VA VA - Veronica Hepworth, 20, Fairfax Co, 25 Feb 1982

[bessie]

Virginia investigators revisit a 34-year-old cold case
By Megan Cloherty | @ClohertyWTOP February 26, 2016 4:40 am

WASHINGTON — She was found murdered 34 years ago this week. Now Virginia State Police and Loudoun County detectives are revisiting the investigation into who killed Veronica Hepworth.

A driver found the 20-year-old woman’s partially clothed body on a cold February day in 1982. She was laying in a driveway along U.S. 50 near Gilbert’s Corner in Loudoun County, police say.

[...]

Anyone with information about Hepworth or the unidentified individual in the photograph is encouraged to call the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Fairfax Field Office at 703-376-1690 or the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office at 703-737-8487.


Last seen: Fancy Dancer Bar on U.S. 1, Fairfax County
Boyfriend considered POI - white male, dark hair, now in mid-50's to early 60's (see sketch)
Red pick-up truck, late '60's or early '70's seen at the farm where victim was found

 

[folieadeuxnola]

Investigators interviewed the owner of the bar and the bands that were playing at the bar at the time of her disappearance, even going to North Carolina to try and find one of the bouncers at the bar. He was already dead, and that lead evaporated.

Eventually they identified a boyfriend, but that turned out to be another dead end. They are pursuing another boyfriend that they believe she dated for about three weeks before they broke up. According to law enforcement officials close to the case, he may have been the last person to see her alive, but he is not a suspect at this time.

Canham and his partner, Detective Schochet, both came from major metropolitan police departments to their jobs as cold case detectives—Schochet from Nassau County, New York, where he worked for 28 years, and Canham from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, where he came to work in the Loudoun County’s newly created cold case division four days after retiring from the D.C. department. Their instincts about people and their motives are well-honed. “You have to first go back to the plate and wait for the next pitch,” Schochet says. “That is part of our job, but we keep sloshing through it.”

https://www.northernvirginiamag.com/cold-cases/

 

[NOVAhistoryDetective]

What is strange about the case is where she was found vs. where she was last seen. Last seen off of Rt. 1 in Fairfax/Alexandria which was / and still is a very busy & populated area.

She was found off Rt. 50 in between South Riding and Aldie (Loudoun County), which is a 40 min. drive West into (at the time) the middle of nowhere. She was found 1/4 mile East of Gilbert's Corner which is a crossing point for rt. 50 and rt. 15. This leads me to believe the killer could either be (a). local from northern Prince William Co. (b) southern Loudoun County, or (c) Western Fairfax County.

In 1982, this part of Loudoun County was very rural, it's hard for me to believe someone would take her out there if they didn't know the area...

 

[Rhibread]

What is strange about the case is where she was found vs. where she was last seen. Last seen off of Rt. 1 in Fairfax/Alexandria which was / and still is a very busy & populated area.

She was found off Rt. 50 in between South Riding and Aldie (Loudoun County), which is a 40 min. drive West into (at the time) the middle of nowhere. She was found 1/4 mile East of Gilbert's Corner which is a crossing point for rt. 50 and rt. 15. This leads me to believe the killer could either be (a). local from northern Prince William Co. (b) southern Loudoun County, or (c) Western Fairfax County.

In 1982, this part of Loudoun County was very rural, it's hard for me to believe someone would take her out there if they didn't know the area...

The lack of information available about this case is really frustrating, but I think I have some ideas. None of this is confirmed, but it's just me putting pieces together. I agree 100% about how strange the location she was found is. It really doesn't make a lot of sense that you would end up there if you didn't intend to or need to.

Hopefully all of the following makes sense. Reading it back it sounds very convoluted, so I apologize.

I've been doing some research into the whole scene of Route 1/Richmond Highway in the 60s, 70s, early 80s. Based on what I've found, it's entirely possible that the person/people who did this could have even been from as far as Winchester. I say this because apparently the Fancy Dancer (which was only its name for a little whiles) was one of a few bars/strip clubs on Route 1 that people from Winchester would come to, according to some forums and facebook group posts. I have a hunch for why this is but I'm still looking into it. I think the most likely scenario is that the person responsible wasn't from Fairfax County. Anywhere farther west is more plausible in my opinion.

