Possible Connections

Jeb said:

The Wash. Post stated last wk. that an 11 yr. old girl dissapeared while walking to Westfield Shopping Plaza (Wheaton Plaza), about 3:15 PM. on 22Jan09. She lives at Hollow Glen Pl. in Silver Spring, MD. If you look at a map, she may have used some of the route used by the Lyon Girls 34 yrs. ago. The girls' age is similar, the time frame is too, but she was headed toward the plaza, & the Lyon Girls were headed home.

I doubt seriously if these 2 are connected, but it is something to talk & or think about. What do you all think? Although I haven't seen or heard anything else about this girl, it is possible she's been located, by now.

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Jeb, do you know whether there has been any further information about this missing little girl? This news really depressess me. I have been thinking about the Lyon sisters a lot lately and my own childhood in Kensington.

I have heard nothing new about the little missing girl in Wheaton. It is always a shame when these things happen, but I still doubt it's connected to the Lyon Girls.

Jeb said:

I have heard nothing new about the little missing girl in Wheaton. It is always a shame when these things happen, but I still doubt it's connected to the Lyon Girls.

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Jeb, I checked and the Washington Post reported that she was found unharmed a week later. There were no details about where she'd been.

Good job emery...about the little missing girl in Wheaton. I never saw a follow-up story on that case, maybe I just overlooked it. Always good to hear a happy ending.

I have a question about the IBM guy's sighting. I realize that most of us don't believe it but,I believe there is an IBM near the hotel Coffey stayed at. I was wondering if anyone knows if that's the IBM that the witness worked at?

Motherof5 said:

I have a question about the IBM guy's sighting. I realize that most of us don't believe it but,I believe there is an IBM near the hotel Coffey stayed at. I was wondering if anyone knows if that's the IBM that the witness worked at?

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I am not sure where the man's IBM office was located. The reported sighting took place in Manassas, Virginia.

Richard said:

I am not sure where the man's IBM office was located. The reported sighting took place in Manassas, Virginia.

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I was just thinking that if the witness worked at the IBM near Coffey's hotel,MAYBE he actually did see this and MAYBE it was Coffey. Now, I knew the sighting was in Manassas and for some reason I completely discounted that.:blushing: Thank you for snapping me back to reality Richard!!

Motherof5 said:

I was just thinking that if the witness worked at the IBM near Coffey's hotel,MAYBE he actually did see this and MAYBE it was Coffey. Now, I knew the sighting was in Manassas and for some reason I completely discounted that.:blushing: Thank you for snapping me back to reality Richard!!

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There are certainly many possibilities in regard to the story about the Beige/Tan Ford Station Wagon sighting. Nothing was ever resolved about it. The IBM man reported seeing what he thought were two girls tied up in the back of a station wagon, which (he said) was being driven by a man who resembled the sketch of the Tape Recorder Man (TRM) who had been seen talking to Sheila and Kate the day they disappeared.

A partial plate number DMT-6xx (thought to be a Maryland plate) was reported, the last two digits being obscurred. Police ran all possible numbers and came up with nothing in regard to leads. All plates of that series were tracked down and accounted for.

Fred Coffey may have been in the Wheaton area at the time that the girls went missing. Police say that he started a job at Vitro on 23 April 1975 and was paid by them through 31 July 1975, although he left the area a few days before the 31st. It is quite possible that he was in the area earlier, but by the time he came to police attention in 1987, many of the records such as Motel billings, gas station receipts, car sales records, etc were no longer in existance and Coffey's presence could not be established with absolute solid evidence.

You do, however, bring up an interesting possible connection between Mr. Coffey and this Station Wagon sighting. Coffey's home town was Bristol, Virginia. Probably the closest route from the Washington DC area to Bristol would have taken him right by Manassas, VA. on his way to the Skyline Drive.

Could this recently closed case be related to the case of the Missing Lyon Sisters or of Kathy Lynn Beatty?

The perpetrator of this crime was a repeat offender who had escaped from a Virginia Prison and was living in Kensington, MD in 1981-82. Did he have previous ties to Kensington? More importantly, where was he in 1975?

