TX TX - Elizabeth Campbell, 20, Copperas Cove, 25 April 1988

[shadowangel]

Since it seems to be the day for posting new threads, here's the one that weighed on my mind through the years....
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/113dftx.html

I was stationed at Ft Hood....Elizabeth disappeared from a 7-11 in Copperas Cove TX after working her shift there. Interest in the case locally was very high. In '92 (April or May) her purse was found in police storage in a small town in west Texas along I-10. This raised hopes of her being found alive, until it was realized that the purse had been there for quite a while and no one knew where it came from, who turned it in, or even when-though it was BELIEVED to have been dropped off sometime between mid '88 and Jan '89. At some point, a credible but unsubstantiated report was made by a store clerk who claimed to have seen Elizabeth Ann in the company of an Asian male. Elizabeth refused to speak and seemed very frightened of the male. (I can't remember where this occured). I-10 travels through west Texas, along the Mexico border, into NM an AZ, and then straight into Los Angeles. It was theorized at the time that she may have been taken into Mexico, or taken to CA and forced into prostitution. It is conceivable tht she may still be out there, but brainwashed by fear to the point she is incapable of contacting her family.
I'm told this was an episode of the TV show "unsolved Mysteries".

 

[justice2]

Since it seems to be the day for posting new threads, here's the one that weighed on my mind through the years....
http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/113dftx.html

I was stationed at Ft Hood....Elizabeth disappeared from a 7-11 in Copperas Cove TX after working her shift there. Interest in the case locally was very high. In '92 (April or May) her purse was found in police storage in a small town in west Texas along I-10. This raised hopes of her being found alive, until it was realized that the purse had been there for quite a while and no one knew where it came from, who turned it in, or even when-though it was BELIEVED to have been dropped off sometime between mid '88 and Jan '89. At some point, a credible but unsubstantiated report was made by a store clerk who claimed to have seen Elizabeth Ann in the company of an Asian male. Elizabeth refused to speak and seemed very frightened of the male. (I can't remember where this occured). I-10 travels through west Texas, along the Mexico border, into NM an AZ, and then straight into Los Angeles. It was theorized at the time that she may have been taken into Mexico, or taken to CA and forced into prostitution. It is conceivable tht she may still be out there, but brainwashed by fear to the point she is incapable of contacting her family.
I'm told this was an episode of the TV show "unsolved Mysteries".

Hi Shadow Angel
I've always been interested in this one too. I came across it in 1994-95, at the time I thought the case was 10 years old. I did try at one time to get newspaper articles but was unable. You said you lived in Fort Hood at the time. Are you positive about the date of her disappearance? From you personal experience, you're age and what you were doing, etc.?

It's been a while since you have posted this. I hope you read this shortly.

 

[shadowangel]

Not to worry, I'm usually lurking somewhere in the Cold Case basement...

She went missing in '88, I was assigned to Ft Hood in '90 and the case was still being talked about, especially in the MP/local LE circles. I don't believe her case received any national attention (other than the Unsolved Mysteries episode, which I finally saw). I will try to pull any reports from the archives I can find and post them...
There were other cases with similarities in TX and the surrounding states, I believe Richard who posts here often actually was involved in investigating one...

 

[justice2]

Not to worry, I'm usually lurking somewhere in the Cold Case basement...

She went missing in '88, I was assigned to Ft Hood in '90 and the case was still being talked about, especially in the MP/local LE circles. I don't believe her case received any national attention (other than the Unsolved Mysteries episode, which I finally saw). I will try to pull any reports from the archives I can find and post them...
There were other cases with similarities in TX and the surrounding states, I believe Richard who posts here often actually was involved in investigating one...

Lurking? LOL

The reason why I asked is because when I came across it, her disappearance was getting publicity on the local because of the 10-year anniversary, supposidely. I know I was really surprised when I checked into and it had been 7 years.

Will appreciate any info you can post.

