WY WY/OK - Royal Russell Long, 1970s and 1980s

[Schiellj]

I'm sorry you've been carrying this for so long. I hope you're able to find some answers.

Thanks for your kind words. I wasn't born when Barb went missing and I'm a distant relative so I never met her. Her siblings still search for answers. Hopefully we can find some.

 

[jjBelt]

What about Misty Donna Copsey and Christina Lee White? I know could be a long shot but most carnivals travel the whole United States like a circus would so why wouldn't it make sense if he had also stopped in Washington.

Christina Lee White

Missing Age: 12 Years
Nickname/Alias: Chrissy
Height: 5' 4" (64 Inches)
Weight: 135 lbs
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Date of Last Contact: April 28, 1979
Location: Asotin, Washington
Circumstances of Disappearance: Christina was last seen at the Asotin County Fairgrounds on April 28, 1979. She was riding a 10-speed Schwinn bicycle that has also never been located.

Hair Color: Brown
Piercing
Each of Christina's ears are pierced twice.


Misty D. Copsey

Missing Ag:e14 Years
Height: 5' 8" (68 Inches)
Weight: 120 lbs
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Date of Last Contact: September 17, 1992
Location: Tacoma, Washington
County: Pierce County
Circumstances of Disappearance:Misty was last seen in the evening, walking home from the Puyallup Fairgrounds. Misty missed her bus home and has not been seen since.

Hair Color: Blond/Strawberry
Scar/mark: Misty has a mole under her right eye and a scar under her right knee.

 

[Hoopsticks]

What about Misty Donna Copsey and Christina Lee White? I know could be a long shot but most carnivals travel the whole United States like a circus would so why wouldn't it make sense if he had also stopped in Washington.

Christina Lee White

Missing Age: 12 Years
Nickname/Alias: Chrissy
Height: 5' 4" (64 Inches)
Weight: 135 lbs
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Date of Last Contact: April 28, 1979
Location: Asotin, Washington
Circumstances of Disappearance: Christina was last seen at the Asotin County Fairgrounds on April 28, 1979. She was riding a 10-speed Schwinn bicycle that has also never been located.

Hair Color: Brown
Piercing
Each of Christina's ears are pierced twice.


Misty D. Copsey

Missing Ag:e14 Years
Height: 5' 8" (68 Inches)
Weight: 120 lbs
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Date of Last Contact: September 17, 1992
Location: Tacoma, Washington
County: Pierce County
Circumstances of Disappearance:Misty was last seen in the evening, walking home from the Puyallup Fairgrounds. Misty missed her bus home and has not been seen since.

Hair Color: Blond/Strawberry
Scar/mark: Misty has a mole under her right eye and a scar under her right knee.

Long was in prison when Copsey disappeared. I always kinda leaned hard toward Ridgway possibly being involved with her disappearance, but couldn't say I throw a whole lot of weight into that. If I recall correctly, clothing of Copsey's was found in relatively close proximity to the remains of two other murdered women along an isolated stretch of road. Her remains weren't found, but I specifically remember reading an article where clothing of hers, specifically her pants, were identified by her mother. The circumstances suggest a common offender between the three. I don't have the exact details, but can probably find them with a bit of a search.

Christina White, though? That's an interesting one. However, we're talking potential serial offenders in the Pacific Northwest in the late seventies(ow do you even start narrowing it down?). It definitely fits Long's established MO and preferred victimology.

 

[dotr]

Just now learned of this SK as he was referenced by a poster on this thread as a possible suspect in this double murder.

NM - NM - Patty Pritz, 14, & Mattie Restine, 13, Carlsbad, 11 Aug 1961 - #2

I'm on here, but can't spend as much time as I would like. I just major surgery and going to have another soon. I will try to be on here later this month . Thank you all for caring about Mattie and Patty. Take care and get well soon!

www.websleuths.com

 

[Raychilay]

I have often wondered if anyone has considered him a possible suspect in Barb Cotton's disappearance from Williston in 1981.

I really think that would be a long shot since he always abducted and killed in pairs! Hopefully we can find answers for Barb!

 

[Schiellj]

I've always felt like there's so much we don't know about him and in my research I haven't found anything that suggests that he never strayed from his MO. The cases that he is known/believed to be responsible for are double cases. I'm not willing to write him off. I find it hard to believe that he'd pass up every opportunity just because a potential victim was alone.

 

[Vital Forces]

It is possible, but by no means certain, that he murdered Carolyn Eaton aka Valentine Sally. She was seen with a truck driver wearing a cowboy hat in Arizona in the early morning hours of February 4, 1982 and was presumably murdered by him soon after. Long was active in that general area of the country and is not known to have committed any other crimes at that time.

Edit: This was already suggested by another in February 2021.

 

[Mysteries1974]

I really think that would be a long shot since he always abducted and killed in pairs! Hopefully we can find answers for Barb!

Not always. He’s suspected of killing Deborah Rae Meyer and Jayleen Banker in August 1974 in Rawlins, Wyoming. Deborah was kidnapped while she was walking to a local movie theater and she was alone. Jayleen was taken after she was separated from friends at the carnival/rodeo that was happening. Both girls were alone and are suspected victims of Long.