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Wendy Lou Stark, abducted and murdered 1982 Montgomery County, MD
Case Closed.

Wendy Lou Stark was a 20 year old student of the University of Maryland. She worked in Rockville and it is believed that she was on her way to work on April 9, 1982, when she was randomly targeted and abducted from the parking lot of the Hillandale Shopping Center after she made a stop at the Zayre's Store at approximately 4:00 p.m. She was sexually assaulted at an unknown location. At approximately, 9:00 p.m., it appeared that in an attempt to break free from her assailant, she managed to get out of the car in which she was forced as a passenger. While she was trying to enter a home on Mitcher Street just north of Kensington, she was shot and killed.

In 1982 the technology did not exist for the type of DNA testing that can be conducted today. Recently, Montgomery County Police DNA analysts determined that a 1982 evidence sample was suitable for testing by the improved technology now available. The DNA sample was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and it matched the DNA profile of Gerald Anderson Abernathy who was a convicted offender serving a life sentence for kidnapping and murder in North Carolina. Abernathy died when he was 66 years old of lung cancer in October of 2007 while still in prison.

In 1983 while in the process of developing a suspect, it was learned that Abernathy had escaped from a Virginia jail in 1981 and was hiding in Kensington, Maryland, at the time of Stark's murder. He left the area the day after the murder and was arrested in Pennsylvania five days later as a fugitive from Virginia and DUI.

To see photo of Gerald Anderson Abernathy:

That's interesting. Do you know if there was a struggle when she was abducted(was she on foot and accepted a ride or was she snatched from the parking lot against her will?) We need to find out where this guy was in 75.

Richard said:

Could this recently closed case be related to the case of the Missing Lyon Sisters or of Kathy Lynn Beatty?

The perpetrator of this crime was a repeat offender who had escaped from a Virginia Prison and was living in Kensington, MD in 1981-82. Did he have previous ties to Kensington? More importantly, where was he in 1975?

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Wendy Lou Stark, abducted and murdered 1982 Montgomery County, MD
Case Closed.

Wendy Lou Stark was a 20 year old student of the University of Maryland. She worked in Rockville and it is believed that she was on her way to work on April 9, 1982, when she was randomly targeted and abducted from the parking lot of the Hillandale Shopping Center after she made a stop at the Zayre's Store at approximately 4:00 p.m. She was sexually assaulted at an unknown location. At approximately, 9:00 p.m., it appeared that in an attempt to break free from her assailant, she managed to get out of the car in which she was forced as a passenger. While she was trying to enter a home on Mitcher Street just north of Kensington, she was shot and killed.

In 1982 the technology did not exist for the type of DNA testing that can be conducted today. Recently, Montgomery County Police DNA analysts determined that a 1982 evidence sample was suitable for testing by the improved technology now available. The DNA sample was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and it matched the DNA profile of Gerald Anderson Abernathy who was a convicted offender serving a life sentence for kidnapping and murder in North Carolina. Abernathy died when he was 66 years old of lung cancer in October of 2007 while still in prison.

In 1983 while in the process of developing a suspect, it was learned that Abernathy had escaped from a Virginia jail in 1981 and was hiding in Kensington, Maryland, at the time of Stark's murder. He left the area the day after the murder and was arrested in Pennsylvania five days later as a fugitive from Virginia and DUI.

To see photo of Gerald Anderson Abernathy:

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I remember when this case happened. When Wendy was taken.

If Abernathy escaped in 1981, when was he sent to jail? What was he serving time for?

I'm positive that this boy Abernathy is not the TRM I saw at the plaza 28Feb75. Again I could be wrong, or maybe he fits into the case another way. That's just my 2 cents worth.

SharetheLight said:

I remember when this case happened. When Wendy was taken.
If Abernathy escaped in 1981, when was he sent to jail? What was he serving time for?

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I contacted Virginia's Department of Corrections and asked these very questions today. They got back to me with a very prompt reply. Unfortunatly the reply was that they do not have ready access to records from the 1970's and 80's.

