Anna Christian Waters (Missing 1/16/1973 from Half Moon Bay, CA)

[Dr. Doogie]

I am starting a new thread concerning Anna Christian Waters who disappeared from her front yard January 16, 1973 in Half Moon Bay, San Mateo County, CA.

Here is her NCMEC missing poster: http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=601935&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US

I have been researching this case for the last nine months with the help of Anna's family and a private investigator who has been involved since the late 1970's. I will be posting as much information as we have been able to find that we feel would be useful.

It would be appreciated if the Websleuthing Community could put your collective brain-power toward solving this case.

[shadowangel]

You brought up some excellent points about this case in the Sharon Marshall threads. Maybe you could post them here?

[meggilyweggily]

I wish I knew more about Anna's disappearance. There's so little info available and I could not find any articles on her.

[Dr. Doogie]

I will be posting a series of topics that I have uncovered relating to Anna's disappearance very soon, hopefully starting today. Due to computer problems on my part, I can only stay connected to the internet for short periods of time before my computer crashes, so I am having to compose my posts offline and then cut-and-pasting them here.


I have numerous pictures of Anna and other players in this mystery that I will be posting here (once I recieve permission from Anna's mother). The mother has provided me with her diary of the search for Anna, plus I will also post what I and the private investigator have discovered.

Stay tuned for lots of info.

[*02]

Very interested to hear what's new on Anna, Dr Doogie- hope you get the computer problems fixed.

[Dr. Doogie]

Anna's family lived in a rural part of coastal San Mateo County near Half Moon Bay, CA. On the day of her disappearance, Anna arrived home via her schoolbus at about 1PM on January 16, 1973. She changed her clothes and went out into the yard to play. Both her mother and step-father were home and inside the house at the time.

At 2:20, her mother noticed that she did not hear Anna playing anymore. A quick search of the immediate propertywas done, but Anna was not there. The San Mateo County Sheriffs were called at 3PM and arrived at 3:15PM. Immediately upon arrival, the sheriffs deputy sounded his siren in an attempt to attract Anna's attention in case she had wandered off.

The mother felt that the most immediate danger to Anna was a creek that ran through thier property that was at flood stage on that day. All inital efforts were directed toward searching the creek and its banks. All subsequent searches of the creek have not turned up any evidence that Anna fell into the creek - this includes scuba searches and several foot-by-foot searches of the entire length of the creek from the point of Anna's disappearance to the mouth of the creek where it discharges into the Pacific Ocean. Anna's body would have washed up on the banks or been trapped in underbrush or the several dams that existed between the property and the ocean.

It was not until the searching of the creek was completed that the focus fell on a possible abduction. Unfortunately, that was several days after her disappearance.

[smile22]

your link in the last posting is not working its the last pic or something, anways id be really intrested in helping solve this case. some other cases from the 70s that im also researching that could be linked to annas case the only thing that wouldnt link them is the distance these cases happend in the new england east coast area. janice pockett age 7, 1973 riding her bike- tolland ct lisa white 13 years old comming home from a friends 197? Rockville ct, andy pugliese age 10 i belive lawrence mass. 197? on his way home from the pool.

[Dr. Doogie]

The San Mateo County Sheriffs Department lists the disappearance of Anna as a "probable stanger abduction", meaning that she would have been taken by someone other than a family member.

A friend of the family who was on his way to visit passed on the road a white panel van coming away from the direction of the house containing "a young man and an old man" five minutes before Anna was noticed to be missing. They were not residents of the immediate area.

Purissima Creek Road is not a major thoroughfare - a person would be on this road only if they had a reason to. It is unlikely that a predator looking to kidnap a child would travel this road. It would make much more sense to search for prey in a park or a school area where one would know that children would most likely be.

Because of this fact, I believe that Anna was not taken by a stranger. No, somebody wanted her specifically and knew where to find her. But who? And why?

[Dr. Doogie]

your link in the last posting is not working its the last pic or something, anways id be really intrested in helping solve this case. some other cases from the 70s that im also researching that could be linked to annas case the only thing that wouldnt link them is the distance these cases happend in the new england east coast area. janice pockett age 7, 1973 riding her bike- tolland ct lisa white 13 years old comming home from a friends 197? Rockville ct, andy pugliese age 10 i belive lawrence mass. 197? on his way home from the pool.Smille22:

The name of the photo is "Last Photo", meaning this was last picture taken before her disappearance (within two weeks). It seems to be working when I click on the link. If you continue to have trouble with it, let me know and I can email it directly to you.

It is stunning the number of missing children from the 1970's and 1980's - before we had Amber Alerts, the NCMEC, Megan's Law, etc. There were an alarming string of child abductions in Northern California alone. However, I do not believe that Anna was taken by a stranger, as coming posts will demonstrate.

[mere]

This is what I get when I click the link.

you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:


Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.

[*02]

Smille22:

The name of the photo is "Last Photo", meaning this was last picture taken before her disappearance (within two weeks). It seems to be working when I click on the link. If you continue to have trouble with it, let me know and I can email it directly to you.

It is stunning the number of missing children from the 1970's and 1980's - before we had Amber Alerts, the NCMEC, Megan's Law, etc. There were an alarming string of child abductions in Northern California alone. However, I do not believe that Anna was taken by a stranger, as coming posts will demonstrate.
I am having the same trouble, it says we don't have permission to access the file. I think you might have to copy and paste or upload to a picture sharing site and insert for it to work properly.

[shadowangel]

It is stunning the number of missing children from the 1970's and 1980's - before we had Amber Alerts, the NCMEC, Megan's Law, etc. There were an alarming string of child abductions in Northern California alone. However, I do not believe that Anna was taken by a stranger, as coming posts will demonstrate.
In just a very quick cross-reference in my files, I found these around the time of Anna's disappearance on the west coast-
June '71-Debra Pscholka from Corona, CA (12 years old)
Jan '73-Anna Waters
Jan '74-Donna Packenham from Vallejo, CA (13 years old)
March '74-Heidi Peterson from Seattle WA ( 4 years old-remains found 11 months later in a garbage can near her home)
April '74-Cindy Sumpter from San Jose CA (5 years old)
June '74-Michelle Booher from Long Beach, CA (4 years old, later recovered from William Clifton Knapp living in a boarding house under false ID)
Oct '74-Patricia Kompas from Woodland Hills, CA (10 years old)
March '77-Brandi Summers and her youger sister Tiffany Wise from San Bernandino, CA (4 years old-mother had been killed in the home, a baby was left alive in the home)

Distances vary, but just this short list seems like a lot for the time frame...

[Marilynilpa]

In just a very quick cross-reference in my files, I found these around the time of Anna's disappearance on the west coast-
June '71-Debra Pscholka from Corona, CA (12 years old)
Jan '73-Anna Waters
Jan '74-Donna Packenham from Vallejo, CA (13 years old)
March '74-Heidi Peterson from Seattle WA ( 4 years old-remains found 11 months later in a garbage can near her home)
April '74-Cindy Sumpter from San Jose CA (5 years old)
June '74-Michelle Booher from Long Beach, CA (4 years old, later recovered from William Clifton Knapp living in a boarding house under false ID)
Oct '74-Patricia Kompas from Woodland Hills, CA (10 years old)
March '77-Brandi Summers and her youger sister Tiffany Wise from San Bernandino, CA (4 years old-mother had been killed in the home, a baby was left alive in the home)

Distances vary, but just this short list seems like a lot for the time frame...
Oh my god, reading that list just gave me the chills. So many little girls missing, and you say that is just a short list! How awful.

[Dr. Doogie]

Thank you for the short list of missing children from the West Coast during this time period. I have always felt that IF this were a stranger abduction, that it would be tied to the Sumpter case out of San Jose. Both girls were five years old, both were taken from their own yards, the disappearances were only 15 months apart and only 30-40 miles away from each other.

One frightening fact that came out during the family's search for Anna: Richard Allen Davis (murderer of Polly Klaas) lived in La Honda in 1973 (less than ten miles away from where Anna disappeared). However, an investigation of the whereabouts of Davis showed that he was in the local jail on the day that Anna disappeared.

There have been several serial pedophile/predators that have been captured in the Bay Area in the 1970's thru the 1990's, but none have ever been even loosely tied back to Anna's case.

PS I am working on the file issues. I may have to post them on a third party site with URL links to them for you all to view them. I will let you know soon.

[Marilynilpa]

Thank you for the short list of missing children from the West Coast during this time period. I have always felt that IF this were a stranger abduction, that it would be tied to the Sumpter case out of San Jose. Both girls were five years old, both were taken from their own yards, the disappearances were only 15 months apart and only 30-40 miles away from each other.

One frightening fact that came out during the family's search for Anna: Richard Allen Davis (murderer of Polly Klaas) lived in La Honda in 1973 (less than ten miles away from where Anna disappeared). However, an investigation of the whereabouts of Davis showed that he was in the local jail on the day that Anna disappeared.

There have been several serial pedophile/predators that have been captured in the Bay Area in the 1970's thru the 1990's, but none have ever been even loosely tied back to Anna's case.

PS I am working on the file issues. I may have to post them on a third party site with URL links to them for you all to view them. I will let you know soon.
You stated that you don't think this was a stranger abduction because the road is not a major thoroughfare. Is this an area where everyone knows each other, recognizes the cars that belong in the area, etc.?

[Dr. Doogie]

I am starting to post the photos on a Yahoo Pic site that will allow anyone to access. I will include the links as I post future pics, but here are the previous pictures.

The last photo of Anna before here disappearance: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/drdoogief/detail?.dir=aac9&.dnm=4481.jpg

A map of the road where she disappeared:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/drdoogief/detail?.dir=aac9&.dnm=f237.jpg&.src=ph

[docwho3]

I am starting to post the photos on a Yahoo Pic site that will allow anyone to access. I will include the links as I post future pics, but here are the previous pictures.

The last photo of Anna before here disappearance: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/drdoogief/detail?.dir=aac9&.dnm=4481.jpg

A map of the road where she disappeared:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/drdoogief/detail?.dir=aac9&.dnm=f237.jpg&.src=ph
Very interesting.

