AL Ann Dawson, 49, Birmingham, September 23, 1974

[SimsGuy67]

Ann is a victim of serial killer Paul John Knowles. He claims he threw her body into the Mississippi River but Ann's body wasn't found. I feel there's every chance he could be lying. Not about killing her, but the location of her body.



Ann Jean Dawson
Sex: Female
Race: White/Caucasian
DLC: September 23, 1974
Age: 49
Missing From: Birmingham, Alabama
Height: 5'6
Weight: 130 pounds
Hair Color: Blond/Strawberry (Described as "platinum blonde")
Eye Color: Unknown
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinctive Features: Unknown/None
Clothing/Accessories: Blue pants, red and white patterned top, had a large amount of money, two diamond rings on each hand.

Circumstances
Ann was last seen in the company of a man, later identified as serial killer Paul John Knowles, when asked about the location of Ann's body, he claimed her through her into the Mississippi River. Her body/remains have not been found.

Sketch of man last seen with Ann:



Investigators
Unknown

Sources

Paul John Knowles - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Ann Dawson missing - Newspapers.com

Clipping found in The Birmingham Post-Herald published in Birmingham, Alabama on 10/11/1974. Ann Dawson missing

www.newspapers.com

 

[SimsGuy67]

Her killers next murder was in Connecticut. Ann's body could be anywhere...

 

[cenazoic]

According to this, she was killed in Louisiana:

Suit filed against Knowles' estate

Clipping found in Tallahassee Democrat published in Tallahassee, Florida on 9/25/1975. Suit filed against Knowles' estate

www.newspapers.com

More specifically, a search was conducted in Madison Parish, Louisiana for Anne, but she wasn’t found. It sounds like this would have been around the Tallulah, LA area (town just across the Mississippi River bridge from Mississippi).

Details found here:

MATTER OF ESTATE OF DAWSO | 346 So.2d... | so2d3861709 | Leagle.com

ALMON Justice. Bernice Eubanks sister of Anne Jean Wilcox Dawson filed a complaint in circuit court requesting the court...so2d3861709

www.leagle.com

(Also, according to the above, her full name is Anne Jean Wilcox Dawson.)

 

[SimsGuy67]

According to this, she was killed in Louisiana:

Suit filed against Knowles' estate

Clipping found in Tallahassee Democrat published in Tallahassee, Florida on 9/25/1975. Suit filed against Knowles' estate

www.newspapers.com

More specifically, a search was conducted in Madison Parish, Louisiana for Anne, but she wasn’t found. It sounds like this would have been around the Tallulah, LA area (town just across the Mississippi River bridge from Mississippi).

Details found here:

MATTER OF ESTATE OF DAWSO | 346 So.2d... | so2d3861709 | Leagle.com

ALMON Justice. Bernice Eubanks sister of Anne Jean Wilcox Dawson filed a complaint in circuit court requesting the court...so2d3861709

www.leagle.com

(Also, according to the above, her full name is Anne Jean Wilcox Dawson.)

I assume this means they travelled together for a short period (or she was held against her will), then was murdered in LA. Happy that this narrows the search.

 

[Richard]

Here is a photo of John Paul Knowles for comparison to the suspect sketch:


John Paul Knowles (1947-1974)

Sketch of subject last seen with Anne Dawson 1974


A few LINKS:

FL - FL/GA - Paul John Knowles, active 1965 - 1974

Paul John Knowles (1946-1974) often traveled Highway 75 from Florida to Georgia. In 1965, he kidnapped a police officer and got 5 years. By 1967, he was paroled and soon back in prison the same year. In 1970, he was again out on parole, and was loose until 1972 when he was again sentenced to...

www.websleuths.com

Anne Dawson (1925-1974) *49 Biography - Sysoon

Biography / Write a brief biography and present it to the world. This can be a wonderful, heartwarming experience for all.

www.sysoon.com

 

[SimsGuy67]

Here is a photo of John Paul Knowles for comparison to the suspect sketch:




A few LINKS:

FL - FL/GA - Paul John Knowles, active 1965 - 1974

Paul John Knowles (1946-1974) often traveled Highway 75 from Florida to Georgia. In 1965, he kidnapped a police officer and got 5 years. By 1967, he was paroled and soon back in prison the same year. In 1970, he was again out on parole, and was loose until 1972 when he was again sentenced to...

www.websleuths.com

Anne Dawson (1925-1974) *49 Biography - Sysoon

Biography / Write a brief biography and present it to the world. This can be a wonderful, heartwarming experience for all.

www.sysoon.com

He kind of looks like the sketch? The chin doesn't match at all though. I assume these are just things that witnesses misremembered or weren't properly represented in the sketch as it's pretty clear that this man was Knowles.

 

[SimsGuy67]

This Jane Doe was found in Baton Rouge in 1975.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

This Jane Doe was received by the FACES lab in approximately 1981.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

 

[SimsGuy67]

Wikipedia can be strange sometimes...

Ann Dawson's remains were found on November 15, 1977 in Mississippi.