They suggested that I search newspaper microfilms for the information, and recommended some libraries and archives for the state of Virginia.

I was able to determine that this Abernathy character was serving a life sentence for an abduction, rape, and murder committed in North Carolina in 1993. So clearly he is a serial killer.

How many others were there before and after the death of Wendy Lou Stark?

Richard said:

I contacted Virginia's Department of Corrections and asked these very questions today. They got back to me with a very prompt reply. Unfortunatly the reply was that they do not have ready access to records from the 1970's and 80's.

They suggested that I search newspaper microfilms for the information, and recommended some libraries and archives for the state of Virginia.

I was able to determine that this Abernathy character was serving a life sentence for an abduction, rape, and murder committed in North Carolina in 1993. So clearly he is a serial killer.

How many others were there before and after the death of Wendy Lou Stark?

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I think I read that Abernathy committed a similar crime in 1973. It may have been this crime he was serving time on when he escaped in 1981, he killed Wendy Stark in 1982, went back to jail soon after for warrants from VA, he likely served much more time for escape so he may not have had a lot of "out" time to commit too many more crimes. Clearly he was out in 1993, but when did he get released after going back to jail in 1982, and what year was he charged with the 1993 case? I suppose even if he was out for only one year, which I suspect it was probably longer, he could do some serious damage in a years time.
I need to go back and find that 1973 case again to see the details.

The girls shared a paper route with brother Jay, was everyone on thier route interviewed?

Do we have anymore info on Abernathy? Like his confinement dates?

SharetheLight said:

Do we have anymore info on Abernathy? Like his confinement dates?

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As I mentioned in an earlier post, I could not get confinement or sentencing information from the state of Virginia's Department of Corrections. It certainly exists, but maybe not in an on-line version. North Carolina's Prison Locator does have information about him, but their records start in 1993.

I was able to find some earlier information about Abernathy. He had been married in the late 1950's and early 1960's. He beat his wife and abused his family. His wife finally obtained a divorce from him. Because of some head injuries (and probably pshcological injuries) which Abernathy had inflicted on her, she had a very difficult caring for herself and for her children. The children were taken from her by social services and placed in foster and adoptive homes.

Richard said:

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I could not get confinement or sentencing information from the state of Virginia's Department of Corrections. It certainly exists, but maybe not in an on-line version. North Carolina's Prison Locator does have information about him, but their records start in 1993.

I was able to find some earlier information about Abernathy. He had been married in the late 1950's and early 1960's. He beat his wife and abused his family. His wife finally obtained a divorce from him. Because of some head injuries (and probably pshcological injuries) which Abernathy had inflicted on her, she had a very difficult caring for herself and for her children. The children were taken from her by social services and placed in foster and adoptive homes.

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That is horrible! Those poor children, their father a murderer, an abuser who beat his wife out of commission, and out of her ability to care for herself and her children. Then for the children to end up in foster care and adopted, how very sad. Although if it kept them away from Abernathy, then perhaps it kept them alive and well unlike their mother.

-1973 he abducted two women at knifepoint outside restaurant in Washington, the women escaped in Mont. Co.

-escaped from VA jail 11/81

-4/9/82 kidnapped, molested, and killed Wendy Lou Stark-MD

-arrested in PA 4/14/82-dwi

-1994 serving a life sentence for unrelated kidnapping and murder

-died of lung cancer in jail 10/2007

-http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/21/AR2008072101224.html?tid=informbox

The only new piece of info here is that in 1973 he abducted two women at knifepoint in Washington, they travelled into Mont. Co., and while there the women managed to escape.
So what was he serving time for in 1981 when he escaped from a VA prison?
It wasn't the 1973 incident because that case happened in Washington, and MD.
He definitely had a connection to MD because in 1973, he brought the women he kidnapped into Montgomery County and then he was back in 1982 hiding out after his escape from VA, when he came upon Wendy and kidnapped and killed her. I'd like to know more about what he did from 1973-1981.

Here are some cases in Chronological Order with victim descriptions and with cross reference as to where in this thread you can find further information on each.

