MA MA - Abbie Flynn, 60, went for walk before Super Bowl party, Gloucester, 2 Feb 2020

[JudgeJoe]

My spouse suggested a long walk this weekend (apparently the great outdoors is still open). I think I'll suggest a walk near Brace Cove in Gloucester.
Super Bowl Sunday feels like eons ago - I'm hoping there's some development here soon.

I was going to suggest walking from her house to the beach to see what stands out. But then I wondered if you’re in your 50’s? If so, take husband, mace, baseball bat- and run if anyone offers you a dog massage! Looking forward to hearing your take when safely back!

 

[Spider92]

I was going to suggest walking from her house to the beach to see what stands out. But then I wondered if you’re in your 50’s? If so, take husband, mace, baseball bat- and run if anyone offers you a dog massage! Looking forward to hearing your take when safely back!

Ha - I usually carry a walking stick in case I meet an aggressive coyote, but I'll also wear my best running shoes!

 

[anntex]

I'm new to this forum but have been thinking about Abbie often, as she lives in my neighborhood in Houston. (I don't know her, but we have mutual friends.) I have a theory and wanted to see if anyone else thinks it might make sense. My thoughts were: She decided to go for a quick walk before her guests arrived. She didn't take her phone, camera, or dog as she didn't expect to be gone long. While she was walking she started to feel ill. She is apparently a bit overweight (weight given as over 200 pounds) and aged 59, so she might well have experienced a heart attack, stroke, or other medical emergency. (Her doctor would of course have more info about the likelihood of this and whether she had high blood pressure or other risk factors.) My theory is that she flagged down a passing car and asked to be taken to the hospital. I can't imagine that any driver would refuse this request. I'm not sure how far away the hospital is, but am wondering if on the way to the hospital she could have passed away. If the driver had any kind of criminal record or possibly was in the country illegally or for any other reason didn't want to get mixed up with law enforcement or an investigation, he or she may have panicked. I'm wondering if the driver could have just taken off and driven to a remote area far away and disposed of the body. There may have been more than one person in the car to help with this, or the driver could have gotten help. Of course I am hoping that Abbie is alive but the other theories that have been presented (slipping on rocks, abduction, etc.) seem to be unlikely for various reasons. But I have never been to Gloucester and this idea may be unreasonable. There may be very little traffic on that road or maybe security cameras would have recorded all passing cars (which would have enabled the police to talk to the drivers). Anyway, it's such a sad and troubling case and I wanted to share this idea to see what you think.

 

[JudgeJoe]

I'm new to this forum but have been thinking about Abbie often, as she lives in my neighborhood in Houston. (I don't know her, but we have mutual friends.) I have a theory and wanted to see if anyone else thinks it might make sense. My thoughts were: She decided to go for a quick walk before her guests arrived. She didn't take her phone, camera, or dog as she didn't expect to be gone long. While she was walking she started to feel ill. She is apparently a bit overweight (weight given as over 200 pounds) and aged 59, so she might well have experienced a heart attack, stroke, or other medical emergency. (Her doctor would of course have more info about the likelihood of this and whether she had high blood pressure or other risk factors.) My theory is that she flagged down a passing car and asked to be taken to the hospital. I can't imagine that any driver would refuse this request. I'm not sure how far away the hospital is, but am wondering if on the way to the hospital she could have passed away. If the driver had any kind of criminal record or possibly was in the country illegally or for any other reason didn't want to get mixed up with law enforcement or an investigation, he or she may have panicked. I'm wondering if the driver could have just taken off and driven to a remote area far away and disposed of the body. There may have been more than one person in the car to help with this, or the driver could have gotten help. Of course I am hoping that Abbie is alive but the other theories that have been presented (slipping on rocks, abduction, etc.) seem to be unlikely for various reasons. But I have never been to Gloucester and this idea may be unreasonable. There may be very little traffic on that road or maybe security cameras would have recorded all passing cars (which would have enabled the police to talk to the drivers). Anyway, it's such a sad and troubling case and I wanted to share this idea to see what you think.

Welcome to WS, Anntex! We value your insight, being part of her social circle. You bring a new idea- hadn’t thought of your scenario, but seems possible given her age, weight, etc- and the political climate which could make doing the proper thing a scary idea. If that’s the case, I would hope the person could at the very least call CrimeStoppers, mail an anonymous letter to LE- with a map to her body, or place an anonymous call from a burner phone. I hope the family can give her a proper burial & have closure what happened.

 

[Curiosity7]

Welcome to WS, Anntex! We value your insight, being part of her social circle. You bring a new idea- hadn’t thought of your scenario, but seems possible given her age, weight, etc- and the political climate which could make doing the proper thing a scary idea. If that’s the case, I would hope the person could at the very least call CrimeStoppers, mail an anonymous letter to LE- with a map to her body, or place an anonymous call from a burner phone. I hope the family can give her a proper burial & have closure what happened.

Yes, it is always good to consider all perspectives, especially a new one.
I would imagine, though, that if someone is kind enough to stop to pick up someone in trouble to bring her to the hospital, that he/she/they, given their kindness to help in the first place, would put an anonymous call in to LE to let them know where she was.

