TX TX - Deanna Merryfield, 13, Killeen, 22 July 1990 - #1

[elepher50]

A couple of thoughts:

I work for a state agency in TX that deals with children and we purge our records when all the children in the home are 18. TDY may do the same thing. Also, about 5 years ago, the state agencies were re aligned and a huge records clean up and purge were done. There is a possibility it was lost in the shuffle.

Second, was/is there a youth outreach center or shelter operating in the area where she could have gone? (I watch a lot of TV and Lily Rush would find the center director and lean on them until the remember, lol.)

Hi Woof,

Doesn't sound good that a records purge/cleanup may have happened about 5 years ago .... what does the acronymn TDY stand for - I am drawing a blank on it. The idea of and outreach/shelter in the area is a good idea too Woof - hope there is a way to research it.

 

[MissieMt]

A couple of thoughts:

I work for a state agency in TX that deals with children and we purge our records when all the children in the home are 18. TDY may do the same thing. Also, about 5 years ago, the state agencies were re aligned and a huge records clean up and purge were done. There is a possibility it was lost in the shuffle.

Second, was/is there a youth outreach center or shelter operating in the area where she could have gone? (I watch a lot of TV and Lily Rush would find the center director and lean on them until the remember, lol.)

UGH! That doesn't sound good at all. I'm still going to ask Bekki to speak with Sgt.D about it-don't get the impression he wants to hear from me right now, can't imagine why...

 

[The_Woof]

Hi Woof,

Doesn't sound good that a records purge/cleanup may have happened about 5 years ago .... what does the acronymn TDY stand for - I am drawing a blank on it. The idea of and outreach/shelter in the area is a good idea too Woof - hope there is a way to research it.

Texas Department of Youth

 

[MissieMt]

Woof, maybe you would know:
If Deanna were in some type of center, wouldn't her guardian have to pay for her to be there? I know juvenile detention centers are considered "free" but that is for kids who are in trouble with LE. She wasn't.
As far as a youth shelter, I don't remember there being any but that was a long time ago.

 

[Kat]

Another question about TDY please?

If Deanna had been placed in the TDY system doesn't that require a court hearing? She would have been placed by certain criteria correct? (meaning in my mind: an offense committed?) If so, even if the TDY records were purged then wouldn't there be record within the county in which she was sentenced to TDY?

TIA for answering my questions!

 

[Kat]

Also, let's float the idea that Deanna was placed in foster care...could that have been possible? If so, wouldn't that require notification of her guardians? TIA

 

[Kat]

A couple of thoughts:

I work for a state agency in TX that deals with children and we purge our records when all the children in the home are 18. TDY may do the same thing. Also, about 5 years ago, the state agencies were re aligned and a huge records clean up and purge were done. There is a possibility it was lost in the shuffle.

Second, was/is there a youth outreach center or shelter operating in the area where she could have gone? (I watch a lot of TV and Lily Rush would find the center director and lean on them until the remember, lol.)

Bolded by me:

I found a list. However, I don't know which of these would have been in existance during the time frame we know about Deanna.

http://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/texas.html

 

[MissieMt]

Wow...thats a lot of shelters all over TX.
I only found one listed in Killeen, I don't remember that one being there. I tried going to the website, but it is very bare bones.
http://www.centraltexasyouthservices.org/

 

[Kat]

http://www.centraltexasyouthservices.org/emergency_shelter.htm

Bell County

OPTION HOUSE is a 15-bed emergency shelter for children and youth ages 3-17 years. Central Texas Youth Services has been operating Option House since 1977 providing the following services at no cost to the child, youth, or their family:...

The above is located in Killeen.

There are quite a few others as well. Just couldn't find a date indicating when they were operating and if it falls within the time range for Deanna.

I do think that this is an avenue that needs to be explored. It would especially help if the missing persons department of KPD would have a look. They might get more answers more easily than any of us. JMHO

 

[Julessleuther]

My only question about foster care, is why wouldn't they also place Bekki and Missie in foster care to protect them from Roy? Why just Deanna? Same thing with some kind of juvenile confinement for the sake of protection. If she were in juvenile confinement, it would have been because she did something wrong, IMO. If that is the case, when she was released, she may have been embarrassed to come home, or felt noone from the family loved her anymore. This case reminds me in a way of Rose Cole's situation...she too fell through the cracks because her parents had family problems...

I think Deanna is alive and well, but is either embarrassed or afraid to come back home. Many years have passed, and perhaps thinking about the past brings up many bad memories for her. Missie and her sisters have to show Deanna that they love her no matter what, and that they can/will create new memories!!

Also, let's float the idea that Deanna was placed in foster care...could that have been possible? If so, wouldn't that require notification of her guardians? TIA

 

[elepher50]

My only question about foster care, is why wouldn't they also place Bekki and Missie in foster care to protect them from Roy? Why just Deanna? Same thing with some kind of juvenile confinement for the sake of protection. If she were in juvenile confinement, it would have been because she did something wrong, IMO. If that is the case, when she was released, she may have been embarrassed to come home, or felt noone from the family loved her anymore. This case reminds me in a way of Rose Cole's situation...she too fell through the cracks because her parents had family problems...

I think Deanna is alive and well, but is either embarrassed or afraid to come back home. Many years have passed, and perhaps thinking about the past brings up many bad memories for her. Missie and her sisters have to show Deanna that they love her no matter what, and that they can/will create new memories!!

Hi JulesSleuther, I believe it was only Deanna who needed protection from Roy. The charges that were brought against Roy were from the information that came from Deanna not Bekki nor Missie. Neither Bekki nor Missie were directly in harms way so to speak from the background history I have collected from here at WS thread. I need to go back and review but believe the charges against Roy were not that long before Deanna went missing - I will check the facts on this in a bit.

