UK UK - Christine Markham, 9, South Yorkshire, 21 May 1973

[Mysteries1974]

The Doe Network:
Case File 1054DFUK

Christine Markham
Missing since May 21, 1973 from Humberside, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
Classification: Non Family Abduction

Vital Statistics

• • Age at Time of Disappearance: 9 years old
  • Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Red hair
  • DNA: Available

Circumstances of Disappearance
Markham disappeared from her home in Robinson Road, Scunthorpe, on May 21, 1973 and has not been seen since. She left home to attend school but failed to arrive.

Christine walked part-way to school with two of her siblings, who then caught a bus to another school that they attended. Through the bus window, they saw Christine turn around and walk back in the direction in which they came. She had been known to take the odd day off school and wander the area.

A number of sightings were reported to the police of Christine's whereabouts; including a relative who was on a bus and saw her on Ashby Road between the Brumby corner and Priory pub around 10.30 on that Monday.

Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Humberside Police
(01724)282888
Email

Source Information:
BBC News

Return to the Unexplained Disappearances' Index

 

[glamourkitty1922]

The police suspected a serial killer named Black who has died in prison.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for Christine...it's now been 47 years.

http://www.armchairdetective.org.uk/Robert Black Serial Child Killer.pdf

 

[alb1on]

Whilst Robert Black is a viable suspect he is an easy target for police to bring up for every unsolved child murder or disappearance. The problem is that there is little if any evidence in this case, he was living in London at the time and it is not known what he was doing at the time and whether he had started on his driving career. Whilst he certainly should be considered, I also wonder about Ronald Castree, who killed Lesley Molseed in 1975 and is known to have committed other offences around that time. He was in Manchester and dumped Molseed in Yorkshire - all much closer to where Markham went missing.

 

[Diane Redfern]

In 2002, the Police investigated another suspect:
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Missing girl 'link' to murders
Joseph Kappen - Wikipedia
However, Robert Black remains as the main suspect:
Robert Black (serial killer) - Wikipedia

 

[StillDiggin]

Decades-long mystery over girl, 9, who vanished after leaving home

Christine Markham's disappearance in 1973 was linked to a child serial killer

www.walesonline.co.uk

 

[dotr]

• 6 May 2022
• • Holly Christodoulou
  • Disappearance of girl, 9, linked to kid killer - but cops are STILL baffled
  • 
  • ''POLICE have issued a fresh appeal over the mysterious death of a nine-year-old girl whose disappearance was linked to a child serial killer.
    
    Christine Markham left her home in Scunthorpe on May 21, 1973, and was never seen again.''

"Unfortunately, no new information has come to us recently.

"However, if anybody has any information, no matter how small you think it is, we would ask that you come forward so that we can look into it."

Christine had walked part-way to school with her siblings when they boarded a bus to take them on the rest of their journey.

They saw their sister from the bus window turn around and walk back in the direction they had just come from.''

• ''DNA was taken from Christine's family in the hope police could identify her if she is ever found.
  
  Tragically, her mum left the porch light on every single night for the youngster in case she returned home.''

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Christine Markham disappeared without a trace the day after her ninth birthday on May 21, 1973, after leaving her house on Robinson Road - now Newborn Avenue - to attend the nearby Henderson Avenue Junior School. But she never arrived.

She had walked part of the way to school with two of her siblings, who then caught a bus to another school that they attended. Watching Christine through the bus window, they saw her turn around and walk back in the direction from which they came. She had been known to take the occasional day off school and wander the area.

A relative said they saw Christine at 10am between Brumby Corner and the Priory Hotel on Ashby Road, and several people identified her as being at Scunthorpe train station between 10.30am and 1.20pm. The last known sighting of Christine was shortly after 11pm in the Davey Avenue area.

Christine, who was one of eight siblings, had been wearing a plain, long-sleeved red dress, red socks, brown shoes and a blue wet-look coat when she disappeared.

The Scunthorpe schoolgirl, 9, who disappeared without a trace half a century ago

May 21, 2023 marks 50 years since the tragic disappearance of Christine Markham - here's everything you need to know about the case that was never solved

www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk

 

[John/Jane Doe]

1054DFUK - Christine Markham

 

[sportstergirl]

Robert Black is the first name that springs to mind when it comes to missing girls. He was working as a van driver based in London but delivering throughout the UK. There's a good chance of him being in the area if on route to the North East or his native Scotland

 

[dotr]

1054DFUK - Christine Markham

Ty, from link..

1054DFUK - Christine Markham​

Name: Christine Markham
Case Classification: Involuntary
Missing Since: May 21, 1973
Location Last Seen: Humberside, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom.

Physical Description​

Date of Birth: Circa 1964
Age: 9 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers​

Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance​

Markham disappeared from her home in Robinson Road, Scunthorpe, on May 21, 1973 and has not been seen since. She left home to attend school but failed to arrive.

Christine walked part-way to school with two of her siblings, who then caught a bus to another school that they attended. Through the bus window, they saw Christine turn around and walk back in the direction in which they came. She had been known to take the odd day off school and wander the area.

A number of sightings were reported to the police of Christine's whereabouts; including a relative who was on a bus and saw her on Ashby Road between the Brumby corner and Priory pub around 10.30 on that Monday.

 

[alb1on]

Robert Black is the first name that springs to mind when it comes to missing girls. He was working as a van driver based in London but delivering throughout the UK. There's a good chance of him being in the area if on route to the North East or his native Scotland

The known job as a driver which took him around the country started in 1976, 3 years after Christine disappeared. His work history before that is hazy but he was based in London from 1968 and there has been no evidence that he had a job taking him around the UK before 1976. All of the proven murders and those where he is a strong suspect postdate the start of the 1976 job. It is not impossible he is the offender in this case but my concern has always been that a focus on him risks distracting from other possible offenders, some of whom look more likely.

 

[sportstergirl]

Thanks I wasn't aware he started delivery driving at a later date