OK OK - Sharon Marshall, 20, multiple aliases, OKC, 1990 - ID'd as Suzanne Sevakis - #4

[Cubby]

This was originally posted by another WS member in a different thread.
Has this Melissa H been ruled out as Rhonda? Both have the same month and year of birth.
She also appears to have a large frame like Rhonda's birth mother did.

http://www.cowtowninfo.com/personals/f076/f07-686.htm

 

[mnegri1973]

One thing that points to this not being a "by the books" adoption is the logic behind the adopted father not getting custody if he was divorcing his wife because of her legal troubles. Thinking about it this way. If a man lost his wife he would not have his kids taken away from him. If the adoption was legal, why wasn't Rhonda/Melissa allowed to stay with her adoptive father?

I'm just perplexed by the story Rhonda's family was given by JH.

And I am perplexed on how Mr and Mrs H would have gotten Rhonda out of the country to Germany.... I mean how would one bring a kid they didn't have at least a birth certificate for, or not have filed/applied for a BC for Melissa when they left for Germany?

and I am perplexed why Mr JH didn't wonder what happened to Melissa if his former wife had so many problems. OR did she just tell him she returned Melissa to the authorities and he had no reason to doubt her......

I'm so confused! so many questions.....

In regards to maybe why the adoptive father did not get custody. It would really depend back then on what type of unit he was in, what his job was, and did he have his family care plan set up. Meaning did he have daycare for the child and in case of a deployment, did he have a short term care provider who could take the child until his long term care provider could come to Germany and pick up the child.

Mind that when my husband and I were in the military back in the 90's, if we each did not have our family care plan in order one of us could have been chapter'd from the military. That is how vital it is.

So that could be why she was able to take the child with her verses the child stay with the father.

Hope this explains the military side a little bit better! ;-)

M~

ETA: Also it used to be that you could travel with just your military ID card and not have a passport, at least I did not have to have a passport when I was traveling to Central America but this was changed 6 weeks prior to my coming back to the states so I had to have a passport rushed through the Embassy. Again this was in the 90's so travel would have been even more lax'd I would think back in the 70's.

 

[shadowangel]

Thanks for posting. It's sometimes hard to equate civilian life and military life as the rules are so completely diffferent.

As I recall, a passport is required for every member of the family travelling with a service member, regardless of age. Different countries have differing rules; some require just a military ID, some a passport, some a passport and visa...

 

[Fukiyama]

Where was the father stationed in Germany? Do we know that at all? That might say something as to the type of duty he was pulling. Sitting in a tank across the Fulda Gap from the Soviet Army would not be conducive to playing single dad...

 

[shadowangel]

No info on where he was stationed has come out as of yet...Considering he was at Ft Sill, I'd guess he was in field artillery.

 

[believe09]

This was originally posted by another WS member in a different thread.
Has this Melissa H been ruled out as Rhonda? Both have the same month and year of birth.
She also appears to have a large frame like Rhonda's birth mother did.

http://www.cowtowninfo.com/personals/f076/f07-686.htm

O/T Horse puckey she has 32 inch hips at 160 lbs...but I digress.

 

[mnegri1973]

O/T Horse puckey she has 32 inch hips at 160 lbs...but I digress.

hahaha It took me a bit to figure out that she was in prison....that is a listing to write to inmates, right??? So I guess if you are a female just looking for a pen pal she is not the one to write to! :waitasec:

M~

 

[mnegri1973]

Thanks for posting. It's sometimes hard to equate civilian life and military life as the rules are so completely diffferent.

As I recall, a passport is required for every member of the family travelling with a service member, regardless of age. Different countries have differing rules; some require just a military ID, some a passport, some a passport and visa...

Didn't think about the dependent travel...yes, they most likely would have had to have a passport, but I wonder if that would have been determined by age? Our daughter had her own dependent card, (that was fun trying to get her to look with her eyes open, at the camera when she was 2 weeks old!) So I know that my parents had special privileges when they had her, due to us being deployed, but not sure if she would have had to have a passport if we were to go overseas back then. It may also have depended on the type of flight as well.....if you traveled on a MAC flight which was flying through the military they may not have had to have passports back in the 70's.