 

[Spider92]

Road trip.

 

[JudgeJoe]

Road trip.

We better hear from you by sundown or we’re calling 911.

 

[kay74]

Since she was having a party, she might have had booze out. Do you think she had a drink before she left and got disorientated while walking and passed out?! If that happened, her relatives would not want anyone to know so is it possible she was found and it will not be made public?! Just a thought. I don't know if it's a law to make it public if found, right? JMO

 

[Spider92]

Packed my hand sanitizer and took a drive to Gloucester. Here are a few observations:
1. There are a thousand places where she could be. You can't walk 1/4 in any direction without hitting the ocean or a pond or stretches of vacant land covered in dense scrub.
2. There are a lot of nice homes in the area and therefore, I'm guessing, a lot of security cameras. I'm surprised there is no helpful footage acquired by LE.
3. I'm guessing that 80% of the nearby houses showed signs of being occupied - cars in the driveway. Maybe some non-seasonal residents are hunkering down in their Gloucester vacation homes since nobody can go to the office anyways. It may have been more quiet in January.
4. I walked by Abbie's house but did not photo it. There was a vehicle in the driveway with TX plates.
5. There are a lot of houses in the area and many had multiple structures - garages, large sheds, etc. I hope that LE check ALL area structures including new construction. I think it remains a possibility that a seasonal resident will discover her when opening up a seasonal home.
6. There are a lot of private roads and beaches in the area so I did not walk the entire area, but I probably covered about 2 miles.
7. I was there about an hour after high tide and the water looked choppier than I would have guessed. The attached picture #1 was taken at Niles Beach on Eastern Point Blvd - about a 5 minute walk from Abbie's house. You can see the water slamming up against the rocks. This is not a calm beach - at least today.
8. The general area was very busy - lots of people out walking or driving - most of them probably just looking to get out of the house after being at home all week. The neighborhood roads closer to the water were narrow and I think a stranger would be easily noticed. However, Abbie's house is the first on the street and right near the junction of Farrington Ave which was well traveled. If there was foul play involved, the perp wouldn't need to venture too far into the neighborhood itself. In fact, there is a parking lot about 100 yards (maybe less) from Abbie's house where people were parking to take a walk so it's possible that a stranger could approach the house with causing suspicion.
9. The pier in the attached photo #2 is probably a 10 minute walk from Abbie's house. Access to it was via a private road which I did not walk. However, Abbie may have had access as a resident. In the event that somebody wanted to throw themselves into deep (and very cold) water, this pier would provide that opportunity.
10. Not surprisingly, there was no active LE in the area other than an environmental police truck.

I left with the impression that she's in the water.

 

[Curiosity7]

Packed my hand sanitizer and took a drive to Gloucester. Here are a few observations:
1. There are a thousand places where she could be. You can't walk 1/4 in any direction without hitting the ocean or a pond or stretches of vacant land covered in dense scrub.
2. There are a lot of nice homes in the area and therefore, I'm guessing, a lot of security cameras. I'm surprised there is no helpful footage acquired by LE.
3. I'm guessing that 80% of the nearby houses showed signs of being occupied - cars in the driveway. Maybe some non-seasonal residents are hunkering down in their Gloucester vacation homes since nobody can go to the office anyways. It may have been more quiet in January.
4. I walked by Abbie's house but did not photo it. There was a vehicle in the driveway with TX plates.
5. There are a lot of houses in the area and many had multiple structures - garages, large sheds, etc. I hope that LE check ALL area structures including new construction. I think it remains a possibility that a seasonal resident will discover her when opening up a seasonal home.
6. There are a lot of private roads and beaches in the area so I did not walk the entire area, but I probably covered about 2 miles.
7. I was there about an hour after high tide and the water looked choppier than I would have guessed. The attached picture #1 was taken at Niles Beach on Eastern Point Blvd - about a 5 minute walk from Abbie's house. You can see the water slamming up against the rocks. This is not a calm beach - at least today.
8. The general area was very busy - lots of people out walking or driving - most of them probably just looking to get out of the house after being at home all week. The neighborhood roads closer to the water were narrow and I think a stranger would be easily noticed. However, Abbie's house is the first on the street and right near the junction of Farrington Ave which was well traveled. If there was foul play involved, the perp wouldn't need to venture too far into the neighborhood itself. In fact, there is a parking lot about 100 yards (maybe less) from Abbie's house where people were parking to take a walk so it's possible that a stranger could approach the house with causing suspicion.
9. The pier in the attached photo #2 is probably a 10 minute walk from Abbie's house. Access to it was via a private road which I did not walk. However, Abbie may have had access as a resident. In the event that somebody wanted to throw themselves into deep (and very cold) water, this pier would provide that opportunity.
10. Not surprisingly, there was no active LE in the area other than an environmental police truck.

I left with the impression that she's in the water.

Thank you for doing this and providing an account of the area.
I revert back to what I said a few posts ago.
I believe LE and the family know what happened to this poor woman.
Otherwise, there would be more pleas in the press from LE, at least, asking for tips, clues, etc.
They know - IMHO.