[Dr. Doogie]

You stated that you don't think this was a stranger abduction because the road is not a major thoroughfare. Is this an area where everyone knows each other, recognizes the cars that belong in the area, etc.?
Marilynilpa:

The mother stated that approximately 200 cars a day would travel this road. Because of the fact that there are much quicker and shorter routes between the two end-points of the road, almost everyone who would travel it either lived on the road or had some business to conduct somewhere along the way. Yes, most people on the road would have known each other (at least by sight, if not by name), so strangers would have been noticed. That is why the two men in the white panel truck stood out to the neighbor.

One quick note: the information about the two men in the panel truck did not come to light until several days after Anna's disappearance - remember that this was first investigated as a possible drowning. It was not until that posssibility had been discounted that a kidnapping investigation was started.

[Marilynilpa]

Marilynilpa:

The mother stated that approximately 200 cars a day would travel this road. Because of the fact that there are much quicker and shorter routes between the two end-points of the road, almost everyone who would travel it either lived on the road or had some business to conduct somewhere along the way. Yes, most people on the road would have known each other (at least by sight, if not by name), so strangers would have been noticed. That is why the two men in the white panel truck stood out to the neighbor.

One quick note: the information about the two men in the panel truck did not come to light until several days after Anna's disappearance - remember that this was first investigated as a possible drowning. It was not until that posssibility had been discounted that a kidnapping investigation was started.
So anyone trying to get from Point A to Point B would have much quicker ways of getting there than taking this particular road. In that case, it sounds like Anna was taken by someone who either lived in the area, or frequently had business in that area.

I feel so bad for her family - at first they go through the nightmare of thinking their little girl had gotten swept away in a flood-level creek, then have to deal with the terrible reality that their daughter had been abducted. What a horrible situation.

[Dr. Doogie]

Anna's birth father was named George Henry Waters. He married Michaele B. in 1964 in New York City while attending Columbia Medical School. The family moved to San Francisco for him to complete his residency where Anna was born September 25, 1967.



Around the time of Anna's birth, George Waters met an older man by the name of George Brody (probably an alias). Brody was a man in his sixties at that time who immediately started to manipulate Waters and his family into his small cult of personality. Marital strains caused by Brody's manipulation and increasingly paranoid behavior by Waters led to Anna's parents divorcing shortly after her birth.



Although Waters came from a well-to-do family and was a physician working at three different facilities, he moved into a seedy hotel in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco with Brody as his roommate. Brody, who appears to have never worked a day in his life, was completely supported financially by Waters. Waters appears to have not made any moves or decisions with the full approval of Brody. (It should be clarified that even though these were two adult men living in very close arrangements, there has never been any evidence or hint that their relationship was sexual. It appeared to be more a twisted version of guru and disciple.)



Brody showed an disturbing level of interest in Anna. He believed that Anna was the reincarnation of a woman that Brody had lived with for several decades (this despite the fact that Anna was born before the woman in question had died). At Brody's and Water's insistence, the mother agreed to let Anna's name be legally changed, adding the nonsense word "Eifee" as middle name. This was demanded by Brody so that Anna's name and his name would "numerologically" add up to the same number.


In the few years after Anna's birth, George's behavior became more irrational: demanding money from his family, complaints to Anna's mother concerning what was a small child support payment for Anna, crazy accusations toward any and all who used to be his friends. Waters was finally diagnosed as a paranoid-schizophrenic. His family decided against having him committed (even though he had shown himself to be a danger to himself and others) in an effort to let him maintain his doctor's license.

Water's devotion to Brody and Brody's unusual attention to Anna lead back to the sighting of "a young man and an old man" driving a white panel truck in the vicinity of Anna's disappearance. Waters was in his thirties while Brody was in his seventies. Interestingly, after Anna's disappearance, Waters never contacted the mother to see what had happened or to offer condolences. His only known reaction was to contact his attorney to see if he could discontinue his child support payments.

Attached is a picture of George Waters circa 1964:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/drdoogief/detail?.dir=aac9&.dnm=43ea.jpg

Attached is a picture of George Brody from 1974:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/drdoogief/detail?.dir=aac9&.dnm=b94f.jpg&.src=ph

[Marilynilpa]

Anna's birth father was named George Henry Waters. He married Michaele B. in 1964 in New York City while attending Columbia Medical School. The family moved to San Francisco for him to complete his residency where Anna was born September 25, 1967.



Around the time of Anna's birth, George Waters met an older man by the name of George Brody (probably an alias). Brody was a man in his sixties at that time who immediately started to manipulate Waters and his family into his small cult of personality. Marital strains caused by Brody's manipulation and increasingly paranoid behavior by Waters led to Anna's parents divorcing shortly after her birth.



Although Waters came from a well-to-do family and was a physician working at three different facilities, he moved into a seedy hotel in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco with Brody as his roommate. Brody, who appears to have never worked a day in his life, was completely supported financially by Waters. Waters appears to have not made any moves or decisions with the full approval of Brody. (It should be clarified that even though these were two adult men living in very close arrangements, there has never been any evidence or hint that their relationship was sexual. It appeared to be more a twisted version of guru and disciple.)



Brody showed an disturbing level of interest in Anna. He believed that Anna was the reincarnation of a woman that Brody had lived with for several decades (this despite the fact that Anna was born before the woman in question had died). At Brody's and Water's insistence, the mother agreed to let Anna's name be legally changed, adding the nonsense word "Eifee" as middle name. This was demanded by Brody so that Anna's name and his name would "numerologically" add up to the same number.


In the few years after Anna's birth, George's behavior became more irrational: demanding money from his family, complaints to Anna's mother concerning what was a small child support payment for Anna, crazy accusations toward any and all who used to be his friends. Waters was finally diagnosed as a paranoid-schizophrenic. His family decided against having him committed (even though he had shown himself to be a danger to himself and others) in an effort to let him maintain his doctor's license.

Water's devotion to Brody and Brody's unusual attention to Anna lead back to the sighting of "a young man and an old man" driving a white panel truck in the vicinity of Anna's disappearance. Waters was in his thirties while Brody was in his seventies. Interestingly, after Anna's disappearance, Waters never contacted the mother to see what had happened or to offer condolences. His only known reaction was to contact his attorney to see if he could discontinue his child support payments.

Attached is a picture of George Waters circa 1964:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/drdoogief/detail?.dir=aac9&.dnm=43ea.jpg

Attached is a picture of George Brody from 1974:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/drdoogief/detail?.dir=aac9&.dnm=b94f.jpg&.src=ph
That is a most interesting description of Anna's father and his "friend". Now I see why the sighting of the white van with two men is significant.

Did Anna see her father enough to willingly go with him?

That comment about him asking if he could discontinue child support really makes me sick.

[SadieJane]

Dr. D-- Thanks for posting all this information! The pictures of Anna at your link are absolutely precious. What a sweet little girl.

Her father and George Brody are VERY suspicious. I can definitley see Brody convincing her father to help him abduct Anna, given his obsession with her. Does Brody have a criminal history of violent behavior, pedophillia, etc? Was her father ever investigated/questioned by the police? Is he still alive? Did he or Brody have access to any property where they could have buried Anna's body, and has it been searched? Was Anna's DNA ever compared to Sharon Marshall's?

If you have contact with Anna's mother, please let her know that I hope her girl's case will be resolved one day!

[aussiegran]

Dr Doogie ,what information did the P.I come up with was he looking at the father too.this is a very sad story .I hope they find her one way or another .there are so many little ones never found its so tragic for their families.I wish these a$$holes on death row would tell where any bodies are for the families sake.:(

[Ella]

Anna's mother considered the possibility that Anna might be Sharon? The picture you have of them combined, looks like the same person. Of course I am not an expert.
Your research is very interesting. I hope Anna is still alive and will be reunited with her mother. She is a beautiful baby. How is Anna's mother? How does someone live all these years with all that pain and loss...never knowing. I can't even begin to imagine her pain. Please tell her that I have not forgotten Anna and will continue to pray for answers.

[shadowangel]

An article from the Oakland Tribune, dated Jan 17th, '73, states Anna's parents are Mr. and Mrs. Joe Ford??? How did they get that so wrong? Or could there be a clue there....

http://www.newspaperarchive.com/cache2/30332915.pdf (This link will time out after a period, if anyone wishes to view it after that let me know).

[HeartofTexas]

Shadow, I think Dr. Doogie said that Anna's mother had remarried by that point, so perhaps Joe Ford was Anna's stepfather?

[shadowangel]

That very well could be....The only name I've ever seen mentioned is Waters.

[Mr. E]

Anna's mother considered the possibility that Anna might be Sharon? The picture you have of them combined, looks like the same person.
Except Anna had a prominent mole on her cheek. No mole on Sharon.

[HeartofTexas]

There's a Joe Ford who's an FBI agent in the San Francisco FBI office. I guess that's just a coincidence?

[meggilyweggily]

Doogie, may I post the pictures of Anna and the information you gave on the Charley Project?

[Masterj]

Except Anna had a prominent mole on her cheek. No mole on Sharon.
Couldn't that be easily removed though?

[smile22]

yeah my aunt had one and they had cut it off my brother had one on his neck and got his cut off as well. would it possible to post the pic of the women who looks like ann and a pic of ann so that fellow ws could check it out. also this women who was adopted, and doesnt want to find out who her birth family is. wouldnt her parents know where they got her from? what if this agencey got the child and didnt realise it was stolen? what about sending her pic to various adoption agencys. that were around at the time of the 70's i would like more info on ann such as possible suspects any leads any clues

[Mr. E]

I thought the eye color was also different -- blue for Sharon and brown for Anna. Maybe I am mistaken. I'm on my break at work and the computer is very slow, so I can't check it at the moment.

[shadowangel]

I thought the eye color was also different -- blue for Sharon and brown for Anna. Maybe I am mistaken. I'm on my break at work and the computer is very slow, so I can't check it at the moment.
Sharon's eyes were blue, but others have posted here on WS that eye color can change in the first years of development. (Though this transition is usually gray to blue, or green to gray, more drastic changes have been noted). This is one of the reasons I have been trying to find more pics of Sharon in grade school. As I posted in Sharon's section, I would definitely like to see a DNA comparison here if for no other reason than to ease minds and direct energies elsewhere if there is no match...

[HeartofTexas]

Mr. E., you're correct... blue for Sharon and brown for Anna. I don't think eye color changes by that age; however, someone on WS (Shadow?) says eye color can change in the early years. I thought that only happened in babies, but I'm not all that well informed on the subject so will defer to Shadow.