It's possible that the person could have left her body on the way home, as Route 50 will take you all the way to Winchester, or maybe the person needed to get off at 15 in either direction (maybe to get to Leesburg or Purcellville), so they left her at the last possible place before the intersection. 50 is by no means the most direct route to get really anywhere west, nor was it in 1982, but if you were 1. drinking and driving home wanting to avoid police and/or 2. needed to dispose of a body, you wouldn't take the route most traveled.

So thinking how they could have gotten from the Fancy Dancer to Gilbert's Corner... I am fairly sure that Veronica graduated from Robinson, so she would have lived in Fairfax, probably lived somewhere around the Braddock Rd area. If you think about how you would drive from Route 1 to Fairfax (say you agreed to drive her home on your way home but did not actually intend to), it would most likely be to get on 495, then off at Braddock Rd. It would be easy to just keep driving past that exit and get off at 50, or to take the Braddock Rd exit and then just not stop at her house. You would then be driving through what is now still a largely residential area that is very quiet at 1:30 - 2:00 am. In 1982, it was considerably less built up, so I imagine it was just as quiet, if not more. You can get to 50 fairly easily from Braddock Rd (based on 1981 maps). The intersection with 15 is then anywhere from 10-25 miles down 50 (depending on where you got on the road), and as we know, this is where she was found a few hours later. After leaving her body, it would be really simple to just carry on home whichever direction you needed to go.

Obviously there is no information about cause of death or if there was any signs of sexual assault (other than the fact that she was found partially clothed), but the person still would have needed to stop somewhere for some amount of time to commit the murder. That entire area between Braddock Road and Gilbert's Corner had and still has so many options for somewhere to pull over and do this without anyone seeing. It's dark, residential, and the farther west, it's even more rural. That's another reason you might choose Route 50 over the more obvious options.

Also, if this person was a friend (or her ex boyfriend), they could already know the area from maybe driving her or others home before this.

 

[Rhibread]

Okay, so I have been researching for months now, and I have put together a timeline of events based on what I have been able to gather so far. It is not fully comprehensive, and I am still gathering a few more sources. However, there is really no reason to wait any longer.

*A few things to note. This is just the timeline of the day before and the days after Veronica was murdered. I have more background information and analysis that is to come. This builds upon what I posted above back in August. Also, anything in [these brackets] is just my own added commentary and/or clarification
​

TIMELINE:

Wednesday February 24th, 1982 –
Exact time of arrival unknown [presumably evening]
The Fancy Dancer, 7415 Richmond Hwy/Route 1, Alexandria, VA
Veronica and a group of friends go to the Fancy Dancer, a popular nightclub on Route 1/Richmond Highway in Alexandria, Virginia. The group was out celebrating a friend’s birthday (LCSO 02/25/16)

[As of now, I have been able to find no specific details on who Veronica went out with, or even the name of the band that performed that night.]

Veronica was wearing a blue chambray shirt, blue jeans, a gray sweatshirt, and tennis shoes. (LTM 03/04/82 & 03/11/82)

*Feb 24, 1982 saw a high of 46.9F and a low of 37.0F (almanac.com). ​

Thursday February 25th, 1982 –
1:30 AM – 2:00 AM Fancy Dancer, Richmond Hwy
The last confirmed sighting of Veronica was outside the Fancy Dancer between 1:30am – 2:00am (LTM 03/11/82). Contemporaneous reports suggest the time could have been as late as 2:00am, while most (if not all) recent reports note the time as 1:30am.

Police believe Veronica had become separated from her group of friends. It is unknown if she left the Fancy Dancer on foot, hitchhiked, or accepted a ride from someone at the bar [either a stranger or someone familiar to her] (LCSO 02/25/16).

