MI MI - Margie Ranshaw, 29, Barryton, 17 May 1987

[carbuff]

How firm is Margie's last seen date? It's been pointed out she's a close match for this unidentified Detroit woman MI - MI - Detroit, WhtFem UP8272, 18-20, in garbage dump, recent childbirth, Feb'87

The problem is, the unidentified woman was found in February and Margie's said to have gone missing in May.

 

[CarrieMe]

This is an odd case. Apart from the usual listings on missing person sites there is nothing out there. Whilst this is hardly unique, it is surprising when there appears to be a large family still alive, including siblings, nephews and nieces, and possibly even parents. One mystery appears from entries on Ancestry. Margie appears in two family trees on Ancestry; one belonging to Ashley Copelin, who is listed as a niece on the obituary of Mark Ranshaw (Margie's brother) in 2007, and the other tree is from Christie Ranshaw, whose relationship to Margie is unclear. Both of these trees show that Margie was married at some point (or had a partner) and that there was a child. More confusingly, the Christie Ranshaw tree names the child as Ashley Copelin, who has the (married) name of Margie's sister and is shown as the sisters daughter in Mark Ranshaw's obituary. So there appear to be three possibilities;

1. The trees are wrong, either about the existence of a partner, a child or both. But since one tree is by Ashley Copelin such a gross error seems unlikely.
2. The identification of the child as Ashley Copelin is wrong, but there was a child. This is possible as the existence of the child is shown in both trees but only named as Ashley in Christie Ranshaw's tree.
3. The trees are correct and Ashley is the child of Margie and was adopted by her sister.

I do not know the answer but if there was a partner it would open a new area of interest. The identity of the child is less significant to the case but, of course , if a child was confirmed it would reinforce the question about a partner.

I looked into this information and found that Ashley (Nancy's daughter) was born 3/16/87. And Nancy's son, Jason, was born 12/11/86. It's obvious they can't be born from the same mother. Both Ashley and Jason have Facebook profiles that are easily accessible. Oddly, Jason looks JUST LIKE Margie. From the property records, it shows this Ranshaw family lived among three properties (two next door to each other and one less than a mile away) during the 1980s and 1990s. Also, Christie is a cousin and connected to Ashley on Facebook.

 

[CarrieMe]

This case still sticks with me, especially since her mother passed in 2018 and just assumed she was dead, per her obit and her SS# says she passed 05/87. Someone said they submitted the below UID three years ago but it has never been excluded. I just have so many questions and there is so little information with such a large family.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[MadMcGoo]

Mod Reminder:

To ensure that factual information is discussed on WS, links to MSM reports or LE statements are required for statements made as fact. The exception to this rule is when we have a Verified Insider that is a family member or friend to the victim or missing person.

The Verified Insider process is completely confidential and details can be found here: Verification Process for Professional or Insider Posters

To adhere to the standards WS has in place and best support families any posts stated as fact when someone is not a VI will be removed. Upon completion of the VI process, these posts may be reinstated.

Thanks for your understanding and feel free to use the report feature on this post or PM a Mod/Admin if you have any questions on the VI process.

- Mad

 

[jcope]

I looked into this information and found that Ashley (Nancy's daughter) was born 3/16/87. And Nancy's son, Jason, was born 12/11/86. It's obvious they can't be born from the same mother. Both Ashley and Jason have Facebook profiles that are easily accessible. Oddly, Jason looks JUST LIKE Margie. From the property records, it shows this Ranshaw family lived among three properties (two next door to each other and one less than a mile away) during the 1980s and 1990s. Also, Christie is a cousin and connected to Ashley on Facebook.

Some of the information listed here is correct. I am Jason, Margie's Nephew, and Ashley's brother. Ashley was adopted by my biological mother, Nancy, who is Margie's sister. There is not much information regarding the disappearance of Margie and my knowledge is fairly limited given I was a newborn at the time of the disappearance. It is my understanding that Margie's disappearance was investigated by the state police but no discoveries were my. My grandfather believed strongly that Margie had passed and thats why she was listed as deceased in my Uncle's obituary. As for the size of our family, I wouldn't describe it as large.

 

[jcope]

DNA breakthroughs give new hope to daughter of missing mom | WOODTV.com

 

[chaddylex]

DNA breakthroughs give new hope to daughter of missing mom | WOODTV.com

I hope you and your family get answers to what happened to Margie. I just came to to share that they updated Margie’s Charley Project Profile (mostly from what her daughter talked about in the interview you posted) Margie Ann Ranshaw – The Charley Project

 

[jcope]

I hope you and your family get answers to what happened to Margie. I just came to to share that they updated Margie’s Charley Project Profile (mostly from what her daughter talked about in the interview you posted) Margie Ann Ranshaw – The Charley Project

Thanks for the information.

 

[chaddylex]

Some of the information listed here is correct. I am Jason, Margie's Nephew, and Ashley's brother. Ashley was adopted by my biological mother, Nancy, who is Margie's sister. There is not much information regarding the disappearance of Margie and my knowledge is fairly limited given I was a newborn at the time of the disappearance. It is my understanding that Margie's disappearance was investigated by the state police but no discoveries were my. My grandfather believed strongly that Margie had passed and thats why she was listed as deceased in my Uncle's obituary. As for the size of our family, I wouldn't describe it as large.

Hi J Cope.
I was wondering if you know if your Aunt had multiple ear piercings and shorter hair when she disappeared?

 

[Ozoner]

Thanks for the information.

When a teen or adult woman disappears, it often turns out to have been related to domestic violence that culminated with murder.
In many other cases, a woman with a young child is killed by the child's father because that father wants to avoid paying child support. (In that siuation, the child is usually killed, too.)
Do you know whether your mother had been involved with anyone who was abusive? Was she planning to seek child support from anyone?