But this is just me trying to remember back so it may not be completely accurate. I wonder tho if when flying back did the mom and Rhonda/Melissa fly directly into Ft. Sill? Wonder if we can find out that info, it might have the father's unit info IF it was a military flight. Since the mother and child were dependents, they would have used the father's SSN for everything, from being on their ID cards to doc visits to everything.

Just throwing out some info, never know where it can go.

M~

 

[Cubby]

Technically we don't know if Melissa was given away illegally or returned and then later adopted or fostered by another family.

to me it makes no sense whatsoever that a birth family who lost legal rights, through a legitimate adoption, would have any access to further information regarding what happened to Rhonda. Once a child is given up for adoption the birth family no longer has access to that information for the privacy of the adopted parents and child.

We don't have any proof either of the H's did anything illegal and this isnt just some kind of adoptee search, or the birth family is angered/hurt/upset ( and possibly understandably/rightfully so) they were not able to legally adopt Rhonda when her birth mother chose to give her up for adoption.

I think any sleuthing done on the H's should be done very very cautiously, if at all. Especially as any false info on them could cause potential problems with slander/libel and their right to privacy....

IMO, in this case it is going to be a simple matter of waiting on DNA tests....

JMO

 

[mnegri1973]

Technically we don't know if Melissa was given away illegally or returned and then later adopted or fostered by another family.

to me it makes no sense whatsoever that a birth family who lost legal rights, through a legitimate adoption, would have any access to further information regarding what happened to Rhonda. Once a child is given up for adoption the birth family no longer has access to that information for the privacy of the adopted parents and child.

We don't have any proof either of the H's did anything illegal and this isnt just some kind of adoptee search, or the birth family is angered/hurt/upset ( and possibly understandably/rightfully so) they were not able to legally adopt Rhonda when her birth mother chose to give her up for adoption.

I think any sleuthing done on the H's should be done very very cautiously, if at all. Especially as any false info on them could cause potential problems with slander/libel and their right to privacy....

IMO, in this case it is going to be a simple matter of waiting on DNA tests....

JMO

If she was placed in foster care after returning back to the states wouldn't there be a paper trail? Also from what has been posted it appears that the adoption was legal however do we know if it was an open or a closed adoption? And just one more question, when children are placed into foster care does the state try to place them with a family member prior to going outside of the family? And an add on to that question, would they place with the extended family of the adopted family or go back to the biological family?

I just don't understand how a child can get lost and never found yet we see it happen all of the time. My heart breaks for these lit'le ones!

M~

 

[Cubby]

mnegri, those are excellent questions. Yes, we have read cases where children fall through the cracks in the foster care system. Many unanswered questions on this case as well as others. However, the last post from one of Rhonda's family members was she would prefer to not say anything right now and await the DNA results, so I have to respect her answer and decision on how she and her family wish to go about the search for Rhonda.

JMO

 

[prayingforthelost]

I went to high school with Sharon. I've followed this on and off since 1994, when Michael was kidnapped.

I think this might just be the match. I didn't think Christina Carter looked at all like Sharon. Little Rhonda and the picture of Linda look very much like I remember Sharon.

 

[justthinkin]

I went to high school with Sharon. I've followed this on and off since 1994, when Michael was kidnapped.

I think this might just be the match. I didn't think Christina Carter looked at all like Sharon. Little Rhonda and the picture of Linda look very much like I remember Sharon.

prayingforthelost,

:Welcome-12-june: to Websleuths.
I hope you are right about Rhonda being Sharon. I think so too. I can take any picture of Sharon, put it side by side with Rhonda's photo, and the resemblance is unwavering. It would be so great to finally know the answer to the question of who was Sharon Marshall, and for Rhonda's family to know what happened to Rhonda.

 

[prayingforthelost]

Thanks for the welcome, justthinkin.


I am trying to go back and read all of the old threads. It's sometimes frustrating because I see a lot a wild, far fetched suppositions that I'd like to respond to, especially those relating to the Forest Park days. I sat in the same room with Sharon for at least 3 hours a day for 2 1/2 years. I might be able to answer some of your questions, or at least clear up some inconsistancies from that period.