There are probably quite a few other cases from this era which were discussed on the origional thread (the really long one) and on others. I have tried to include vital statistics for each of these victims where I could find the information.

Of course, not all of these cases are related to the Lyon Sisters' case, but I feel very strongly that some of them are. And there may be connections between others as well.
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Elizabeth Ann Metzler, 10, Murdered 6 Dec 1971, Anne Arundel Co, MD
Note: In 1978, a man named Richard Miles Chaney, dob 19 November 1939, was arrested, tried and convicted of the murder of little Elizabeth Ann Metzler. He was believed to also have committed a similar murder in Georgia.
post #68 page 3

Sharon Lynn Pretorius, 13, Missing since September 28, 1973 from Dayton, OH
Date of Birth: about 1960 Tall for her age. White female. Long, brown hair, worn in braids. Clothing: A yellow long-sleeved sweater, blue jeans and gym shoes.
Post #113 page 5
Christine Marie Wright, 7, Abducted and Murdered 12 Feb 1974, Chester, VA
Hair: Blonde, Eyes: Blue
Her body was found floating face down in a creek, a little more than two months after she was abducted from the apartment where her parents then lived. An autopsy indicated the child was alive when she was thrown in the water.
(post 223)

Nadine O'Dell, 15, Missing 16 August 1974 from Inkster, Wayne County, MI
Date Of Birth: March 14, 1958
Ht: 5' 1"; Wt: 105 lbs.
White female. Strawberry blonde hair; green eyes.
Clothing: White t-shirt with blue faded baggy jeans.
She was wearing her boyfriend's Taylor High School ring on a chain around her neck.
(post 221)

Jacksonville, FL child abductions and murders Summer of 1974
Five girls, ages 6 to 12, who disappeared within a three-month span (July - October 1974) in Jacksonville. Only two bodies were ever found.
The five abductions - coming so close and apparently unrelated - were unprecedented, said a veteran Jacksonville police officer.
Post #117, page 5 Repost # 212 Page 9

- Jean Marie (Jeanie) Schoen, 9, disappeared July 21 after going to a store near her grandmother's house on West 19th Street in Springfield.
- Lillian Annette Anderson, 11, and her sister,
- Mylette Anderson, 6, disappeared from their Oceanway home Aug. 1 while their mother was attending a sick relative.
- Virginia Helm, 12, disappeared Sept. 27 while going to a convenience store a block from her home on Dean Road on the Southside. A month later, her body was found in a shallow grave south of Beach Boulevard. She had been shot through the head.
- Rebecca Ann Greene, 12, disappeared Oct. 12 after buying soft drinks at a store in her Fairfield neighborhood. Her skeleton was found three years later on Heckscher Drive.

Cynthia Gooding, 16 and Teresa Alfonso, 12, Missing Tuesday, 3 Sept 1974 Marathon, FL
Cynthia: 5'2; 100 pounds; White female. Brown hair; brown eyes
Teresa: 5'2"; 120 lbs; White/Hispanic female. Light brown hair; brown eyes.
First post: page 1, updated post #93 page 4

Tina Faye Kemp, 14, Missing since Monday, 3 Feb 1975 from Felton, DE
5'0", 100 pounds, White female, Brown hair, Blue eyes.
post #108 page 5

Valerie Seibert, 16, Abducted and Murdered 2 March 1975 Bucks County, PA
An 11th-grader at George Washington High School in Philadelphia, was missing for two days from her home in on Chilton Road in Northeast Philadelphia.
She was discovered on 4 March 1975 lying in a field near Second Street Pike and Swamp Road in Wrightstown, Bucks County, PA by a farmer. Police believed that Seibert was shot twice on the farm. The case is unsolved.
(post 224)

Sheila Mary Lyon and Katherine Mary Lyon, Missing since Tuesday, 25 March 1975 from Wheaton, MD
Sheila, age 12 (almost 13), 5'2"; 100 pounds; White female, Blonde hair; blue eyes, wore glasses.
Katherine, age 10 (almost 11), 4'8"; 85 pounds; White female, Blonde hair; blue eyes

