Hello everyone - It's taken me so long to overcome registration problems that now that I'm finally here, I don't know what to say! I guess I can start by saying that my name is Barbara, and that I'm a closet detective from the west coast who masquerades as a college administrator by day.
I've been reading Websleuths for about six months now, but my interest in crime goes way back to my childhood. When I was seven (and a very precocious reader), I got my hands on a history of forensic science and was instantly fascinated. Sadly, later that same year, another seven year old (my friend's cousin) was kidnapped and murdered just a few miles from my house. That crime has always haunted me (to the best of my knowledge it's still unsolved), and sparked a strong interest in unsolved crimes and cold cases.
I've always been a little uncomfortable sharing my "hobby" with others, as many seem to find it disturbing and macabre, so I'm excited to join a group who understands that it's really all about a desire to find truth and justice for the victims. My husband and three teenage step-children are used to me studying the Doe Network etc., but don't always share my fascination with cases and possible matches.
I hope to be able to contribute something to the discussion and to share some interesting unsolved local cases that I have come across.