 

[Spider92]

My spouse, who politely listened to my chronology of the events during the hour+ long car ride, and is generally a half glass full type, believes it is a case of suicide and that perhaps a note was left which triggered the immediate and overwhelming response by LE.

 

[Spider92]

My immediate reaction is that she walked right around "her neighborhood" which would bring her to Niles Beach, Niles Pond and Brace Cove. However, if she felt like stretching her legs a little, she could have walked northeast along Atlantic Road which goes right along the ocean. I drove about 1.5 miles in that direction when I left and stopped at Bass Rocks (see photos) which would have been about a 1 hour round trip walk for her. The ocean there was equally rough and may have drawn less scrutiny from LE since it is outside her neighborhood. If you're the adventurous type, it looks like a good place to break an ankle or fall into the water.

 

[kay74]

Thank you for doing this and providing an account of the area.
I revert back to what I said a few posts ago.
I believe LE and the family know what happened to this poor woman.
Otherwise, there would be more pleas in the press from LE, at least, asking for tips, clues, etc.
They know - IMHO.

So you think she was found and the family does not want anyone to know what happened?

 

[Curiosity7]

So you think she was found and the family does not want anyone to know what happened?

Oh no, I don’t think she has been found, unfortunately.
I just think they have an idea of what happened to her.
If they didn’t, I believe there would be a very active search still.
JMOO

 

[kay74]

Oh no, I don’t think she has been found, unfortunately.
I just think they have an idea of what happened to her.
If they didn’t, I believe there would be a very active search still.
JMOO

So they might have an idea what happened to her, like a kidnapping? They are waiting to see if LE solves this case? Or they saw evidence of her drowning? Sorry, I can't wrap my head around this.

 

[Curiosity7]

So they might have an idea what happened to her, like a kidnapping? They are waiting to see if LE solves this case? Or they saw evidence of her drowning? Sorry, I can't wrap my head around this.

I don’t think they believe a crime was involved.
If that was the case, there would be more being said and more LE outreach to the public for tips.
Of course, this is all personal speculation.

 

[Tripod]

Bump for Abbie, and for her family.

 

[kay74]

I hope I'm not in trouble writing this and I hope I am 100% wrong and maybe I am! Could she have had alcohol issues?

 

[JudgeJoe]

Packed my hand sanitizer and took a drive to Gloucester. Here are a few observations:
1. There are a thousand places where she could be. You can't walk 1/4 in any direction without hitting the ocean or a pond or stretches of vacant land covered in dense scrub.
2. There are a lot of nice homes in the area and therefore, I'm guessing, a lot of security cameras. I'm surprised there is no helpful footage acquired by LE.
3. I'm guessing that 80% of the nearby houses showed signs of being occupied - cars in the driveway. Maybe some non-seasonal residents are hunkering down in their Gloucester vacation homes since nobody can go to the office anyways. It may have been more quiet in January.
4. I walked by Abbie's house but did not photo it. There was a vehicle in the driveway with TX plates.
5. There are a lot of houses in the area and many had multiple structures - garages, large sheds, etc. I hope that LE check ALL area structures including new construction. I think it remains a possibility that a seasonal resident will discover her when opening up a seasonal home.
6. There are a lot of private roads and beaches in the area so I did not walk the entire area, but I probably covered about 2 miles.
7. I was there about an hour after high tide and the water looked choppier than I would have guessed. The attached picture #1 was taken at Niles Beach on Eastern Point Blvd - about a 5 minute walk from Abbie's house. You can see the water slamming up against the rocks. This is not a calm beach - at least today.
8. The general area was very busy - lots of people out walking or driving - most of them probably just looking to get out of the house after being at home all week. The neighborhood roads closer to the water were narrow and I think a stranger would be easily noticed. However, Abbie's house is the first on the street and right near the junction of Farrington Ave which was well traveled. If there was foul play involved, the perp wouldn't need to venture too far into the neighborhood itself. In fact, there is a parking lot about 100 yards (maybe less) from Abbie's house where people were parking to take a walk so it's possible that a stranger could approach the house with causing suspicion.
9. The pier in the attached photo #2 is probably a 10 minute walk from Abbie's house. Access to it was via a private road which I did not walk. However, Abbie may have had access as a resident. In the event that somebody wanted to throw themselves into deep (and very cold) water, this pier would provide that opportunity.
10. Not surprisingly, there was no active LE in the area other than an environmental police truck.

I left with the impression that she's in the water.

With #5, what are you thinking about those seasonal homes/ outbuildings? That she wandered in due to curiosity or a medical issue- maybe to use the phone- and couldn’t get up/out? Any sites that particularly stood out?
I still can’t wrap my head around a 50’s nurse- medically & locally savvy to the unique environmental dangers- to put herself at risk of “falling” into the water. Nor can I wrap my head around suicide- when you’ve been cooking all day for a party. Who invites people over for warm cookies & offs themself right before? The circumstances baffle me. Jmo and all that jazz...

 

[SAMS]

This case frustrates me. The fact that the perp in the attempted abduction in that area isn’t on LE radar or questionable by the family is baffling IMO. I’d be demanding an investigation. MOO IMO