"Tape Recorder Man"

[Richard]

...There was one incident where a woman thought he might be a man she had been dating but broke up with because she thought he had been showing inappropriate attention to her young daughter.....

Police checked out all such tips and developed no suspects.

I would like to make a correction to some earlier posts. A question was asked if any of the tips regarding the identy of the Tape Recorder Man (TRM) called in to police matched or correlated to any one person.

Police received hundreds of tips daily and some people thought that they recognized the sketch as someone they knew. I did not know of any correlations among/between any of these sightings, nor do I have access to all the specific attempts at identification of TRM. But the question got me thinking and I went back into the microfilm files and discovered something rather interesting...

I mentioned (quoted above) the story about a woman calling police with information about her former boyfriend. My copy of that microfilm was somewhat illegible. A long line or scratch on the negative had eliminated some lines of print. Going back to the microfilm files, I found the same story in a later (2nd or 3rd) edition of the same paper. It stated the following:

The woman dumped her boyfriend because he seemed to be more interested in her 13 year-old daughter. She checked into his background and learned that he had been convicted two years earlier (1973) for "Contributing to the delinquency of a minor". She thought that the sketch of TRM and his reported behavior resembled him.

The same day, the judge who had arrained the man on those 1973 charges called (separately and independantly of the woman) to police to state that he thought the guy looked like the TRM sketch.

AND... yet a third person called police with the same information and potential TRM identification - again independantly of the other two callers.

This story was given to the news media by police about 3 April 1975, only days after the TRM story and sketch were released. Police stated that they were investigating the tips and "if warranted" they would question the person named.

Nothing further was ever stated about this specific person or whether or not he was questioned. Later news conferences and articles, however, stated emphatically that no suspects were ever developed from the many phone calls.

The story of TRM continued in the press for a few weeks afterward, and police subsequently released a second sketch of TRM. So I do not think that they lost interest in TRM based on the above tips and information. But one wonders who that person was, what his story was and if he might be connected in any way with other potential suspects or persons of interest. Also what has his record been in the past 34 years?

 

[gogrannypop]

I usually just lurk here, but THAT would be a name I would love to know, as well. Your dedication to this case is admirable.

 

[DD Byrd]

Sounds like the guy. Just the ex-girlfriend OR the Judge gives it credit...but BOTH.....AND a third person.

So they must not have enough evidence. But I'd bet someone tracked him, at least for awhile. Pedophiles don't just stop. Maybe he's already incarcerated or maybe he died.

 

[SharetheLight]

Bringing this over from another thread.

Quote from Richard's post in the Sheila and Katherine . . . thread:

"MCP seems to have dropped their interest in Tape Recorder Man about a month into the investigation, making official press statements which indicated that the man "might have been there for legitimate purposes", or "might not have been connected with their disappearance", etc. They never released either sketch after April 1975. "

This statement seems to contradict that good lead. Maybe it didn't pan out. I would think that MCPD would be responsible enough to follow through with those tips.
Or maybe MCPD wanted the perp to feel safe? I don't know how to interpret this.

It certainly seems that if TRM was never mentioned again by police than either 1-they figured out who TRM was or 2-they've determined whoever did this is not TRM.

 

[Motherof5]

I would like to make a correction to some earlier posts. A question was asked if any of the tips regarding the identy of the Tape Recorder Man (TRM) called in to police matched or correlated to any one person.

Police received hundreds of tips daily and some people thought that they recognized the sketch as someone they knew. I did not know of any correlations among/between any of these sightings, nor do I have access to all the specific attempts at identification of TRM. But the question got me thinking and I went back into the microfilm files and discovered something rather interesting...

I mentioned (quoted above) the story about a woman calling police with information about her former boyfriend. My copy of that microfilm was somewhat illegible. A long line or scratch on the negative had eliminated some lines of print. Going back to the microfilm files, I found the same story in a later (2nd or 3rd) edition of the same paper. It stated the following:

The woman dumped her boyfriend because he seemed to be more interested in her 13 year-old daughter. She checked into his background and learned that he had been convicted two years earlier (1973) for "Contributing to the delinquency of a minor". She thought that the sketch of TRM and his reported behavior resembled him.

The same day, the judge who had arrained the man on those 1973 charges called (separately and independantly of the woman) to police to state that he thought the guy looked like the TRM sketch.

AND... yet a third person called police with the same information and potential TRM identification - again independantly of the other two callers.

