Identified! OH - North Bend, 'Pearl Lady' 606UFOH, 55-75, Nov'06 - Barbara Precht

[Roselvr]

I did a search of the board and didn't find Barbara Hess or Barbara Prect, but I'm not sure I'm spelling them correctly - I have a hearing problem and some sounds are difficult for me to interpret.

My question: Why didn't her fingerprints identify her almost immediately? There was a 20 year lapse between the shoplifting arrest and her death, if I understood the time line. Was this another case of the finger prints being entered backwards? If so, would petittions to reverse the finger prints and test them perhaps help with other unidentifieds?

She wasn't reported missing because she & her husband packed the house up & left. Sounds like she may have been in witness protection program. They do not know where her husband is. Kids will be or have her cremated remains

Good question about her finger prints not identifying her sooner. If her prints were done wrong; NamUs should have found it by now because they have had someone going through records since the last one came out.

I sent Todd Matthews of NamUs the info; so if anyone wants her NamUs & Doe profiles; save them before they get pulled.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Found the marriage record - it's James PRECHT

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/...0005646_x&uidh=000&mssng0=barbara&mssns0=hess

 

[Roselvr]

Not sure if there will be any articles until tomorrow. IT's playing again at 10

Only article I Could find about the students
Project Identify: Students work to identify man in unmarked grave

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Also found a Lydia C Franco who married a James Precht, living in Covina CA.

Entry #15 http://www.ussearch.com/search/people/james/~/Precht
Entry #8 http://www.intelius.com/results.php?ReportType=1&searchform=name&qf=Lydia&qn=franco
http://www.intelius.com/results.php...ame&qf=Lydia&qmi=&qn=precht&qcs=&focusfirst=1

 

[shadowdancer]

This one needs an identified tag now. At least we don't have to call her Pearl Lady anymore.

I'm bowing out now for the night - its past midnight here and I can barely keep my eyes open.

 

[Roselvr]

Ok, since the name is out, here are my notes.

St Joe’s students did identify her
Born in Indian Hill (Cincinnati) as Barbara Rose Hess in 1937
Father Otis Hess – Pres of Bar Assoc; Hamilton county judge and circuit court judge
Married James Prect (note from CallMeTres: I'm not sure of spelling of his last name)

1983
Men in black showed up in the home. They had guns and were arguing with the couple. Daughters think it is possible that the father/husband was stealing investment money. Possible mafia connection.

After the 1983 incident, the family moved to Covina. Barbara was arrested for shoplifting food and was finger printed. Shortly there-after, the daughters (no sons) were dropped off in an orphanage and the parents disappeared.

News caster questions – Were the children dropped off for their own safety? Did the parents enter the witness protection program?


She has local relatives, they did not want to be interviewed. They did state that they did not know she was back in the area in 2006.2006


News caster questions: Was she here looking for her husband? Where is her husband?

Authorities are looking for the husband
There will be a coroner’s inquest

Per newscasters: She had high impact injury, but they do not think she jumped in at bridge because of the lack of damage to the body.

Did you catch exactly what they said about the students identifying her? I hope to catch it again at 10 but it makes no sense why they didn't catch the prints before.

 

[JayFletcher6493]

Has there been a picture of Barbara Hess posted? I am always curious to see what the Jane Doe's looked like while they were living.

 

[CarlK90245]

Has there been a picture of Barbara Hess posted? I am always curious to see what the Jane Doe's looked like while they were living.

The only photos of her are these from the news clip. Both of them were taken decades before her death.



I've been out most of the day today, so I am just now getting up to speed on the story.

 

[CallMeTres]

Also found a Lydia C Franco who married a James Precht, living in Covina CA.

Entry #15 http://www.ussearch.com/search/people/james/~/Precht
Entry #8 http://www.intelius.com/results.php?ReportType=1&searchform=name&qf=Lydia&qn=franco
http://www.intelius.com/results.php...ame&qf=Lydia&qmi=&qn=precht&qcs=&focusfirst=1

Her mother's name was Lydia C - I wonder if her mom remarried after her dad died or if she was using her mother's name.

 

[Ramey]

Okay, I met with detectives and here is what I found.....the only reason that they had trouble identifying her via fingerprints is because when she was caught shoplifting, she didn't give her real name....she gave the name Barbara Pratt as opposed to Barbara Precht!

The real mystery is where is the husband and how could they not leave a paper trail for over 20 years? They had to be living under an different name.

Why did she return to Cincinnati?

The relatives that lived here hadn't heard from her since she/they left in the middle of the night...AND here's the kicker......with NOTHING but a few clothes!
They lived in the most exclusive neighborhood in Cincinnati and left EVERYTHING....WHY?

