CA-At Last, Closure for a Mother

[marylandmissing]

[left]http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-missing15may15,1,3993164.story (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-missing15may15,1,3993164.story)
At Last, Closure for a Mother

Blanche Coogan's son was swept to his death by an ocean wave. After 22 years, she finally got the news she wanted: His body had been found.

By Donna Horowitz
Special to The Times

May 15, 2005

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — Out of the blue one December day, Blanche Coogan finally got the news she had longed for: Her missing son's remains apparently had been found.

The Seltzer, Pa., woman had wondered if she'd ever be able to bury her son, Joseph Coogan, who died after a wave swept him off seaside rocks in California 22 years earlier. "That was the reason God let me live so long, so I could get this phone call," Marin County coroner's investigator Darrell Harris recalled the 86-year-old woman saying when he contacted her.

[lostfaith]

[left]http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-missing15may15,1,3993164.story (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-missing15may15,1,3993164.story)
At Last, Closure for a Mother

Blanche Coogan's son was swept to his death by an ocean wave. After 22 years, she finally got the news she wanted: His body had been found.

By Donna Horowitz
Special to The Times

May 15, 2005

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — Out of the blue one December day, Blanche Coogan finally got the news she had longed for: Her missing son's remains apparently had been found.

The Seltzer, Pa., woman had wondered if she'd ever be able to bury her son, Joseph Coogan, who died after a wave swept him off seaside rocks in California 22 years earlier. "That was the reason God let me live so long, so I could get this phone call," Marin County coroner's investigator Darrell Harris recalled the 86-year-old woman saying when he contacted her.

Well, that took them long enough. Body found a month after he went missing, seems to me there were some pretty good clues found with the body. What took them so long?

[sharon25]

did his friend make a police report in that county?? about his friend getting washed off a rock into the ocean???

wow, it sorta doesn't give you!
:(

hopefully this was just a rare thing- that it took so long!

[lisag]

Thats very sad that it took 22 years for him to be identified... At least his mother has some peace now.

[Old Broad]

This article explains in very good detail how something like this could happen. I have to admit that reading it brought tears to my eyes, thinking of his family finally hearing that he had been found.
It also shows how such a mystery can be solved when you have the right people working on such a cold case!

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/04/14/MNG77C85QH1.DTL

Old Broad

[MagicRose99]

This article explains in very good detail how something like this could happen. I have to admit that reading it brought tears to my eyes, thinking of his family finally hearing that he had been found.
It also shows how such a mystery can be solved when you have the right people working on such a cold case!

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/04/14/MNG77C85QH1.DTL

Old Broad
Darrell Harris is a good cop! He's been advising isabel in the Rose Cole thread in the Cold Cases section. He works hard and tireless to bring closure for families.

[dark_shadows]

Hello Marylandmissing,:)
Thank-you for posting the article.