MA MA - Joan Risch, 30, Lincoln, 24 Oct 1961

[jgfitzge]

Here is a question: it says that the blood stopped at end of driveway, yet she was spotted walking down highway. How far is that highway location? Wouldn't her blood had continued? and was there blood out there on the highway area? Was that searched?

Very good question. I can tell you having lived in the area for number of years, the first sighting of Joan on Route 2A is not very far from her house. That is very reasonable walking distance. The other two sightings of her on route 128 would have been 2-3 miles from her house. In all of the available documents possible blood on these roads is not mentioned or addressed. The day of her disappearance and the days after resulted in a large search of the area. Very odd...the eyewitness accounts mentioned "mud or dry blood on her legs." If it was blood running down her legs and if it fell onto the ground someone in the search would have seen it? Me personally, I still believe these eyewitness sightings. They were independent and there was more than one. If it was just one account I might be skeptical, but three? Still your question is very thought provoking!

 

[4SAM]

Are there any pictures of that highway being built that she was spotted on?

 

[jgfitzge]

Are there any pictures of that highway being built that she was spotted on?

Hi 4SAM, I could look around. However, I believe it could be one of those historical photos that reside at the town's local library or historical society. I am sure it was "completed" in the 1950s. However, the section of 128 running between Waltham and Lexington was known as the "Technology Highway" and probably due to the explosive growth there may have been lane additions or expansions. I recall, it was touted as "second only to Silicon Valley" from the 1960's to the 1980s.

 

[BostonSu]

It backs up to Hanscomb AFB. There is a small wooded area diving the two.

 

[BostonSu]

The other common thread I see, is the role of local LE in the investigation and their relationship with the "locals." Always remember they control where the investigation goes...and if it starts veering towards towards one of their own for example or that family with the crazy kids whose uncle is a cop, well, it begins to stall or take a right turn.

I happened to work at Minuteman NHP in the 1990s, and one of my co-workers had been on the Lincoln Police force, and involved in the investigation. He said most of the police were sure who "did it", and there was a man involved, not her husband. He wouldn't/couldn't say more.

 

[4SAM]

it backs up to hanscomb afb. There is a small wooded area diving the two.

afb??? Hmmmm

 

[BostonSu]

afb??? Hmmmm

I've always wondered that, too. So close, and easy to meet someone just taking a walk. Also, easy to get to the house from behind, thru the woods, and not be seen.

 

[jgfitzge]

It backs up to Hanscomb AFB. There is a small wooded area diving the two.

Hi BostonSu, good to see a Sox Fan here. "It backs up to HAFB, what do you mean by "it"? Do you mean Old Bedford Road? And when you refer to "divided the two" do you mean 2A and 128 (95 today)?

 

[BostonSu]

Hi BostonSu, good to see a Sox Fan here. "It backs up to HAFB, what do you mean by "it"? Do you mean Old Bedford Road? And when you refer to "divided the two" do you mean 2A and 128 (95 today)?

Yes, the road, and the house that she lived in, too. In the 90s, when they were clearing the brush, I was stunned at how close the AFB really was to the street. Divided the two, meaning Hanscomb & Old Bedford Rd.

 

[jgfitzge]

I happened to work at Minuteman NHP in the 1990s, and one of my co-workers had been on the Lincoln Police force, and involved in the investigation. He said most of the police were sure who "did it", and there was a man involved, not her husband. He wouldn't/couldn't say more.

BostonSu, very interesting...sort of feeds into a couple of my theories...BUT...I need to process this a bit more. I recall reading a 1996 interview where the one-time police chief and one of the last investigators on the case Lincoln Police Chief Algeo was quoted as saying

I thought they'd find a body or bones or something,'' he said. ``Things do turn up. People don't disappear without a trace.''

Algeo said he has his own theories about what happened but is keeping them to himself. Asked if he would be willing to bet that she was dead, he said, ``No.''

I also tend to think a lot of police departments "off the record" always will say they have a good idea who is responsible for an unsolved murder or disappearance. They don't want to come off as knowing nothing about a notorious case. That being said, i have to weigh that with my sincere belief that most times neighborhood scuttlebutt is usually close to the truth. I have always believed Joan knew who was responsible for her disapearance.

 

[jgfitzge]

Yes, the road, and the house that she lived in, too. In the 90s, when they were clearing the brush, I was stunned at how close the AFB really was to the street. Divided the two, meaning Hanscomb & Old Bedford Rd.

BostonSu, when I look at a Google map today of the area it is a little confusing. It shows Old Bedford road going right into HAFB's visitor center. You mentioned her house but, her actual house was moved in the 70's to make room for Minuteman Park's expansion. Also, when you expand the Google map you see a Bedford road running into 2A and another Old Bedford Road near Mill Pond Conservation Area and Virginia road. Finally, one of the witnesses to the blue/gray car was a high school girl, a neighbor of the Risch's who got off the bus on 2A (according to press reports) and walked down Old Bedford road, past he Risch's house, to her house in about 10 minutes.

 

[BostonSu]

BostonSu, when I look at a Google map today of the area it is a little confusing. It shows Old Bedford road going right into HAFB's visitor center. You mentioned her house but, her actual house was moved in the 70's to make room for Minuteman Park's expansion. Also, when you expand the Google map you see a Bedford road running into 2A and another Old Bedford Road near Mill Pond Conservation Area and Virginia road. Finally, one of the witnesses to the blue/gray car was a high school girl, a neighbor of the Risch's who got off the bus on 2A (according to press reports) and walked down Old Bedford road, past he Risch's house, to her house in about 10 minutes.