[HeartofTexas]

Here's a little blurb on eye color changes in babies, but it's by no means a definitive answer.


When your baby is about six months old, you’ll have a better idea of eye color as pigmentation begins to form and brown or darker eyes might appear. The baby’s eye color should be determined by about age one, although some individuals may experience eye color changes through adulthood.




http://vision.about.com/od/childrenvision/f/eyecolorchange.htm (http://vision.about.com/od/childrenvision/f/eyecolorchange.htm)

[shadowangel]

Here's a little blurb on eye color changes in babies, but it's by no means a definitive answer.


http://vision.about.com/od/childrenvision/f/eyecolorchange.htm (http://vision.about.com/od/childrenvision/f/eyecolorchange.htm)
I won't go digging for the particular post, but someone on one of the Sharon threads (or Matt B's site) had written of their personal experience with eye-color change during, I believe, the toddler/pre-school years.
In the case of Sharon Marshall, anything is possible. ;)

[Dr. Doogie]

Let me clarify a coupole of points that have been mentioned:

"Mr. & Mrs. Joe Ford": By the time of Anna's disappearance, Anna's mother had remarried Joe Ford (so Joe is Anna's step-father). I did not mention him by name because, even though I am in contact with the family, I have not yet had a chance to ask Joe's permission to post his name. However, you guys are too good - you researched out the name quickly.

In a case like this, it is natural for some suspicion to fall on a step-father. However, understand that Joe is one of the heroes in this story. He is the one who continued the scuba searches in the creek long after the sheriffs had quit. He personally trailed both George Waters and George Brody for months, even to the point of rent the room next to theirs in the seedy San Francisco hotel in an effort to observe them. Joe considered Anna his daughter and made extra-ordinary efforts to find her.

"Anna and Sharon Marshall a Match?": There has never been a DNA test done to compare Anna to Sharon Marshall. However, due to several factors, Gerry Nance at the NCMEC truely believes that Anna is not Sharon.

I first became aware of the Marshall case when I saw a TV show on it during the mid-nineties. I immediately thought of Anna and it ultimately is what has led me to investigate Anna's case. Further review has caused me to believe that the cases are not related, though I am more than willing to be proved wrong.

The posts concerning eye color are correct: Anna's are brown, while Sharon's were blue. One quick note about Anna's mole: all the pictures from the NCMEC depict the mole as much more prominent AND on the wrong cheek. At some point, artists at the Center added the mole to their photos based on a verbal description, but misplaced it. If you view the other photos that are linked above, you will not notice a mole.

My next post will continue the story of the two Georges....

[Dr. Doogie]

Doogie, may I post the pictures of Anna and the information you gave on the Charley Project?
Meggilyweggily:

Anna already has a listing with the Charley Project, but has pretty much only the info that is on the NCMEC poster. Feel free to pass along any additional info or photos that they could use.

[Shelby]

Is it known if Anna's father George is still alive and if so where does he stand in all of this? Also is it known when George Brody died and if any investigating was done with his possessions, etc. after his death to see if he had anything to do with Anna's disappearance?

It just baffles me as to why and how an older man could manipulate a younger man into becoming a totally different person, and what the details are about this situation.

[meggilyweggily]

One quick note about Anna's mole: all the pictures from the NCMEC depict the mole as much more prominent AND on the wrong cheek. At some point, artists at the Center added the mole to their photos based on a verbal description, but misplaced it. If you view the other photos that are linked above, you will not notice a mole.
I don't understand why they did not correct this. It would be easy to do.

[pugsley]

Anna's hair appears to naturally curly. It is consistent with all of her pictures. Sharon's hair in her picture with Floyd, it is bone straight and flat to her head. (it if were blown dry it would puff out slightly)

Please don't suggest that Floyd took the time to blow it dry straight either. ;)

Also, anytime a mole is removed, there is usually a scar, isn't there? Any cosmetic surgeons out there?

Just wanted to toss in my two cents. Although I think they should do DNA to rule it out 100 %

[shadowangel]

Please don't suggest that Floyd took the time to blow it dry straight either. ;)

Though I highly doubt that Anna is Sharon, don't put anything past Floyd. Underestimating his capabilities and the lengths he has, and will, go to has proven fatal.

[Mr. E]

My own experience with eye color:

Both my daughters were born with blue eyes. Older daughter now has gray eyes; younger daughter has green eyes. I have very dark brown eyes and my husband has hazel eyes. The girls' eye color did change until they were probably four or so, but they weren't drastic changes. Brown to blue sounds pretty drastic, but that is just my opinion.

[Dr. Doogie]

It should be stated that both LE and a very respected private investigator who examined Waters and Brody concluded that they could find no direct evidence that they had anything to do with Anna's disappearance. However, absence of evidence is not the same as innocence. And both LE and the PI agreed that the two Georges were extremely odd and capable of doing crazy things.

Brody developed throat cancer and was treated by Waters (who was a physician). Brody died Christmas Eve 1981. His death certificate may have been the only official piece of paperwork that ever existed on Brody - it showed no known birth date, no known relatives and no social security number.

After the death of Brody, Waters went into a frenzy of activity. He started destroying any paperwork or personal information pertaining to himself, Brody or Anna. The few items that he did not destroy were items that were not readily accessible such as safe deposit boxes.

Approximately two weeks after the death of Brody, Waters killed himself by drinking posion while in his hotel room. His death certificate shows a date of January 7, 1982, but this is speculation by the SF Coroner because Waters' body was not discovered until approximately a week after his suicide.

[shadowangel]

Just to play devil's advocate....Reports for the bay area on the day Anna disappeared state that the entire area was in the grip of a storm of almost hurricane-like proportions. Nearly 6 inches of rain had fallen in the 24 hours prior to 8:00 am on the day Anna disappeared. Roads were flooded, levees overflowing, bridges in danger...Winds in excess of 70mph were recorded near Oakland.

The rain continued on throughout that day.

Was Anna's home even accessible by car (or van) at the time? And why, of all days, pick this day to see if she was "grabbable" (for lack of a better word).
I think the assumption would be that she was inside...

[Marilynilpa]

It should be stated that both LE and a very respected private investigator who examined Waters and Brody concluded that they could find no direct evidence that they had anything to do with Anna's disappearance. However, absence of evidence is not the same as innocence. And both LE and the PI agreed that the two Georges were extremely odd and capable of doing crazy things.

Brody developed throat cancer and was treated by Waters (who was a physician). Brody died Christmas Eve 1981. His death certificate may have been the only official piece of paperwork that ever existed on Brody - it showed no known birth date, no known relatives and no social security number.

After the death of Brody, Waters went into a frenzy of activity. He started destroying any paperwork or personal information pertaining to himself, Brody or Anna. The few items that he did not destroy were items that were not readily accessible such as safe deposit boxes.

Approximately two weeks after the death of Brody, Waters killed himself by drinking posion while in his hotel room. His death certificate shows a date of January 7, 1982, but this is speculation by the SF Coroner because Waters' body was not discovered until approximately a week after his suicide.
This is a very disturbing case. I wonder if Waters killed himself out of grief caused by Brody's death, or by guilt.

You are so right when you say absence of evidence is not the same as innocence.

It sounds as though these two men would be capable of doing anything, including kidnapping Anna. I am sure the police looked into the activities of these two pretty closely. Did the police ever indicate they suspected Waters and Brody?

I posted this question earlier, but I'll post it here as well - did Anna know her father well enough that she would have gone with him without putting up a fuss?

[Dr. Doogie]

Just to play devil's advocate....Reports for the bay area on the day Anna disappeared state that the entire area was in the grip of a storm of almost hurricane-like proportions. Nearly 6 inches of rain had fallen in the 24 hours prior to 8:00 am on the day Anna disappeared. Roads were flooded, levees overflowing, bridges in danger...Winds in excess of 70mph were recorded near Oakland.

The rain continued on throughout that day.

Was Anna's home even accessible by car (or van) at the time? And why, of all days, pick this day to see if she was "grabbable" (for lack of a better word).
I think the assumption would be that she was inside...
Shadowangel:

You are correct about the weather that day - that is why the creek that ran through thier property was running high and why Anna's disappearance was first treated as a possible drowning. (By the way, nice research work!)

Joe Ford (who was a carpenter) would have usually been at work on that day, but bad weather had caused him to stay home. He recently mentioned to me that he had read about another (unrelated) serial child abduction case that was solved because the abductions only occured on bad weather days and that lead LE to investigate people in the construction industries.

At the time of Anna's abduction, the weather had cleared to the point that access to the property was not an issue. The property had several houses on it and others on the property had been outside working that day. Unfortunately, no one was outside when Anna disappeared.

[Dr. Doogie]

I posted this question earlier, but I'll post it here as well - did Anna know her father well enough that she would have gone with him without putting up a fuss?
Waters had little contact with Anna and his family after the divorce. However, Anna probably would have known who he was and all reports are that she was a very trusting child. I will pose this question to the mother and let you know her opinion on this.

By the way, one of the neighbors did report hearing someone or something walking through the woods about the time of Anna;s disappearance. The neighbor assumed that it was either a deer or someone hiking in the area.

[shadowangel]

Shadowangel:

You are correct about the weather that day - that is why the creek that ran through thier property was running high and why Anna's disappearance was first treated as a possible drowning. (By the way, nice research work!)

Joe Ford (who was a carpenter) would have usually been at work on that day, but bad weather had caused him to stay home. He recently mentioned to me that he had read about another (unrelated) serial child abduction case that was solved because the abductions only occured on bad weather days and that lead LE to investigate people in the construction industries.

At the time of Anna's abduction, the weather had cleared to the point that access to the property was not an issue. The property had several houses on it and others on the property had been outside working that day. Unfortunately, no one was outside when Anna disappeared.
Not knowing the area, is it possible that Waters and Brody were driven from the hovel they were staying in, and at that point decided to "check" on Anna? They most likely were not expecting the step-father to be home...And, if road closures could be checked, the direction they travelled after leaving Anna's home might be narrowed down.
(As an aside, I can't help thinking how close this area is to the Zodiac's operating area ...Its even been theorized that he may have been staying in a home in the bay area that was flooded by this storm).

