TX TX - Julie Moseley, 9, Mary Trlica, 17, Lisa Wilson, 14, Fort Worth, 23 Dec 1974 - #2

[Philigumbo]

Someone posted the letter a few pages ago but I am unable to open the file on my phone. I am wondering if the paper has crease marks where it was folded to fit a smaller envelope or not. It is strange that such emphasis was placed on the letter not fitting the envelope unless it hadn't been folded to fit inside...

I forgot FW Cat had posted the letter. It looks to have a crease in the middle, as if folded in half lengthwise.

Latest info I've read was Rachel's family trying to raise money to remove cars/trucks from Benbrook lake after a possible tip the girls were in one of those. I've always discounted (but not ruled out) TT because it would seem he'd have ample other opportunities to murder Rachel without having Lisa and Julie with her.

 

[wdmcmahan]

Thank you for answeing my question about the letter, Philigumbo! It is difficult and frustrating for me to do all the research I want to from my phone only, but it's all I am able to use right now as my laptop is broken.

I am doubtful TT had anything to do with it, but having said that, I have to keep an open mind about every possible angle at this point.

If he did have something to do with it, maybe it was accidental. Maybe it happened after the girls returned from the mall and someone took the car back to the Sears parking lot.

Now that I know the letter was folded, it likely was inside of the envelope, which makes it less likely to me that TT was involved.

I wish som we new information would surface. I wish FW Cat would come back and give an update on the info he/she posted.

 

[Dogface]

I am still catching up in this thread, but how someone could abduct three people at a mall, with no commotion or no attention drawn keeps hanging me up. I can only think of a couple ways that could happen. The most obvious being they got in a car with someone they trusted. I discount that though as there would be no real reason for them to. The most plausible one I can think of is that they were followed to the mall. Someone parked next to their car and waited once the girls went in.. When they were returning to the car and got close to the car, he snatched the youngest girl, held a knife/gun to her, forcing the two older girls to cooperate and get in the vehicle. Sorry if this has been discussed and I haven't gotten to it yet, but wanted to put that out there before I forgot.

 

[Dogface]

Another way I think it could happen is if they had forgot where they parked, or exited the mall at another exit and were walking to their car from a distance(malls can be terribly crowded around this time and I know I often prefer to walk outside instead of fighting through a crowd) and someone they knew or someone they felt they could trust(security, LE) offered to give them a short lift to the other side but instead abducted them. To tie in with the SG story, perhaps the adductor later thought it would be best to move the car after drafting the letter and deciding staging it at runaways would be best, and went back with all three girls and had planned for Rachel to drive the car back while the other two girls remained with him as a way to make sure she cooperated, but wasn't expecting there to be people waiting around the car.

 

[Ozoner]

I am still catching up in this thread, but how someone could abduct three people at a mall, with no commotion or no attention drawn keeps hanging me up. I can only think of a couple ways that could happen. The most obvious being they got in a car with someone they trusted. I discount that though as there would be no real reason for them to.
...
Another way I think it could happen is if they had forgot where they parked, or exited the mall at another exit and were walking to their car from a distance . . . and someone they knew or someone they felt they could trust(security, LE) offered to give them a short lift to the other side but instead abducted them. To tie in with the SG story, perhaps the adductor later thought it would be best to move the car after drafting the letter and deciding staging it at runaways would be best, and went back with all three girls and had planned for Rachel to drive the car back while the other two girls remained with him as a way to make sure she cooperated, but wasn't expecting there to be people waiting around the car.

I can think of several reasons why the girls might have gone willingly with the security guard, especially if they knew him beforehand:
1) They wanted to hang out and have a few beers.
2) The security guard was a pusher, and Rachel wanted to score some Mary Jane.
3) Rachel Trlica was two-timing Tommy Trlica. (Sorry, I couldn't resist the alliteration.)
4) Maybe the guard was a predator and came up with some kind of ruse (offered the girls some money to pose for photographs, etc.).
*
The sighting of the girls occurred fairly late, so I think it's possible that the security guard was actually bringing the girls back from somewhere and was planning to drop the girls off at their car but then panicked when he saw that people were looking for the girls. He may have realized that he would have to explain what had been going on--questions would be raised, etc. However, it's also possible that the girls had been at the mall the whole time, waiting for the security guard to get off work, and that they were leaving with the security guard at the time they were seen.