 

[shadowangel]

Texas Equusearch reports something different from the way I remember it...They report that Elizabeth was working at the 7-11 in Killeen, left there to go to an ex-boyfriend's home in Killeen to study for a test (!), got into an argument then went to the 7-11 in Copperas Cove, called her brother for a ride, and was never seen again...

I have never heard this version, and it doesn't make sense to me...If the ex is in Killeen, why (and how) go to Copperas Cove? The two towns are on opposite sides of Ft. Hood, not a small distance. And she was not driving. I have always heard, and read, that she was working the night shift at the 7-11 in Copperas Cove and vanished after work, about 6:00 am...

Justice2, you may want to contact Texas Equusearch and see where their info came from.

 

[justice2]

Yes I saw that too. I had never heard about the boyfriend or about her calling her brother. I did an extensive, well, as much as there is out there, search about a year or two ago and that was not out there.

I will contact them.
Thanks

 

[Richard]

Suzanne Rene Richerson Missing Galveston, TX 1988
Name: Suzanne Rene Richerson
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Missing: 10/7/88
From: Galveston, Texas

Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: December 8, 1965
Age at Time of Disappearance: 22 years old
Sex/Race: Female/White
DOB: 12/8/65
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
Height: 5' 4"
Weight: 140 Lbs.
Identifying Marks: Pierced ears. Richerson has a scar above her right eyelid. She wears contact lenses.
Jewelry: n/a
Last Seen Wearing: Blue jean skirt, blue blouse, tan shoes.


Link:
Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - Suzanne Rene Richerson Missing Galveston, TX 1988

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13749&highlight=rene+richerson

 

[MoonBug]

Name: Elizabeth A. Campbell
NCIC Number: 298182179
Texas DPS Case Number: M8804006
Date of Birth: 31 May 1967
Date Missing: 25 April 1988
From City/State: Copperas Cove, TX
Age at Time of Disappearance: 20
Gender: Female
Race: Caussian/Asian
Height: 5'2"
Weight: Around 96 to 106 pounds
Hair Color: Chestnut Brown, Medium Length
Eye Color: Brown
Complexion: Medium
Glasses/Contacts Description: Glasses (description not available).
Identifying Characteristics: Scars on: forehead, under chin, elbow and right eyebrow, a mole on the back between the shoulder blades, and a small birthmark on the right buttock.
Clothing: White T-shirt with design on front, blue jeans, white athletic shoes. She was carrying a yellow jacket, a 7-11 smock with her name tag, a maroon purse, and college books and papers.
Jewelry: Diamonds "Romance Whittnauer" watch, a 10kt gold ring with three sapphire stones in the center and one diamond on each side.
Dentals: Missing: #14, #19, #30. Fillings: #2, #3, #15, #18, #20, #31
DNA: Available

Circumstances of Disappearance: Elizabeth went to class at the local junior college, CTC, then to work at the 7-11 store on Rancier Avenue in Killeen, TX by the East Gate of Fort Hood Army Base. She left work and went to her ex-boyfriend's house to begin studying for the last final exams. Sometime during the group study, an argument had broken out by the ex-boyfriend, and sometime after 9:30pm to about 10pm, Elizabeth started to walk home. Elizabeth arrived a little after 11pm at the 7-11 in Copperas Cove, TX off Hwy. 190. Since they knew that Elizabeth worked at the 7-11 store in Killeen, an employee allowed Elizabeth to make a local call. Elizabeth called her boyfriend to come and pick her up. Another argument by the ex-boyfriend erupted. Elizabeth said that she was going to call her brother to pick her up instead. Since the call was long distance, Elizabeth had to make the call on the payphone outside. Another employee of the 7-11 had seen Elizabeth by a payphone making a call around midnight. About the same a phone rang at her home in Lampasas, TX. Elizabeth's mother picked the phone up but the phone was dead. The last known sighting of Elizabeth was by a payphone in Copperas Cove, TX on Hwy. 190.
Elizabeth's purse was later found and turned into the Crockett County sheriff's property room in Ozona, TX, off I-10 on 29 April 1992 (Some 4 years and four days later).
Additional Information regarding Elizabeth's Purse: No documentation was found of when or where the purse was found or who turned the purse in. They asked questions to the sheriff: "Is not a newly appointed sheriff suppose to take a complete inventory of what he is now going to be in charge of - Deputies, supplies, unclaimed items in the property room, etc.?" We asked several more questions. The sheriff gave excuses or no real answers.
The sheriff assumed Elizabeth’s purse was turned in sometime between 25 April 1988 and 1 January 1989. Unfortunately, we cannot be given a true time for the pervious sheriff had passed away.

