MT MT - Patricia Meehan, 37, Circle, 20 April 1989

[BethAnn777]

Bumping up for Patricia.

 

[dribwolley]

https://www.identifyus.org/en/cases/8932

if amnesia is too blame, is it possible she hung around the area for a little while? possibly meeting with a bad end, especially if living as homeless or in a state of amnesia?
similar size woman, also in Montana... death came later than 1989, however. oddly enough, two separate women named Patricia have been excluded, but not this particular one. just wondering if there's any possibility of this being her. i know chances are slim, but no hurt in putting it out there.

 

[dotr]

https://www.identifyus.org/en/medias/full/12855

 

[dribwolley]

i'd really be so appreciative if anyone could look into this and potential connection/non-connection! thanks everyone. it doesn't seem totally far-fetched if she was having an 'episode' of some kind, that perhaps she survived and never did actually get very far away from the accident site. that said, i believe the location of the body was at least a few hours away by car. no way to know without some kind of confirmation if there is any chance of a match. as always, the interest is in comforting the loved ones of Patricia and closing a case.

 

[BethAnn777]

Bumping up for Patricia. This is one mystery that I would love to see solved.

 

[dotr]

Bumping.

''Patricia Meehan
Status: Unsolved
On the night of April 20, 1989, on a road near the McCone County town of Circle, a car was seen driving on the wrong side of the road. The car nearly hit one oncoming vehicle before colliding with another, driven by Carol Heitz.

March 30 2020
Authorities find body of Wyoming teen 4 months after he went missing
''The wrong-way driver turned out to be Patricia Meehan. Heitz and another witness, Peggy Bueller, said that upon exiting her vehicle, Meehan stared blankly at Heitz before walking away from the scene.

Meehan disappeared into the night, leading investigators on a dayslong search of the area. She was never found, although many people have reported seeing her in the years following her disappearance, including several sightings across Montana.

Meehan was said to be depressed leading up to the accident, and it's theorized that she may have been attempting suicide by driving on the wrong side of the road.

A theory often applied on "Unsolved Mysteries" for missing persons cases was that the missing people had amnesia and couldn't remember who they were. This theory was proposed as a reason for Patricia Meehan's disappearance.

The case was detailed on "Unsolved Mysteries" in November 1989.''

 

[Savemecastiel]

Bumping

 

[dotr]

Last updated May 20, 2019; picture added.
Patricia Bernadette Meehan – The Charley Project

• ''Missing Since 04/20/1989
• Missing From Circle, Montana
• • Age 37 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'3, 100 - 117 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A brown coat, jeans and high-top sneakers. Carrying a leather purse.
  • Medical Conditions Meehan vanished right after a car accident, before which she had apparently been under severe psychological stress. She may have sustained injuries in the crash, and may suffer from memory loss.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Blonde hair, gray/green eyes. Meehan has a fair, freckled complexion and appears younger than her age. She speaks with a mild eastern accent and very quietly, almost a whisper. Her nickname is Patty.''

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Meehan, circa 1989

 

[Deleted member 287549]

The PM UM segment was creepy & sad; the scene when she stares at the accident & then wanders off into the field @ night reminds me somewhat of a horror movie.

I don't put much credence to to the many "alleged" sightings of PM that occurred after her disappearance. Like a lot of sightings in cases like this, I feel most/all of them were false leads.

It's unfortunate that she was never found & that her parents have since passed - not having closure re: her disappearance.

I suspect PM herself passed away not long after her disappearance. Someone like her who was possibly suffering a head injury/amnesia wouldn't just be able to start a new life somewhere else. Though, in the extremely unlikely event that she's still alive - she'd be close to 70 now.

 

[dotr]

https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Disappearance-Patricia-Meehan/dp/1543242499

''The story of Patricia Meehan is a very strange and puzzling one. She seemingly disappeared into the night with little reason. The case has remained unsolved since 1989. With few witnesses, the full events are sketchy at best. What is well known about this case is that our culture has seemingly thought of every possible scenario to explain what happened to her. To understand and possibly solve the case, understanding the person that Patricia Meehan was is of paramount importance.''

