very interesting that the lady heard rustling in the bushes, and I was thinking about it while I was sleeping, and I woke up thinking this:

So this person who kidnapped Anna must have either been closer to 6' tall than 5', and/or had long legs, and/or was in very good shape. I think long legs, because I am 5'8" and I can take some pretty big steps when I am in a rush to arrive somewhere, and I leave my husband, who is 5'6" in the dust. Even though he's in better shape than I am, he has to take twice as many steps as I do, and twice as fast as I do, if he wants to keep up, and it always leaves him out of breath. He can't keep it up for long. If you add our little boy who's not yet 20 pounds and it's basically a futile effort. So even though technically someone shorter could have kidnapped Anna, they would have had to put forth a LOT more effort to get to the creek before anyone noticed her missing, and they would have had to keep their pace upcreek in foliage carrying a 5 year old, which could not have been easy. If there are enough bushes/trees/vines to interfere with the flow of the creek, there are bound to be tree roots and other things on the banks, no? I might be picturing it wrong. A shorter person would encounter more of the low-to-the-ground growth, a taller person would encounter it, but not have as much difficulty stepping over it. At least in my head it would work that way.

Ok I am more than convinced that GW and GB had something to do with this. The two men in the vehicle going west on the road, after being seen going east? There was something there that indicated they had to have turned around somewhere to go west on the road. I think they must have met whoever took Anna, or else the older man dropped the younger one off a bit away from the farm, he approached on foot, and the older man drove up the road to meet the younger man after he kidnapped Anna. That's just my opinion, but that makes more sense to me than anything else, especially with the creek being too deep to cross on foot.

I have to read the BFH threads yet, but I saw reference to a plan.

If you want, I could email Texas Equusearch. I saw that someone contacted them a year or two ago, but I never saw any follow-up to that. Maybe they need a reminder. After Haleigh Cummings went missing (also in Florida), I think a lot of things might have gotten pushed back.

 

[Dr. Doogie]

In the early 1970's, there was a series of kidnap/murders in the Santa Rosa area (roughly 75 miles to the north of Half Moon Bay). Here is a link to a website that has several contemporary news articles about a possibly related incident:

http://www.santarosahitchhikermurders.com/kursa.html

Here are my thoughts (both pro and con about a possible link):

Pro
* A witness saw three men in a white van abduct the girl.
* The kidnapping occured about five week before Anna's disappearance.
* It is suspected that the perp/perps in the Santa Rosa kidnap/murders was also responsible for the murder of Linda Uhlig whose body was found on Purissima Creek Road about eight months before Anna's disappearance.

Con
* The Santa Rosa victims and Uhlig were all early teens and older - usually hitch-hikers. There are no known victims in Anna's age range.

I have no idea if these are related, but I wanted to put this out for others to give their thoughts about.

 

[OzzieMum]

In the early 1970's, there was a series of kidnap/murders in the Santa Rosa area (roughly 75 miles to the north of Half Moon Bay). Here is a link to a website that has several contemporary news articles about a possibly related incident:

http://www.santarosahitchhikermurders.com/kursa.html

Here are my thoughts (both pro and con about a possible link):

Pro
* A witness saw three men in a white van abduct the girl.
* The kidnapping occured about five week before Anna's disappearance.
* It is suspected that the perp/perps in the Santa Rosa kidnap/murders was also responsible for the murder of Linda Uhlig whose body was found on Purissima Creek Road about eight months before Anna's disappearance.

Con
* The Santa Rosa victims and Uhlig were all early teens and older - usually hitch-hikers. There are no known victims in Anna's age range.

I have no idea if these are related, but I wanted to put this out for others to give their thoughts about.

Hi Dr Doogie,

I agree about the age difference. Most criminals (any criminal, be it sexual predator, child molester etc) has an MO and this doesn't seem to fit with Anna's disappearance.

I believe it was the 2 Georges, someone that wanted a child to raise as their own, someone that wanted a child that they could illegally adopt out for money or someone that wanted to sell a child on the black market. My bet is still the on 2 Georges.

JMO

 

[Cubby]

I agree with the age difference too. Just doesn't fit the MO.

jmo

 

[Cubby]

[

quote=Annasmom;5232243]
The neighbor out on horseback on the road above the house said that she heard rustling in the trees along the creek and thought that somebody was stealing something...another remark which was impossible to ignore. She was questioned and did not actually SEE anything; she only heard the rustling and then heard the siren when the sheriff's people arrived.

quote]

Respectfully snipped. I don't know why I didn't think of this before and don't recall this being posted previously, so will ask now.

Where did the neighor who was horse back riding hear this? Where was she riding if anyone recalls. Was she riding on the paved street, a trail?

Is it possible to add the area where she heard this rustling in the trees near the creek onto the drawing of the map of the house and area Anna was last seen by CB when he came to visit that afternoon?

Also, there was discussion about foot prints near the creek when the search was going on. Was there ever evidence of tire tracks near the woods and the creek? Something that looked fresh at an odd spot along the road? In an area that didn't appear as if it were one of the visitors you had that day? I imagine if someone parked even slightly off road when they abducted Anna, if the ground was wet a quick getaway, the tire tracks may have looked different than someone just parking and not gunning it or giving it more gas than one normally would.