 

[Philigumbo]

James Mitchell "Mike" DeBardeleben was a serial killer, rapist, counterfeiter, etc. His parents lived in Ft Worth, in fact, not far from the Seminary South Mall. He lived with them sporadically. He used disguises such as security guards and police officers. Evidence was found in the attic of his parents house that at least one female had been held there and an ex-wife did confirm he held someone there. At least 2 of his ex-wives assisted him in his sex crimes. I've always wondered about him being the "security guard" the witness saw the girls with in the truck.

I don't believe they would have chosen to party or get high that afternoon. Julie was a neighbor of Renee's grandmother and Rachel didn't really know her. Renee was excited to get home for a date to a party with her boyfriend, Julie's brother. Also, Renee's mother was to pick her up at her grandmothers at 4pm so they had a deadline to meet.

Their purchases were in the car so they had to have been stopped at the car. We know the story about the security guard; however, years later, 1981, a man came forward and said he saw a girl being shoved into a van in that parking lot, on that day. When he tried to intervene, he was told it was a family dispute and to butt out. Don't know why he waited so long to report it.

 

[Philigumbo]

Another way I think it could happen is if they had forgot where they parked, or exited the mall at another exit and were walking to their car from a distance(malls can be terribly crowded around this time and I know I often prefer to walk outside instead of fighting through a crowd) and someone they knew or someone they felt they could trust(security, LE) offered to give them a short lift to the other side but instead abducted them. To tie in with the SG story, perhaps the adductor later thought it would be best to move the car after drafting the letter and deciding staging it at runaways would be best, and went back with all three girls and had planned for Rachel to drive the car back while the other two girls remained with him as a way to make sure she cooperated, but wasn't expecting there to be people waiting around the car.

I remember reading that Rachel's brother said that the parents staked out that car in the parking lot all night with a shotgun. That's so sad.

 

[wdmcmahan]

I remember reading that there were packages in the car, but I also read Debra's post where she stated there was only one package in the car, a present that Renee had brought to give Rachel's stepson... I wish we knew which is correct.

 

[Ozoner]

James Mitchell "Mike" DeBardeleben was a serial killer, rapist, counterfeiter, etc. His parents lived in Ft Worth, in fact, not far from the Seminary South Mall. He lived with them sporadically. He used disguises such as security guards and police officers. Evidence was found in the attic of his parents house that at least one female had been held there and an ex-wife did confirm he held someone there. At least 2 of his ex-wives assisted him in his sex crimes. I've always wondered about him being the "security guard" the witness saw the girls with in the truck.

I don't believe they would have chosen to party or get high that afternoon. Julie was a neighbor of Renee's grandmother and Rachel didn't really know her. Renee was excited to get home for a date to a party with her boyfriend, Julie's brother. Also, Renee's mother was to pick her up at her grandmothers at 4pm so they had a deadline to meet.

Their purchases were in the car so they had to have been stopped at the car. We know the story about the security guard; however, years later, 1981, a man came forward and said he saw a girl being shoved into a van in that parking lot, on that day. When he tried to intervene, he was told it was a family dispute and to butt out. Don't know why he waited so long to report it.

The witness who saw the girls supposedly identified a particular security guard, whom he recognized, and whom the police interviewed (27 years after the fact). I suppose it's plausible that it was a case of mistaken identity.
*
As for the guy who saw a girl being shoved into the van, I guess I'm skeptical of how certain that witness was that it happened on the same day the girls were abducted. That detail may be something he convinced himself of many years after the fact.

 

[TedMac]

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/New-Efforts-to-Find-Three-Girls-Who-Vanished-in-1974-405689995.html

New Efforts to Find Three Girls Who Vanished in 1974

"The family of a girl who, along with two other girls, went missing in one of Fort Worth's most notable missing persons cases is launching a new search to find who was responsible. Rusty Arnold says that with the help of Texas EquuSearch, he has been able to locate several vehicles deep down in the water at Longhorn Park in Fort Worth. He believes evidence in Benbrook Lake might lead to his sister's killer, but he also feels somebody who was there at the time would know the answer. He also provided sonar images of the vehicles, but Fort Worth police say at this point there's nothing to indicate they are connected to the case...."

