CA CA - Linda Lovell, 25, & Stephen Packard, 18, Westport, 10 June 1974

[Lilibet]

Hello, Susan, welcome aboard! The little as I could find on your brother's case is/was so ambiguous, I am sure I included some errors in the threads. I hope you will root them out. If we are going to resolve your brother's case, we need absolute proven accurate facts to work upon.

FYI, there are three functioning threads concerning your brother. Because I began their threads in uncertainty that they disappeared together, I gave Linda and Stephen each an independent thread, then established a joint thread. That way, if they are proven to have vanished together, the evidence can go on the joint thread. If they split up, then there is an individual thread to post upon. All three threads are in the 1970s Missing Persons subforum.

I haven't even been able to find out which of a half dozen police agencies is investigating the case--if any. And the little info I found through my research didn't answer my questions; instead it raised even more doubts. So please, Susan, do become a registered insider here, so I can ask you a zillion questions about Stephen and Linda.

Thanks for posting, Burblestein. I knew this would be right up your alley.

OT side note—Marci Kitchen got 8 years in state prison, which will probably translate to 4 with time off for good behavior and time served. Not what we wanted but good enough.

 

[calicoco]

Glad to have joined the very same week!

 

[Susan packard]

My brother Stephen Packard and Linda Lovell were a couple, they were in love. I remember even as a young girl the close bond they had. They were together throughout the entirety of their journey, until we don't know what.

 

[Susan packard]

It seems like there is confusion about where your brother was last seen. Also people question if he was the one to cash a travelers check in Westport CA. It seems like the other threads mention crimes that occurred to hitchhikers. Did they hitchhike from NJ to CA?

They hitchhiked from New Jersey to California.

 

[sloane7777]

And the couple from Sumter Sc has been ruled out correct , I haven't registered for the New NAMUS

 

[jkloc420]

wonder if they were ever compared to the Harris county does in texas,

Harris County Does - Wikipedia

 

[burblestein]

Susan, ever since I wrote this case up, I have wondered how your brother and Linda got together. You must admit, not too many high school seniors have grown girlfriends. They come from such geographically disparate backgrounds.

 

[burblestein]

A law enforcement professional would tell you that it is all relevant. However, I am not a law enforcement professional; I did get pushy by asking a question before you consented to answer questions; so I deserved the rebuke. You have my apology. I will desist.

 

[Ozoner]

Susan, could you give us more insight into their personalities? Were they trusting of other people? Were they selective about whom they took rides from? Would they have engaged in risky behaviors like swimming along a remote stretch of the coast?
On a separate note, does the family have an opinion on whether the traveler's check was cashed by Stephen?

 

[burblestein]

So pathetically little is known in this case. Here are the verified facts:

They hitchhiked from NJ to CA. They vanished. That's it.

Here are some things we don't know:

We have no idea where they vanished, nor how or why they vanished. They may not have disappeared together. We can't even discover if any LE agency is carrying them as a missing persons case. And on and on.

This information vacuum has been filled by some imaginative sleuthing, such as investigating a hypothetical tour trailing the Grateful Dead, to no avail.

IMHO, under the present conditions, it is exceedingly dubious that this mystery will be solved.

 

[ohthatkatgirl]

Unfortunately it's not uncommon to have so little information on a disappearance. All the missing person databases are filled with "few details are known" cases, so in a way with this this case we do actually know a lot more than many others.

- Both families have shown interest in knowing what has happened to Stephen and Linda, which indicates that they are still unaccounted for.
- Stephen, at the very least, was in regular contact at home which stopped.
- Stephen also had plans for the future, career wise, and had given no indication that this had changed.
- Linda, and I'm assuming Stephen, were expected to travel to Missoula where her family were expecting them.
- Stephen had traveller cheques, so they had access to money when needed, plus whatever cash they had.

 

[burblestein]

I have been the principal investigator on this WS case.* I have been unable to even discover any investigative agency claiming jurisdiction over this missing persons case. I exhausted every lead I could find about them. I don't think there can be any further progress without new information. The only further source of new info I can think of is the family. However, a family member has objected to my inquiries, and I halted asking for fear of giving offense. Thus my gloomy pessimism about the case ever being solved.

* Not to downplay the role of other WSers who have made important contributions to this thread.

 

[ohthatkatgirl]

I agree that without new information that this case is unlikely to progress far. @burblestein your work (and others) has been invaluable at putting together what we do know.

Having re-read this thread multiple times, I can only imagine how painful it would be for a relative to read; perhaps any speculation they have recieved from others over the years has been unkind and judgemental and that is what they assumed was happening here (though that was not anyone's intentions).

There isn't much more any of us can do, without new information, but don't give up hope. Cases are being resolved, that previously weren't on anyone's radars, which includes law enforcement so there is still reason to hope that someday there will be answers for both families. After all, it doesn't take long when looking at Californian databases to realise that there is a serious backlog in cases that have not been added to Namus, so are missed in being compared to other cases.

PS: I found the following article which is regarding the appointment in 2017 of Ronald Schram as interim chief for Allan Hancock College Police Department (he is given on Namus as the officer investigating Stephen's and Linda's disappearance).
Hancock appoints interim police chief | School Scene | Santa Maria Sun, CA
Perhaps one of us can reach out to the appropriate regional coordinator on Namus to point out that he is no longer with the Santa Maria Police Department.