[It is unlikely she would have set off on foot IMO since it was in the mid 30s at that point in the night and all she had was a sweatshirt].

5:00 AM

[According to a source I have spoken with who drove Route 50 East to work daily, they had not seen anything by 5:00am on Feb 25, and only found out that a body had been discovered upon their return home later that day. This individual also noted that traffic would typically begin to build up between 5:15 am and 5:30 am. This is, of course, hearsay, however as there is such little media coverage, I am going to include it in my timeline. The road was very dark at this time of day, however IMO Veronica’s body was likely left in the driveway before 5:00 am. I will elaborate upon this point further in my next post.] ​

6:42 AM - SUNRISE

7:00 AM - Route 50 / 40049 John Mosby Hwy - 26F (NOAA)
As daylight broke, two men headed to work spotted Veronica’s partially clothed body laying just meters off the side of the road. Her body was not hidden in anyway, and instead was left in a patch of earth between the short gravel driveway of a small farm and a barbed wire fence [appears to belong to the same farm property]. This farm is also described as “an Aldie couple’s home.” (LTM 03/04/82 & 03/11/82). The owners of the property told police they had not seen or heard anything suspicious in the hours before Veronica was found (LTM 03/04/82)

Veronica was dressed only in a bra and the blue chambray shirt she was seen wearing the night before. The rest of her clothing (her underwear, blue jeans, gray sweatshirt, and shoes) were found scattered across the lawn near her body. No other personal items were found. There is a photo of the crime scene from WJLA (02/25/16), as well as in the 03/04/82 Loudoun Times Mirror article on the case, both of which I have uploaded below.

Veronica was sexually assaulted and her cause of death was found to be strangulation. LE was unable to determine at this time whether she was killed at this location or somewhere else (LTM 03/04/82 & 03/11/82)

Veronica’s death certificate states manual strangulation, and specifies that death likely occurred within 3 minutes. I am not clear on whether I am allowed to post the relevant portions the certificate, so if someone could please advise that would be very helpful.

LE was unable to identify Veronica’s body (WAPO 02/26/82). No form of identification was found at the scene, and several hours after she was discovered, her unidentified body was transported to Fairfax Hospital on Feb 25 for autopsy. [It is unknown to me if she had been carrying a purse or wallet the previous night while she was at the Fancy Dancer, but I would imagine she at least had her ID and some money while she was there IMO]

[The fact that her body was taken to Fairfax Hospital struck me as odd, as Veronica’s body was found in Loudoun County. There was no way to know that she was a Fairfax County resident as her body was unidentified at the time. Her death certificate, which included cause of death, etc., was signed by the Medical Examiner in Leesburg (Loudoun County), which was considerably closer than Fairfax Hospital]
​

“Based on tips and witness information, a red pickup truck, possibly a late 1960s or 1970s model, was seen near the farm where Hepworth’s body was found, authorities said.” (LCSO 02/25/16, WAPO 12/18/13)

[It is unclear what time this vehicle was spotted]
​

Friday February 26, 1982
An autopsy was performed at Fairfax Hospital (LTM 03/04/82). An exact time of death was unable to be established as temperatures were below freezing (LTM 03/11/82).
There was a trace of snowfall recorded on Feb 25, although it is not clear what time this occurred based on the weather records available (NOAA)

Saturday February 27, 1982
Veronica had been identified, and an obituary was published in that morning’s issue of the Washington Post.

Thursday March 11, 1982
Per the Loudoun Times Mirror:
“[Captain] McDonald said Tuesday that "quite a few" witnesses had been interviewed by investigators. It has not yet been. determined who Hepworth might have left the night club with that morning.
"That," said McDonald. "is what we're trying to establish right now"

 

[Rhibread]

Also, here the map of the area, showing just how far it was from the Fancy Dancer to Gilbert's Corner. I used a 1984 map for the zoomed out image. It's 32.1 miles as the crow flies, but of course it is much farther in a car. I drove the route that makes the most sense to me at 1:45am on a week day back in October, and it took me about an hour (obviously roads have changed since then, which means it could have taken more time or less time in 1982, depending on which way you were to drive). Either way, whichever route you take, it's anywhere between a 40 and 55 mile drive.