[Marilynilpa]

Not knowing the area, is it possible that Waters and Brody were driven from the hovel they were staying in, and at that point decided to "check" on Anna? They most likely were not expecting the step-father to be home...And, if road closures could be checked, the direction they travelled after leaving Anna's home might be narrowed down.
(As an aside, I can't help thinking how close this area is to the Zodiac's operating area ...Its even been theorized that he may have been staying in a home in the bay area that was flooded by this storm).
Great minds must think alike, as I also wondered about the Zodiac. Obviously there is nothing to indicate his involvement in Anna's disappearance, but I was struck by how close this is to his "operating area".

[Dr. Doogie]

When I first started investigating this case, it dawned on me that if Anna was taken by her birth father, there may be a paper trail created in the seventies and eighties that no one knew would be accesible in the new century with the Internet (much as cold cases are now being solved with DNA test that were not in existence during the commission of crimes).

A google search of the name "Eifee" turned up only one person using that name as an email address. Most interestingly, the person using that address has the first name "Anna"!

It has been determined that the email address is active and a reverse search shows that it is owned by some named Annie Yu in New Zealand. I have sent an email to this address and am waiting for a response to determine if Annie Yu could be Anna Waters.

While it is possible, it seems that the set of circumstances that would lead a caucasion girl from California to be living in New Zealand with a Chinese surname are unlikely. It is possible that the reverse search was incorrect and the address is owned by someone who is a more likely candidate.

I know that several of you are quite skilled investigators and if you believe that you can do a reverse email search that may turn up new results, please contact me privately and I will provide the address to you. I do not want to post the email address here for open public viewing because I do not want the owner of that address to receive dozens of emails asking if she is Anna. If it is her, who knows what she was told about her family and multiple emails would only serve to "spook" her away.

[shadowangel]

Have you uncovered any evidence to indicate that Waters ever left the country? Was he in possession of a passport? Is it possible for the PI you are working with to check if a passport was ever obtained for Anna?

[meggilyweggily]

Posted pics and info on Anna here: http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/w/waters_anna.html Not the bits about her father and his friend, but about the general circumstances of her disappearance, and the sighting of the two men in a panel truck.

With regards eye color: it's possible to chemically change eye color after death, but I'm not sure if you could do it to a live person without ruining their sight. I know about this because I read about a blue-eyed girl who was killed and her body dumped in a very polluted river in Washington state. She wasn't identified for the longest time because the chemicals in the river turned her eyes brown, so no one thought the Jane Doe could be the missing girl. Finally they compared dentals more or less out of desperation, and lo, it was she.

[Dr. Doogie]

Great minds must think alike, as I also wondered about the Zodiac. Obviously there is nothing to indicate his involvement in Anna's disappearance, but I was struck by how close this is to his "operating area".



Marilynilpa & Shadowangel:



During my countless hours thinking about the case, the Zodiac killings came to my mind also, but a few small points:



1. The Zodiac seemed to operate in a area between San Francisco, Vallejo and Santa Rosa (if you believe Greysmith that he was involved in the I-5 co-ed murders) - all areas north of San Francisco. Anna was taken from an area thirty miles south of San Francisco.



2. The known Zodiac killings included only adults who were killed where they were found, not kidnapped and taken elsewhere (Kathleen Johns the possible exception). The Zodiac did threaten to shoot children getting off of a school bus, but no evidence exists that he ever killed any children.



3. Leigh Allen, the suspect that several LE types believed to be the Zodiac, was in fact a convicted child molester, but he appeared to abuse those he knew, either through his activities or family and friends. I do not believe that he ever was accused of kidnapping any victim.



I have briefly considered several of the famous cases that happened in the 1970's Bay Area for any possible link (kidnapped by the People's Temple and died in Guyana - that's why no body was ever found?). I quickly realized that none of them made much sense. I always came back to Anna's father and his mentor.

[Marilynilpa]

Marilynilpa & Shadowangel:



During my countless hours thinking about the case, the Zodiac killings came to my mind also, but a few small points:



1. The Zodiac seemed to operate in a area between San Francisco, Vallejo and Santa Rosa (if you believe Greysmith that he was involved in the I-5 co-ed murders) - all areas north of San Francisco. Anna was taken from an area thirty miles south of San Francisco.



2. The known Zodiac killings included only adults who were killed where they were found, not kidnapped and taken elsewhere (Kathleen Johns the possible exception). The Zodiac did threaten to shoot children getting off of a school bus, but no evidence exists that he ever killed any children.



3. Leigh Allen, the suspect that several LE types believed to be the Zodiac, was in fact a convicted child molester, but he appeared to abuse those he knew, either through his activities or family and friends. I do not believe that he ever was accused of kidnapping any victim.



I have briefly considered several of the famous cases that happened in the 1970's Bay Area for any possible link (kidnapped by the People's Temple and died in Guyana - that's why no body was ever found?). I quickly realized that none of them made much sense. I always came back to Anna's father and his mentor.


I agree that this doesn't appear to be the work of the Zodiac, it doesn't actually fit with his "m.o."

It makes sense to look at Waters and Brody, because of their strange relationship and bizarre actions.

[Dr. Doogie]

Posted pics and info on Anna here: http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/w/waters_anna.html Not the bits about her father and his friend, but about the general circumstances of her disappearance, and the sighting of the two men in a panel truck.

Meggilyweggily:

Thank you for the Charley Project post. A couple of corrections though: the report about the men in the van was discovered a few days after Anna's disappearance and she was born in San Francisco. If you have the ability to edit your post, that would be appreciated.

[shadowangel]

I agree that this doesn't appear to be the work of the Zodiac, it doesn't actually fit with his "m.o."

It makes sense to look at Waters and Brody, because of their strange relationship and bizarre actions.
I quite agree, I was just struck by the juxtaposition of the occurences.

[meggilyweggily]

Meggilyweggily:

Thank you for the Charley Project post. A couple of corrections though: the report about the men in the van was discovered a few days after Anna's disappearance and she was born in San Francisco. If you have the ability to edit your post, that would be appreciated.
I thought you said she was born in New York? Shrug. Will correct next time I update. Let me know if you want me to add/change/remove anything. I am the owner/administrator of the Charley Project and so I have free rein.

[HeartofTexas]

I have to say, Meggily, that I'm pretty impressed you're the owner of the Charley Project! I've gone there many times. The amount of time and effort some of you give to the plight of missing children is so commendable, not to mention the technological expertise some of you have that allows you to run these websites. My hat is off to you and others like you who offer a real service for the many abducted and missing children in our world.

[Dr. Doogie]

I thought you said she was born in New York? Shrug. Will correct next time I update. Let me know if you want me to add/change/remove anything. I am the owner/administrator of the Charley Project and so I have free rein.Meggilyweggily:

I reread my post about where Anna was born and while it is correct, I mention both NY and SF in the same sentence. I see shere it could have been easily misread.

I also am impressed with your work with the Charley Project. Thank you for all your efforts.

[Dr. Doogie]

I have invited Anna's mother and stepfather to visit this forum. I hope that they can answer some of the questions that I may not know.

One point of clarification: The mother and stepfather are no longer married. The mother has remarried and is living in the Half Moon Bay area (in a different house than from where Anna disappeared). The stepfather currently resides on the east coast.

I have always been impressed with the maturity level and politeness of this forum (as compared to some other sites). Please remember that these are good people who have had something very bad happen to their family. Please be respectful of them.

[HeartofTexas]

Dr. Doogie, thanks for inviting them to the forum. It's always nice to have someone that can answer questions with first-hand knowledge.

That's sad that the mom and step-dad are now divorced. So many families are unable to make it after a tragedy like that. The son of my closest friend was murdered, and it destroyed their whole family. It took years for them to heal and, obviously, the marriage didn't make it. My friend has also since remarried and is very happy... but it took many years to grow beyond the tragedy.

[Annasmom]

An article from the Oakland Tribune, dated Jan 17th, '73, states Anna's parents are Mr. and Mrs. Joe Ford??? How did they get that so wrong? Or could there be a clue there....

http://www.newspaperarchive.com/cache2/30332915.pdf (This link will time out after a period, if anyone wishes to view it after that let me know).

Shadowangel: I couldn't get the news story (and never saw that one), but in case you haven't already learned this, Joseph Ford was Anna's stepfather. We have been divorced many years now and I no longer use the name Ford. Thanks for your interest.

[Annasmom]

Just to play devil's advocate....Reports for the bay area on the day Anna disappeared state that the entire area was in the grip of a storm of almost hurricane-like proportions. Nearly 6 inches of rain had fallen in the 24 hours prior to 8:00 am on the day Anna disappeared. Roads were flooded, levees overflowing, bridges in danger...Winds in excess of 70mph were recorded near Oakland.

The rain continued on throughout that day.

Was Anna's home even accessible by car (or van) at the time? And why, of all days, pick this day to see if she was "grabbable" (for lack of a better word).
I think the assumption would be that she was inside...

Shadowangel, there was indeed a terrible storm that day, but the rural mail delivery person had in fact driven over the mountain road to deliver the mail, so we know the house was accessible. Also, the school bus picked up and delivered the children.

[HeartofTexas]

Welcome to WS, Annasmom. WS has some of the smartest posters on the internet and some of the most polite, so I hope you'll make yourself right at home here.

If you don't mind me asking, what is your opinion on what happened to Anna that day? Do you think your ex- was involved in the abduction, or do you think something else happened?

[SadieJane]

Annasmom, thank you so much for joining us. I hope you will feel comfortable enough to share your story. Anna was such a beautiful little girl, and she look so sweet and joyful in the photographs. I can't imagine what you have been through since her disappearance, but I hope your family has supported you and you have found some measure of peace.

[shadowangel]

I am a little puzzled about the motivation....I understand that Brody felt Anna was the reincarnation of a woman Brody knew (who was not yet dead). That being said, why did they decide to take Anna? In the hopes she would grow into this woman? Or, more likely, was Brody simply a pedophile who used his influence over Waters to abduct a beautiful young child? As I read the details, Anna could not have been in the possession of the two for long, not without being detected. If Anna were kept alive, where could she have been? Passed off to someone else for safekeeping? Did Brody have any other known associates (or "followers")? Besides the place where the two stayed, did Waters maintain a residence elsewhere? Somewhere he may have stayed following the seperation but before becoming Brody's "roommate"?
Is anything known of Brody's past? Criminal history? Former associates or residences?
Were dogs ever brought in to aid in the search for Anna along the stream? The map Dr. Doogie supplied is a little difficult for me to read, but by Mapquesting it appears the stream empties into the bay. At the time Anna disappeared, given the massive amount of rain that had fallen, was the stream high enough to bypass any normal obstacles (dams, tree roots, etc)? Having two children myself, I know the fascination the young have for moving water. Did Anna normally play in or near this stream on more normal days?