 

[spartanx]

some day patricia...

 

[BethAnn777]

Bumping for Patricia.

 

[dotr]

''Added: Prior to 2011; Last Updated: 05-18-2022 - By: Htmlcnvtr''

1071DFMT - Patricia Meehan

1071DFMT - Patricia Meehan​

Name: Patricia Meehan
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: April 20, 1989
Location Last Seen: Circle, McCone County, Montana.

Physical Description​

Date of Birth: November 1, 1951
Age: 37 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 112-117 lbs.
Hair Color: Strawberry blonde
Eye Color: Green-gray
Nickname/Alias: Patty
Distinguishing Marks/Features: She has an eastern accent, fair complexion and freckles.

Identifiers​

Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Not Available

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Jeans and a brown coat. Tennis shoes. Leather purse.
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance​

Meehan vanished after walking away from a car crash on Highway 200 near Circle, Montana, on April 20, 1989. She crawled out of the wreckage of her car, looked dazedly at the other driver involved in the accident, climbed over a fence beside the road and disappeared into the countryside.

She may have amnesia. It is thought she was hitching rides with truckers after her disappearance.''

 

[lujistikuk]

This is very farfetched, but could there be a connection between P.M. and the human remains found under a mobile home in Ohioville in March this year? It's less than an hour's drive away from her late parents' home in Sheraden, and several routes from I90 to Sheradan run through or close to Ohioville. Also, from public records, it appears that the previous owners of the mobile home in Ohiville had the same last name as P.M.'s late aunt. Just seemed like an odd coincidence to me, but I don't know if there actually is a family connection, could just be a widespread name in the area. As I said, very farfetched, but I wanted to pass my thoughts to people that know more about this case.

 

[dotr]

This is very farfetched, but could there be a connection between P.M. and the human remains found under a mobile home in Ohioville in March this year? It's less than an hour's drive away from her late parents' home in Sheraden, and several routes from I90 to Sheradan run through or close to Ohioville. Also, from public records, it appears that the previous owners of the mobile home in Ohiville had the same last name as P.M.'s late aunt. Just seemed like an odd coincidence to me, but I don't know if there actually is a family connection, could just be a widespread name in the area. As I said, very farfetched, but I wanted to pass my thoughts to people that know more about this case.

Interesting..

PA - PA - Skeletal - Ohioville, Beaver County - 17 March 2022

. Awaiting Race, Gender & Age-Range 1)) CBS News: Residents Of Mobile Home Find Human Remains Underneath Residence 2)) Check-Back: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) & The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) 3)) Google™ Supplements & Updates...

www.websleuths.com

Residents Of Mobile Home Find Human Remains Underneath Residence

When the occupants were trying to fix a plumbing issue, they discovered the human remains.

www.cbsnews.com

https://www.psp.pa.gov/PIRRs/Beaver%20Press%20Releases/D_BEAV_18MAR2022_0855.pdf

 

[JSolt1210]

John Lordan just covered this case today on his series Uncovered.

I certainly remember the Unsolved Mysteries episode—her blank stare and almost ghostly look before she just walks away into the pitch black night. So eerie and chilling.

I don't know though. I really want to believe the witness sightings. That woman, whoever she was, was clearly going through something easily consistent with trauma. But even a police officer who swore he had arrested her turned out to be wrong. And after 34 years, she may no longer be with us, especially if she lived a rough, transient life.

 

[dotr]

'May 19, 2023
If you have any information on what happened to Patricia Meehan, please reach out to the McCone County Sheriff’s Office by calling (406) 485-3405 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).'

Unsolved mystery still haunts Fountain Hotel

The Fountain Hotel was a grand structure in the Lower Geyser Basin, serving hundreds of visitors at a time during an era of stagecoaches and staged bear feedings. The now-vanished

billingsgazette.com

Status: Unsolved​

On the night of April 20, 1989, on a road near the McCone County town of Circle, a car was seen driving on the wrong side of the road. The car nearly hit one oncoming vehicle before colliding with another, driven by Carol Heitz.