Steven Eugene Anderson,17 and David Williams,12, Missing since Monday, April 7, 1975 from New Lisbon, NJ
Steven: 5'9"; 150 lbs; White male. Brown, straight, short hair; blue eyes
David: 5'0"; 113 pounds; Black male. Black hair; brown eyes
post #94 page 4

Wendy Eaton, 15, Missing since Saturday, 17 May 1975 from Media, PA
Ht: 4' 10"; Wt: 90 pounds; White female. Brown hair; brown eyes, occasionaly wore glasses
post #33 P. 2

Edna Christine Thorne,15, Missing Tuesday, 24 June 1975, Philadelphia, PA
Ht: 5' 1" ; Wt: 105 pounds; White female. Brown hair; brown eyes
post #34 page 2

Robyn Ann Pettinato, 14, Missing since Saturday, 5 July 1975 from Whitefish, Flathead County, Montana
Date Of Birth: November 12, 1960
Ht: 5' 0"; Wt: 100 lbs. White female. brown hair; blue eyes.
Note: May have had relatives in Pennsylvania or in Kensington, MD.

Tracy Anne King, 14, Missing Tuesday, 8 July 1975, from Littlestown, PA
Ht: 5' 3"; Wt: 110 pounds; White female. Red hair; blue eyes
post #35 page 2

Kathy Lynn Beatty, 14, from Wheaton (Aspen Hill), MD, abducted attacked on Thursday, 24 July 1975.
Died without regaining consciousness 5 August 1975.
Height/weight not known - thin, White female, Brown (possibly reddish) straight hair, eye color not known
Kathy has her own thread

Carolyn Majane, 15, went missing Friday, 22 Aug 1975, from Moorestown, NJ.
Her body was found in 1985, buried in a remote area. Description not available.
post #65 page 3

Cassandra Nadine Landrum, 18, Missing 29 Sept 1975 from Union City, GA
Date Of Birth: August 26, 1957
Ht: 5' 1"; Wt: 100 pounds White female. Blonde hair; hazel eyes.
Marks, Scars: Small scar on her forehead
Clothing: Blue jeans and two red shirts, one short sleeved and one long. She was barefoot.
AKA: Sandra
(post 220)

Dorothy Delilah Scofield, 12, Missing Thursday, 22 July 1976, Ocala, FL
Ht: 4' 11"; Wt: 100 pounds; White female. Brown, straight hair; blue eyes. Wore glasses
post #58, page 3

Judy Ann Sylvester,22, Missing Monday, 24 Jan 1977, Virginia Beach, VA
Ht: 5' 0"; Wt: 100 lbs; White female. Brown hair; blue eyes
post #81 page 4

Deborah Ann Quimby, 13, Missing since 3 May 1977 from Townsend, MA
Date Of Birth: October 9, 1963
Ht: 5'1" Wt: 120 pounds White female. Brown hair; brown eyes. She has freckles.
Clothing: A multicolored shirt, blue jeans, and a royal blue Pop Warner jacket with the name "Debbie" embroidered on the sleeve. Dentals Available
Post # 206 page 9

Eva Gerline/Jurlyn DEBRUHL, 15, Missing Wednesday, 29 June 1977 from Catawba or Rock Hill, York Co, SC
Ht: 5' 1"; Wt: 105 lbs; White female. Brown hair; blue eyes
post #37 page 2

Cheryl Ann Moser Iacovone, 17, Missing since 12 July 1977 from Secane, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
Date Of Birth: April 22, 1960
Height: 5 feet 8 inches Weight: 120 Pounds. White female. Hair: Blonde Eyes: Green
Cheryl Anne Moser Iacovone was last seen walking to a friend's house in Secane, Pennsylvania on July 12, 1977.
(post 222)

Jane Louise Puckett, 16, Missing 23 Nov 1977 from Colonial Heights, VA
Date Of Birth: June 26, 1961
Ht: 5'2" (157 cm.) Wt:115 lbs. (52 kg.) White female. Brown hair; blue eyes.
Marks, Scars: Jane has two small scars near her right eye, one is on the side of her eye and the other is about one inch below her eye. Dentals Available
Post # 114 page 5