 

[NOVAhistoryDetective]

Okay, so I have been researching for months now, and I have put together a timeline of events based on what I have been able to gather so far. It is not fully comprehensive, and I am still gathering a few more sources. However, there is really no reason to wait any longer.

*A few things to note. This is just the timeline of the day before and the days after Veronica was murdered. I have more background information and analysis that is to come. This builds upon what I posted above back in August. Also, anything in [these brackets] is just my own added commentary and/or clarification
​

TIMELINE:

Wednesday February 24th, 1982 –
Exact time of arrival unknown [presumably evening]
The Fancy Dancer, 7415 Richmond Hwy/Route 1, Alexandria, VA
Veronica and a group of friends go to the Fancy Dancer, a popular nightclub on Route 1/Richmond Highway in Alexandria, Virginia. The group was out celebrating a friend’s birthday (LCSO 02/25/16)

[As of now, I have been able to find no specific details on who Veronica went out with, or even the name of the band that performed that night.]

Veronica was wearing a blue chambray shirt, blue jeans, a gray sweatshirt, and tennis shoes. (LTM 03/04/82 & 03/11/82)

*Feb 24, 1982 saw a high of 46.9F and a low of 37.0F (almanac.com). ​

Thursday February 25th, 1982 –
1:30 AM – 2:00 AM Fancy Dancer, Richmond Hwy
The last confirmed sighting of Veronica was outside the Fancy Dancer between 1:30am – 2:00am (LTM 03/11/82). Contemporaneous reports suggest the time could have been as late as 2:00am, while most (if not all) recent reports note the time as 1:30am.

Police believe Veronica had become separated from her group of friends. It is unknown if she left the Fancy Dancer on foot, hitchhiked, or accepted a ride from someone at the bar [either a stranger or someone familiar to her] (LCSO 02/25/16).

[It is unlikely she would have set off on foot IMO since it was in the mid 30s at that point in the night and all she had was a sweatshirt].

5:00 AM

[According to a source I have spoken with who drove Route 50 East to work daily, they had not seen anything by 5:00am on Feb 25, and only found out that a body had been discovered upon their return home later that day. This individual also noted that traffic would typically begin to build up between 5:15 am and 5:30 am. This is, of course, hearsay, however as there is such little media coverage, I am going to include it in my timeline. The road was very dark at this time of day, however IMO Veronica’s body was likely left in the driveway before 5:00 am. I will elaborate upon this point further in my next post.] ​

6:42 AM - SUNRISE

7:00 AM - Route 50 / 40049 John Mosby Hwy - 26F (NOAA)
As daylight broke, two men headed to work spotted Veronica’s partially clothed body laying just meters off the side of the road. Her body was not hidden in anyway, and instead was left in a patch of earth between the short gravel driveway of a small farm and a barbed wire fence [appears to belong to the same farm property]. This farm is also described as “an Aldie couple’s home.” (LTM 03/04/82 & 03/11/82). The owners of the property told police they had not seen or heard anything suspicious in the hours before Veronica was found (LTM 03/04/82)

Veronica was dressed only in a bra and the blue chambray shirt she was seen wearing the night before. The rest of her clothing (her underwear, blue jeans, gray sweatshirt, and shoes) were found scattered across the lawn near her body. No other personal items were found. There is a photo of the crime scene from WJLA (02/25/16), as well as in the 03/04/82 Loudoun Times Mirror article on the case, both of which I have uploaded below.

Veronica was sexually assaulted and her cause of death was found to be strangulation. LE was unable to determine at this time whether she was killed at this location or somewhere else (LTM 03/04/82 & 03/11/82)

Veronica’s death certificate states manual strangulation, and specifies that death likely occurred within 3 minutes. I am not clear on whether I am allowed to post the relevant portions the certificate, so if someone could please advise that would be very helpful.

