AK AK - Scott, 13, & Amy Fandel, 8, Sterling, 5 Sept 1978

[KT Can]

Hello to all. Newbie to posting here, although I have been lurking on Websleuths, Doenetwork, Yahoo Cold Cases and many others for several years. Just wondering if anyone is familar with the Scott and Amy Fandel case out of Alaska in 1978. I came across this story about two years ago and it has stayed with me ever since. At the time my children were the exact same age as the Fandel children when they disapeared. I cannot even comprehend how two siblings, ages 8 and 13, disappear without a trace. Any thoughts, news or updates? There is not much on the internet and I never see anything mentioned on any boards about these children so I thought I would give it a try. Thanks in advance for your replies!

P.S. If anyone is interested, I have a very long article that I found in the archives of an Alaska newspaper. Although quite old, it gives much more detailed information on the case than what is out there. I'm not sure of the rules on posting copied items, so if you are interested please advise.

Regards,
kcanal from Texas

Maybe not posting, but always thinking about the missing.

 

[Richard]

Welcome to the forum. I would be interested in reading more information about Scott and Amy. So often all that is available on line is the basics as seen below. If you can find the news article on line, you could copy part of it and include a link to the rest. If it is only in the printed form, then go ahead and "re-write" an article using its information and quoting the source. Many of the on-line websites include such writeups. The more information the better. There is a case of two unknown children (a brother and sister) whose bodies were found in California. I believe, however that the girl was about a year older than her brother.

Amy and Scott FANDEL, missing 5 Sept 1978 Sterling, AK

AMY L. FANDEL
DOB: Aug 25, 1970
Sex: Female
Race: White
Missing Date: Sep 5, 1978
Age at time: 8
Age Now: 34
Height: 4'0" (122 cm)
Weight: 52 lbs (24 kg)
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Brown
Case Type: Non Family Abduction
Missing from: STERLING, AK, USA
Case Number: NCMC601234

SCOTT C. FANDEL
DOB: Jan 23, 1965
Sex: Male
Race: White
Missing Date: Sep 5, 1978
Age at time: 13
Age Now: 39
Height: 4'11" (150 cm)
Weight: 74 lbs (34 kg)
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Blue
Case Type: Non Family Abduction
Missing from: STERLING, AK, USA
Case Number: NCMC601234

Circumstances: Amy and her brother Scott Fandel were last seen at their trailer home. Amy was wearing a sweater, a red and blue vest and striped jeans. Scott was wearing a striped T-shirt and jeans.

Links
http://www.missingkids.com/missingk...aseNum=601234&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US

http://www.missingkids.com/missingk...NCMC&seqNum=2&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US

 

[blueclouds]

Based on personal experience I have directly related to this crime, PLEASE be very careful. The family (Amy's dad's side) is VERY dangerous. My life was threatened by them when I was digging too deep. I got very close to some of the key players and somehow they found out where I lived, who I was and what I was up to. I NEVER EVER gave my home addy to anyone, ever. And in the phone book we only have our number listed, no address. I'm in Canada. But low and behold, they had my home addy.

PLEASE TREAD CAREFULLY. That's all I want to say.

 

[Richard]

I do not know if this case is at all related to that of the missing Fandel children, but it is an interesting coincidence that the estimated date of these two children's deaths is December 1978. Even though these children are probably not Scott and Amy, I wonder if their killer might have been involved in Scott and Amy's disappearance. Any comments?

On July 10, 1979, the skeletal remains of a white female and of a white male were found near Hwy. 20, West of Willits, in Mendocino Co., CA. The estimated date of death is 12/8/1978. Jane is estimated to be 14 years old and was about 5'5-1/2" in height. She was wearing the pictured hoop with a pearched-bird earring (pierced-ear type). John is estimated to be 13 years old and was about 5'5" in height. It is possible these children were related, perhaps brother and sister.

Link:
http://www.missingkids.com/missingk...aseNum=400033&orgPrefix=NCMU&searchLang=en_US

 

[lisag]

Based on personal experience I have directly related to this crime, PLEASE be very careful. The family (Amy's dad's side) is VERY dangerous. My life was threatened by them when I was digging too deep. I got very close to some of the key players and somehow they found out where I lived, who I was and what I was up to. I NEVER EVER gave my home addy to anyone, ever. And in the phone book we only have our number listed, no address. I'm in Canada. But low and behold, they had my home addy.