Elizabeth Archard, 13, Murdered 28 Aug 1978, Prince Georges County, MD
post #51 page 3

Amanda Ray, 10, Abducted and murdered by Fred Howard Coffey, Jr. 1979 from Charlotte, NC

Donna Michele Barnhill, 13, Missing March 18, 1981 from Lexington, NC
Date Of Birth: April 19, 1967
Ht: 5' 7"; Wt: 125 pounds White female. Brown straight hair; brown eyes.
Clothing: An orange sweatshirt; jeans; and a dark jacket.
Post # 115, page 5

Neely Smith, 5, abducted and murdered 1981 from Charlotte, NC
Prime suspect: Fred Howard Coffey, Jr.
Post #65 Page 3

Wendy Lou Stark, 20, abducted and murdered 9 April 1982, Kensington, Montgomery County, MD
A University of Maryland student. She was randomly targeted and abducted from the parking lot of the Hillandale Shopping Center at approximately 4:00 p.m. She was sexually assaulted at an unknown location. At approximately, 9:00 p.m., in an attempt to break free from her assailant, she managed to get out of the car in which she was forced as a passenger. While she was trying to enter a home on Mitcher Street just north of Kensington, she was shot and killed by her assailant. Recent DNA testing identified Gerald Anderson Abernathy as her killer. Abernathy died at age 66 of lung cancer in October 2007 while in a North Carolina prison.
(post 243)

Ann Gotlib, 12, Missing since 1 June 1983 from Louisville, KY
Date Of Birth: May 5, 1971
Ht: 5' 1" ; Wt: 85 pounds. White female. Red/auburn curly hair; gray eyes. Fair complexion and light-colored eyebrows.
Marks, Scars: She has freckles on her face and moles on her lower back. She also has pierced ears.
Clothing: Navy blue shorts with white stripes on the sides, a red and white t-shirt, beige tennis shoes and gold earrings with purple stones.
Post #196 page 8

Josephine (16) and Joyce (15) Cogburn, missing 2 Oct 1983 from Norman, OK
- Josephine Yvette Cogburn: Ht: 5' 1"; Wt: 128 pounds White female. Brown hair; blue eyes.
Tattoos: Josephine has "VETTE" with a swirl underneath in script lettering inside of the foot, near the toes.
- Joyce Irene Cogburn: Ht: 5' 3"; Wt: 116 pounds White female. Blonde hair; brown eyes.
(post 225)

Martha Jean Lambert, 12, Missing since 27 Nov 1985 from Elkton, FL
Date Of Birth: March 26, 1973
Ht: 4' 5" (135 cm.); Wt: 70 pounds (32 kg.) White female. Blonde hair; blue eyes.
Marks, Scars: Birthmarks on the front of her right thigh and on the upper part of her left chest.
Clothing: A matching two-piece bathing suit
Dentals: Lambert has slightly protruding teeth.
Post # 194 page 8

Michelle Jolene Lakey, 11, Missing since 26 Aug 1986 from Scranton, PA
Date Of Birth: October 21, 1974
Age at Time of Disappearance: 11 years old
Ht: 5' 0"; Wt: 80 pounds. White female. Dark blonde/brown hair; brown eyes. Lakey had long fingernails at the time of her disappearance.
Clothing: Lakey was last seen wearing dark blue sweatpants; a white shirt with purple trim; and size 8 brown sandals; size 14 clothes.
Dentals: Not available
Post #197 page 8

Travis Shane King, 8, Abducted and Murdered August 1986, Bristol, VA
Prime Suspect: Fred Howard Coffey, Jr.

Jennifer Lynn Pandos, 15, Missing since 10 Feb 1987 from Williamsburg, James City County, VA
Date Of Birth: October 29, 1971
Ht: 5' 2"; Wt: 100 pounds White female. Brown hair; hazel eyes. Left-handed.
Marks, Scars: Pandos has a small mole on her left shoulder.
Clothing: Pink sweater, pink nylon waist jacket, blue jeans, white Hi top tennis shoes. Dentals Available. DNA: Available.
( post 219)