This story was given to the news media by police about 3 April 1975, only days after the TRM story and sketch were released. Police stated that they were investigating the tips and "if warranted" they would question the person named.

Nothing further was ever stated about this specific person or whether or not he was questioned. Later news conferences and articles, however, stated emphatically that no suspects were ever developed from the many phone calls.

The story of TRM continued in the press for a few weeks afterward, and police subsequently released a second sketch of TRM. So I do not think that they lost interest in TRM based on the above tips and information. But one wonders who that person was, what his story was and if he might be connected in any way with other potential suspects or persons of interest. Also what has his record been in the past 34 years?

I really feel that if a judge called LE to say that he has a guy who looks like the sketch,this guy was put under a microscope and nothing was found.There is a reason why they stopped running the sketch,think about it.

 

[Richard]

Police have to keep an open mind in any investigation. There are many, many false leads, hoaxes, coincidences, conflicting statements, etc. with any case.

Why Montgomery County Police tended to downplay the Tape Recorder Man lead later can only be guessed at, since they never came out publicly with any explanation. It could be that they simply could not make any connections with the lead and were spending their time on others which were coming in daily.

They focussed their efforts on a ransom caller for a while. Then there was the tan Ford Station Wagon with the DMT-6__ License plates, and a number of other reported sightings.

Police never ruled TRM out. And they DID make references to him in later press conferences and statements. Such as in 1987 when they stated how strong a lead Fred Coffey seemed to be, yet they did not think that he was the Tape Recorder Man.

In my research, I have only seen the TRM sketches in newspapers from 31 March, through April 1975. I believe that some television stations continued to show the sketch in anniversary shows about the girls' disappearance, however. But the police did not re-issue any other copies of the sketch.

In evaluating each possible scenario and possible suspects, police can not afford to have blinders on. That is they cannot rule a potential suspect out simply because he does not look like the TRM. And so TRM is down played.

But, like the 800 pound gorilla in the room, he cannot simply be ignored. Eyewitness testimony places TRM there that day talking to Sheila and Kate shortly before they (and he) disappeared. Now maybe he had nothing what-so-ever to do with their disappearance, or maybe he simply played a minor role with others, or maybe he was the one who abducted them. We just don't know and neither do the police.

The TRM sketch and description might be way off or it might be perfect. Again, we don't know for sure, but it was the first and for a while, the only lead police had. Just because they never identified him, does not mean he did not exist.

If you try to come up with a theory or scenario as to how the girls were abducted, it would probably work as well with or without the TRM.

 

[DD Byrd]

I really feel that if a judge called LE to say that he has a guy who looks like the sketch,this guy was put under a microscope and nothing was found.There is a reason why they stopped running the sketch,think about it.

Exactly, you'd stop running a sketch if you found out that sketch was of someone who had altered his appearance. TRM might have "looked different when he did his thing" a la Zodiac. For all we know the police found a wig or facial appliances or who knows what in a garbage can. At that point...the original sketch isn't helpful and might be detrimental....

 

[Motherof5]

Exactly, you'd stop running a sketch if you found out that sketch was of someone who had altered his appearance. TRM might have "looked different when he did his thing" a la Zodiac. For all we know the police found a wig or facial appliances or who knows what in a garbage can. At that point...the original sketch isn't helpful and might be detrimental....

How would LE know that the sketch was of someone who had altered his appearance?Finding a wig in a trash can doesn't mean some guy used it in an abduction.The person/persons that did this were very careful not to leave anything behind,even Richard will tell you that there was no evidence anywhere.Why go to all that trouble and then leave your disguise for LE to find?:waitasec:

 

[SharetheLight]

How would LE know that the sketch was of someone who had altered his appearance?Finding a wig in a trash can doesn't mean some guy used it in an abduction.The person/persons that did this were very careful not to leave anything behind,even Richard will tell you that there was no evidence anywhere.Why go to all that trouble and then leave your disguise for LE to find?:waitasec:

I am still under the impression that there has to be SOME evidence in this case. We can't possibly know everything LE knows, right? A disguise may be the evidence they have, but it appears whoever took these girls was very careful. So I tend to think LE didn't find a disguise, but think they found something.

 

[DD Byrd]

They didn't have to find a disguise, thats an example. They could have surmised that from the witness account of the driver of the station wagon looking different than the plaza witness accounts of TRM. Assuming they found the station wagon credible.
The point is that they probably have some evidence. Not mentioning it to the public is not the same as it not existing. It also might not be helpful. Yet.