I'm not sure why, but maybe that info would help brain storm some more.

tia

 

[Dr. Doogie]

My bet is still the on 2 Georges.

Mine too. I just wanted to put this forth for consideration of all possible leads.

The youngest known victim in this series was twelve which, to me, is a big variance from a five-year-old. It was the other factors that concerned me like the van, multiple perps, location, etc.

 

[SideKick]

Mine too. I just wanted to put this forth for consideration of all possible leads.

The youngest known victim in this series was twelve which, to me, is a big variance from a five-year-old. It was the other factors that concerned me like the van, multiple perps, location, etc.

~ I'm glad this was mentioned, the old 'leaving no stone unturned'. We really don't know what happened but of course there is a strong indication of who..... took Anna and yes, I feel they made some money removing her from her family to another. UGH. We will find her, I believe strongly that we will find Anna.

 

[OzzieMum]

Mine too. I just wanted to put this forth for consideration of all possible leads.

The youngest known victim in this series was twelve which, to me, is a big variance from a five-year-old. It was the other factors that concerned me like the van, multiple perps, location, etc.

Definitely worth putting out there. You just never know if one of these cases might turn up a lead or an idea when one of us goes to research them.

 

[OzzieMum]

[
Respectfully snipped. I don't know why I didn't think of this before and don't recall this being posted previously, so will ask now.

Where did the neighor who was horse back riding hear this? Where was she riding if anyone recalls. Was she riding on the paved street, a trail?

Is it possible to add the area where she heard this rustling in the trees near the creek onto the drawing of the map of the house and area Anna was last seen by CB when he came to visit that afternoon?

Also, there was discussion about foot prints near the creek when the search was going on. Was there ever evidence of tire tracks near the woods and the creek? Something that looked fresh at an odd spot along the road? In an area that didn't appear as if it were one of the visitors you had that day? I imagine if someone parked even slightly off road when they abducted Anna, if the ground was wet a quick getaway, the tire tracks may have looked different than someone just parking and not gunning it or giving it more gas than one normally would.

I'm not sure why, but maybe that info would help brain storm some more.

tia

One thing I have never understood is the foot prints near the creek were explained by a neighbour swapping gum boots (sorry, can't remember what you call them over there) with Anna and I can't understand how an adult could fit into a 5 year old child's shoes. I know adults with small feet but not that small.

 

[Annasmom]

One thing I have never understood is the foot prints near the creek were explained by a neighbour swapping gum boots (sorry, can't remember what you call them over there) with Anna and I can't understand how an adult could fit into a 5 year old child's shoes. I know adults with small feet but not that small.

That is what happened, however. The neighbor had small feet, and of course her boots were big for Anna. The fact that the boots were never found anywhere in or near the creek is one of the main reasons for thinking Anna did not go into the creek, since the boots would have come off and would not break down or be carried away by animals.

 

[Annasmom]

[
Respectfully snipped. I don't know why I didn't think of this before and don't recall this being posted previously, so will ask now.

Where did the neighor who was horse back riding hear this? Where was she riding if anyone recalls. Was she riding on the paved street, a trail?

Is it possible to add the area where she heard this rustling in the trees near the creek onto the drawing of the map of the house and area Anna was last seen by CB when he came to visit that afternoon?

Also, there was discussion about foot prints near the creek when the search was going on. Was there ever evidence of tire tracks near the woods and the creek? Something that looked fresh at an odd spot along the road? In an area that didn't appear as if it were one of the visitors you had that day? I imagine if someone parked even slightly off road when they abducted Anna, if the ground was wet a quick getaway, the tire tracks may have looked different than someone just parking and not gunning it or giving it more gas than one normally would.

I'm not sure why, but maybe that info would help brain storm some more.

tia

No tire tracks were noticed; fields adjacent to the driveway were fenced. The neighbor was riding her horse on (paved) Purisima Creek Road, just east of the house. She asked what was going on when she heard the siren and all the commotion and said that she had heard rustling in the bushes down by the creek and thought someone was stealing something.

 

[Cubby]

No tire tracks were noticed; fields adjacent to the driveway were fenced. The neighbor was riding her horse on (paved) Purisima Creek Road, just east of the house. She asked what was going on when she heard the siren and all the commotion and said that she had heard rustling in the bushes down by the creek and thought someone was stealing something.

Thank you for clarifying this Annasmom. I don't know that I remember it being posted the neighbor on the horse heard this noise east of the creek. (Could be my brain isn't holding everything I have read here ) To refresh our memory can you tell us approximately how many feet are between the road and the creek?

I'm not sure if I think the noise the neighbor heard was the person who abducted Anna or it was possibly a noise from an animal.

If someone took Anna from near the creek, IIRC the bridge and access to a road or path was on the west side of the house. Is that correct? Was there easy access or a path between the road and the creek on the east side of the house? You said the fields surrounding the driveway where fenced. I'm trying to create a picture of where someone could escape with Anna from near the creek to the road. I'm sorry for so many questions and sorry if this was answered some time ago. I am just trying to create enough of a picture so I and possibly others can see this in our mind.