LE was unable to identify Veronica’s body (WAPO 02/26/82). No form of identification was found at the scene, and several hours after she was discovered, her unidentified body was transported to Fairfax Hospital on Feb 25 for autopsy. [It is unknown to me if she had been carrying a purse or wallet the previous night while she was at the Fancy Dancer, but I would imagine she at least had her ID and some money while she was there IMO]

[The fact that her body was taken to Fairfax Hospital struck me as odd, as Veronica’s body was found in Loudoun County. There was no way to know that she was a Fairfax County resident as her body was unidentified at the time. Her death certificate, which included cause of death, etc., was signed by the Medical Examiner in Leesburg (Loudoun County), which was considerably closer than Fairfax Hospital]
​

“Based on tips and witness information, a red pickup truck, possibly a late 1960s or 1970s model, was seen near the farm where Hepworth’s body was found, authorities said.” (LCSO 02/25/16, WAPO 12/18/13)

[It is unclear what time this vehicle was spotted]
​

Friday February 26, 1982
An autopsy was performed at Fairfax Hospital (LTM 03/04/82). An exact time of death was unable to be established as temperatures were below freezing (LTM 03/11/82).
There was a trace of snowfall recorded on Feb 25, although it is not clear what time this occurred based on the weather records available (NOAA)

Saturday February 27, 1982
Veronica had been identified, and an obituary was published in that morning’s issue of the Washington Post.

Thursday March 11, 1982
Per the Loudoun Times Mirror:
“[Captain] McDonald said Tuesday that "quite a few" witnesses had been interviewed by investigators. It has not yet been. determined who Hepworth might have left the night club with that morning.
"That," said McDonald. "is what we're trying to establish right now"

This is outstanding research, the attached links are incredibly helpful.

 

[NOVAhistoryDetective]

Also, here the map of the area, showing just how far it was from the Fancy Dancer to Gilbert's Corner. I used a 1984 map for the zoomed out image. It's 32.1 miles as the crow flies, but of course it is much farther in a car. I drove the route that makes the most sense to me at 1:45am on a week day back in October, and it took me about an hour (obviously roads have changed since then, which means it could have taken more time or less time in 1982, depending on which way you were to drive). Either way, whichever route you take, it's anywhere between a 40 and 55 mile drive.

View attachment 276644

I drove the route this summer, I agree it would be about a 50 mile drive. Do you know why so much focus has been placed on the ex-bf as the POI? Cynthia Gastelle disappeared exactly two years before Roni's death. Cynthia's body was discovered exactly 2.2 miles away from Roni south on Rt. 15. As you already know, in the early 1980s, this was a very remote area. What are the chances two women, two years apart in age, are left in a remote area 2 miles apart, in the span of 2 years?

I have this theory of a PERP operating off of Rt. 15 / Rt. 50 / Rt. 66 in the late 1970s and 1980s. My research is ongoing, but there are some similarities and comparisons with other area cases. Maybe one clue in another case can continue the momentum you have built in Roni's case? I'm here to help any way I can.

 

[Rhibread]

I drove the route this summer, I agree it would be about a 50 mile drive. Do you know why so much focus has been placed on the ex-bf as the POI? Cynthia Gastelle disappeared exactly two years before Roni's death. Cynthia's body was discovered exactly 2.2 miles away from Roni south on Rt. 15. As you already know, in the early 1980s, this was a very remote area. What are the chances two women, two years apart in age, are left in a remote area 2 miles apart, in the span of 2 years?

I have this theory of a PERP operating off of Rt. 15 / Rt. 50 / Rt. 66 in the late 1970s and 1980s. My research is ongoing, but there are some similarities and comparisons with other area cases. Maybe one clue in another case can continue the momentum you have built in Roni's case? I'm here to help any way I can.

I really do not know why they have put so much focus on this ex boyfriend. When you look at the press releases that have been put out... 2013 they say he is "not necessarily a suspect," but by 2016, LCSO suggests that he could be a POI without explicitly saying it... attaching those two releases to this post so you can see the difference.