PLEASE TREAD CAREFULLY. That's all I want to say.

If her dad's side doesn't want you digging around, wouldn't that mean that they have to be invovled - and why doesn't LE press the issue with them ??

 

[blueclouds]

You can ask the former State Trooper involved. THEY HAVE pressed the issue. All the way to California. They've showed up on the grandfather's doorstep and he told them to go to hell, there's 'nothing to know". They've chased the issue with the family all across North America. There was a huge investigation. They just don't have the evidence to do anything. If you ask Kcanal above, maybe his/her long article can shed some light. I believe I have the same article, but I'm not getting involved. I ONLY want to tell others to tread carefully down this road.

 

[lisag]

So they pressed the issue for awhile and let it go ?? ARe they intimidated by the dad's family ??
This should only make them want to search futher...

 

[KT Can]

Blueclouds - Thanks for the heads up. From what I have read in old newspaper articles as well as a now defunct website put out by the mother's family, I gathered that the father and his side of the family were tough folks, if you know what I mean. Coincidentally, I have a new neighbor that just moved here from that area of Alaska and he has heard of this family and this case in passing and has given me an idea of what kind of people we are talking about. I would really be interested in hearing about your experience, and if you are comfortable with discussing, feel free to PM me. I completely understand if not. Is the state trooper that you refer to the same one that has been on the case all of these years? Do you know what the general LE consensus is as to what happened to Scott and Amy (family abduction, stranger abduction, are they still alive)? I wonder about the mother and how she has been been able to get through all these years. My heart goes out to her.

 

[KT Can]

Blueclouds - On another note, I just wanted to let you know that I purchased Matt Birkbeck's book, A Beautiful Child, after coming across the posts on this forum, his forum and checking out your website. I read the book in one night, couldn't put it down! I have been interested in this case for several years, ever since I saw it on Unsolved Mysteries, but there never seemed to be any new reporting on it. I am so thankful to Matt for writing the book and for bringing Sharon's story to life. This case is finally getting the attention it deserves! I will post again regarding this subject on the dedicated forum.....

 

[Jude]

kcanal could you post the article or a link to the article that you mentioned? It would sure help to have the full background information.

As you alluded to, the family of the mother at one time had a website authored by a TM Schonfelder, which I printed out and saved if anybody is interested.

In the mid 70's I lived on the Kenai Peninsula and had some association with a few members of the Fandel family. This all happened after I moved to Ohio, so I never did get all the details, but have followed it on the internet.

 

[blueclouds]

kcanal could you post the article or a link to the article that you mentioned? It would sure help to have the full background information.

As you alluded to, the family of the mother at one time had a website authored by a TM Schonfelder, which I printed out and saved if anybody is interested.

In the mid 70's I lived on the Kenai Peninsula and had some association with a few members of the Fandel family. This all happened after I moved to Ohio, so I never did get all the details, but have followed it on the internet.

If you PM me your email; I can send you the full old website from the mother's side of the family & the article. DUE to copyright information; I will not post it on WS in the full text. But here's a bit of the news article I think kcanal is speaking about:

"No one noticed the kids were missing for 15 hours or more. That was the first bad break in the case. At the Alaska State Trooper station in Soldotna, the missing persons report filed by their mother was logged in at 5:14 p.m. on Sept. 6.
Margaret Fandel, then a 31yearold waitress at a restaurant in Kenai, is a small, pretty woman with a friendly disposition and a hearing impairment. In September 1978, Margaret was in a bad place in her life.
Roger Fandel, her husband of more than 10 years, had left her in January and then moved out of state. The marriage had been rocky for a long time. Roger had a strong sense of family and dominated the relationship, but he liked other women and Margaret began to drink. A homebody by nature, Margaret found herself working long hours to pay the bills."