If You Have Any Information Concerning This Case, Contact:
Copperas Cove Police Department
Lt. Daniel Austin
202 S. 4th Street
Copperas Cove, TX 76522
(254) 547-1357
Texas Department of Public Safety

Missing Person Clearinghouse
P O Box 4087
Austin, Texas 78773
Phone:
(512) 424-5074
Help line:
(800) 346-3243
Case Number:
M8804006
NCIC Number:
M-298182179

Featured on: America's Most Wanted - 25 Sept 1988 & Unsolved Mysteries - 22 Nov 1989 & 16 May 1990 & In 1992, on the CBS "The Young & The Restless." Elizabeth and few other missing persons were show, and Micheal Damian dedicated and sang a song called "Missing" on the show. A single verse of the song stays in my head always - "Missing Angels." & "Missing" - A nationally-syndicated weekly television series featuring actual cases of missing persons, both children and adults, from across North America. The show "Missing" can be found at http://www.usamissing.com/

This is my webpage I've done on Elizabeth: http://mooniebug.bjcampbell.org/

 

[christine2448]

Hi MoonBug, again, Welcome to WS, I am sorry to meet you under such circumstances.

Elizabeth's case has been brought up in this thread as you know http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42989&highlight=Elizabeth+Ann+Campbell


Possibility? (potential match brought up by Sable)

http://www.theunion.com/article/20070602/NEWS/106020171

 

[Spazkat9696]

MoonBug I am guessing the boyfriend had something to do with this? I have spent time in that area because my husband was stationed in Waco, TX when he was in the USMC. Anytime we needed anything Ft. Hood was the closest base, Waco was just a reserve center. Anyway as I remember everything down there revolves around the Army base. Was the Boyfriend in the Army? If not do you think she would have taken a ride from someone in the Army thinking they would give her a ride home? That place is in the middle of nowhere. I know just the other day a solder got lost and die on the base and it took them days of looking for him to find his body. I was there in 2001/02 so I can only imagine how little was there when this happened. IMO it must have been the boyfriend or some member of the Army.

 

[meggilyweggily]

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/campbell_elizabeth.html

 

[SadieMae]

It would take her longer than 1 hour to walk from the 7-11 on Rancier to Cove. I think she got a ride part of the way to get there around 11. The only way into Cove from Killeen is Hwy 190. They run a story on the anniversary of her disappearance also in the newspaper.

 

[SadieMae]

Moonbug...all these years I have a theory of what happened to Elizabeth. I think she was offered a ride to Cove while she was walking, (most likely down Fort Hood Rd or Veterans Mem Blvd). That person waited for her when she went in the Cove 7-11. When she came out to make the long distance call, they asked/told if she needed a ride home while she waited for an answer at home. I think she hung up & accepted the offer, after all this person drove her to Cove and she may have felt this was a "safe" person. Did anyone working at the Cove 7-11 remember if she got out of a car that night?

I really don't think her ex bf had anything to do with her disappearance. He couldn't have made to Cove right after talking to her in less than 15 minutes.

 

[Mygirlsadie]

Wow I worked at the 7-11 off of Rancier for a year. I worked the 11pm-7am shift..ALONE..UGH! What was I thinking? Anyway I never heard of this story before.. Does her family live in the area or was she there with the military?