Anne Jean “Annie” Wilcox Hodges Miller Donaldson...

Anne Dawson owned a beautician salon in Fairfield, Alabama. Her kidneys were failing, and she had other health problems as well. Annie was last seen on 23 Sep 1974. A spree killer claimed in his tape-recorded diary that he murdered her on 29 Sep 1974 and threw her body in the Mississippi...

www.findagrave.com

RIP Ann...

 

[SimsGuy67]

Changed the Wikipedia to reflect Ann's remains being found:

Paul John Knowles - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[SimsGuy67]

Debbie Griffin, the only other "missing" victim of Knowles (other than the Anderson sisters) was found August 1975...

GA - GA, Debbie Griffin, Milledgeville, November 2nd 1974.

Debbie and her partner Edward Hilliard were last seen near Milledgeville Georgia. His body was found in nearby woods, Debbie has never been recovered. Paul John Knowles - Wikipedia

www.websleuths.com

This explains why Ann and Debbie weren't added to NamUs along with the Anderson sisters...

 

[cenazoic]

Nice! So you were correct - Knowles lied about where he killed her (Meridian MS isn’t near the Mississippi River).

 

[Richard]

Lillian (left) and Mylette Anderson, aged 11 and 7 respectively of Jacksonville, FL were abducted and murdered by John Paul Knowles on 1 August 1974. Their bodies have never been found.

LINKS:

Lillian Annette Anderson – The Charley Project

Mylette Josephine Anderson – The Charley Project

45 YEARS LATER: Still no answers in disappearance of Jacksonville sisters

Mylette and Annette Anderson went missing Aug. 1, 1974. Forty-five years later, there are no leads as to what happened.

www.firstcoastnews.com

FL - FL - Annette 11, & Mylette Anderson 7, Jacksonville, 1 August 1974

Poor girls, those sweet faces - I just can't understand it :( I hadn't noticed it @Bit of hope but I see what you're talking about. I think it's just the old photo making it look like her pinkie finger is almost attached to the rest of her hand. I blew it up as much as I could and it looks like...

www.websleuths.com

 

[SimsGuy67]

Nice! So you were correct - Knowles lied about where he killed her (Meridian MS isn’t near the Mississippi River).

Just realized that! Apparently Ann's remains were found close to Louisiana. About 10 miles.

 

[SimsGuy67]

Lillian (left) and Mylette Anderson, aged 11 and 7 respectively of Jacksonville, FL were abducted and murdered by John Paul Knowles on 1 August 1974. Their bodies have never been found.

LINKS:

Lillian Annette Anderson – The Charley Project

Mylette Josephine Anderson – The Charley Project

45 YEARS LATER: Still no answers in disappearance of Jacksonville sisters

Mylette and Annette Anderson went missing Aug. 1, 1974. Forty-five years later, there are no leads as to what happened.

www.firstcoastnews.com

FL - FL - Annette 11, & Mylette Anderson 7, Jacksonville, 1 August 1974

Poor girls, those sweet faces - I just can't understand it :( I hadn't noticed it @Bit of hope but I see what you're talking about. I think it's just the old photo making it look like her pinkie finger is almost attached to the rest of her hand. I blew it up as much as I could and it looks like...

www.websleuths.com

Hoping they get found as now we know they are the only two victims connected to Knowles that haven't been found.

 

[cherylmc]

My name is Cheryl McLaughlin. I am the granddaughter of Anne Dawson. I was the 1st person to be notified by the family from a friend of my grandmother that she had not been to work and was asking about her contact with the family. Which her sister was Bernice Eubanks. From there our family started a long journey into horrible nightmare. Her remains were found in Meridian Mississippi by hunters. My grandmother was a very respected person and owned her own beauty shop. Despite what was said about her leaving with this man. She didn’t leave with him. She was kidnapped because her car was found and blood was found inside her car on her shoes. Her car was not stolen. It was at a known place my grandmother would stop at. She would not voluntarily leave with anyone. Her comment has always been fight and scream because once your silence you voice will not be heard. The tapes or recordings of Paul John Knowles have been sealed by a Judge in Macon Ga after the 25 year seal date was up. Now they are forever sealed. Know one will ever get a chance to think about it. It will be denied. No
One can ever listen to those tapes. I understand they are gruesome. Jeffery Webb was the investigator on her case out of Jefferson County Al. Birmingham Al. This man does not deserve one ounce of notoriety. Some people get kicks of filling there heads with people like this from crime magazines. Horrible trash for our society. I imagine my grandmother was scared and in fear. Probably begging for her life.

 

[cherylmc]

RIP MaMa.

 

[Richard]

Bumping this thread up. It should be re-titled or moved to the found/deceased section.

Ann Dawson was murdered 50 years ago.

 

[Investigation Queen]

KNOWLES, Paul John

Dispatch | Timeline | Books | Podcasts | Videos He was called The Casanova Killer, but Paul John Knowles was by no means a romantic charmer. His victims were not women he swept off their feet. Most…

serialdispatches.com

If you scroll towards the bottom, 11/29/77, her body was found in Mississippi.