 

[Deleted member 300796]

Is this the same girl? WY - WY - Lynn Dianne Olson, 16, Green River Lakes, 28 June 1963

Lynn Olson disappeared mysteriously from her grandparents ranch. Her clothing was found but no trace of her. She would not fit the profile for a serial. But it is an interesting mystery

 

[Bit of hope]

Lynn Olson disappeared mysteriously from her grandparents ranch. Her clothing was found but no trace of her. She would not fit the profile for a serial. But it is an interesting mystery

I agree on not fitting in SK profile. On the first page of this thread she was mentioned as a possible victim and I was clearing up what girl we were talking about, linking her thread. It's indeed a very particular story. I don't see how it would fit in with SK R.R. Long.

 

[ceejay72]

Not always. He’s suspected of killing Deborah Rae Meyer and Jayleen Banker in August 1974 in Rawlins, Wyoming. Deborah was kidnapped while she was walking to a local movie theater and she was alone. Jayleen was taken after she was separated from friends at the carnival/rodeo that was happening. Both girls were alone and are suspected victims of Long.

You really can't say he always abducted in pairs, as that hasn't been proven. There was Deborah Meyer 15 and then a young girl of 9 that disappeared singly, one from the little britches rodeo and one just walking in town and he was there, and he is suspected in those cases as he is in Carlene Brown and Christy Gross from that same place, in Rawlins, WY He was considered an opportunistic killer, and that made him unpredictable.

 

[Deleted member 300796]

According to RRL, an incarcerated soon to be deathrow inmate. I dont know if this points to them being alive or not at this point, but it may point to RRL having been involved with at least one other person. It is possible they were alive but whatever may have supported that notion is most likely lost. And if so, it may explain some of the inconsistencies in these cases of pairs of missing girls. Why capture two victims in every case? It doesnt make sense if you’re one person.

He didn't take two everytime, however the known time he did my theory is that two girls going to work for him at the fairs would have been easier to lure away than one girl who may have gotten frightened. Once they were alone with him he could use one to keep the other under control. Once he killed one, he only had the other to manage.

 

[Mysteries1974]

He didn't take two everytime, however the known time he did my theory is that two girls going to work for him at the fairs would have been easier to lure away than one girl who may have gotten frightened. Once they were alone with him he could use one to keep the other under control. Once he killed one, he only had the other to manage.

My post was basically summarizing what I’ve read and gathered about Long over the years. He’s suspected of abducting Carlene Brown and Christy Gross in 1974. He’s also suspected of killing Cinda Pallett and Charlotte Kinsey in 1981. He then abducted Sharon Baldeagle and her friend Sandi in 1984. Three of the cases he’s suspected/linked to involved two girls being taken at the same time. Some might disagree, but personally I think it’s fair to say he targeted pairs and single victims alike.

 

[Deleted member 300796]

My post was basically summarizing what I’ve read and gathered about Long over the years. He’s suspected of abducting Carlene Brown and Christy Gross in 1974. He’s also suspected of killing Cinda Pallett and Charlotte Kinsey in 1981. He then abducted Sharon Baldeagle and her friend Sandi in 1984. Three of the cases he’s suspected/linked to involved two girls being taken at the same time. Some might disagree, but personally I think it’s fair to say he targeted pairs and single victims alike.

I agree, he also took Deborah Meyer and Jaylene Banker from Rawlins that summer in 1974. As possibly more in Oklahoma, California and Wyoming. Last count I read was suspecting between 20 to as many as 40 over 4 or 5 states.

 

[Earth]

If we knew the carnival routes then it would make things much easier. It's the same problem with truckers; if we knew the routes it would be easier to name possible victims.

 

[Mysteries1974]

If we knew the carnival routes then it would make things much easier. It's the same problem with truckers; if we knew the routes it would be easier to name possible victims.

Long went cross country so we might never know who he’s truly responsible for but I will put the list of them below so we can keep track:

Proven:

Sharon Baldeagle and Sandi (09/18/1984) Eagle Butte, South Dakota

Presumed:

Cinda Pallett and Charlotte Kinsey (09/25/1981) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Suspected:

Carlene Brown and Christy Gross (07/04/1974) Rawlins, Wyoming

Deborah Rae Meyer (08/04/1974) Rawlins, Wyoming

Jayleen Dawn Banker (08/23/1974) Rawlins, Wyoming

Possible:

Carolyn Celeste Eaton (12/25/1981) Bellefontaine Neighbors, Missouri

 

[Mysteries1974]

After years, I finally managed to find a newspaper article with Jayleen’s photo. I definitely think Long killed her, Carlene Brown, and Christy Gross. Christy and Jayleen were both killed by blunt force trauma. Carlene hasn’t been found but I feel it’s safe to assume she likely perished with Christy and her body hasn’t been located yet.

It’s also possible Brown has been located as a Jane Doe but can’t be identified since she was adopted and investigators can’t find out who her biological family is.

As for Deborah Meyer, the details on her case are murky. Reports state that Meyer was last seen leaving a relatives house located on Seventh and Spruce Streets on 08/04/1974 to walk to a local movie theater. She never arrived though. Her NamUs says she wasn’t reported missing until March 16th 1978.

