There have been some mysterious disappearances in the Great Smokey Mountains over the years.
25 September 2006 will mark the 25th Anniversary of the disappearance of Polly Melton.
8 October 2006 will mark the 30th Anniversary of the disappearance of Trenny Lynn Gibson.
Could they be connected?
Here are summaries of their cases:
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Thelma Pauline Melton
Missing since September 25, 1981 from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee.
Classification: Endangered Missing
Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: 1923
Age at Time of Disappearance: 58 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'11"
Distinguishing Characteristics: Auburn hair; brown eyes. She wears eyeglasses.
Medical Conditions: Melton was overweight, suffered from high blood pressure and nausea, and took medication for these ailments.
Clothing: Melton was last seen wearing a white and pink sleeveless striped blouse, tan polyester pants and tan, low cut, size 8 1/2 shoes with crepe soles. The left soul had a crack across the ball of the foot, which would have given distinctive footprints. She also had with her Virginia Slims cigarettes, a diamond studded white gold wristwatch and a wedding bank.
AKA: Polly
Circumstances of Disappearance
On September 25, 1981 Polly Melton was hiking Deep Creek Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park together with two friends. On the hike back she walked ahead of the others and disappeared. She had hiked this trail for almost 20 years.
Prior to hiking, Polly had prepared sauce for the spaghetti she intended to cook for supper and had taken a short nap. If she took money, identification, or medicine with her, these items had been concealed from her friends. Polly was barred from driving that summer, so she had no car keys. No one in Polly's family could believe she would leave of her own free will and fear she met with foul play.
Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact: Tennessee Bureau Of Investigation 615-744-4000
Source Information:
Smoky Mountain Disappearances
The Doe Network: Case File 483DFTN
Link:
http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/483dftn.htm
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Trenny Lynn Gibson
Missing since October 8, 1976 from Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee.
Classification: Endangered Missing
Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: August 17, 1960
Age at Time of Disappearance: 16 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'3"; 115 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Brown hair; green eyes.
Clothing: Gibson was last seen wearing blue jeans, a blue blouse, a blue and white striped sweater, blue Adidas shoes, and a star sapphire and diamond ring. She initially had no jacket with her, but during the hike borrowed a brown plaid jacket from a friend. She was wearing the jacket when she went missing.
Circumstances of Disappearance
Gibson accompanied 40 of her classmates from Bearden High School in Knoxville, Tennessee on a field trip to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park on October 8, 1976. The students were hiking to Andrews Bald on the trip and separated into small groups when they arrived at the trails. Gibson apparently hiked with several different sections of her classmates at different paces during the day. She was last seen at approximately 3:00 PM near Clingman's Dome.
Gibson disappeared without a trace and has not been seen again. Extensive searches of the park continued until the end of October 1976, but she was never located.
Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation 1-800-TBI-FIND
NCIC Number: M-008253504
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.
Source Information:
Smoky Mountain Disappearances: True Stories From The Great Smoky Mountains By Juanitta Baldwin and Ester Grubb
The Doe Network: Case File 425DFTN
Link:
http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/425dftn.html
25 September 2006 will mark the 25th Anniversary of the disappearance of Polly Melton.
8 October 2006 will mark the 30th Anniversary of the disappearance of Trenny Lynn Gibson.
Could they be connected?
Here are summaries of their cases:
----------------------------------------
Thelma Pauline Melton
Missing since September 25, 1981 from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee.
Classification: Endangered Missing
Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: 1923
Age at Time of Disappearance: 58 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'11"
Distinguishing Characteristics: Auburn hair; brown eyes. She wears eyeglasses.
Medical Conditions: Melton was overweight, suffered from high blood pressure and nausea, and took medication for these ailments.
Clothing: Melton was last seen wearing a white and pink sleeveless striped blouse, tan polyester pants and tan, low cut, size 8 1/2 shoes with crepe soles. The left soul had a crack across the ball of the foot, which would have given distinctive footprints. She also had with her Virginia Slims cigarettes, a diamond studded white gold wristwatch and a wedding bank.
AKA: Polly
Circumstances of Disappearance
On September 25, 1981 Polly Melton was hiking Deep Creek Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park together with two friends. On the hike back she walked ahead of the others and disappeared. She had hiked this trail for almost 20 years.
Prior to hiking, Polly had prepared sauce for the spaghetti she intended to cook for supper and had taken a short nap. If she took money, identification, or medicine with her, these items had been concealed from her friends. Polly was barred from driving that summer, so she had no car keys. No one in Polly's family could believe she would leave of her own free will and fear she met with foul play.
Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact: Tennessee Bureau Of Investigation 615-744-4000
Source Information:
Smoky Mountain Disappearances
The Doe Network: Case File 483DFTN
Link:
http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/483dftn.htm
------------------------------------------
Trenny Lynn Gibson
Missing since October 8, 1976 from Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee.
Classification: Endangered Missing
Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: August 17, 1960
Age at Time of Disappearance: 16 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'3"; 115 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Brown hair; green eyes.
Clothing: Gibson was last seen wearing blue jeans, a blue blouse, a blue and white striped sweater, blue Adidas shoes, and a star sapphire and diamond ring. She initially had no jacket with her, but during the hike borrowed a brown plaid jacket from a friend. She was wearing the jacket when she went missing.
Circumstances of Disappearance
Gibson accompanied 40 of her classmates from Bearden High School in Knoxville, Tennessee on a field trip to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park on October 8, 1976. The students were hiking to Andrews Bald on the trip and separated into small groups when they arrived at the trails. Gibson apparently hiked with several different sections of her classmates at different paces during the day. She was last seen at approximately 3:00 PM near Clingman's Dome.
Gibson disappeared without a trace and has not been seen again. Extensive searches of the park continued until the end of October 1976, but she was never located.
Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation 1-800-TBI-FIND
NCIC Number: M-008253504
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.
Source Information:
Smoky Mountain Disappearances: True Stories From The Great Smoky Mountains By Juanitta Baldwin and Ester Grubb
The Doe Network: Case File 425DFTN
Link:
http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/425dftn.html