[Dr. Doogie]

I am a little puzzled about the motivation....I understand that Brody felt Anna was the reincarnation of a woman Brody knew (who was not yet dead). That being said, why did they decide to take Anna? In the hopes she would grow into this woman? Or, more likely, was Brody simply a pedophile who used his influence over Waters to abduct a beautiful young child?

There is no evidence that Brody was a pedophile. His motivation in his dealings with Waters appeared to be both financial and control. From what I understand about the woman that Brody lived with prior to Waters, his motivation appeared to be the same. Once she was terminally ill, Brody shifted his focus onto Waters and his family in an attempt to continue his small cult.



As I read the details, Anna could not have been in the possession of the two for long, not without being detected. If Anna were kept alive, where could she have been? Passed off to someone else for safekeeping? Did Brody have any other known associates (or "followers")?

The hypothesis that I have been working on is exactly what you asked. The only way that I see that the two Georges could pulled this off was to immediately pass Anna of to someone "safe", either until the heat was off or perhaps permanently. They were being followed within a very short period of time, first by LE, then the PI and also Anna's stepfather. It is not known if he had other followers, but a review of the notes taken by Anna's stepfather during his stakeouts showed that at least one unidentified woman was known to associate with them (this, however, could be innocent).



Besides the place where the two stayed, did Waters maintain a residence elsewhere? Somewhere he may have stayed following the seperation but before becoming Brody's "roommate"?

It was discovered after a period of time that the two Georges maintained two residences, both hotel rooms within a few blocks of each other. Unfortunately, this fact was not discovered sooner. While it is possible that Anna may have been kept in the "secret" hotel room for a period, it is also possible and more likely that she would have been passed off to someone far enough removed from the two Georges to avoid scrutiny.









Is anything known of Brody's past? Criminal history? Former associates or residences?

Very little is known about Brody (probably an alias, since no offical paperwork seems to have existed on him until his death certificate). We do know the name of the woman that he lived with prior to Waters and where they lived. One interesting note: the woman whom he lived with refered to him as "Bobby". Obviously, the true identity and history of Brody would be very helpful in solving this case.



Were dogs ever brought in to aid in the search for Anna along the stream? The map Dr. Doogie supplied is a little difficult for me to read, but by Mapquesting it appears the stream empties into the bay. At the time Anna disappeared, given the massive amount of rain that had fallen, was the stream high enough to bypass any normal obstacles (dams, tree roots, etc)? Having two children myself, I know the fascination the young have for moving water. Did Anna normally play in or near this stream on more normal days?

Dogs were brought in, but due to the heavy rains that day, the did not prove to be useful. The creek was at flood stage on that day, but the number of obstacles between the home and the ocean make it extremely unlikely that a body could have traveled the distance without being stopped in the creek. A dead rooster that was tossed in the creek a few hours before Anna's disappearance was found tangled in the snags on the creek - if a five pound rooster could not make it to the ocean, then a much larger 40 pound girl would have been even more likely to have been snagged. And searches turned up numerous animal carcasses in the stream, but no Anna. Also, local fisherman patrolled the ocean near the mouth of the creek and never spied a body. And a hydrologist familiar with Purisima Creek stated that a body would have been most likely washed up onto the bank by the rushing water.

[Annasmom]

Posted pics and info on Anna here: http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/w/waters_anna.html Not the bits about her father and his friend, but about the general circumstances of her disappearance, and the sighting of the two men in a panel truck.

With regards eye color: it's possible to chemically change eye color after death, but I'm not sure if you could do it to a live person without ruining their sight. I know about this because I read about a blue-eyed girl who was killed and her body dumped in a very polluted river in Washington state. She wasn't identified for the longest time because the chemicals in the river turned her eyes brown, so no one thought the Jane Doe could be the missing girl. Finally they compared dentals more or less out of desperation, and lo, it was she.
Anna was (is) the brown-eyed child of two brown-eyed parents, so I really don't see how her eyes could turn blue. Anyway, the fused pictures of Sharon/Anna notwithstanding, there really is hardly any resemblance between the adult Sharon and Anna or any of her family. See age-progressed pictures from the National Center. There is really no reason at all to do DNA testing except that Anna is one of thousands of missing children and Sharon is one of a few "found" children. Should we ever need to identify a young woman as a possible Anna, there are other marks besides the mole and eye color. I really REALLY appreciate your interest in this case, which has baffled many of us for so many heartbreaking years.

[Annasmom]

Welcome to WS, Annasmom. WS has some of the smartest posters on the internet and some of the most polite, so I hope you'll make yourself right at home here.

If you don't mind me asking, what is your opinion on what happened to Anna that day? Do you think your ex- was involved in the abduction, or do you think something else happened?

HeartofTexas: I wish I had some insight, but I really don't know. I never had the slightest intuition. Not knowing is harder than knowing, and one of the problems we have had with the continuing investigation through the years is that people want to make up their minds too quickly. They form an opinion so that they don't have to think about it. We have literally no evidence at all as to what may have happened to our girl.

[Annasmom]

Have you uncovered any evidence to indicate that Waters ever left the country? Was he in possession of a passport? Is it possible for the PI you are working with to check if a passport was ever obtained for Anna?

He had applied for a passport within a year of Anna's disappearance, but apparently he destroyed the passport before he died. Also he had several flight insurance policies. I wouldn't know how to go about checking whether a passport was obtained for Anna, but it's certainly a good thought.

[Annasmom]

Annasmom, thank you so much for joining us. I hope you will feel comfortable enough to share your story. Anna was such a beautiful little girl, and she look so sweet and joyful in the photographs. I can't imagine what you have been through since her disappearance, but I hope your family has supported you and you have found some measure of peace.

Thank you. I have to believe that even though I don't know what happened to my daughter, somewhere there is an answer. I appreciate your kind thoughts.

[shadowangel]

Thank you. I have to believe that even though I don't know what happened to my daughter, somewhere there is an answer. I appreciate your kind thoughts.It is this very thought that keeps us all hammering away at these cases. Someone knows the answer to each mystery. Others have knowledge which will lead us to those people. As I am fond of saying, no one exists in a vacuum.

Annasmom-What has been Anna's paternal grandparents involvement in all this? Were you close? Did they live in NY at the time of Anna's disappearance?

[HeartofTexas]

Shadow, in thinking about the possibility that Waters obtained a passport for Anna, I wonder if (thru Brody perhaps) he had contacts that falsified various documents for Anna (muck akin to what Floyd did with Sharon) so that a passport was obtained under a different name. It's interesting that some of the low-lifes that missing children come in contact with operate under false identities so that tracking them is either impossible or very difficult. Low-lifes (of which I have very little knowledge of) seem to have a whole network of contacts to assist them which makes their work organized and difficult to trace. Very frustrating.

[Annasmom]

It is this very thought that keeps us all hammering away at these cases. Someone knows the answer to each mystery. Others have knowledge which will lead us to those people. As I am fond of saying, no one exists in a vacuum.

Annasmom-What has been Anna's paternal grandparents involvement in all this? Were you close? Did they live in NY at the time of Anna's disappearance?

I have been in touch with them all along. Although I lived in New York before Anna was born, there is no other family connection to New York. And they, as all the family, were grief-stricken.

[Annasmom]

I am a little puzzled about the motivation....I understand that Brody felt Anna was the reincarnation of a woman Brody knew (who was not yet dead). That being said, why did they decide to take Anna? In the hopes she would grow into this woman? Or, more likely, was Brody simply a pedophile who used his influence over Waters to abduct a beautiful young child? As I read the details, Anna could not have been in the possession of the two for long, not without being detected. If Anna were kept alive, where could she have been? Passed off to someone else for safekeeping? Did Brody have any other known associates (or "followers")? Besides the place where the two stayed, did Waters maintain a residence elsewhere? Somewhere he may have stayed following the seperation but before becoming Brody's "roommate"?
Is anything known of Brody's past? Criminal history? Former associates or residences?
Were dogs ever brought in to aid in the search for Anna along the stream? The map Dr. Doogie supplied is a little difficult for me to read, but by Mapquesting it appears the stream empties into the bay. At the time Anna disappeared, given the massive amount of rain that had fallen, was the stream high enough to bypass any normal obstacles (dams, tree roots, etc)? Having two children myself, I know the fascination the young have for moving water. Did Anna normally play in or near this stream on more normal days?

Shadowangel: The woman (in the reincarnation issue) was dead by the time the old fellow started coming around. And the motivation was power and greed. He wanted control over people, and he wanted to be supported in style. As far as the dogs go, it is true that nothing conclusive came from their tracking (the ground was wet, and many people had already walked over it), but it was curious that they doubled back upstream (toward the place the neighbor heard a noise and thought "somebody was stealing something" (her words) before they quit.

[shadowangel]

Annasmom-I take it that your ex-husband's involvement with Brody pretty much estranged him from contact with family and friends?

Just to clarify...Would Anna have likely recognized her father by the time she disappeared? (If I ask any questions that you find disturbing, let me know..Sometimes I get on a track and forget myself).

[smile22]

can someone clarifly what "Eifee" means was it a name that her mom and step dad and family refered her to

[shadowangel]

It evidently was a name important to Brody--the name of the dead woman that Brody thought was reincarnated in Anna?

[smile22]

oh ok someone said that they had found and effie or something in an email search to that person please email them do not give out the add wait for a reply and see what the person says

[Dr. Doogie]

can someone clarifly what "Eifee" means was it a name that her mom and step dad and family refered her toAs best we can tell, "Eifee" does not have any meaning. It is just a combination of letters that when added to "Anna Christian Waters" arrives at the same numerilogical value as Brody. (Yes, it is kooky, but a lot of people believe this junk.)

A google search of "eifee" turns up as a first name and a surname once each from geneaologies dating back to the 1800's, but is seldom used and never recently.

The name does turn up in several foriegn language web sites. Evidently, something in an Asian language when translated into english comes up as "eifee".

Anna's mother and step-father never used the name "Eifee". However, Anna's birth father did, which is why it turning up as a email address owned by an Anna fits nicely with my hypothesis about Anna being taken by her father.