 

[Motherof5]

They didn't have to find a disguise, thats an example. They could have surmised that from the witness account of the driver of the station wagon looking different than the plaza witness accounts of TRM. Assuming they found the station wagon credible.
The point is that they probably have some evidence. Not mentioning it to the public is not the same as it not existing. It also might not be helpful. Yet.

LE may have something,I sure hope sfcourse they can't release everything that they have or know to the public.The point that I was trying to make was simply that I think this person was very careful and if a disguise was used,(and I agree that it could have been) this person would have been careful not to dispose of it where it could be easily found.I have to admit,if they do have something,I wonder what it could be that hasn't been helpful in 34 years?

 

[DD Byrd]

I was thinking DNA that they had no way of testing at the time. And its helpful now if it is a priority to test.

Or they have DNA and no one to compare it to.

 

[Motherof5]

I was thinking DNA that they had no way of testing at the time. And its helpful now if it is a priority to test.

Or they have DNA and no one to compare it to.

Your right, DNA would be awesome.I hope they have some.rayer: What are your thoughts on the type of DNA sample that they could have?

 

[SharetheLight]

bumping up

 

[SharetheLight]

It has been repeatedly stated in this forum that TRM disappeared the same day the Lyon sisters disappeared.

I just read in another forum an account by a girl who went to school in the area and who was approached by a man with a tape recorder during school gym class (class was held outside that day). He would ask the girls questions and record their answers. After the man left her class and went elsewhere on campus, one of the girl's friends commented that the man looked like the sketch of a person of interest in the Lyon sisters' case. (Therefore it had to occur after the lyon sisters disappearance.) This incident was reported to the police according to the poster in that forum.

So it seems that there was a man in the area using a tape recorder to record young female voices even after the Lyon sisters disappeared.

 

[Fukiyama]

It has been repeatedly stated in this forum that TRM disappeared the same day the Lyon sisters disappeared.

I just read in another forum an account by a girl who went to school in the area and who was approached by a man with a tape recorder during school gym class (class was held outside that day). He would ask the girls questions and record their answers. After the man left her class and went elsewhere on campus, one of the girl's friends commented that the man looked like the sketch of a person of interest in the Lyon sisters' case. (Therefore it had to occur after the lyon sisters disappearance.) This incident was reported to the police according to the poster in that forum.

So it seems that there was a man in the area using a tape recorder to record young female voices even after the Lyon sisters disappeared.

That's interesting. Do you have a link to that post? I'd like to check that out and see if there is anything else to it.

 

[SharetheLight]

That's interesting. Do you have a link to that post? I'd like to check that out and see if there is anything else to it.

Certainly.
Not sure about rules to linking posts from other forums so I apologize if this breaks some rule. please go easy on me :blowkiss:

Here is the link: http://www.topix.com/forum/state/md/T9MJ1SGETI858D5OK/p2

post is dated Monday (may 4)

 

[Richard]

The link provided in the above post is to a discussion forum about the Lyon Sisters disappearance. The poster in question states that when she was about 12 years old, and attending Sidwell (Sidwell Friends?) school on Wisconsin Ave (an area South West of Wheaton) that a well dressed man with a tape recorder came up to the fence where the girls' softball team was practicing, and began conducting "interviews".

She states that he was reported to the school administrator and that the administrator contacted police.

No dates are given. So this could have been around the same time as the Lyon girls disappearance, or even a year or so afterward. The incident was never reported in the newspapers. It would be interesting to know whether or not it is contained in the police file on the Lyon Sisters.

 

[Motherof5]

I was wondering if "Jimmy" ever described the recorder? The woman from the other site said the man that talked to her had a green recorder. Jimmy gave a detailed description of TRM so I was wondering if he ever mentioned anything about his recorder?

 

[SharetheLight]

I was wondering if "Jimmy" ever described the recorder? The woman from the other site said the man that talked to her had a green recorder. Jimmy gave a detailed description of TRM so I was wondering if he ever mentioned anything about his recorder?

I'd be curious to know this as well.
If we look at the detailed interview of Jimmy in the newspaper, he gives a detailed description of just about everything. The suit, the type of briefcase, and looking at the sketch he provides a very detailed description of TRM's physical characteristics.
Not too much description of the recorder. I think he may have said it had a cord and a microphone, but need to go back and check that.
No color was mentioned of the recorder, even though he mentioned the color of everything else.