 

[LionRun]

Hi Moonbug. Please forgive me, but I will be asking lots of questions to get the most accurate portrayal of the time-line and other facts. Please take your time and answer them a few at a time if you like.


Do you know the distance between the store and the bf's house? Have you any idea how long it was before the phone call to the bf and when she went outside to the payphone? Were you told the time that Elizabeth was last seen by the store employee? Were phone records from the payphone to see when that call was made to your home--if it was Elizabeth who called?

Elizabeth's purse was found many miles from where she disappeared from. I do think someone abducted her. I don't think she ran off with nothing, and then chose to never contact her family. She had too much in her life with college, family, and a job for that. She seemed to be a responsible, motivated young lady. Back to her purse. Though, there are many things I don't yet know, that her purse was so far from where she last seen, it points more towards a stranger abduction than the bf. But, that could change.

Did the bf try to find her? What efforts did he make? Was he known to be violent with her? Was fighting to the point where she would walk away from him typical? I ask this with respect in my heart. It is best to know all of the facts to best determine what may have happened to her. Did the bf have family, friends, or ties of any kind to Crockett county? Was he questioned by LE? Do you know the outcome? Did LE search his car or his home? Do you know the results? I am trying to rule him out.

I will have lots more questions, but I don't want to ask any more as there are already so many. I will do what I can to help you find Elizabeth and what happened to her.

Lion

 

[MoonBug]

Yes, we do appreciate all the help we receive. At first NO ONE helped in our fight to find Elizabeth. There was no ground or air searches conducted by anyone. So the immediate family and I did our own search for Elizabeth. Oh, the news media did put Elizabeth’s Story on radio and some of tv stations. When the internet came about, I didn’t really know where to go in asking if I could post Elizabeth’s story on anyone’s site. Oddly, less than an hour, I began to learn how to post Elizabeth’s story in sites that would consent to allowing me to post on their site. On some Missing Persons Originations, they don’t accept people over an age. This pretty much tells me that Elizabeth or anyone over the age of 18 isn’t worth a darn to assist in helping to find my sister. They are adults and should know to defend and take of themselves. This is the feeling or saying is what I feel they are saying, but they haven’t really stated such. It’s what I hear inside my mind.

Hopefully one day, all of us who lost a love one will finally find them and bring them home. *(

I know there is that possibility of an unwanted outcome, but at least they are finally found and can be put into a proper place).

I'm not sure how far from Gilmer Street and Rancier intersection is from Alta Mira Drive and Trimmer Road is. From Alta Mira Drive to Copperas Cove is quite a distance to travel. The 7-11 is off Highway 190 and Martin Luther.

 

[Kelly]

Moon Bug, please contact me via email for some additional awareness assistance.

kelly.jolkowski(at sign)projectjason.org

 

[Kelly]

If you are Elizabeth's sister, please contact me via email for awareness assistance.

I don't care for the PM system and it's not usable for record keeping purposes.

The PM system indicates I cannot send a PM to you anyway.

Thank you.

 

[Sugie]

MoonBug

I live in Crockett County and I'm sorry the local LE was not very efficient back when your sister's purse was found. Our county is 3000 square miles with Ozona being the only town. Pop: +/- 4000 for the whole county. I have heard a couple of rumors regarding the purse, one was that it was found at a local convenience store by an elderly lady that worked there, she has since passed away. The other is, that it was found by a work crew for the highway department. Either way, it might be hard to track back and find out for sure. Being a Paramedic with the local EMS, I am in daily contact with LE here, including the DPS and Sheriff's office. I would be glad, if you would like, to see if I can get someone to look back through the old records. I know the Texas Ranger stationed here has been insrumental in solving other missing person cases. Just let me know if you would like me to give it a try.
God Bless you and your family.
Sugie

 

[SadieMae]

Welcome to WS Sugie! And thanks for coming to this thread.