 

[Alinew]

Has anyone considered the possibility that they were murdered and the killer could have driven the car in the mall parking lot later? Does Rachel Trlica´s husband have an alibi or is he one of the suspects? If Debra wrote the letter to Thomas like some think, maybe they were in it together.

Police say they have several suspects, does anyone know who they are?

 

[Ozoner]

Has anyone considered the possibility that they were murdered and the killer could have driven the car in the mall parking lot later? Does Rachel Trlica´s husband have an alibi or is he one of the suspects? If Debra wrote the letter to Thomas like some think, maybe they were in it together.

Police say they have several suspects, does anyone know who they are?

It's been confirmed beyond all doubt by multiple witnesses that they were at the mall that day. However, it is possible that they left and that the car was brought back later.
*
I don't know who the official suspects are, but I would have to think that Tommy Trlica, Debardeleben, and the unnamed security guard are on the short list. My money is still on the security guard.

 

[BillieL]

Think you for this information, TedMac! It will be very interesting to see how this develops.

 

[BillieL]

It's been confirmed beyond all doubt by multiple witnesses that they were at the mall that day. However, it is possible that they left and that the car was brought back later.
*
I don't know who the official suspects are, but I would have to think that Tommy Trlica, Debardeleben, and the unnamed security guard are on the short list. My money is still on the security guard.

I agree. With the information available here at WS it seems most likely that it was one of the two.

 

[folieadeuxnola]

JM story holds no water IMO .........

 

[Thewop356]

I am seriously thinking that Debardaleben was the unnamed security guard. If he wasn't, it is very possible that he worked there as seasonal help in the security department. This disappearance happened before he was know to travel around the country to malls all over and pass fake money, but with his family being from fort worth area and Debardeleben making threats to his wife that he was gonna was gonna do something like this is just too much of a coinincidence. I am sure Debardeleben has been discussed a lot in the previous threads as a POI for this case and since that dirt bag is now rotting in hell, you wont get much info from him. In my research I have heard he is fond of disposing of bodies and cars in lakes and ponds so I hope the family can raise enough money dredge some of them in the area.

 

[Ozoner]

I am seriously thinking that Debardaleben was the unnamed security guard. If he wasn't, it is very possible that he worked there as seasonal help in the security department. This disappearance happened before he was know to travel around the country to malls all over and pass fake money, but with his family being from fort worth area and Debardeleben making threats to his wife that he was gonna was gonna do something like this is just too much of a coinincidence. I am sure Debardeleben has been discussed a lot in the previous threads as a POI for this case and since that dirt bag is now rotting in hell, you wont get much info from him. In my research I have heard he is fond of disposing of bodies and cars in lakes and ponds so I hope the family can raise enough money dredge some of them in the area.

With all the oil wealth there is in Texas, you'd think they could figure out how to fund bringing up those cars. Even if the girls aren't in one of them, somebody else very well could be.

 

[sloane7777]

theres a place I drive by where Tom Braniff drive meets the trinity here between Dallas and Irving and often I have commented this is a great place to dump a body ....well a few years ago they found cars dating all the way back to the 50"s and some as new as 2013 its insane to think NO ONE has ever thought to look here!!!!! no telling who might have been down there , oh and there are a lot of gators and bottom feeders here ....remains might not be real likely!

 

[Ozoner]

theres a place I drive by where Tom Braniff drive meets the trinity here between Dallas and Irving and often I have commented this is a great place to dump a body ....well a few years ago they found cars dating all the way back to the 50"s and some as new as 2013 its insane to think NO ONE has ever thought to look here!!!!! no telling who might have been down there , oh and there are a lot of gators and bottom feeders here ....remains might not be real likely!

Did they pull up all of those cars? Do they think that they were all intentionally dumped, or is that a location where someone might accidentally drive into the water?

 

[Midge Montana]

Any updates? I just found this case and read every post over the last few days.