Shadowangel: The dead woman's name was not "Eifee", though that is a good thought. I have refrained from mentioning her by name because she was certainly a victim of Brody's manipulation and was obviously not involved in Anna's disappearance because she had passed away before 1973.

[Dr. Doogie]

Upon re-reading some of my posts, I think it is necessary to make this one point: While I admit that my looking at the case tends to lead me to George Waters being involved in Anna's disappearance, I should emphasize that I believe Brody to be the true bad guy here. Waters was by all reports was a handsome, well-educated, even "brilliant" man who could have achieved great things except for two misfortunes: his mental illness and his meeting Brody who exploited that illness. I am no expert on the ethics of how responsible the mentally ill are for their own actions, but there is no excuse for how Brody took advantage of a sick man for his own benifit - regardless of whether they were involved in Anna's disappearance.

[meggilyweggily]

Doogie -- I made the corrections you mentioned to Anna Waters's case file. If there's additional information, pictures, whatever, you want me to post, just send it to me.

[HeartofTexas]

Dr. Doogie, I've had the privilege of knowing many schizophrenics in my life, and I can tell you unequivocally that they are truly the walking wounded in our society. Their illness is far too complicated to describe here (there are at least 40+ different diagnoses of schizophrenia), but I can tell you they lack any clue to being used or abused by "normal" people. If Dr. Waters was indeed a schizophrenic, then he was a victim of Mr. Brody in every sense. Mr. Brody knew what he was doing every step of the way, but Dr. Waters never had a clue. Dr. Waters had only fallen under the spell of a man who probably promised hope and friendship.

[2sisters]

This relationship between the 2 seems quite bizzare. I belive this was addressed but I can't find the post so sorry to repeat anything, but, were the 2 involved in a homosexual relationship? If so then the relationship would make more sense.
Is it possible that they took Anna, brainwashed her and that she today has no clue who Anna Waters is? But then what would have became of her after her father's suicide, she would have only been 14. It is a puzzling story but i feel like she is alive somewhere.

Annasmom, glad you can come and post. I can't imagine how hard this is for you and I hope you find answers someday soon.

[meggilyweggily]

This relationship between the 2 seems quite bizzare. I belive this was addressed but I can't find the post so sorry to repeat anything, but, were the 2 involved in a homosexual relationship? If so then the relationship would make more sense.
Is it possible that they took Anna, brainwashed her and that she today has no clue who Anna Waters is? But then what would have became of her after her father's suicide, she would have only been 14. It is a puzzling story but i feel like she is alive somewhere.
No, their relationship wasn't sexual, I believe Doogie said. More a cult leader type of relationship.

Since Anna was only five when she was taken, you wouldn't have to really brainwash her. People generally don't remember very much before they're about six years old, and almost nothing before three -- what few memories Anna has of her early childhood now may not be sufficient to make her realize she once lived with another family.

[shadowangel]

As best we can tell, "Eifee" does not have any meaning. It is just a combination of letters that when added to "Anna Christian Waters" arrives at the same numerilogical value as Brody. (Yes, it is kooky, but a lot of people believe this junk.)

You've done some amazing work here, Doc, but I ain't buying this one! ;) :) :angel:
I understand the numerology angle...But, somehow, some way, I have to believe that name means something. Maybe something from the context of the time that was missed..?

Were Brody's prints ever ran to try to determine his real identity? There had to have been something he touched from which prints could have been lifted...
Did Waters have any credit cards at the time? Obviously the two didn't go tooling around town all the time in a white van, or someone would have noticed. I'm thinking a rental (unless rentals could be secured with cash back in the early '70s).

And, thinking out loud...Has there ever been any hint of a connection to Satanism? I ask because Anton LeVey was based in San Francisco, and had a small following at the time. He was known to have an obsession with Jayne Mansfield. When Jayne was killed in a car accident in '67, so was her lawyer/friend, Sam Brody. LeVey is reported to have taken credit for the accident and killing Brody...

[mysteriew]

Annasmom, thank you for coming here and posting. I know that has to be extremely difficult for you, and I am so sorry that you have so many questions about your little girl.
I admire your ability to go on, let alone to try to come here and answer questions. Yet I also think it would be questions that you live with every day. I have children, and I don't know what I would do if something like this happened to one of mine.
I mainly wanted to let you know I admire your strength, and patience with us.
I hesitate in asking this because I know you have had to do it many, many times over the years. But I was wondering if you could tell us the story of Anna's disappearance based on what you remember. I understand that there will be details that you may not remember, or may not be comfortable giving out. You mentioned that some people have jumped to conclusions, without knowing the whole story and I don't want that to happen here. One of the ways to prevent that from happening, is to learn the story as it unfolded.
If this would be too difficult for you, then I understand. Only give us as much info as you are comfortable with.
And thank you for coming.

[Annasmom]

Annasmom-I take it that your ex-husband's involvement with Brody pretty much estranged him from contact with family and friends?

Just to clarify...Would Anna have likely recognized her father by the time she disappeared? (If I ask any questions that you find disturbing, let me know..Sometimes I get on a track and forget myself).

I don't think she would have recognized him. He left home when she was a year old and never saw her after that, though he sent a small support check for her each month. And, yes, he systematically "severed relationships" (his words) with every friend and family member, usually by introducing them to Brody and being dissatisfied with their reaction to him.

Thanks for your sensitivity; I am not disturbed by any of your questions, and I very much appreciate your interest.

[Annasmom]

Annasmom, thank you for coming here and posting. I know that has to be extremely difficult for you, and I am so sorry that you have so many questions about your little girl.
I admire your ability to go on, let alone to try to come here and answer questions. Yet I also think it would be questions that you live with every day. I have children, and I don't know what I would do if something like this happened to one of mine.
I mainly wanted to let you know I admire your strength, and patience with us.
I hesitate in asking this because I know you have had to do it many, many times over the years. But I was wondering if you could tell us the story of Anna's disappearance based on what you remember. I understand that there will be details that you may not remember, or may not be comfortable giving out. You mentioned that some people have jumped to conclusions, without knowing the whole story and I don't want that to happen here. One of the ways to prevent that from happening, is to learn the story as it unfolded.
If this would be too difficult for you, then I understand. Only give us as much info as you are comfortable with.
And thank you for coming.

Thank you for such a sweet letter. It is difficult to summarize the case briefly, since so much has been investigated in so many different areas over so many years. I wrote a lengthy manuscript containing everything I know about it and gave it to Dr. Doogie, who has referred to it several times and has posted photographs and maps on this forum. The most significant thing I can tell you is that not a shred of evidence, physical or otherwise, has EVER been found to explain Anna’s disappearance. Everything possible has been done except using the resources of the Internet, and this is what Doogie and I are hoping will shed some new light on the matter.

Very briefly: My daughter disappeared from our rural home in January, 1973. She had just returned from kindergarten on the school bus and was playing in the back yard. I became aware of a great silence after about ten minutes and went out to check on her. When she could not be found, I panicked and called the Sheriff’s department, who responded in less than a half-hour and sounded a siren, hoping to get her attention. The grounds and surroundings were searched with helicopters, divers, and riders on horseback. A neighbor said she heard rustling in the bushes near the creek right before she heard the siren. A friend coming to visit said (after several days) that he had passed a white van on the road with a young man and an old man who waved and acted suspiciously friendly. He said that he had greeted Anna at the front door as he came in, which made us think she had walked up to get the mail from the mailbox. This was the last anyone saw of her.

We later walked along the schoolbus route and found that there were several places where our house could be watched by someone without their being seen. Someone could well have followed the schoolbus that day.

Despite searches over a year’s time of the creek, there was not a single indication that she had gone there. Divers picked out the many log jams, one by one, over a two-mile stretch, and a geologist later said it was impossible, considering tides, currents, and silting patterns, that we should not have recovered evidence if Anna had gone into the water.

Remember that this all happened before there was a protocol for searching for missing children. There were no groups such as the National Association for Missing and Exploited Children, which has carried her case as “probable non-family abduction”, along with age-progressed pictures, since they were established.

Anna’s father and his elderly mentor were followed and investigated several times. They were very secretive, whether because they were involved or because in this, as in all else, they were just paranoid, we do not know. No evidence was found connecting them to Anna’s disappearance..

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask. I do so appreciate your concern and help. Even if we never find Anna, it is a consolation to me that we have tried every way possible to find her.

[mysteriew]

Anna's Mom thank you so much for responding. I was afraid that it might be too painful for you. And I would not want to be the cause of any additional pain.
I also know you live with these questions every day, but sometimes it gets difficult to continue talking about the same things over and over. Again may I say how much I admire your strength.
I know that feeling of things are "too quiet". I have also experienced it with my kids, but was lucky in that it usually meant that they were into some minor mischief. My thoughts and prayers are with you and I am hoping that someday, someway you will get some info about Anna.

[HeartofTexas]

Annasmom, were your ex- and Mr. Brody only followed and watched, or were they actually questioned. If so, how did they respond to questions by law enforcement?

Also, if Anna hadn't seen her father since she was one year old, how did it come about that Mr. Brody wanted to change her middle name from Christian to Eifee?

Shadow, it's possible that EIFEE is pronounced like the letters FE. I wonder if it's possible that those are either the initials of Brody's real name, or possibly the initials of the woman he was interested in? It's a stretch, but I guess anything is possible. It's also possible EIFEE is pronounced like "eye-fee", so I could be way off on this.

[docwho3]

. . . .Brody was a man in his sixties at that time who immediately started to manipulate Waters and his family into his small cult of personality. . . . .Was this phrase "cult of personality" meant as this actual cult
http://www.psychoheresy-aware.org/personality_cult13_2.html

or was the term describing "Cult of personality is a term for what is perceived to be excessive adulation of a single living leader, especially a head of state. The term was coined by the General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party Nikita Khrushchev in his 1956 "Secret Speech" denouncing Joseph Stalin to 20th Party Congress. "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_personality

oh and another bit of info for what its worth to readers:
Eifee is actually both a surname and also used as a first name as I found by doing a simple web search.

