MA MA - Simone Ridinger, 17, Sherborn, 2 Sept 1977

[jgfitzge]

I doubt your theory; it would be very unusual for a man that age to become a predator, and we know of no criminal history for him. It's possible he could have been covering for someone else (such as his son or another family member).
I think his conscience was bothering him because he didn't come forward sooner. Like many witnesses, he made a choice not to get involved, and that choice weighed on his mind over the years.

Maybe it's the "Ma...Hole" in me..ha ha. I don't think he was a predator, per se. He may have gotten grabby and things got out of hand. I am sorry but Rip van Wrinkle's story just is not believable. A Mass State Trooper pulled me...lucky me over and asked me to give a girl a ride down the Cape? Oh, I am specific about what she wore and her jewelry, and by they way she smelt. And now in 1986 I am 100% insistent that is Simone! Maybe she paid attention to him at the restaurant and he took it the wrong way. Something in 1986 made him "come forward. A witness? A witness to what? Again, I think He wanted to "clear his consience" without the consequences of that "confession."

 

[jgfitzge]

Not sure what good it will do me but I did send in a records request yesterday to the Middlesex DA's Office.

 

[Ozoner]

Maybe it's the "Ma...Hole" in me..ha ha. I don't think he was a predator, per se. He may have gotten grabby and things got out of hand. I am sorry but Rip van Wrinkle's story just is not believable. A Mass State Trooper pulled me...lucky me over and asked me to give a girl a ride down the Cape? Oh, I am specific about what she wore and her jewelry, and by they way she smelt. And now in 1986 I am 100% insistent that is Simone! Maybe she paid attention to him at the restaurant and he took it the wrong way. Something in 1986 made him "come forward. A witness? A witness to what? Again, I think He wanted to "clear his consience" without the consequences of that "confession."

Why would he have come forward the way that he did? He could have written an anonymous letter and said what he did with Simone.

You're suspicious of him because he came forward as a witness...yet you wonder why he would have waited nine years to come forward?

I think it's possible that the state trooper is the one who killed Simone--that he was trying to set tne old man up. Maybe the trooper followed the old man until Simone was droped off and then grabbed her.

 

[Alleykins]

Or it may not have been Simone at all who was dropped off by the Trooper and picked up by the witness. There are so many possibilities here.

 

[jgfitzge]

Or it may not have been Simone at all who was dropped off by the Trooper and picked up by the witness. There are so many possibilities here.

Hi Alley

Ok, of course we could white board any and all possibilities but certain things seem self evident and make sense more than others.

Unfortunately the article link I cited back in October 2018 is gone. But I did note the following:


- The article provides a name to the "old man" From the sound of it, he was very insistent the girl he picked up was Simone.

 

[jgfitzge]

I tend to believe the old man's account. I suspect that Simone had plans that were unknown to most of her acquaintances. She may have intended to rendezvous with someone that she had met on a previous trip to that area, or she may have intended to visit her uncle.
-
We know that the Kennedy clan had connections to that area, and Simone's disappearance came only two years after the murder of Martha Moxley, so I'd be curious to know what Michael Skakel's alibi is for that weekend.

The Kennedy Compound is in Hyannisport. I don't know Hozoner, Skakels lived and hung in Greenwich, CT. Greenwich police were investigating Moxley's murder throughout 1976-1977. Simone would not have been running in their circle. I also read with a couple of exceptions on the Kennedy side, the relationship between the Kennedys and Skakels was not as chummy as one would assume. And I suppose anything is possible, but IMO the Skakel/Kennedy angle doesn't seem viable.

 

[jgfitzge]

Why would he have come forward the way that he did? He could have written an anonymous letter and said what he did with Simone.

You're suspicious of him because he came forward as a witness...yet you wonder why he would have waited nine years to come forward?

I think it's possible that the state trooper is the one who killed Simone--that he was trying to set tne old man up. Maybe the trooper followed the old man until Simone was droped off and then grabbed her.

