ID ID - Charlene Zahm, 5, Boise, 30 June 1959

I was researching the Lonnie Jones case and found this one, I am struggling to find info on if the case was ever closed or solved.

Charlene Zahm disappeared in Boise, Idaho while her step-mother was driving her father to work. 3 older siblings were at home, heard her leave the house and just thought she was going out to play.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5CBUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MzoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3728,540456&dq=missing+idaho&hl=en


Stepmom saw a shoeless man prowling outside a bedroom at their house after girl's disappearance, ran when she called for her husband. Also, search completed "from one end to the other" of Boise with no trace found.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zd5YAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jfcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6977,1252879&dq=bernard-zahm&hl=en


Stumped a month in. Wearing blue pedal pushers and a boat stitched on a pocket. LE compares her disappearance to Candy Rogers in which there is already a websleuths thread so apparently that one is still unsolved.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4N5YAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jfcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7059,6148009&dq=charlene+zahm&hl=en


Found August 14th by a fisherman, 18 miles from her house in an irrigation canal. "Any stream flowing into the canal in which the body was found could have been reached only by traveling several miles from the girl's home."

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EjJWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cucDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4703,4622986&dq=bernard-zahm&hl=en


Harry E Woodward interviewed by police, supposedly cleared.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=v_9XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HfcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4522,877040&dq=jack+barney+boise&hl=en


Assuming this is the same guy - questioned because he was a SO against children and in Boise at the time she disappeared. Passed a lie detector test.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IJhfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UjEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3692,349430&dq=jack+barney+boise&hl=en


Candy Rogers thread
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72700

That's all I can find.

Charlene's grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=28780188&PIpi=12103819

Facinating case! Im learning so much about these criminal cases right here in my backyard I never had a clue about until you guys came along.Its amazing.
And yes the Candy Rodgers one has haunted Spokane for decades and another interesting cold case well worth reading about.
Thanks Claudette and Robin!

I have to say there are some bizarre stories I've uncovered from the area. I'm curious to look into my area now!

Anyway what I think is strangest about this case is how it doesn't appear that there were any marks on her, she still ended up 18 miles from home and would had to have walked several (I've read 4) miles to get to a connecting waterway. Is a 5 year old walking 4 miles without anyone finding her plausible? And why was LE so certain that a SO took her? Was there something they didn't release to the public to save face for the family, or to keep the family in the dark? Why did she leave the house initially?

Bumping for Charlene...this summer will be 63 years. It's not too late to get some answers for her family.