I don't think he even lived in the area. From what I can gather, he is from Louisiana. Houma Today, which is local a Louisiana newspaper, published an article in 2015 saying that police are looking for a man "believed to be from Terrebonne Parish" in connection with this case. On top of that, it appears that Veronica had moved to Lafayette, Louisiana, sometime between her junior year of high school in 1979 and before her murder in early 1982. Not sure how long she was there, but I know she did not appear in the yearbook for her senior year in VA, but her sister was in the yearbook for that same year. So it wouldn't surprise me if this guy wasn't local. Just not sure why there is such an emphasis on him.

I would be very interested to see what you have put together for your theory. I need to look into Cynthia's case, but I have seen the names of a couple of murder victims pop up more than once through researching this case, but need to double back again and look into all.

One last thing... I wonder if they have DNA here. Sexual assault and manual strangulation... even though this was years before DNA came onto the scene, I would hope they did a rape kit at the very least.

 

[Fede]

In one of the articles is written something about a red pickup truck nesr where her body was found

 

[Rhibread]

In one of the articles is written something about a red pickup truck nesr where her body was found

Yes, I did touch on that in my timeline. There isn't much information about that other than that it was likely a late 60s, early 70s model. I would like to know about when that was spotted, or by whom.


“Based on tips and witness information, a red pickup truck, possibly a late 1960s or 1970s model, was seen near the farm where Hepworth’s body was found, authorities said.” (LCSO 02/25/16, WAPO 12/18/13)
[It is unclear what time this vehicle was spotted]

 

[Rhibread]

In one of the articles is written something about a red pickup truck nesr where her body was found

On top of that, how many red pickup trucks fitting that description must there been in that area at the time? I even see one every once in a while to this day! Every time I see one I'm like.. is it you?! Are the truck I'm looking for?? (kidding of course, but I just definitely wonder).

 

[NOVAhistoryDetective]

On top of that, how many red pickup trucks fitting that description must there been in that area at the time? I even see one every once in a while to this day! Every time I see one I'm like.. is it you?! Are the truck I'm looking for?? (kidding of course, but I just definitely wonder).

I feel the same way about the red truck! That day in the summer when I drove Rt. 50, I made a detour off of Rt. 50 onto Watson Rd. and traveled along all of those back roads literally looking for old red pickup trucks parked somewhere!

I am really interested in what evidence they could find that might have DNA on it. I know in this day & age that seems so natural for authorities to obtain, but I have to question what level of evidence was obtained back then.

There was some blog posts on Fairfax Underground that I read where people were writing about Roni; many of the comments were sarcastic and did not seem to be empathetic; however, there were some comments stating that Roni used to run around "with those rednecks from Arcola." They said there are people from Arcola back then who know what happen but never talked to the authorities.

My theories are all over the place, but, one theory of mine is that there could be a POI who lived in / around Southern Loudoun like old Arcola, Watson Rd. area.

I plan on doing some more research at the local library tomorrow and see what more I can dig up.

 

[Rhibread]

I feel the same way about the red truck! That day in the summer when I drove Rt. 50, I made a detour off of Rt. 50 onto Watson Rd. and traveled along all of those back roads literally looking for old red pickup trucks parked somewhere!

I am really interested in what evidence they could find that might have DNA on it. I know in this day & age that seems so natural for authorities to obtain, but I have to question what level of evidence was obtained back then.

There was some blog posts on Fairfax Underground that I read where people were writing about Roni; many of the comments were sarcastic and did not seem to be empathetic; however, there were some comments stating that Roni used to run around "with those rednecks from Arcola." They said there are people from Arcola back then who know what happen but never talked to the authorities.

My theories are all over the place, but, one theory of mine is that there could be a POI who lived in / around Southern Loudoun like old Arcola, Watson Rd. area.

I plan on doing some more research at the local library tomorrow and see what more I can dig up.