If the husband is alive....he is the key to EVERYTHING! They need to find him!

 

[Ramey]

Well done on the recap CallMeTrees!

 

[~Lyric~]

WoW
First of all, I am so thankful that this woman has been identified.
I haven't seen this thread before and just clicked on it when I saw it on New Posts.

To all of you, who has diligently looked to try and find out who she was..Thank You for doing so.
After reading this thread even some of the images you have posted of others, sure did look real similar.

Now hope they find out why she returned to Ohio and the million dollar question...

Where is her husband?
What does her family actually know.

Rest in Peace Barbara~

 

[shadowdancer]

Snipped by me

The relatives that lived here hadn't heard from her since she/they left in the middle of the night...AND here's the kicker......with NOTHING but a few clothes!
They lived in the most exclusive neighborhood in Cincinnati and left EVERYTHING....WHY?

They were probably in such a panic to get out of there that they didn't even stop to think about what they were leaving behind, they just had to get the children and go STRAIGHT AWAY. It was probably a question of life and death.

Did they leave the same night that the 'men in black' came to the house?

 

[alreetlike]

Thanks for providing the details, everyone. I'm pleased Pearl Lady has been identified but it seems to have opened up a lot of fresh questions.

 

[Ramey]

Snipped by me



They were probably in such a panic to get out of there that they didn't even stop to think about what they were leaving behind, they just had to get the children and go STRAIGHT AWAY. It was probably a question of life and death.

Did they leave the same night that the 'men in black' came to the house?

No, the detective said that they left a few days later.

The detective said that the family who lives here now (Cincinnati) said that they were pretty young when they left...so they don't know or remember much. For years they thought that Barbara had already been dead...that it was a shock to them to hear that she was alive until 2006 and that she had been in Cincinnati.

 

[Still_Seek_Answers]

Okay, I met with detectives and here is what I found.....the only reason that they had trouble identifying her via fingerprints is because when she was caught shoplifting, she didn't give her real name....she gave the name Barbara Pratt as opposed to Barbara Precht!

The real mystery is where is the husband and how could they not leave a paper trail for over 20 years? They had to be living under an different name.

Why did she return to Cincinnati?

The relatives that lived here hadn't heard from her since she/they left in the middle of the night...AND here's the kicker......with NOTHING but a few clothes!
They lived in the most exclusive neighborhood in Cincinnati and left EVERYTHING....WHY?

If the husband is alive....he is the key to EVERYTHING! They need to find him!

If she had used the wrong name when she was arrested, and that is why her prints could not identify her when she was first found......then how did they suddenly identify her now. It is not like the name on those prints just changed themselves to her new name?

 

[Ramey]

If she had used the wrong name when she was arrested, and that is why her prints could not identify her when she was first found......then how did they suddenly identify her now. It is not like the name on those prints just changed themselves to her new name?

The fingerprints identified her as Barbara Pratt...they investigated and didn't find a Barbara Pratt that was missing....so then they knew it was an assumed name.

Still not sure how they then made the connection....I caught the detective when he was leaving and he didn't give me a lot of time.

Will try to get more details. Got an e-mail in to Deborah Dixon (the reporter investigating this and did the piece last night)

Will try to let you know more when I find out more!

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Surely when they run fingerprints through the system it brings up anyone with the same prints - regardless of name?

Oh, just twigged...Do you mean they have "known" she was Barbara Pratt since they found her body in 2006? I wonder why that information was never publicised, if the Hess/Precht family had heard there was a Barbara Pratt found dead in Cincinnati they might have put 2+2 together and realised who she was. Mmm, confused... :thinking:

Meanwhile, where is James Precht?? I use to trace people as part of my job in UK, but not familiar with equivalent US systems. But we (yes, we!) need to find him!

 

[Jmoose]

Surely when they run fingerprints through the system it brings up anyone with the same prints - regardless of name?

Oh, just twigged...Do you mean they have "known" she was Barbara Pratt since they found her body in 2006? I wonder why that information was never publicised, if the Hess/Precht family had heard there was a Barbara Pratt found dead in Cincinnati they might have put 2+2 together and realised who she was. Mmm, confused... :thinking:

Meanwhile, where is James Precht?? I use to trace people as part of my job in UK, but not familiar with equivalent US systems. But we (yes, we!) need to find him!

I used to do a little "skip tracing" in my former job, but don't have the usual tools at my disposal anymore. Let me see what I can find, though

 

[Jmoose]

Well-there is a James Precht with a PO box in Cincinnati, but who knows if this is the same man. I am not sure if I'm even allowed to say this-if not, please delete this message, Moderator.

It seems that the authorities have no idea why Barbara returned to the area, since she and her family left suddenly. There is no word on whether or not she and her husband were together all or any of that time.