TX TX - Julie Moseley, 9, Mary Trlica, 17, Lisa Wilson, 14, Fort Worth, 23 Dec 1974 #8

[Thewop356]

Not sure if this has been discussed previously, but I wonder if the West Fork Trinity River had been searched or even looked at in 1974. Was it even where it is today, back in 1974? If it was it would be a very logical place to have searched considering it is literally only a few blocks from where the FW shop was.

 

[Valiant]

Not sure if this has been discussed previously, but I wonder if the West Fork Trinity River had been searched or even looked at in 1974. Was it even where it is today, back in 1974? If it was it would be a very logical place to have searched considering it is literally only a few blocks from where the FW shop was.

From online river info, it looks pretty shallow.

 

[Brightchaser47]

Not sure if this has been discussed previously, but I wonder if the West Fork Trinity River had been searched or even looked at in 1974. Was it even where it is today, back in 1974? If it was it would be a very logical place to have searched considering it is literally only a few blocks from where the FW shop was.

From online river info, it looks pretty shallow.

If conditions were right...
* bodies contained or otherwise weighted down
* waters muddy or murky enough that you can't see the bottom and/or
* soft, muddy bottom
* not a lot of recreational use (swimming, boating, fishing)
I think it should be considered. jmo

 

[Brightchaser47]

I'd like to know why neither FWPD or either of the Private Investigators have ever actively searched the local Fort Worth area. According to newspapers at the time, Officer Wilbanks was the detective in charge of investigating this case, and made the cryptic statement that 'dead or alive', he felt the girls "never left Fort Worth". He also made the statement that the girls would " show up with the Easter Bunny", according to Renee's father. Yet, no local searches, and despite hundreds of flyers, rewards offered, and tiplines-- no girls. Hmmm.

 

[Yemelyan]

Hello everyone
On this Christmas Day, I'd like to come back to the letter, which was discussed at length in a previous thread, because when I started researching this case, I confess, as a French, I didn't understand what "I'm going to catch it" meant. Was it about a person? If so, why not "him" or "her", or was it a disease, like "to catch a cold"? After many months, and after discovering that Rachel's family came from a town in north-east Texas (now I don't know which), I realized that it could be a meaning that is still used in my region of Normandy. "Je vais me faire attraper" "(I'm going to get caught) "Mon père va m'attraper" (My father is going to catch me).
This linguistic meaning "to get an argument" could have circulated along the Louisiana and Mississippi rivers to the west.
It doesn't really matter who wrote it, just what the author meant. And, on rereading this letter (well, this note), it's obvious that the phrase "The car is in Sears upper lot" was added later (a posteriori). The handwriting is different and the declination (inclination) on the paper is different.
A word about the envelope. My personal conviction, i.e. no facts. Is that the envelope was sent previously by an administration, which does not put a postage stamp, or better, that it was ready and already stamped to send to an administration or company (to get an answer). In France it was usual at the time, in the USA I don't know.

You are close on the meaning of "I'm going to catch it" - the "it" in this expression could be anything from a spanking (if you're a child) to someone yelling at you. It means someone is going to be mad at you when they find out what you have done and you will be in trouble for it. "Going to catch it" is southern American slang, you probably could have heard it in most places throughout America in the 1970s, not widely used now at all.

 

[jetsfanjohn]

I'd like to know why neither FWPD or either of the Private Investigators have ever actively searched the local Fort Worth area. According to newspapers at the time, Officer Wilbanks was the detective in charge of investigating this case, and made the cryptic statement that 'dead or alive', he felt the girls "never left Fort Worth". He also made the statement that the girls would " show up with the Easter Bunny", according to Renee's father. Yet, no local searches, and despite hundreds of flyers, rewards offered, and tiplines-- no girls. Hmmm.

The house at Minot and a certain premises would be the obvious ones for me. Shame neither was thoroughly searched at the time, to the best of my knowledge.

 

[Brightchaser47]

The house at Minot and a certain premises would be the obvious ones for me. Shame neither was thoroughly searched at the time, to the best of my knowledge.

Actually, according to a former member on here (earlier thread) the property at Minot was searched and dug up, but no remains found (just construction garbage, as I recall). I'd forgotten about that. I'm not sure who spearheaded that search. If it was LE or one of the PI's, I stand corrected.

 

[jetsfanjohn]

Actually, according to a former member on here (earlier thread) the property at Minot was searched and dug up, but no remains found (just construction garbage, as I recall). I'd forgotten about that. I'm not sure who spearheaded that search. If it was LE or one of the PI's, I stand corrected.

I wasn't aware of that.Do you know when the house was searched/dug up?

 

[jetsfanjohn]

Good morning, I'm writing from Italy and I'm a big fan of the Fort Worth Missing Trio case and this is my first post. I read that Robbie Ramsel saw the girls in the record store at the mall, and maybe even talked to Rachel. Was it ever known if Robbie Ramsel gave a precise time when he saw the girls?