Also someone had mentioned the possibility of the name being an alias borrowed from elsewhere: I also found another Brody, George although as yet I see no link I include the info in case such a link should show up later.
"Brody, George
George Brody - Pueblo Chieftain - July 30, 2002 - George Brody, 82, of Pueblo, passed away July 27, 2002. Mr. Brody was born Feb. 18, 1920, in New York City, N.Y. He was married to Edith Yord who survives him. Mr. Brody was owner of Martin Clothiers. A graveside service was held on Monday, July 29, 2002, at B'nai Jacob Cemetery. Memorials may be sent to the B'nai Jacob Cemetery in care of Mr. Forey Vean at 107 S. Union, Pueblo, Colo. 81003."
http://www.kmitch.com/Pueblo/obits/bro-buo.html

[mysteriew]

There is a nickname where the Nick is Effie- short for Euphemia. A city named Effie in Minnesota http://www.edgeofthewilderness.org/effie/effie.htm
and Effie awards which are related to advertising. http://www.effie.org/award_winners/search_winners.html
An Effie's restaurant in Pa. http://philadelphia.citysearch.com/profile/8959635
as well as an Effie's place bed and breakfast in Wilmington Ohio.
http://effies-place.com/
Eifee could be a mispelling or could be a way of personalizing the name Effie.

[docwho3]

A few more samples of eifee names:
"User Info: Anna
Avatar:
Login: Eifee
Name: Anna
Level: Novice (What does this mean?)
Email: eifee_ AT hotmail DOT com "
http://perplexus.info/user.php?uid=2058
eifee as surname(scroll down or do cntrl & F for page search and enter the name eifee)
http://ftp.us-census.org/pub/usgenweb/census/mt/stillwater/1930/ed52-brief.txt
Authors: Charles T. McGee with Eifee Poy Yew Chow
http://www.healthlibrary.com/bookreviews/8-13-nov04.html
7 Cadson, Eifee SC 12:04 9
http://205.173.41.7/athletics/XC/1967/ma_4.htm

[HeartofTexas]

Doc, I believe the Anna/Eifee one above is the one Shadow referenced a few threads ago. If I'm not mistaken, he's emailed this girl to see if she could possibly be Anna W. It seemed like she had a last name that was Chinese or Japanese, so he doubts it's her.

[docwho3]

Doc, I believe the Anna/Eifee one above is the one Shadow referenced a few threads ago. If I'm not mistaken, he's emailed this girl to see if she could possibly be Anna W. It seemed like she had a last name that was Chinese or Japanese, so he doubts it's her.
I did not think she was the same but I wanted to give examples of the name being used with that spelling. Thats why I posted more than one link.

Thanks for the response and info though.

[HeartofTexas]

You may be right, Doc... and this may be an entirely new one. Sometimes it's hard for me to remember or absorb from page to page all of the information that is offered.

[docwho3]

You may be right, Doc... and this may be an entirely new one. Sometimes it's hard for me to remember or absorb from page to page all of the information that is offered.
:-) I agree with you. I also do not think the name I posted was that of the missing girl. I had read where there was some doubt as to the name as it was spelled making any sense as a true name so I ran a simple web search using that spelling & found some legitimate name examples using that spelling. That was just one of the examples.

As to reading so many pages of info: You are right. It is hard to remember it all. Sometimes after reading so much info I feel as if my head is spinning.
Some of these forum topics have over 15 pages of threads and each thread may have multiple pages of posts.

[Dr. Doogie]

The correct pronounciation of "Eifee" is "eye-fee".

The profile from perplexus.com is the one that I have contacted via email. I have some more info on this, but I want to speak with Annasmom first before I post here. I should be able to put the info up here either later tonight or tomorrow.

One thing that I noticed from Annasmom's post is the order of the events concerning the white van - it appears that the friend saw the van with the men first, then saw Anna in the yard before she disappeared. If the van was heading away from the house, it would make it less likely that they turned around and grabbed Anna. If they were heading toward the house, or were heading toward one of areas that allowed for a clear view of the house, then that would tend to make them more likely suspects.

[Marilynilpa]

The correct pronounciation of "Eifee" is "eye-fee".

The profile from perplexus.com is the one that I have contacted via email. I have some more info on this, but I want to speak with Annasmom first before I post here. I should be able to put the info up here either later tonight or tomorrow.

One thing that I noticed from Annasmom's post is the order of the events concerning the white van - it appears that the friend saw the van with the men first, then saw Anna in the yard before she disappeared. If the van was heading away from the house, it would make it less likely that they turned around and grabbed Anna. If they were heading toward the house, or were heading toward one of areas that allowed for a clear view of the house, then that would tend to make them more likely suspects.Annasmom, I was away from my computer this weekend, so am just now getting around to reading all the posts.

I am so happy that you joined us, because you've been able to see that there are a lot of us who want to help. At times we may throw out some rather strange theories, just because we're thinking out loud and trying to make sense of this terrible event. Having you take part in this discussion is so helpful, because you can quickly set straight any misinformation we may have.

Dr.Doogie, thanks for the update about the white van.

[Annasmom]

Annasmom, were your ex- and Mr. Brody only followed and watched, or were they actually questioned. If so, how did they respond to questions by law enforcement?

Also, if Anna hadn't seen her father since she was one year old, how did it come about that Mr. Brody wanted to change her middle name from Christian to Eifee?

Shadow, it's possible that EIFEE is pronounced like the letters FE. I wonder if it's possible that those are either the initials of Brody's real name, or possibly the initials of the woman he was interested in? It's a stretch, but I guess anything is possible. It's also possible EIFEE is pronounced like "eye-fee", so I could be way off on this.
The father was questioned by a sheriff's deputy at the time and denied any knowledge of Anna's disappearance. Brody proposed the name change when Anna was still an infant, before her father left home, and a birth certificate was reissued with the name Anna Christian Eifee Waters. As Doogie said, the name was pronounced eye-fee, and her father called her that (and sent her last support check in that name.) I have the death certificate of Brody's girl friend, and though she also used several names, I can't see a connection with the "Eifee" name.

[mysteriew]

Annasmom, I am wondering about the relationship with her father. Had he attempted to make visits or was not visiting with her a choice he made. Other than the support checks, what was his last attempt to make contact? Did he complain about having to pay support, and did he pay regularly? Had there been any recent discussion about the support payments?

[Marilynilpa]

Annasmom, I am wondering about the relationship with her father. Had he attempted to make visits or was not visiting with her a choice he made. Other than the support checks, what was his last attempt to make contact? Did he complain about having to pay support, and did he pay regularly? Had there been any recent discussion about the support payments?
Good questions! In a previous post, it was revealed that after her disappearance, Anna's father asked if he could discontinue child support payments.

Annasmom, how soon after Anna's disappearance was that?

[Annasmom]

Annasmom, I am wondering about the relationship with her father. Had he attempted to make visits or was not visiting with her a choice he made. Other than the support checks, what was his last attempt to make contact? Did he complain about having to pay support, and did he pay regularly? Had there been any recent discussion about the support payments?
He had requested joint custody when we were divorced, but he never attempted to visit Anna. I am convinced he was "following orders" most of the time, so it is difficult to say whether decisions were his or those of his mentor. He attempted to get his parents to pay Anna's support, but they refused; he paid regularly and his question to the lawyer about the support check referred to the February check (after Anna disappeared in January.)

[Annasmom]

Good questions! In a previous post, it was revealed that after her disappearance, Anna's father asked if he could discontinue child support payments.

Annasmom, how soon after Anna's disappearance was that?
I'm not sure, since I learned this second-hand. It was some time between Jan. 16 and Feb. 1, 1973.

[Dr. Doogie]

I received a reply back from Eifee_@hotmail.com and the "Anna" there is not Anna Waters. The name of "Annie Yu" is an alias that the true owner of the email address used to protect her privacy while posting. She did provide her real name and a few details about herself that checked out with a followup google search. She is an Asian twenty-something attending college in New Zealand - I even found a picture of her and she is definitely not our Anna.

This means that our best lead has turned out to be a dud. Research into the name "Eifee" may still turn up something, but not at this email address. Oh, well - back to the drawing board...

[mysteriew]

Good try Dr. Doogie.

[Dr. Doogie]

In my emails with eifee_@hotmail.com, she stated that she chose the name "Eifee" because it was a character from the Pokemon card game. Attached is a picture of that character:


http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/drdoogief/detail?.dir=aac9&.dnm=e0cdscd.jpg&.src=ph

[H0NEYWEST]

A search of "Eifee" does reveal that it is a surname, perhaps it is the real surname of Brody.

[Marilynilpa]

I'm not sure, since I learned this second-hand. It was some time between Jan. 16 and Feb. 1, 1973.I cannot believe a father would ask that question so soon after his daughter had vanished. You can see where his priorities were!

As for the issue of "Eifee", this was a name Brody came up with so his name and Anna's could balance numerologically. I don't believe it was a family name, just some made up BS from the mind of a wacko man.

[Richard]

I have been following this thread with interest. I lived in the SF bay area in 1974, but had not heard of this case at that time.

I actually visited Half Moon Bay, when visiting the area again in April of 1976. I recall that day on the beach being very cold and windy, and having to wear a borrowed winter coat, even though it was much warmer in the Mountain View and Palo Alto areas.

From my experience and memory of Half Moon Bay, and from reading about the stormy weather at the time in January of 1973, I would imagine that it was quite cold the day Anna disappeared? Was it her habit to come home from school and then run down to the creek or anywhere distant from home without saying something? It would seem to me that a trip to the mail box might be more likely than a run on the beach.

Of course, it is entirely possible that this little girl was picked up totally at random by a person so inclined, who just happened to be driving by at that moment. Such things have happened. But with everything I have read regarding the known nut cases in the area, I tend to think that it was a planned event.

US passports were rather easy to obtain back in 1973. All you had to do was provide a birth certificate, available simply by writing the state records office, then submitting it, along with two photos and the proper form to any US Post Office. Since Sept 11, 2001 procedures have been tightened significantly and much more is required in regard to identifying oneself in person.

Back in 1973, however, a person could visit a cemetery, find the grave of a child born about the same time as the person for whom a passport was desired, then go through the same steps above. Similarily, a social security number, drivers license, etc could all be obtained.

With that in mind, how could one abduct a child and then travel with her overseas where a passport might be required. Other than finding a grave with a matching name to the one on the adult's passport, a "legal" name change might work. By changing Anna's birth certificate to include the name "Eifee", someone by that last name (real or assumed) might be able to apply for a passport for her. Although I mentioned US passports, if the circumstances were correct, a foreign passport might also have been obtained in a similar manner. This might be more difficult if the birth father had left his own name on the birth certificate, but might have been overlooked with the proper "name change" documentation from somewhere.