I do have all of those FFX Underground threads saved, as well as a bunch of other things on FB that just add more and more to this.. I've gone very deep into it all. The Arcola thing stood out to me for sure. But I have a few other thoughts... can't post them here... hold tight

 

[NOVAhistoryDetective]

I really do not know why they have put so much focus on this ex boyfriend. When you look at the press releases that have been put out... 2013 they say he is "not necessarily a suspect," but by 2016, LCSO suggests that he could be a POI without explicitly saying it... attaching those two releases to this post so you can see the difference.

I don't think he even lived in the area. From what I can gather, he is from Louisiana. Houma Today, which is local a Louisiana newspaper, published an article in 2015 saying that police are looking for a man "believed to be from Terrebonne Parish" in connection with this case. On top of that, it appears that Veronica had moved to Lafayette, Louisiana, sometime between her junior year of high school in 1979 and before her murder in early 1982. Not sure how long she was there, but I know she did not appear in the yearbook for her senior year in VA, but her sister was in the yearbook for that same year. So it wouldn't surprise me if this guy wasn't local. Just not sure why there is such an emphasis on him.

I would be very interested to see what you have put together for your theory. I need to look into Cynthia's case, but I have seen the names of a couple of murder victims pop up more than once through researching this case, but need to double back again and look into all.

One last thing... I wonder if they have DNA here. Sexual assault and manual strangulation... even though this was years before DNA came onto the scene, I would hope they did a rape kit at the very least.

In regard to Cynthia and the possible connection with Roni, I always wanted to add the Charlotte Powell case here as well. Charlotte Powell was from PA, but was known as a free spirit and hitchhiked often the Northern VA area. She disappeared in July '87, and her remains were found off of Shreve Mill Rd. in a field near "the gas and powerlines." That is 6.8 miles from Roni's location, and less than 10 mi. from Cynthia. These three cases share a great deal of similarities, and all happened in a 7 year time-span. All 3 also have very few POI, which leads me to believe that they were not familiar with their killers... I don't mean to distract from Roni's case, but I believe whatever we can find in any of these cases might lead to something in other cases.

These three locations were so remote at the time that I think the killer had to be very familiar with the area..

 

[Rhibread]

In regard to Cynthia and the possible connection with Roni, I always wanted to add the Charlotte Powell case here as well. Charlotte Powell was from PA, but was known as a free spirit and hitchhiked often the Northern VA area. She disappeared in July '87, and her remains were found off of Shreve Mill Rd. in a field near "the gas and powerlines." That is 6.8 miles from Roni's location, and less than 10 mi. from Cynthia. These three cases share a great deal of similarities, and all happened in a 7 year time-span. All 3 also have very few POI, which leads me to believe that they were not familiar with their killers... I don't mean to distract from Roni's case, but I believe whatever we can find in any of these cases might lead to something in other cases.

These three locations were so remote at the time that I think the killer had to be very familiar with the area..

You are not distracting at all. One of my biggest things is maps, and what one can glean from viewing the data through geospatial analysis. I would be more than willing to map this all out (aka, I will be doing that). It's a really great tool.

 

[LadyLoudoun]

I feel the same way about the red truck! That day in the summer when I drove Rt. 50, I made a detour off of Rt. 50 onto Watson Rd. and traveled along all of those back roads literally looking for old red pickup trucks parked somewhere!

Curiously, I came across an old farm vehicle/red pick-up abandoned in the wood in Sterling, VA off Shaw Road. The metadata from the pic I took (attached) has the coordinates at
38°59'36.9"N 77°25'44.6"W

 

[Rhibread]

Curiously, I came across an old farm vehicle/red pick-up abandoned in the wood in Sterling, VA off Shaw Road. The metadata from the pic I took (attached) has the coordinates at
38°59'36.9"N 77°25'44.6"W

When was this?

 

[LadyLoudoun]

When was this?

I came across the red truck in the woods in December 2019.

 

[Loudoungirl]

Was the red truck in the woods American or Japanese?