AZ AZ - Donna Sullivan Lindhurst+daughter, Kimberly Anne Brown, 19-20 & 3, 5, Tucson, 1969

[victoriarobinson642]

"In addition to solving her mother’s murder, Gates [Syllen, the daughter of the deceased] would like to locate her two sisters, who were ages 3 and 19 in 1965. Gates says her sisters left Tucson with her mother. She says her 19-year-old sister was married and had a daughter who was about three years old at the time.

Gates says she had never heard of St. Petersburg until 1969 when her older sister left a message with a grandparent because she thought her brother had been killed in the Vietnam War. That was the last time the family heard from her.

Anyone with information on who killed Atherton or who knows what happened to her three-year-old Kimberly and her 19-year-old daughter Donna Lindhurst is asked to call Detective Pavelski at [see article for number]."

St. Pete ‘trunk lady’ murder victim identified after 53 years, search continues for her 2 daughters

After 53 years, Syllen Gates finally knows what happened to her mother who disappeared in 1965 from Tucson, Arizona when she was just nine years old.

www.fox13news.com

After 53 years, "Trunk Lady" is Identified

St. Petersburg Police Department Teams with Othram to Identify 1969 "Trunk Lady" Jane Doe

dnasolves.com

According to her daughter, Sylvia Atherton, left Tucson, AZ, with her husband, Stuart Brown, five-year-old daughter Kimberly Anne Brown, adult son Gary Sullivan, adult daughter Donna and her husband David Lindhurst, and went to Chicago. Nine-year-old Syllen and her 11-year-old brother were left with their father from a previous marriage, in Tucson. Adult son Gary Sullivan also eventually returned to Tucson to live with them.

There are still unanswered questions in this case. Who killed Sylvia Atherton? Also, the other two children who left for Chicago with Sylvia, Kimberly, and 20-year-old Donna Lindhurst, haven't been located and they may have additional information.

Lots of conflicting information here.

 

[alb1on]

As has been pointed out some of the information is unclear. I assume Kimberly Anne Brown is the daughter of Sylvia from the surname (rather than the daughter of Donna). I also think that Donna was 19 in 1969, not in 1965. I come to this conclusion from a marriage record on Ancestry from February 1966 in Cochise county Arizona for Donna Marie Sullivan to Clarence David Lindhurst, both of Tucson and Donna age 16, David age 18. So a bit more clarity on ages and full names. David came from Toledo, Ohio originally and Donna was born in Detroit. It would be useful to have confirmation that this is the right couple but as everything adds up I am fairly confident. Unfortunately there are not any other obvious Ancestry records although there are some meriting a closer look. These ages and date of marriage seem to cast questions over the 1965 date of leaving if Donna and her husband went at the same time as Sylvia. More questions than answers.

 

[Truecrimewatcher]

After doing some research, I think the only one who may have some idea what happened to Sylvia Atherton, Donna Lindhurst and Kimberly Brown is Donna’s (ex?)husband David Lindhurst and/or his siblings. If I have the correct person he has siblings in Ohio and Arizona. I do not think he had anything to do with Sylvia’s murder but may be able to shed some light on the case.

 

[Diane Redfern]

Is Clarence David Linghurst also missing?
I couldn't find any record of him; I think he might be a relative of Clarence Charles Lindhurst, but I'm not very sure:

Clarence Charles Lindhurst (1915-1981) - Find a...

es.findagrave.com

Clarence David Lindhurst (8 lbs 13 ozs) and mother coming home from Mercy hospital today

Clipping found in The Daily Sentinel-Tribune published in Bowling Green, Ohio on 10/1/1948. Clarence David Lindhurst (8 lbs 13 ozs) and mother coming home from Mercy hospital today

www.newspapers.com

I've also find this:

Donna Sullivan (1948-2024) - Find a Grave Memorial

es.findagrave.com

Sullivan is a very common surname, so i'ts ver likely she's not Donna Sullivan Lindhurst.
However, there's no missing file of them on NamUs, it's like even LE are still figuring it out.

 

[cenazoic]

“Detective Pavelski was able to learn that Stuart Brown, died in 1999 in Las Vegas, NV, but there was no mention of a wife in his court records. Syllen's brother confirmed that his mother used the black steamer trunk for a "tv stand" at the house in Tucson, AZ.”

And

“The victim had visible injuries to her head and had been strangled with a man's Western-style Bolo tie. ”

Hmm.

From After 53 years, "Trunk Lady" is Identified

 

[Deleted member 306806]

Is Clarence David Linghurst also missing?
I couldn't find any record of him; I think he might be a relative of Clarence Charles Lindhurst, but I'm not very sure:

Clarence Charles Lindhurst (1915-1981) - Find a...

es.findagrave.com

Clarence David Lindhurst (8 lbs 13 ozs) and mother coming home from Mercy hospital today

Clipping found in The Daily Sentinel-Tribune published in Bowling Green, Ohio on 10/1/1948. Clarence David Lindhurst (8 lbs 13 ozs) and mother coming home from Mercy hospital today

www.newspapers.com

I found and additional notice for Clarence Charles Lindhurst's April 1981 death. This is from an Ohio paper and mentions only stepchildren, including a stepson David. BUT if you go back to the Find A Grave, click on his second wife, you find she was married before to a Sekulski, with a son named David. There are two other stepchildren mentioned, which track with David Sekulski's siblings on the Find A Grave obit.

Toledo Blade

books.google.com

I've also find this:

Donna Sullivan (1948-2024) - Find a Grave Memorial

es.findagrave.com

Sullivan is a very common surname, so i'ts ver likely she's not Donna Sullivan Lindhurst.
However, there's no missing file of them on NamUs, it's like even LE are still figuring it out.

 

[summergirl1]

There are certainly lots of mysteries here..

 

[Amateur Web Sleuth]

So, Sylvia & her husband Stuart, adult daughter Donna and her husband David, then 2 kids Kim (5) and Gary (adult son)

Questions:
Gary eventually returns? But was he interviewed?
Husband Stuart dies in 1999 no mention of Sylvia?

What happened to Donna’s husband? Why did they only bring 1 underage child?

This is a confusing one

 

[summergirl1]

I'm not sure if Gary is still living or not. If so, I'd certainly assume he's been interviewed, if possible, unless he has dementia or something.

 

[strangerthanfiction1200]

It is confusing because Sylvia had more than one husband. This information is coming from Ancestry.com, Find A grave and Family Search.
l. Robert Henderson Smith-death is unknown but is to believe to be in Florida in the early 1970's.
2. Harry Lee Sullivan 1928-2004
3. Leonard Cheney Smith 1934-2012
4. Stuart Louis Brown 1923-1999
Gary was born in Illinois (I haven't found his death notice yet either). He was 1 year old in the 1950 census and Donna would have been one in 1950. She was born in July 1949 and in Michigan. There was a child born in the early 1950's that died very young and was a Sullivan. The two children Syllen and her brother are Leonard Smith's Children. While Kimberly is a Brown. Everything else is private information from Ancestry.com and you would have to email the person to get information. (Alb 1o? you are right, Donna would have been born in 1946 to be 19 in 1965, but she was only a year old in the 1950 census.) I have been researching this case for the past two years. My brick wall is whether or not Sylvia was killed in St. Petersburg or Chicago. Leonard and Sylvia were still married in the early 1960's and then divorced. I have not put marriage and divorce dates since that is on Ancestry and there are living relatives. I am not related but I have access to local information.