 

[SGCS]

This is an odd case. Apart from the usual listings on missing person sites there is nothing out there. Whilst this is hardly unique, it is surprising when there appears to be a large family still alive, including siblings, nephews and nieces, and possibly even parents. One mystery appears from entries on Ancestry. Margie appears in two family trees on Ancestry; one belonging to Ashley Copelin, who is listed as a niece on the obituary of Mark Ranshaw (Margie's brother) in 2007, and the other tree is from Christie Ranshaw, whose relationship to Margie is unclear. Both of these trees show that Margie was married at some point (or had a partner) and that there was a child. More confusingly, the Christie Ranshaw tree names the child as Ashley Copelin, who has the (married) name of Margie's sister and is shown as the sisters daughter in Mark Ranshaw's obituary. So there appear to be three possibilities;

1. The trees are wrong, either about the existence of a partner, a child or both. But since one tree is by Ashley Copelin such a gross error seems unlikely.
2. The identification of the child as Ashley Copelin is wrong, but there was a child. This is possible as the existence of the child is shown in both trees but only named as Ashley in Christie Ranshaw's tree.
3. The trees are correct and Ashley is the child of Margie and was adopted by her sister.

I do not know the answer but if there was a partner it would open a new area of interest. The identity of the child is less significant to the case but, of course , if a child was confirmed it would reinforce the question about a partner.

The answer is number 3.
DNA breakthroughs give new hope to daughter of missing mom | WOODTV.com

 

[jcope]

Margie has DNA but not dentals, and the UID has dentals but not DNA.

The UID could be Margie, though.

The police had her dental records but apparently they lost or misplaced them.

 

[jcope]

When a teen or adult woman disappears, it often turns out to have been related to domestic violence that culminated with murder.
In many other cases, a woman with a young child is killed by the child's father because that father wants to avoid paying child support. (In that siuation, the child is usually killed, too.)
Do you know whether your mother had been involved with anyone who was abusive? Was she planning to seek child support from anyone?

I do not believe this to be the case.

 

[Caring1]

I just wanted to bump for Margie and also check to see if the unidentified listed below had been suggested. What caught my eye is UID had long, straight, dishwater blonde hair. She was found in the attic of a rental home in Detroit 11/29/89.

PMI is somewhere between 1986 and 1989. They estimate it as far back to 1986 since she was wearing a t-shirt from the True Confessions concert tour summer of 1986. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Bob Dylan performed in East Troy on 6/27/86.

She might be worth looking into. Age is estimated at 25-35.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

 

[jcope]

I do not believe this to be the case.

To update a few things. There is no medical record to say Margie has Schizophrenia. Much of this comes from an interview my sister did on TV. There are some reports from family that she heard voices, however, none of this was ever medically documented. I think it would be more fair to say she suffered from mental health than schizophrenia. As for the father's side, there has been an update. Someone from that side of the family reached out to my sister via ancestry.com com. They found the biological family, however, strangely they have shut off all contact with my sister abruptly.

 

[Murkywaters]

 

[Pennysmom1]

Missing Person / NamUs #MP14788

View NamUs missing person case MP14788 for Margie Ann Ranshaw missing from Barryton, Michigan. Date of last contact: May 17, 1987. NCMEC case number: --.

namus.nij.ojp.gov

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=4225dfmi

Identifiers​

Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Available

Margie Ann Ranshaw – The Charley Project

• 
  
  

Ranshaw, circa 1987

• Missing Since 05/17/1987
• Missing From Barryton, Michigan
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race White
• Age 29 years old
• Height and Weight 5'2 - 5'6, 130 - 140 pounds
• 
  
• Medical Conditions Ranshaw suffers from schizophrenia and hears voices as a result of her condition.
• 
  
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Ranshaw has a small scar near her eyebrow.

Details of Disappearance​

Ranshaw was last seen in Barryton, Michigan on May 17, 1987. She left home to go get a gallon of milk and never returned. She has never been heard from again. A few weeks after her disappearance, her vehicle was found abandoned at a hotel off Interstate 96 in Howell, Michigan.

Ranshaw left behind a two-month-old daughter. They lived with the child's grandparents. Prior to her disappearance, she had said that the voices in her head were telling her to leave. She had left before and would sometimes be gone for months at a time, hitchhiking for transportation, but would always return.

Foul play is suspected in Ranshaw's disappearance. An aunt and uncle adopted and raised her daughter.

 

[Pennysmom1]

Aug 30, 2024

Unsolved: Searching for Margie

www.9and10news.com

 

[TryFar]

This posting is a bit old, but how do we feel about #UP4778? The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

This person was found in Toledo, OH just one month after Margie disappeared. Height and hair color seem on point. UID was found wrapped in a blanket having been deceased for several days.

Margie disappeared from Barrytown, but her car was found in Howell. If you keep going from Barrytown to Howell in the same direction, you run into Toledo to the south or Detroit to the east. If headed south, Toledo sounds like a good match for someone looking to dump a body on their way out of the state. In 1987, going just over the state lines would probably be a good move for a body dump, as police departments had a harder time communicating.


EDIT: I know Margie is older than the estimated age of this body, but looking at her photos from 1987, she looks REALLY young.

Toledo Jane Doe was officially recognized through genetic analysis as 18-year-old Tammy Lowe from Detroit. This information was made public in April 2025.

The Toledo body also reported 5 piercings in each ear. Margie shows no evidence of this many earrings in her pictures.

Margie is, therefore, NOT the Toledo Jane Doe.