 

[burblestein]

The scanty info we have doesn't necessarily support their mutual disappearance, and information received sometimes pertains to one of them to the exclusion of the other. I established separate threads for individual information, and a joint thread for sources that pertain to both of them. On the other hand, given their respective sizes, merger of the three threads would result in an unwieldy mess.

And the reason for merging the threads is?

 

[Richard]

Linda Lee Lovell

Name: Linda Lee Lovell
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: June 20, 1974
Location Last Seen: Westport, Mendocino County, California

Physical Description
Date of Birth: November 23, 1948
Age: 25 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 110 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Hazel
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Curly, shoulder-length hair. Faint 1 1/2 inch circular scars on right side of stomach above waist line and on right lower back.

Identifiers
Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Supposed to wear glasses, also wore contact lenses

Circumstances of Disappearance
Linda Lovell was last seen on June 20, 1974 in Westport, California. She was traveling with Stephen Packard at the time. They planned to hike the Pacific Coast Trail from Mexico to Oregon, and were to attend the World's Fair in Spokane, Washington. They also planned to visit Linda's family in Missoula, Montana, but never arrived there.

Packard called his family on June 10, 1974 from Stinson Beach, California. On June 20, 1974, a traveler's check in Packard's name was cashed at a store in Westport, California. Neither Lovell nor Packard has been heard from since.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: Santa Maria Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Det. Michael Sawyer
Agency Phone Number: (805) 928-3781 x 291
Agency E-Mail: police@cityofsantamaria.org
Agency Case Number: 2005R12548
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 9136

Information Source(s)
NamUs
The New York Times
Whereabouts Still Unknown
2999DFCA - Linda Lee Lovell

 

[burblestein]

So now the Santa Maria Police Department claims to be the investigative agency? They denied it to me when I inquired.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for Stephen and Linda...this summer is 46 years since they disappeared.

 

[Richard]

Linda Lee Lovell

Lovell, circa 1974

• Missing Since 06/01/1974
• Missing From Stinson Beach, California
• Classification Missing
• Sex Female
• Race White
• Date of Birth 11/23/1948 (71)
• Age 25 years old
• Height and Weight 5'4, 110 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Lovell may wear eyeglasses.

Details of Disappearance

Lovell was last seen in Stinson Beach, California sometime in June 1974. She was hitchhiking along the California coast with a friend, Stephen Packard. They planned to eventually go to Seattle, Washington to visit the World's Fair, then return home to Missoula, Montana.

(Note: the World's Fair was being held in Spokane, Washington in 1974.)

Packard called his family from Stinson Beach, California on June 10, 1974. On June 20, one of his traveler's checks was cashed at a store in Westport, California, about four hours north of Stinson Beach. This is the last sign of them; neither Packard nor Lovell have been seen or heard from again.

Santa Maria, California police are investigating Lovell and Packard's disappearances. Their cases remain unsolved.

Investigating Agency

• Santa Maria Police Department 805-928-3781

Source Information

• NamUs
• Whereabouts Still Unknown
• Linda Lee Lovell – The Charley Project

 

[Richard]

Stephen Locke Packard

Packard, circa 1974

• Missing Since 06/01/1974
• Missing From Stinson Beach, California
• Classification Missing
• Sex Male
• Race White
• Date of Birth 06/06/1956 (64)
• Age 18 years old
• Height and Weight 6'3, 180 - 190 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Blond hair, brown eyes. Packard has previously broken his right hand.

Details of Disappearance
Packard was last seen in Stinson Beach, California sometime in June 1974. He was hitchhiking along the California coast with a friend, Linda Lovell. They planned to eventually go to Seattle, Washington to visit the World's Fair, then return home to Missoula, Montana.

Packard called his family from Stinson Beach, California on June 10, 1974. On June 20, one of his traveler's checks was cashed at a store in Westport, California, about four hours north of Stinson Beach. This is the last sign of them; neither Packard nor Lovell have been seen or heard from again.

Santa Maria, California police are investigating Lovell and Packard's disappearances. Their cases remain unsolved.

Investigating Agency

• Santa Maria Police Department 805-928-3781

Source Information

• NamUs
• Whereabouts Still Unknown
• California Attorney General's Office
• Stephen Locke Packard – The Charley Project

 

[Ozoner]

One thing I would like to know is, was it normal behavior for them to go ten days or more without sending postcards or making phone calls? If it was, then Stephen is most likely the one who cashed the check in Westport on the 20th. I'm not sure why anyone would steal their traveler's checks and only cash one; I would think that a thief would try to cash all of them right away, possibly in different locations. (It's possible that someone tried but was refused due to the lack of matching ID, but that seems a little unlikely because we all know that it isn't too hard to find store clerks who are less than diligent about authenticating IDs.)

It's worth mentioning the disappearance of Craig and Christine Langford, which occurred 10 miles away and which I think has already been discussed. It appears that their disappearance may have been the result of drowning because an inflatable raft and oar were found in the surf near their motor home. The same thing could have happened to Stephen and Linda. Double drownings are not uncommon: one person gets in trouble, the other attempts a rescue, and both end up drowning. The trouble with the drowning theory is that none of Linda and Stephen's possessions were found. However, no one was looking for their possessions for over three weeks, so everything could have been lost to the tide and to beachcombers. It's also possible that there was a serial killer operating in the area in the 70s and 80s; the disappearance of Craig and Christine may have even been staged.