Patricia Meehan went missing from Circle in April 1989.
Courtesy photo

''The wrong-way driver turned out to be Patricia Meehan. Heitz and another witness, Peggy Bueller, said that upon exiting her vehicle, Meehan stared blankly at Heitz before walking away from the scene.
Meehan disappeared into the night, leading investigators on a dayslong search of the area. She was never found, although many people have reported seeing her in the years following her disappearance, including several sightings across Montana.
Meehan was said to be depressed leading up to the accident, and it's theorized that she may have been attempting suicide by driving on the wrong side of the road.
A theory often applied on "Unsolved Mysteries" for missing persons cases was that the missing people had amnesia and couldn't remember who they were. This theory was proposed as a reason for Patricia Meehan's disappearance.
The case was detailed on "Unsolved Mysteries" in November 1989.''

 

[Caring1]

6 Unidentified Person Exclusions

 

[Deleted member 287549]

Recently watched the Uncovered video featuring this PM case. Very good & thorough discussion here on this well-known MP case.

I'm wondering why PM got into this horrible car accident in the first place?! I hate to say/think this - but, was it intentional?! Or - was she extremely tired/falling asleep - and due to this lost control of the car?! Or, was this just an accident that occurred because she wasn't used to the area and/or because it was night-time?! If this was a remote area & given that it was 1989 - then it's possible there were no (or minimal) street lamps/lights on the side of the road/highway, which would definitely negatively affect visibility. And, it didn't appear that she was either intoxicated and/or a drug user.

The discussion of PM's state of mind right after the car accident is extremely important. She could have either gotten a serious head injury as a result of the accident, and/or been so traumatized mentally that she "shut down". Either (or both) would certainly explain why she wandered off from the accident, seemingly dazed/disoriented - and then looked on the scene of the accident as if she were an observer, and not someone who was involved.

Where did she wander off to after the accident?! The area definitely seemed somewhat remote. Did she die somewhere in this area - or close by?! And, if so - why was her body never found?!

I'm still not sure if any of the subsequent "alleged" sightings after she vanished are credible. One one hand & as was discussed in Uncovered, some of these did seem to "fit" the way PM would have been acting after the accident. On the other hand, there is obviously still no way to be sure.

Despite being such a well-known/popular case, it's unfortunate that there is still so little to go on here.

 

[Deleted member 287549]

To follow-up on my last post re: the PM case:

-In the great Uncovered video, it was mentioned that PM was very possibly suffering from depression?! in the months (or longer) prior to the car accident & her vanishing. I'm no psychiatrist, but I wonder if her state of mind prior to the accident contributed to the way she acted after the accident. So - even if she didn't have a head injury due to the accident (since she was never examined after she left the scene, we have no idea about this either way) - her vanishing may have had something to do with her depression.

I.e., by all accounts she may have already been on shaky ground psychologically prior to the car accident. And, if so - this traumatic event may have been the straw that broke the camel's back - and she may have just wanted to "get away from it all", etc.

-It took several hours?! for the authorities to get to the scene of the accident, and by that time PM had definitely wandered off & could not be found. A lot could have happened between the time of the accident & the time that the authorities got to the scene. So, I do think it's possible she hitched a ride with someone (as has been theorized). But, IMHO it's equally possible that she just wandered off into this remote area, and got further & further away from where other people lived/the highway(s), etc. If she did indeed have a head injury, she could have wandered off, eventually sat down to rest - and succumbed to her injury/injuries.

As far as never finding a body & to answer my own question regarding this (in my last post) - I believe this is possible. I.e., if she died in the wilderness somewhere, it's plausible that she was missed - even though a search was conducted. Or, maybe wild animals were responsible for the body never being found.

Again, it's too bad that there's so little to go on here. Also again, I don't believe there have been any definitive, 100% certain sighting(s) of her anywhere - after she wandered off from the scene of the accident.