I mean where her house was, it was one of the first ones to be removed. Several were still there in the early 90s, including interestingly, one a couple of doors down which belonged to a Dr. I was able to go into them before they were taken away.

Old Bedford Rd where the house was, is now considered Virginia Rd by most. The road into HAFB actually goes off of rt 2, just past Old Bedford.

There is/was a short side street which connected RT2 & Old Bedford, now it's a parking area for the NPS, but it would have made for a fairly easy short cut between the two roads. I always felt if she was seen on RT 2, that's probably the way she went.

 

[Talullah]

I apologize in advance because this post may be too graphic for some.
I had cervical cancer and after a Pap smear I almost bled out in the exam room. There was blood on my legs, feet and so much on the floor I almost slid down. It splashed on the bottom of the walls when I walked. It was all over the table. I don't know if that's how a miscarriage is but I've never seen so much blood. I don't know if I was in shock. It was like an out of body experience. I drove home because I was taking care of my mother who also had cancer and I didn't want someone from the hospital calling her on my behalf. Looking back I realize I wasn't thinking clearly.
Maybe Joan was sick, didn't want anyone to know so she left. From what I understand people didn't discuss cancer or other medical issues like we do now. I'm not saying this is what happened because some things make absolutely no sense but I've heard of women who hide illnesses to spare loved ones the pain of seeing them sick.

 

[Stella]

I mean where her house was, it was one of the first ones to be removed. Several were still there in the early 90s, including interestingly, one a couple of doors down which belonged to a Dr. I was able to go into them before they were taken away.

Old Bedford Rd where the house was, is now considered Virginia Rd by most. The road into HAFB actually goes off of rt 2, just past Old Bedford.

There is/was a short side street which connected RT2 & Old Bedford, now it's a parking area for the NPS, but it would have made for a fairly easy short cut between the two roads. I always felt if she was seen on RT 2, that's probably the way she went.

I'd like to know more about this doctor that lived nearby, since I still hold the theory that this was an abortion gone wrong. The phone book being open as it was kind of baffles me; back in those days, everyone I knew just dialed the telephone operator and asked to be connected directly to police, ambulance and fire departments.

 

[4SAM]

Did we have means back then to determine what number was last called?

 

[jgfitzge]

Did we have means back then to determine what number was last called?

4Sam, I am not 100% sure about that method. I might need help here but around here (New England) it may have been *69 or *52...something along those lines. I think (?) LE was able to obtain phone luds even in 1961. I put the question out there and a few people said yes, with a subpoena, you were able to. Yet, I also found a few sources indicating this was not available until the late 1960s? I do remember reading she had called her college friend, Saba the morning of her disapearance. However, that info could have been given to LE by Saba. This is one of those questions where I sure wish I had the LE file!

 

[Skigirl]

Did we have means back then to determine what number was last called?

I don't know if it varied from place to place, but when I was a kid, I was told that it was impossible to obtain itemized records of local calls, though long distance ones were itemized. I don't know if the phone company had a way to trace local calls, but I am almost positive that those *69 and other key combos that allowed one to call back the last number did not exist until the 1990s. I don't even think there were touch-tone phones back then -- so you wouldn't have been able to type in anything like *number.

 

[jgfitzge]

I don't know if it varied from place to place, but when I was a kid, I was told that it was impossible to obtain itemized records of local calls, though long distance ones were itemized. I don't know if the phone company had a way to trace local calls, but I am almost positive that those *69 and other key combos that allowed one to call back the last number did not exist until the 1990s. I don't even think there were touch-tone phones back then -- so you wouldn't have been able to type in anything like *number.

ha ha, LOL Skigirl, I just felt like I got one of those trick SAT questions wrong! Yes, of course no touch tone in 1961 unless you were the Jestsons! I do remember that itemization bill when I was a kid. I think it depended on what New England Tel defined as local. I do remember my parents in the late 70's receiving an itemized call bill and it showed calls 5-10 miles away (some old boyfriend was calling my sister). So, let us assume the phone company could itemize out of state and within Massachusetts, just not local calls within (Lincoln/Concord area.)

 

[Skigirl]

ha ha, LOL Skigirl, I just felt like I got one of those trick SAT questions wrong! Yes, of course no touch tone in 1961 unless you were the Jestsons! I do remember that itemization bill when I was a kid. I think it depended on what New England Tel defined as local. I do remember my parents in the late 70's receiving an itemized call bill and it showed calls 5-10 miles away (some old boyfriend was calling my sister). So, let us assume the phone company could itemize out of state and within Massachusetts, just not local calls within (Lincoln/Concord area.)

Actually, in the 1960s, where I grew up, and up through the early 70s, they were still using exchange numbers, like "CEntral 8-3030". I was not yet born when they did the conversion, but our library cards still had the phone number listed that way...guess they had overstocked... Into the '90s, we were on a single exchange, so for local numbers, we just dialed the last four digits -- 3646, 8979, etc. It made remembering phone numbers trivially easy. Maybe the single exchange ones were the ones that were untraceable. I know that for towns outside ours we had to dial 7 digits, and for ones outside of our area code, we had to dial the area code, too. The ones that required us to dial an area code were all listed individually on our phone bill, and also incurred a separate fee.

 

[4SAM]

True, i grew up with the rotary phone. Just puzzling that the phone book was open to emergency page. Just drives me nuts not knowing if blood was spotted out on the highway. As far as the case file, after a certain number of years, do they become available for the average person to go and request a copy?