 

[lost indie]

Thanks for the welcome, justthinkin.


I am trying to go back and read all of the old threads. It's sometimes frustrating because I see a lot a wild, far fetched suppositions that I'd like to respond to, especially those relating to the Forest Park days. I sat in the same room with Sharon for at least 3 hours a day for 2 1/2 years. I might be able to answer some of your questions, or at least clear up some inconsistancies from that period.

Thanks for coming here to talk about Sharon. There are so many people here who carry Sharon in our hearts. I think of her daily.

I have a question. How did Sharon dress at school? Sometimes it seems she dressed preppy and other times too sexy and un-put-together. Was it both or either?

Gosh...I have so many questions here but I do not want to overwhelm you. Could you just tell us what you remember about Sharon?

Thanks.....

 

[Tuffy101]

Thanks for the welcome, justthinkin.


I am trying to go back and read all of the old threads. It's sometimes frustrating because I see a lot a wild, far fetched suppositions that I'd like to respond to, especially those relating to the Forest Park days. I sat in the same room with Sharon for at least 3 hours a day for 2 1/2 years. I might be able to answer some of your questions, or at least clear up some inconsistancies from that period.

Did she have any scares or moles ? was her teeth all straight ? Did you ever see her ears ?
were they normal size ?
Do you have a guess at her nationality ? Irish maybe or......


?

 

[prayingforthelost]

Before I answer ANY questions, I would like to make it clear that not all of my responses will be of a positive nature, and I would like people to remember that these are the memories of a typical 15-18 year old girl in the eighties. If any of you have teenagers, you know that they have a tendancy to be self-centered, and unfortunately, I was not much of an exception. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, I am already aware that I may offend some people, but if you want honesty, that is what you will get.

 

[prayingforthelost]

Thanks for coming here to talk about Sharon. There are so many people here who carry Sharon in our hearts. I think of her daily.

I have a question. How did Sharon dress at school? Sometimes it seems she dressed preppy and other times too sexy and un-put-together. Was it both or either?

Gosh...I have so many questions here but I do not want to overwhelm you. Could you just tell us what you remember about Sharon?

Thanks.....

How did Sharon dress? In my opinion, you could tell from her clothing that she did not come from a well-to-do home. Most of her clothes were ill-fitting, and were what we called K-Mart Chic. (I told you I would be honest.) Her hair and makeup were inconsistant from day to day--one day she would be all made up, the next, no make-up and messy hair. This just wasn't done in 1985--it was big hair and full make-up, or you would be made fun of. And she was made fun of by the "popular" kids.

The funny thing is--in college, most of us became inconsistant dressers. She was ahead of her time!

 

[prayingforthelost]

Did she have any scares or moles ? was her teeth all straight ? Did you ever see her ears ?
were they normal size ?
Do you have a guess at her nationality ? Irish maybe or......


?

Sharon had good, pretty white teeth. Not small. I've always been a stickler about teeth. One physical characteristic that always stood out with me is that the corners of her mouth appeared to start really close to her ears. I think that is because her upper lip was thin, and it was sort of an illusion.

Very rarely do I ever recall Sharon smiling. She did not have a gummy smile.

I don't remember any moles or anything special about her ears.

As for nationality, I have no clue. I don't think that she dyed or colored her hair. It was naturally a dirty blonde, which lightened in the summer. She had very pale skin, with very light freckles on her face that I can recall. The pale skin stood out in a time when we all tanned with baby oil.

 

[prayingforthelost]

I first met Sharon when she was placed into my English class in 10th grade. This was a "gifted" class, and we had all pretty much been together for several years. In all 3 years, she was the only new person added to that class.

Within a week, there were headshots being distributed across the school. An 8x10 black & white photo of a blonde girl, heavy on the makeup, with the name "SHARON MARSHALL" in capital letters across the bottom. Of course, guys went gaga, but the reality was that she looked very little like the picture. If she were trying to make friends, this was the wrong way to do it. All it did was get the "popular" girls to shut her out.

(In hindsight, I think that this was a ploy to establish her identity. I also think the photo of Suzanne and her "father" was done to establish "the family.")