FL FL - Wilma Wood, 49, Zephyrhills, 1973

[Fede]

There is not that much information about this case and it seems to be part of a string of murders that occurred in Zephyrhills, Florida from 1973 to 1977.
Here is the article in Michael Newton´s Encyclopedia of Unsolved Murders:
The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes, Michael Newton, 2009

And an article that I found in the New York Times:
Another Skeleton Found in Florida

I think the murders are still unsolved

 

[Sleuth91]

Bumping this thread for Wilma.

 

[MaryG12]

From The Tampa Tribune, May 17, 1979

 

[MaryG12]

The full article my above clipping came from may be of use too:

Murders go unsolved as time passes Part 1

Murders go unsolved as time passes Part 2

 

[Otterly]

The full article my above clipping came from may be of use too:

Murders go unsolved as time passes Part 1

Murders go unsolved as time passes Part 2

Out of curiosity, I looked for the Jane Doe mentioned in the Pasco 70s unsolved murders article (found Jan. 15, 1979) in namus and the Doe Network. She's not there, so hopefully she was identified. The article was published on May 17, 1979 so it wasn't very long after she had been found.

 

[Otterly]

I also found a true crime podcast episode from only a few weeks ago about four of the murders mentioned in the 1979 article (Wilma Wood, Diana Vallack, Gail Foster, and Emily Grieve). I've never listened to this particular podcast before, so I can't promise anything when it comes to quality. heh...
The Pasco County Four - True Crime All The Time Unsolved - Omny.fm

 

[PayrollNerd]

And they think he's local. Scary. I wonder if his DNA was ever collected. I'm thinking not because if he was in CODIS, they could have solved at least a few of these.

https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/24/archives/another-skeleton-found-in-florida.html
ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla., Dec. 23 (UP)—The police said today that a skeleton found in an isolated rural area might be another victim of a killer suspected in the slaying of at least seven other women, most of them nude dancers or prostitutes with long blond or light brown hair.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I also found a true crime podcast episode from only a few weeks ago about four of the murders mentioned in the 1979 article (Wilma Wood, Diana Vallack, Gail Foster, and Emily Grieve). I've never listened to this particular podcast before, so I can't promise anything when it comes to quality. heh...
The Pasco County Four - True Crime All The Time Unsolved - Omny.fm

Listening to this now. They're calling Gerald Stano a serial killer but what is this based on?

There are a number of similarities to these murders, from where the victims worked to where their bodies were left. A serial killer named Gerald Stano confessed to one of the murders but later recanted. Stano has said that he murdered as many as 41, but, when questioned, he was not able to provide Pasco authorities with the correct details.

 

[PayrollNerd]

The full article my above clipping came from may be of use too:

Murders go unsolved as time passes Part 1

Murders go unsolved as time passes Part 2

All the names from the map listed below. Only 1 is solved. Only one male. Is it known if the male, John Vallandry, was connected to any of the women, such as a boyfriend, sibling, co-worker?

Name Age Found Note
Beth Neilson 55 10/15/1971
Wilma Wood 49 12/29/1973
John Vallandry 20 7/10/1974
Betsy Loden 22 1/14/1975
Diana Vallec 18 5/9/1975 Strip
Jo Ann Parnell 40 7/18/1977 Solved
Gail Foster 20 9/28/1977 Strip
Emily Grieve 38 10/21/1977
Judy Bibee 18 11/25/1977
Terr Crew 26 12/22/1977
Jane Doe 1/15/1979

 

[PopcornDetective]

All the names from the map listed below. Only 1 is solved. Only one male. Is it known if the male, John Vallandry, was connected to any of the women, such as a boyfriend, sibling, co-worker?

View attachment 262141
Name Age Found Note
Beth Neilson 55 10/15/1971
Wilma Wood 49 12/29/1973
John Vallandry 20 7/10/1974
Betsy Loden 22 1/14/1975
Diana Vallec 18 5/9/1975 Strip
Jo Ann Parnell 40 7/18/1977 Solved
Gail Foster 20 9/28/1977 Strip
Emily Grieve 38 10/21/1977
Judy Bibee 18 11/25/1977
Terr Crew 26 12/22/1977
Jane Doe 1/15/1979

John was not the only male, Terry Crew was a man as well.

Wilma Wood and Emily Grieve are also from the strip- Wilma was a dancer and sex worker, Emily went to a bar on the strip after work.

I’m writing a book about these cases, who I think is behind them, and why they are going on 50 years without justice. If anyone has any infortmation about them, email me at [email protected]