Although this is only speculation on my part, I base it on the fact that the more likely suspects were never seen afterward with Anna, and that no trace of her was ever found in the area. Could they have arranged things in advance for a quick kidnapping, followed by a turnover to a third party who already had a passport and other documentation in hand to get her out of the country?

A couple of things could be checked regarding the above scenario. Were there any applications for passports in the name of Eifee made around that time? Were there any other name changes made for children or adults involving either the name Eifee, or the name of the birth father?

[Dr. Doogie]

George Brody, the elderly "mentor" of Anna's birth-father died from cancer on December 24th, 1981. An inquiry by the San Francisco Public Administrators office listed his birthdate as August 15th, 1923 and a birthplace of Massachusetts. They determined that he had never worked and had no social security number. An interesting tidbit states that he was involved in politics at on time. No relatives were ever discovered. Brody's body was cremated December 30th, 1981 at a funeral home in Oakland, CA.

Any of the above details are highly suspect because the "facts" most likely came from George Waters who, along with Brody, went to great lengths to hide information about themselves. Immediately after Brody's death, Waters began destroying as much documentation about the two of them that he could find. Two weeks later, he himself was dead from suicide by poisoning.

[Dr. Doogie]

Were Brody's prints ever ran to try to determine his real identity? There had to have been something he touched from which prints could have been lifted... As far as I know, Brody's fingerprints were not taken (except perhaps as a routine part of the autopsiy process. There are no known objects from that era that would have his fingerprints on them. I also do not know how far back fingerprint records were kept (is it called Codex?).


Did Waters have any credit cards at the time? Obviously the two didn't go tooling around town all the time in a white van, or someone would have noticed. I'm thinking a rental (unless rentals could be secured with cash back in the early '70s). I do not know if Waters had any credit cards at the time. I do know that I have rented vehicles in the early eighties with just cash and an ID. Waters did have a light colored VW squareback car that was their primary transportation. Interestingly, a similar vehicle was spotted in the area during the period following Anna's disappeareance (Annasmom can give you more details on this).

And, thinking out loud...Has there ever been any hint of a connection to Satanism? I ask because Anton LeVey was based in San Francisco, and had a small following at the time. He was known to have an obsession with Jayne Mansfield. When Jayne was killed in a car accident in '67, so was her lawyer/friend, Sam Brody. LeVey is reported to have taken credit for the accident and killing Brody... There has never been any hint of Satanic involvement with either Anna's disappearance or the two Georges. My impression is that Brody's influence (while he did claim certain powers), was not primarily religious in any sense. It was more of a control issue. Perhaps my use of the term "cult of personality" has implied a more theological aspect than there truely was. I use the term to explain more of the control techniques that Brody used (seperating Waters from his family and friends, making him really on Brody for all decisions, etc).

[Richard]

George Brody, the elderly "mentor" of Anna's birth-father died from cancer on December 24th, 1981. An inquiry by the San Francisco Public Administrators office listed his birthdate as August 15th, 1923 and a birthplace of Massachusetts. They determined that he had never worked and had no social security number. An interesting tidbit states that he was involved in politics at on time. No relatives were ever discovered. Brody's body was cremated December 30th, 1981 at a funeral home in Oakland, CA.

Any of the above details are highly suspect because the "facts" most likely came from George Waters who, along with Brody, went to great lengths to hide information about themselves. Immediately after Brody's death, Waters began destroying as much documentation about the two of them that he could find. Two weeks later, he himself was dead from suicide by poisoning.
It sounds like perhaps the name Brody was an alias - or maybe it was his real name, but that he took great pains to keep it out of California records. Other records, however, would certainly exist.

Assuming that his birthdate was correct (or at least close), "Brody" would have been of prime draft age during WW II. Do any records exist of his serving in the armed forces, or of registering for the draft?

A birth certificate for him might exist in MA vital records. The 1930 census records might list him and his parents in MA. If a George Brody, born on 15 August 1923 exists, did he actually die as a child or young man, and this character steal his identity?

Fingerprints taken from the body or from any arrests (if they exist) could be checked against the FBI data base, and might turn up something. The problems is that if the FBI fingerprint expert who gets them sees any smudge or imperfection, he (or she) will automatically refuse to run any check, and simply send them back as unreadable.

[Marilynilpa]

It sounds like perhaps the name Brody was an alias - or maybe it was his real name, but that he took great pains to keep it out of California records. Other records, however, would certainly exist.

Assuming that his birthdate was correct (or at least close), "Brody" would have been of prime draft age during WW II. Do any records exist of his serving in the armed forces, or of registering for the draft?

A birth certificate for him might exist in MA vital records. The 1930 census records might list him and his parents in MA. If a George Brody, born on 15 August 1923 exists, did he actually die as a child or young man, and this character steal his identity?

Fingerprints taken from the body or from any arrests (if they exist) could be checked against the FBI data base, and might turn up something. The problems is that if the FBI fingerprint expert who gets them sees any smudge or imperfection, he (or she) will automatically refuse to run any check, and simply send them back as unreadable.
I have a feeling this guy was running from the law, and either assumed someone else's identity, or just made up one. It does appear he went to great lengths to make sure no one could track him down.

I find it impossible to believe Brody never held a job. Unless he was independently wealthy, he had to have worked at some point in his life.

[HeartofTexas]

The only George Brody I could find on the 1930 Federal Census was one that was born in 1919 (and not 1923), son of Sigmund and Sarah Brody, and living in Boston, MA at the time of the census. If I find anything else, I'll post it.

[HeartofTexas]

I should have said in my previous post that the only George Brody I could find in Massachusetts on the 1930 Federal Census was the above one. I found two other George Brody's who were both born in 1923 in other parts of the country as follows:

George Brody, home in 1930 was Salt Lake City, Utah, born in "abt. 1923".

George Brody, home in 1930 was Wilkes-Barre, Lucerne Co., Pennsylvania, born in "abt. 1923", son of Samuel and Reba Brody.

[Dr. Doogie]

Something clicked when reviewing the posts about George Brody - a birth year of 1923 would have made him only 58 years old when he died. If you have not seen his picture, click this link: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/drdoogief/detail?.dir=aac9&.dnm=b94f.jpg

This picture was taken in 1974, when he would have been 51 years old. This is not the picture of a man in his early fifties. So the birthdate of 1923 is surely false. I would say he was born somewhere in the range of 1895 through 1910 (my speculation).

Here is where things get very dark and wierd (if they weren't already): Why give this date on a death certificate? Why would the public officals who investigated this death sign off on a date that was clearly false...unless the age given matched the body that they received. Since Brody had no known relatives, the body was identified only by George Waters. Since Waters was a physican working and living in the seediest part of town, he could very well have found someone homeless who was terminal, given him a place to live until he died, then claimed that it was Brody. This would have allowed Brody to recreate himself once again with a new name somewhere else.

A few problems with this hypothesis: 1. A long paper trail existed that Brody was being treated for cancer by both Waters and others prior to his death. 2. Waters had taken out a substantial amount of life insurance on himself to be paid out to Brody. By Brody "dying" and assuming a new name, he would not be able to collect on those policies once Waters killed himself two weeks later...UNLESS the policies that were found were only the ones that had not been changed to whatever new name Brody might have assumed. Could there have been other policies that had been issued under a different beneficiary name?

[mysteriew]

Something clicked when reviewing the posts about George Brody - a birth year of 1923 would have made him only 58 years old when he died. If you have not seen his picture, click this link: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/drdoogief/detail?.dir=aac9&.dnm=b94f.jpg

This picture was taken in 1974, when he would have been 51 years old. This is not the picture of a man in his early fifties. So the birthdate of 1923 is surely false. I would say he was born somewhere in the range of 1895 through 1910 (my speculation).

Here is where things get very dark and wierd (if they weren't already): Why give this date on a death certificate? Why would the public officals who investigated this death sign off on a date that was clearly false...unless the age given matched the body that they received.

George was the physician of record for Brody and was a practicing physician at the time. There was no signs that Brody died of anything other than natural causes. There was no public controversy over the death. George himself probably signed the death certificate.
It is likely that whatever George told them, would have been taken at face value. With no known relatives to object or provide info to the contrary, then they would have considered themselves lucky to have a physician able to provide the info about him, and would not have questioned any he said about Brody's background.
If there had been relatives to object, or if Brody had been murdered- they might have questioned it. But since it was natural causes, they just needed someone to fill out the paperwork.

[Richard]

I wonder if the death of this little boy is in any way related to the disappearance of Anna. Marin County is on the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and would be very close to Half Moon Bay. The estimated date of death is January 1973, the same month and year that Anna went missing. I would think that LE compared the DNA of both, but could there have been a link? Age pretty close, too.
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Unidentified White Male Child
The victim was discovered on September 26, 1974 in Mill Valley, Marin County, California.
Estimated date of death is January 1973
Vital Statistics

Estimated age: 4 - 6 years old
Approximate Height and Weight: Undetermined.
Distinguishing Characteristics: Brown hair. Small stature for age.
Dentals: No restorations present
Clothing: Clothing found closeby: Green nylon or dacron windbreaker, green and white stripped knit type shirt, blue t-shirt, Red Lady Bug 1/2" stick pin.
DNA: Available

Case History
The victim's skull ribs and vertebrae was found in Mill Valley, California in 1974. His skeletal remains were found near the Mill Valley Golf Course.
There were no signs of burial, no signs of abuse or malnutrition, no obvious clues about how he died.
The remains were originally thought to be female, but DNA shows that the victim was a male.

Investigators
If you have any information about this case please contact: Marin County Coroner's Office, Coroner Gary Tindel 415-499-6043

Agency Case Number: 74-215
NCIC Number: N/A
The Doe Network: Case File 626UMCA

Link:
http://doenetwork.us/cases/626umca.html

[laini]

Very interesting, Richard. I just read about that little boy recently; the ladybug pin stuck in my mind. I didn't realize the location and time of where he was found, being so similar to Anna's disappearnce. If it was somebody else who kidnapped Anna (other than Brody and George), maybe they were also connected to this little boy's murder. Maybe a local pedophile or somebody in the area for awhile.