It is the only 'mall sighting' that I think may be legit. If it did occur, I would suggest it was some time between 11.00 and 12.00. For some reason, I think the girls left the mall shortly after this and returned to Rachel's house, (there was an alleged sighting there at 12.30pm, I think).

They never got the opportunity to go back to meet the girls they had arranged to meet that afternoon in the mall.

 

[Brightchaser47]

It is the only 'mall sighting' that I think may be legit. If it did occur, I would suggest it was some time between 11.00 and 12.00.

I wish that sighting was legit, but there are a few problems with it. According to a Verified Insider:
*Robbie knew Rachel's husband, but not Rachel.
* He allegedly called Rachel's parents to report seeing her, when you'd think he would call her husband (whom he knew).-- Also, the first newspaper reports of this case gave TT's phone number as contact, not Rachel's parents
* Rachel's father said the caller identified the man the girls were seen with, but not himself (so how would he know it was Robbie calling??)
I don't recall whether the call was made that night or the next. If that night, Robbie must've seen or heard something in the parking lot between the families and LE to even know the girls were missing at that point. TBH, that whole thing doesn't make sense to me, but....

For some reason, I think the girls left the mall shortly after this and returned to Rachel's house, (there was an alleged sighting there at 12.30pm, I think).

The alleged 12:30 pm sighting was ST, but I think DJ was the actual source of that statement, so I don't put a lot of faith in it. jmo

 

[Brightchaser47]

I wasn't aware of that.Do you know when the house was searched/dug up?

I don't think a date was given, but I'm looking for it...

 

[Brightchaser47]

I wasn't aware of that.Do you know when the house was searched/dug up

 

[T rex]

View attachment 473744

It's a post from FW Cat. I don't know how much stock I would put in it without some other source to back it up. Of course she states herself that it's just a tale.

 

[Brightchaser47]

It's a post from FW Cat. I don't know how much stock I would put in it without some other source to back it up. Of course she states herself that it's just a tale.

Thanks. This was the only place I've seen reference to such a search. Don't know whether it would've made the local newspaper, if it did take place.

 

[OddOneOut]

I borrowed this from a previous post from Mad McGoo on an earlier thread.

 

[OddOneOut]

View attachment 473759View attachment 473759

In my opinion, the handwriting addressing the envelope does NOT match the handwriting in the letter. Compare the capital "T" in "Thomas" on the envelope and the capital "T" in the word "The" in the last line of the letter. They are completely different. Also, the writing on the envelope goes straight across while the in the letter it goes down hill. Could someone have reused an envelope from another piece of mail? Or, could the letter and envelope have been written by two different people?

 

[jetsfanjohn]

In my opinion, the handwriting addressing the envelope does NOT match the handwriting in the letter. Compare the capital "T" in "Thomas" on the envelope and the capital "T" in the word "The" in the last line of the letter. They are completely different. Also, the writing on the envelope goes straight across while the in the letter it goes down hill. Could someone have reused an envelope from another piece of mail? Or, could the letter and envelope have been written by two different people?

I think the original envelope was 'reused'. Probably had a Christmas card in it originally.

 

[Valiant]

I think the original envelope was 'reused'. Probably had a Christmas card in it originally.

I agree it was probably reused, but it was a smaller envelope that most normal Christmas cards. Could have been any letter previously - maybe one of those family Christmas letters? I could see an elderly relative referring to him as Thomas rather than Tom or Tommy.

 

[Brightchaser47]

I agree it was probably reused, but it was a smaller envelope that most normal Christmas cards. Could have been any letter previously - maybe one of those family Christmas letters?

RSBM
The only problem with that idea is the envelope was postmarked that day and it was claimed that there was nothing else in the mailbox when that letter allegedly arrived.

I really wish we had a front view of that envelope. There was mention some time ago about the flap being missing when it was presented to LE. If that's true, (imo) TT didn't want it known who the sender was (whether it was him or someone else). Unfortunately, FWPD won't allow anyone to see it (not even analysts), and there's reason to believe it's been lost or destroyed. (Grrr)

 

[Valiant]

I really wish we had a front view of that envelope. There was mention some time ago about the flap being missing when it was presented to LE. If that's true, either the envelope was reused, or TT didn't want it known who the sender was (whether it was him or someone else). Unfortunately, FWPD won't allow anyone to see it (not even analysts), and there's reason to believe it's been lost or destroyed. (Grrr)

That is interesting if that is accurate. I know a lot of people used to write the return address on the flap of the envelope back then rather than the upper left corner before it became a standardized practice. If that was the case, then it is obvious why the flap was missing - rip it off to remove the true sender and you've got a blank spot to put Rachel where the return address was supposed to be.