It is encouraging to me that there was a sighting in 1995.

There is a lot of love that Deanna can get from Missie and her sisters if she can only be found - these girls have been looking for their sister for a long time. The love oozes from MissieMt and all the effort she and her sisters have put into finding Deanna - Deanna is very lucky to have sisters who deeply care about her.

 

[Julessleuther]

I see your point, but once a SO, always one, so why not protect other potential victims. I thought there was a restraining order, and that is why the other girls went to live with other family. Missie has a point, why not tell the other girls something like..."If you don't behave you will wind up in the same place as Deanna"...Who knows. There is so many what if's with this situation. I really do wonder if Missies mom did know more than she said. She did not seem concerned about Deanna's disappearance. Was she Missie?

Hi JulesSleuther, I believe it was only Deanna who needed protection from Roy. The charges that were brought against Roy were from the information that came from Deanna not Bekki nor Missie. Neither Bekki nor Missie were directly in harms way so to speak from the background history I have collected from here at WS thread. I need to go back and review but believe the charges against Roy were not that long before Deanna went missing - I will check the facts on this in a bit.

It is encouraging to me that there was a sighting in 1995.

There is a lot of love that Deanna can get from Missie and her sisters if she can only be found - these girls have been looking for their sister for a long time. The love oozes from MissieMt and all the effort she and her sisters have put into finding Deanna - Deanna is very lucky to have sisters who deeply care about her.

 

[Julessleuther]

Ok--I have searched the traffic court records from Tarrant County (where Hurst, TX is located) and the records do go back past 1995, and nothing comes up under her name. I also searched marriage and property records. Missie--I have a ?? for you...

I know that another of your sisters lived in Hurst, TX, as we had previously discussed (I found her marriage record for Tarrant County too). Is there ANY chance that Sgt D. is getting her mixed up with Deanna? It just seems a coincidence that two of your sisters lived in the same town around the same time period five yrs after Deanna went missing....


I was doing some other searches and found a Deanna Maryfield around the same age in Grand Prairie, TX, and a Rebecca Maryfield in Wylie, TX.

Maybe she changed her name? Maryfield, Merrifield?

Also, I have to go back through the posts, but Missie, didn't you say that there were two possible incidents in or near Hurst, but one of them was eventually determined to be a fraud by a known local criminal? If so, is there a possibility that both are?

Missie--I am looking through the old posts and in the beginning, you said that you spoke to one of her sisters, and she had last attended Fairway Middle School. When you check with the school, make sure you check both schools, or just talk to the district office. Also, where did you get her social security number from? Are you certain that is her number?

 

[MissieMt]

Jules I have always felt that our Mom seemed like she didn't care because she was an alcoholic and that made her apathetic (an extremely common symptom of alcoholism).
As far as the older sister living in tarrant county, I could be wrong but I remember her moving to that area around 96-97.

 

[The_Woof]

Woof, maybe you would know:
If Deanna were in some type of center, wouldn't her guardian have to pay for her to be there? I know juvenile detention centers are considered "free" but that is for kids who are in trouble with LE. She wasn't.
As far as a youth shelter, I don't remember there being any but that was a long time ago.

I was thinking more of a less official place, where kids could go.

 

[The_Woof]

Another question about TDY please?

If Deanna had been placed in the TDY system doesn't that require a court hearing? She would have been placed by certain criteria correct? (meaning in my mind: an offense committed?) If so, even if the TDY records were purged then wouldn't there be record within the county in which she was sentenced to TDY?

TIA for answering my questions!

She would have been a minor and the record would be sealed.

 

[The_Woof]

Also, let's float the idea that Deanna was placed in foster care...could that have been possible? If so, wouldn't that require notification of her guardians? TIA

Here mother would have had to have known. There would be a record in family court of the case, under mom's name. However, I think Missie's sister has viewed the CPS file and it doesn't mention she was removed.

ETA that CPS would have removed all of the children in the home if they removed one. That only recently changed in TX. However, from what Missie has said, it sounds as if they were placed out voluntarily by the mother.

 

[Julessleuther]

Ok--that is what I found too, 96-97. I am just wondering if "someone" got your sister mixed up with Deanna in Hurst...

Are you still on Skipper Smith's myspace? His last login is 6/23/09, so he must have access to the internet...

Ok--I just progressed enough in the old posts to see where you posted that Manor was the last school she attended.

Also, in reading the old posts, I saw a post that Deanna had broken her arm? That was new to me, I do not remember reading that before...

Also, what is the status for a website for Deanna? I can help you if you'd like...

Jules I have always felt that our Mom seemed like she didn't care because she was an alcoholic and that made her apathetic (an extremely common symptom of alcoholism).
As far as the older sister living in tarrant county, I could be wrong but I remember her moving to that area around 96-97.

 

[Julessleuther]

Ok--I am ancestry.com again and searching marriage records for a Deanna M with her birthdate, and a few came up interesting...

There is a Deanna Garcia who was married in March 9, 1992 at age 15 to a Ruben G Pena. Her age year is 1977, his is 1972. They were married in Montgomery County, TX. They later divorced in Dec 17, 1997 (they had two children)

There is also a Deanna M Higgins who married on Aug 28, 92 at age 15 to a Ralph K Clark III (birth yr approx 1974) in Dallas County. They divorced April 13, 2000.

This same Deanna married Johny R Read(birth year 1962) on May 21, 2000 in Ellis County.

There are a number of other Deanna M's with a birth year of 1977 listed, I will put into a word doc. ...For some reason it will not let me post the doc. Hmmm

 

[Julessleuther]

Here is the word doc on Deanna M's in TX, born 1977 who married and or divorced...