"At 43, Roger Fandel's beard is graying, but he still wears a HarleyDavidson cap on his head, a knife at his belt and a dropdead tone in his voice. He will tell you himself that he is prone to violence. He radiates aggression, and enjoys the effect it has on others.
Six feet tall, burly and bearded, Roger is an imposing presence, by nature and by design, a tough guy. Ask anyone. Ask him. A welder, a biker and a sure shot with a pistol, he's been down a lot of mean streets. These days he lives somewhere in the West, "on 100 acres in the middle of nowhere" and never mind the name of the town. You want to find him? Leave a message with the Plumbers and Steamfitters Union.
Scott was is Roger's son in every way except by birth. When Roger met Margaret, Scott was 2 years old. His natural father lived in another town and wasn't interested.
"He couldn't talk," Roger said. "He would only say "no.' He threw tantrums. He was a problem child. ... By 3 he could count, almost read. He flowered with me. I spent the time with him. I took him everywhere for years."
Scott cared about things, said Roger. "He was a kid you could teach. He wanted to learn.
"He adored me."
The personalities of the children shaped the theories of what happened to them. Scott was savvy, too smart to have gone with a stranger. He was "small and sort of cocky," according to his mother. "He thought he was cool."


PART ARTICLE: SHEILA TOOMEY Daily News reporter
Staff COPYRIGHT 1988

 

[KT Can]

Here is another link I found for Scott Fandel with a little more information regarding the case.

http://www.angelfire.com/mi3/mpccn/sfandel.html

 

[laini]

On the doenetwork it says two kids (boy and girl) were found deceased in Medocino County, CA in 1979. could this be the Fandel siblings from Alaska? The pictures looks a little similar, also.

 

[lisag]

On the doenetwork it says two kids (boy and girl) were found deceased in Medocino County, CA in 1979. could this be the Fandel siblings from Alaska? The pictures looks a little similar, also.

I don't think so. This girl is much taller and odler than Amy would have been at the time.
http://doenetwork.us/cases/131ufca.html

 

[smile22]

their could be room for error on the bodys found as to age and hight but it is unlikely. i sent a tip into doe as a possible match as well as the agencey thats handling the case. i dont know if it was looked at before but if it hasent its worth a shot. also if its a dead end we need to go into all the missing brother sister/ or twins missing in that time frame from everywhere in the us as well as overseas. hopefully some brother sister or twins are listed with the same discription as the jane and john doe. if not we are back to square one.

 

[smile22]

i recived a reply from the potential match person from doe and this is what i got "Amy and Scott have been ruled out conclusively as the Mendocino children. My records ( as listed in the Potential Match Database), indicate they were ruled out by The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)." she didnt know what factor ruled them out. but it was checked and looked at we need to now go into all the records of missing girls/boys brother sister or twins in that area.( year that they were found, who went missing in that year in the years before that) we need to look at every state as well. since it was noted under the jane and john doe they might be sliblings or twins we should start there then branch out. i know ct is ruled out as anyone as far as doe has listed for the missing im from ct and their are no children and or adults that would fit the jane and john doe. i will post more when i get some more info

 

[Richard]

i recived a reply from the potential match person from doe and this is what i got "Amy and Scott have been ruled out conclusively as the Mendocino children. My records ( as listed in the Potential Match Database), indicate they were ruled out by The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)." she didnt know what factor ruled them out. but it was checked and looked at we need to now go into all the records of missing girls/boys brother sister or twins in that area.( year that they were found, who went missing in that year in the years before that) we need to look at every state as well. since it was noted under the jane and john doe they might be sliblings or twins we should start there then branch out. i know ct is ruled out as anyone as far as doe has listed for the missing im from ct and their are no children and or adults that would fit the jane and john doe. i will post more when i get some more info

Have you heard anything more regarding comparisons between the Fandel children and the Mendocino Does? What specific evidence rules out a match?

 

[Mullins]

Here is another link I found for Scott Fandel with a little more information regarding the case.

http://www.angelfire.com/mi3/mpccn/sfandel.html

I guess they checked this out already, but my hunch says that there's a good possibility that someone in the restaurant/bar and overheard the fact that the aunt would be dropping the kids off at home--alone--and acted upon this. I wonder if LE was able to get a detailed picture of who all was in the bar that night? Did anyone leave right after the aunt left with the kids?

Also, were ballistics tests performed on the casings? If so, have they been placed in a databank?

 

[smile22]

the uncle belives she is alive and well. what does he have to prove his theory? is it solid evidence or is it a hunch

 

[Mullins]

Did anyone see the TV show (it was one of the crime/cold case shows) several months ago where the murder of a young (I want to say 11-14 yr old) female in Alaska was solved?

After much investigation, it was found to be an older man (60s or 70s) who lived in a rural area of the small town. It was traced to the man (who welded) based upon black metal flakes found on the body and found in his home/truck/clothes. Probably not related but reminded me of...I guess you never know.