VT VT - Paula Jean Welden, 18, Glastenbury Mountain, 1 Dec 1946

[BostonSu]

Has anyone noticed the similarities between Welden and Ruth Baumgardner?
Same height, weight, somewhat similar appearance, both in college, living with their parents when not at school, both majoring in art. Both blond with blue eyes.

Welden in December of 1946, Baumgardner in May of 1937.
I know it's a gap, but stranger things have happened.

That's always bugged me too. It seems so far fetched, but if they were closer, either phycially or in time, people would probably link them.

 

[talelights]

You might enjoy reading Michael Doolings book "Clueless in New England" in which he writes about Paula and what may have happened that day. It calls attention to three girls who may have met with the same fate.

 

[Marilynilpa]

Has anyone noticed the similarities between Welden and Ruth Baumgardner?
Same height, weight, somewhat similar appearance, both in college, living with their parents when not at school, both majoring in art. Both blond with blue eyes.

Welden in December of 1946, Baumgardner in May of 1937.
I know it's a gap, but stranger things have happened.

Ruth Baumgardner is a particular interest of mine, I've been researching her disappearance on and off for the past several years.

I did notice the similarities between these two girls. I'd be curious to know if any college girls of similar appearance vanished between 1937 and 1946 - could be a serial killer but no one ever made the connection.

Not only are they similar in appearance, but both girls left apparently intending to come back. These weren't runaways. In both cases, also, there was some anxiety over school, although what college student hasn't felt that way?!?

 

[mtrooper]

Does anyone want to volunteer to put Paula into NAMUS? Today is the 65th anniversary of her mysterious vanishing. Hopefully this will be the last year of her mystery.

 

[scriptgirl]

Sounds goo-what is NAMUS? Are any of her family still alive?

 

[KarlK]

Middlebury is in the more southern part of Vermont, and the Canada-US border is along the northern edge of Vermont. (I spent a large portion of my childhood along the Canadian border in northwestern VT.) If the three bodies of the woman and two children were transported from Canada it seems unlikely the murderer/disposer would have traveled that far south with three bodies in their car, when there are hundreds of miles of very rural and isolated woods and mountains in the northern part of the state/closer to the border.

I agree it's a long shot. The possible Canadian connection is not so much due to the proximity -or lack thereof- to the border as to the fact that the victims were never reported missing, which prompts one to consider various possibilities to explain it.

 

[KarlK]

I don't buy the mob angle on that either. The mafia do not harm women or children.

One reason why they have that reputation is because when "dirty work" needs to be done (such as suppressing witnesses) the mob occasionally contract independent hit men that don't always possess such noble ethics. That said, it is the location that makes it doubtful it was a mob hit. I agree with you that it was likely something more personal.

 

[scriptgirl]

Or a serial killer at work

 

[KarlK]

Last weekend I drove by Bennington and out of curiosity followed Route 9 (an extension of Main Street) east to Long Trail Road (also called Harbour Road which is confusing) then walked a short distance up Harbour/Long Trail Road. This is deep woods, it's not hard to imagine that someone losing their way there could quickly succumb to exposure and their body never found, especially since this happened at the beginning of winter with scarcely anyone using the trail until the following May on account of deep snow cover which lasts for months in that area.

As for the body never being found there are several species of carnivorous animals living in those woods (black bears, eastern coyotes, foxes, raccoons, skunks, etc.) that would quickly dispose of any remains long before Spring thaw. Anyone familiar with New England wilderness knows how rare it is to stumble upon remains of even very large animals such as moose in the woods, due to wildlife's efficiency at "recycling" the dead. Because of the context I think the most likely explanation for Miss Welden's disappearance is that she either got lost or hurt herself, and perished in the woods.

Some people seem to forget an important detail in the case: it took several days before anyone realized she had gone to the Long Trail, and therefore search parties to that area were delayed. Last but not least there are many secondary trails branching off Long Trail and in the dark she may have ended up on any one of those.

 

[Irish_Eyes]

Just in case, I'm linking this here:

VT VT - Danby - Young Adult Female Skull Found on Roadside - Feb'12 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

This is the thread for an unidentified female skull found by the roadside near Danby, VT. Right now, the estimated DOD is between 1990 and 2005, which is obviously way out of range for Paula. But I don't know how they know it was no earlier than 1990? Anyway, with the location being so close to where Paula was last seen, I thought it was worth mentioning.

 

[Stella]

I just re-read Paula's chapter from "Clueless in New England" and am inclined to think she may have gone up to the Long Trail with the intention to commit suicide by hypothermia. It puzzles me why she would leave by herself at 2:45 p.m for a destination that far away, without her own transportation, when it would be dark in less than 3 hours. She was not getting along well with her parents or her friends and was having a crisis over her school major. She had been depressed, restless and irritable. My only problem with this is why her bright red jacket was not spotted; it would've stood out clearly in the snow. That is why I can't give myself over 100% to the suicide theory. Without finding that jacket, the possibility remains that she was murdered, then buried in the ground or under the floor of a house on the trail.

 

[scriptgirl]

I think she was murdered.

 

[asp17061]

I think the author of Clueless in New England made a good case that a predator stalked that part of New England from the mid 30s through the late 40s.

That predator might even be the last man to apparently see Paula walking up the trail, the author spent a lot of time on him, and that man changed his story a lot.

 

[VictoriaVictoria]

I believe she was killed by a hitchhiker. remember, she hitched hiked at 2:30 and was seen at 4/5 so who is to say she didn't hitchhike back?? Starting fresh is one thing, this seems abrupt. This reminds me of the case from the Unsolved Mysteries segment. It was a modern case where a girl wanted to start new, but her jeep was found in the woods. She had crashed. Everyone thought it was on purpose so she could start new...but I think it was a coincidence and she just plan wrecked.

 

[asp17061]

I think you're referring to leah roberts.

it's likely she was murdered. her Disappeared episode has more information about that case.

Sent from my SGH-T699 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Shamrocker99]

I believe the most likely cause of her disappearance was death due to suicide/the elements...yes, her red jacket should have been visible, but I am wondering if she turned her jacket inside out to avoid detection from anyone looking for her?? Most jackets have a more subtle lining which would blend better with the environment.
MOO

 

[Rainstorm]

I think her dna should be entered into databases. There are so many unidentified remains found all over north America. Not listed. Places like find a grave have unidentified remains listed that aren't on doe network or any of the other. ..
If you Google mulburry,of anything in this area. you will see many deaths or missing listed since then. Perhaps even more simular situations if the area.
My thoughts are if she is there. Wouldn't a piece of her coat or clothing have been dragged out. Even if an animal got her.
Also it could be she was meeting someone there and was seen waiting. Maybe she met with foul play elsewhere.

 

[Rainstorm]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Jean_Welden

This Wikipedia page us of interest. ..it was updated 8 hours ago. ..

 

[Damariscotta]

I just finished reading Clueless in New England. In there is a part that describes how Paula had a watch she was wearing during her disappearance. Makes me want to buy a metal detector and search along the areas that could have possibly been overlooked way back then.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Kk1982]

long, long time reader, first time poster!

Have long held a special interest in this case.
I was wondering if anyone could help me -
this thread says that Paula had a 'prominent gap between two teeth' (http://www.officialcoldcaseinvestigations.com/showthread.php?121-Paula-Jean-Welden-1946-Vermont) > I have not seen this information anywhere else, does anyone know where this fact came from or if it was true?

A long shot, but I came across this today - http://www.missing-u.ca/UIDetail.aspx?PersonID=123
I know that the age is just less, and it is a long way away, but the height fits - does anyone know if Paula had any dental work done?