 

[jgfitzge]

Oz, well the fact is he did not write a letter now did he? Yes, I am very skeptical not only of the length of time but what he said to the Sherborn police that makes me suspicious. Even after two incidents, the original trooper hand off to him Labor Day Weekend, 1977 and the OMG, "I gave Simone a ride to Hyannis" incident in 1986, according to his son he never mentioned either incident to his family. IMO it strains credibility.

OK, I guess anything, no matter is possible, you mention an on duty Mass State trooper pulls over the old man on Route 95, a major highway, hands off Simone, follows the old man 77 miles (hour and 20 minutes by car) in his marked MSP vehicle to Hyannis, then grabs Simone after she is dropped off? Okay....sounds like it could happen...

 

[Sweetluv]

Anniversary of Simones disappearance........what happened/where is Simone????

 

[jgfitzge]

Anniversary of Simones disappearance........what happened/where is Simone????

Good questions - I was down in Falmouth just yesterday, spent the last few weeks down there on vacation. Last week when we were in Edgartown on the Vineyard I pointed out the little Chappaquidick ferry to my daughter.

I think this is one of those cases where sadly there seems to be some level of apathy. I hope I am wrong.

 

[Sweetluv]

Whatever happened to the sherborne detective that was posting on here a year or two back? Haven't came across any new articles or attention since then. Why the sudden stop? That gave me hope at the time Simone wasn't going to be....just another cold case. What happened to Simone!?

 

[jgfitzge]

I PM’d a couple of times without a reply back. I got to thinking afterwards that maybe him coming on Websleuths might have been part of the “investigation” fishing and seeing if anything panned out in her thread.

 

[Sweetluv]

I keep going back to the old man.........to come forward when he did with all this descriptive info. Guilty conscious..or fishing for info from LE? Wish they would have searched his car

 

[Ozoner]

I keep going back to the old man.........to come forward when he did with all this descriptive info. Guilty conscious..or fishing for info from LE? Wish they would have searched his car

With respect to the old man, what I keep coming back to is, why would a guilty conscience prompt him to fabricate a story. Others have had the same theory, but it strikes me as illogical.
I think it's far more likely that he did give her a ride but waited to come forward because he was reluctant to get involved. He may have had a guilty conscience about not coming forward, but there's no evidence that he's responsible for Simone's disappearance.
The attitude that anyone who comes forward with information should be considered a suspect is one of the main reasons why witnesses are reluctant to come forward.

 

[Sweetluv]

True, I'm not convinced it was the elderly man...but I am interested in what prompted him to come forward and the cop that had her in his cruiser and asked him to give her a ride. She hitchhiked frequently and it was a holiday weekend, so there were many visitors and travelers out and about that could have picked her up.

 

[Sweetluv]

Do we know if her friends, family, and co workers ever thought she may have ran off? I read she was a free spirit.....however, it seems everyone thought she was excited about going to visit her family. Guess it's wishful thinking she might still be out there....alive.

 

[Sweetluv]

So there is an article in the cape cod times that says her sister or step sister asked her if she wanted a ride and Simone said she was good. Maybe she had a ride worked out or was planning to meet up with someone along the way. Also, the two different dress descriptions always bothered me....did she started her journey in work attire or the street clothes?

 

[jgfitzge]

It sounds like she changed at her workplace, probably in the ladies room. I think I read somewhere her work clothes her work uniform whatever distinguishing work her article of clothing she wore was in the bag. I think it said it was blue?

 

[Spider92]

New efforts underway to solve 1977 disappearance of Sherborn teen | Boston.com

Article on Boston.com says they have some renewed interest in pursuing the case. I guess she would be turning 60 now.

 

[Mysteries1974]

Simone's photo is shown age-progressed to 59 years. She was last seen on September 2, 1977. FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED
Have you seen this child? SIMONE RIDINGER