I do generally believe Long was behind Deborah’s case. However, i also believe Meyer might’ve been Ted Bundy’s unidentified victim he picked up near Boise, Idaho on September 2nd 1974. Bundy said he picked up a teenage girl with brown hair. He said the victim appeared to be a runaway, she told him she was trying to get to Montana.

While Bundy believed the girl had run away from Boise, Idaho… i wonder if it’s possible he picked up Deborah. Maybe she was trying to get back to Red Lodge, Montana? Ted said he murdered the girl and dumped her body in the Snake River. He would do the same thing to Lynette Culver in May 1975. I’ve always felt Deborah’s remains are somewhere in Wyoming undiscovered because due to her full set of dentures, she wouldn’t be hard to miss as a Jane Doe.

Maybe Deborah hasn’t been found yet because she was the unnamed victim from September 1974. If she was the victim and she was dumped in the Snake River, like Lynette Culver she will probably never be found.

Here is the description for Bundy’s unnamed victim, I feel the description does favor Deborah Meyer:

“On September 2, 1974, serial killer Theodore “Ted” Bundy abducted a young female hitchhiker from I-84 on the outskirts of Boise.

During an hour-long confession tape with Idaho investigators before his execution in 1989, Bundy said the girl seemed to be a runaway, possibly making her way to Montana. He believed she was running away from the Boise area. Bundy described her as approximately 16-18 years of age, white, about 5’6”, with light brown hair. She was carrying a green backpack and wearing a simple beaded necklace with black and light-colored beads resembling spaghetti. He had possibly picked her up near the Eisenmann exit, in view of ranch-style houses.”

 

[Mysteries1974]

Something that I found today while doing an ancestry search on Long is that he lived in Redding, California when he was four years old in 1940. This means he had a link to California and could also be connected to unsolved crimes there. Not sure if this has been mentioned previously or not if it has my apologies.

 

[Schiellj]

Something that I found today while doing an ancestry search on Long is that he lived in Redding, California when he was four years old in 1940. This means he had a link to California and could also be connected to unsolved crimes there. Not sure if this has been mentioned previously or not if it has my apologies.

I saw this as well. Unfortunately it does seem that the possibilities are literally endless for him. I have been researching him for a couple of years now and it seems you have as well so if you want to compare notes or discuss please feel free to email me findbarbcotton gmail

 

[Earth]

Because Long seems to have his suspected and known victims placed years apart, I have come up with a few theories. From what i could see, he is suspected of three or four murders in Wyoming over a two-month period in 1974, followed by radio silence until 1981 in Oklahoma, then nothing until South Dakota in 1984. To add to that, he was 39 in 1974 and as he worked as a trucker and at public events such as rodeos or carnivals, he could have gone anywhere.

None of my suggestions are very pleasant.

1. Royal Russell Long chose hitchhikers over girls from public events.

By this, I mean that as far as we understand his MO, we only know part of it. I cannot find anything on his life prior to 1974. Maybe he did choose to take girls or young women from big events, but that would still be somewhat noticed. perhaps he preferred to pick up hitchhikers. This again would be a nightmare to follow up because we don't know his routes or where he liked to work. This theory came up when I was wondering if Carolyn Eaton (Valentine Sally) was a victim, as speculated by many online.

2. He worked for a trafficking ring.

This theory is supported by the fact that out of his known or suspected victims, four or five of them (Carlene, Deborah, Cinda, Charlotte and Sharon) have not been found. While it is true that Long might have preferred using back roads and carefully hid the bodies, I think this possibility should still be looked at.

Cinda and Charlotte were 13. Sharon was 12 and her friend Sandi was 15. Carolyn Eaton was 17. Young enough to appeal to pedophiles, but old enough to possibly pass as adults (or for pedophiles interested in the revolting part of children dressed as adults).

This theory might fall flat in regards to Carlene Brown and Christy Gross (who were 19) and Jayleen Baker (whose body was found) and probably with Carolyn (found deceased a few days after she was probably sighted). But consider that 19 would still be pretty close for 'passing' for these kinds of people and Christy's remains were only found nine years after she went missing. As for Jayleen and Carolyn, maybe Long was genuinely a killer, but only killed some of the victims.

Then there is the most unsettling theory...

3. He kept the girls for a while before killing them.

I have always stated on this website that at least one Jane or John Doe in NamUs could be a Jaycee Dugard or Steven Stayner. That is, somebody abducted as a child or a young adult and held for a considerable amount of time. I have also put forward the possibility that said abductor may be a trucker.

It would explain the long gaps where he committed no known or suspected crimes. It may explain why Christy's remains were not recovered for some years. Perhaps the place where he held them wasn't even in Wyoming; remember, he travelled the country excessively.

Yes, there was an examination of the vehicle he used in 1981, where there was an outline of 'one large body or two small bodies'. But forensic science has moved on since then and it was impossible to tell whether the blood was human or animal.

Of course, this leaves the rather horrifying idea that Long took Sharon to a secondary location and simply left her there...