NC NC - Jennifer Patterson, 7, Spring Lake, 23 June 1991

[anthrobones]

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/281dfnc.html


Jennifer Nicole Patterson
Missing since June 23, 1991 from Spring Lake, North Carolina.
Classification: Non-Family Abduction

Vital Statistics Date Of Birth: January 13, 1984
Age at Time of Disappearance: 7 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 4'5; 59 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Brown hair; brown eyes.
Marks, Scars: Patterson has a freckle at the end of her nose. She has small scars on her right temple and between her eyes.
Clothing: She was last seen wearing a white bathing suit.

Circumstances of Disappearance
Patterson was last seen at approximately 1:15 PM on June 23, 1991 in her hometown of Spring Lake, North Carolina. She lived in a old trailer park off Bragg Boulevard. She was en route to a nearby friend's house but never arrived at her destination. Authorities conducted a massive search.

 

[Balthazar]

http://www.geocities.com/farmgirl1032001/jennypatterson.html

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/patterson_jennifer.html

Her parents were divorced but still living together. There was a custody AND paternity dispute over Jennifer at the time of her disapperance and her father, Allen Patterson, failed a polygraph following her disappearance. He apparently initially claimed to police that she disappeared due to the custody dispute but was alive and being taken care of elsewhere. Then he claimed that was just a hypothetical comment. He later claimed he was at work when she disappeared. There is NO PROOF she ever left her home. Her father and mother both moved away to other states shortly after she disappeared. The father is considered the prime suspect by police.

Has he NEVER heard of terminating his parental rights if he didn't want to pay child support?

 

[sleuthhound]

"Jennifer's father, Allen Patterson, failed a polygraph exam"


Keep in mind these "polygraph" exams are faulty, unreliable and flawed. Hence, they're not even admissible as evidence in court.

He could have just been really nervous, hopefully there's a heck of a lot more reasons as to why he's a suspect than just that.

Anyway, simply wanted to state that.

 

[Stella]

It could've been out of spite; to get back at his wife.

 

[theforgotten]

Bumping for Jennifer....

 

[Sleuthster]

This is an interesting case.

Firstly, I found this article on google archives;

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...=Sw4WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jBQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3262,55414

Where the father says that the girl is okay and he didnt want the mother raising her but he asked LE for immunity if he said where she was at. Okay, why didnt LE offer immunity if she was found "alive"? I think that would have been plausable.

Second thing that caught my eye, articles say mom moved to KY and remarried. I found the record on knowx. I can't however find anything on the net where she is looking for her daughter or can easily be found if her daughter is found. That seems odd to me. Daughter disapears so you take off too, change your name, and live in obscurity? The father also moved, although I see notes when googling that he is still in NC, somewhere called Sampson county.

Third, the LE detective that was handling this case is now a private detective and sincerly belives according to interviews he has given, that Jennifer is deceased and buried somewhere.

I think that the father could have been telling the truth and she could be out there. We see quite often custody disputes where one parent takes the child and abscounds.

What do ya'll think?

Of course it caught my attention because I am sincere when I say that I believe there are alot of missing people out there alive. This one seems to give me that sense.

 

[theforgotten]

Second thing that caught my eye, articles say mom moved to KY and remarried. I found the record on knowx. I can't however find anything on the net where she is looking for her daughter or can easily be found if her daughter is found. That seems odd to me. Daughter disapears so you take off too, change your name, and live in obscurity? The father also moved, although I see notes when googling that he is still in NC, somewhere called Sampson county.

Yeah, her behavior is weird. On the other hand, it has been years and maybe she's come to the conclusion that Jennifer is dead and that she should move on. I think she should at least have a website devoted to trying to find the answers to who did this to her daughter. I wonder if the police know were she is? Could they find her if they need a DNA sample? This case really boggles the mind.

 

[KivaSupporter]

The vigil is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday 6/23 at Mendoza park off North Bragg Boulevard in Spring Lake.

The case remains open, but the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office has become the lead agency in recent years, taking over for the Spring Lake Police Department

The Sheriff's Office said Alan Patterson is cooperating with the renewed investigation, and it is trying to locate his former wife.

More at the link:
http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2011/06/21/1103247?sac=Local

 

[KivaSupporter]

More about the case including photos at the link:
http://www.ncmissingpersons.org/jennifer-patterson/

 

[mikkismom]

Family still searching for answers in Spring Lake disappearance

http://www.wncn.com/story/23947897/family-still-searching-for-answers-in-spring-lake-disappearance

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.wral.com/nc-wanted-authorities-search-for-new-leads-in-jenny-patterson-case/105064/

Jenny Patterson has been missing so long that the the neighborhood she lived in is gone. She used to live in a old trailer park off Bragg Boulevard. Authorities said Jenny told her mother she was going to visit a friend on June 23, 1991. That was the last time anyone saw her.

Authorities conducted a massive search. In the first few days, Jenny's estranged parents, Alan and Ginger, were seen as innocent, grieving victims. Then there was word of a paternity test to determine if Alan Patterson would owe tens of thousands in back alimony. The test never happened because Jenny disappeared days before it was scheduled...

Jenny's father now lives in Statesville, N.C. Her mother lives in Kentucky. Neither could be reached for comment.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Bumping.

This is such a sad case. I'm trying not to judge the parents. After all, having to report your child missing must be one of the worst situations a parent can go through and it just gets worse over each passing day the child is still missing. I don't believe that there is a definitive way a parent must act when they are in this situation, especially over time. Some parents never stop searching and dedicate their whole lives into finding out what happened. In this case, there doesn't appear to be a lot of publicity from the parents in finding Jennifer.

They may have found their own peace. They may not want to speak since there might be a backlash towards their actions. They may not have the best relationship with the investigators handling Jennifer's disappearance. They may have their own private investigator. An unfortunate scenario is that they might know too much or may have had a hand in her disappearance. I only list that last reason as a possibility and nothing is known so I'm not implying that's the reason.

I hope Jennifer's case gets solved one day.

 

[Lavender Moon]

What a darling little girl. I pray that wherever she is now she is happy and thriving.

 

[Tulessa]

Bumping.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Still searching for Jennifer

http://www.wect.com/story/30341922/missing-persons-awareness-event-held-in-wilmington

For, Alan Patterson, whose daughter has been missing since 1991, the grief is constant.

“It's something that I wouldn't wish on anybody," Patterson said. "It's something that never ends. It's a mystery that I wish would be solved.”

 

[Houston Mom]

Jennifer is on NamUs with DNA complete.

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/5135/5/

 

[JerseyGirl]

still missing: http://www.morganton.com/gallery/no..._fbc25a89-9899-5f97-9444-556d5b9be839.html#49

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/12449195/asheville_citizentimes/

I wonder if since both parents moved away and I've seen some articles where neither parent could be reached for comment, that suggests to me Jennifer is alive (We can only hope that's the case). The father's comments are strange. I almost wonder if he sold Jennifer in an illegal adoption. With the custody dispute he would owe money to Ginger for alimony and child support. If he sold her, he would be assured his ex-wife didn't get custody, wouldn't owe her anything, and he would likely to the only one to know where Jennifer is.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Age progression added, February 2020:

Jennifer Nicole Patterson – The Charley Project

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

I had a thought today. Now I do not know (or remember) if any articles about her case describe or name her friend she was going to visit or not. But what if this was actually an adult who lived nearby and not a child?

The case of Cindy Allinger comes to mind. She was killed by a 30 year old neighbor in 1996. He would let her play his drums and play with his dog. She had been over to his house on several occasions according to her sister. Her Mom originally thought this was a child when she said she was going to his house to play and when she discovered he was an adult she forbided her from going over there again.

Cynthia Ann “Cindy” Allinger (1987-1996) - Find A...

Man Charged In Girl's Death -- Police Say Dna Links `Person Of Interest' To Slaying | The Seattle Times