IN - Renee Bruhl, Patricia Blough & Ann Miller, Indiana Dunes SP, 2 July 1966

[Richard]

The Indiana Dunes State Park Mystery July 1966: Three missing women

Renee Bruhl
Missing since July 2, 1966 from Indiana Dunes State Park, Indiana
Classification: Endangered Missing Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: 1947
Age at Time of Disappearance: 19 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'9"
Distinguishing Characteristics: Brown hair; hazel eyes. Bruhl's maiden name is "Slunecko."
Clothing: Bathing suit
The Doe Network: Case File 384DFIN
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Ann Miller
Missing since July 2, 1966 from Indiana Dunes State Park, Indiana.
Classification: Endangered Missing Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: 1945
Age at Time of Disappearance: 21 years old
Height and Weight: 5'2"
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Brown hair; blue eyes.
Clothing: A two-piece blue bathing suit with a red belt.
The Doe Network: Case File 656DFIN
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Patricia Blough
Missing since July 2, 1966 from Indiana Dunes State Park, Indiana
Classification: Endangered Missing Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: 1947
Age at Time of Disappearance: 19 years old
Height and Weight: 5'4"; 115 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Brown hair; brown eyes.
Clothing: Bathingsuit
AKA: Patty
The Doe Network: Case File 662DFIN
------------------------------------
Circumstances of Disappearance

Renee Bruhl, Patricia Blough, and Ann Miller, disappeared from the Indiana Dunes State Park in Indiana on July 2, 1966.

The women arrived at the Indiana Dunes State Park at approximately 10:00 AM. Miller parked in the park's lot and the women hiked to a spot approximately 100 yards from the Lake Michigan shoreline. A couple reported seeing the women leave their belongings on the beach at approximately 12:00 PM and enter the lake together. The witnesses saw them speaking to an unidentified man operating a 14 - 16 foot-long white boat with a blue interior and and outboard motor sometime afterwards. The couple reported their observations to a park ranger around dusk when they noticed that the women's belongings were still sitting unclaimed on the beach. The witnesses stated that the women went aboard the boat and headed west with the driver.

The park rangers soon learned that missing persons' reports had been filed for Blough, Miller and Bruhl over the weekend in Illinois by their families. The rangers began investigating the park and located Miller's Buick in the parking lot. Her car keys had been located with her belongings and some items of the women's clothing and other personal effects were still inside the vehicle.
The park rangers contacted other law enforcement agencies, including the United States Coast Guard. A search for the missing women was initiated on July 5, three days after the women disappeared. Additional witnesses came forward with conflicting stories regarding the women's last known movements, but authorities believe that the first witnesses' reports stating that the women were seen boarding a boat were the most reliable.

More witnesses began substantiating the initial reports that the women entered a white boat operated by an unidentified man. Later accounts described the male as in his early twenties with a tanned complexion and dark, wavy hair. He was wearing a beach jacket at the time. A visitor was filming home movies at the state park on July 2 and offered his reels to investigators. The search was immediately narrowed to two boats once authorities viewed the footage. One was a fiberglass 16 - 18-foot long trimaran runabout with a three-hulled design, which was operated by a man fitting the description of the unidentified driver. Three females matching the missing women were seen aboard the smaller boat in the footage. The second boat identified was a 26 - 28-foot Trojan cabin cruiser with three men aboard along with three women. The cabin cruiser was seen at approximately 3:00 PM, three hours after the women entered the smaller vessel. Investigators believe that the women may have been dropped off on the beach by the driver of the smaller boat while he drove back to retrieve two male friends and the cabin cruiser. Blough, Miller and Bruhl were reportedly seen eating and walking along the sand dunes after this time. They were approached by another unidentified man, who accompanied them on to the cabin cruiser. Witnesses stated that the cabin cruiser was equipped with a radio / telephone antenna, but apparently did not have a name printed on its stern. This final sighting has never been confirmed, but is considered reliable by authorities.
Investigators began researching the women's backgrounds in an attempt to discover if their disappearances were voluntary. Authorities found that there may have been problems in Bruhl's marriage, though her family denied it. All three women were horse enthusiasts, which pointed to a possible connection with criminal activity. Blough and Miller met while boarding their horses at the same Illinois stable. Bruhl was a high school classmate of Blough's, which is how the three women were connected. Miller was employed as a horse exerciser at Oak Brook Polo Club at the time she vanished. She and Blough were associated with men who had criminal backgrounds in the horse market. Blough was reportedly having problems with 'horse syndicate people' in the spring and summer of 1966.

Miller's friends told authorities that she was three months pregnant in July of 1966 and mentioned entering a home for unwed mothers prior to her disappearance. Miller's possible pregnancy has never been confirmed. Blough was a very skilled swimmer who could swim 20 - 30 miles; Miller was thought to possess similar abilities and Bruhl's family stated that she had fair swimming skills. Drowning was considered a possibility in the disappearances, but unlikely. There have been many unconfirmed sightings of the three women throughout the years, but leads never surfaced. The boats they were reportedly seen boarding on July 2, 1966 have never been located, nor have the unidentified men spotted on the vessels been seen again. Debris from an apparent boat wreck were discovered near the Bailly Generating Station Of Northern Indiana Public Service Company on Lake Michigan shortly after the July 2 disappearances. There were no reports of any missing boats the day the women vanished and authorities do not know if the debris is connected to their cases.

Blough, Miller and Bruhl frequently rode horses at Tri Color Stables in Palatine, Illinois in 1966. The stables were owned by George Jayne, a prominent horse dealer. George and his brother, Silas Jayne, were involved in a bitter argument over horse dealing during the mid-1960's. Cheryl Ann Rude, a young woman associated with the horse market, was killed at Tri Color Stables in June 1965 by a car bomb discovered to be intended for George. Investigators have explored the possibility that Blough, Miller and / or Bruhl may have witnessed the bomb being planted one year prior to their disappearances. It has never been proven. George and Silas' phone numbers were discovered in the belongings of one of the missing women in 1966. None of the men have been proven to have been involved with Blough, Miller and Bruhl's disappearances.
Silas Jayne reportedly told a sheriff that he had three bodies buried underneath his residence some time after the women's 1966 disappearances. Law enforcement took the comment seriously and planned to search Silas' property; the sheriff involved was killed in a farming accident before the search took place. As a result, the lead was left cold.
The Indiana Dunes State Park where Blough, Miller and Bruhl were last seen is now called the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Indiana State Police 219-269-4747

Source Information:
The Indiana Dunes State Park Mystery

links:
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/384dfin.html

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/656dfin.html

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/662dfin.html

[azure]

There's really no doubt in my mind that Silas Jayne was involved in the disappearance and murder of these three women. He was a very evil man who committed literally hundreds of crimes over the years and used intimidation and outright murder to cover them up.
Here is a link to an article that details Silas Jayne's criminal activities:
http://www.ipsn.org/news/blood_feud_by_gene_oshea.htm

It's very long, but it does make mention of the three missing women:

"A few months later, three young horse enthusiasts—Ann Miller, 21, Patty Blough, 19, and Renee Bruhl, 19—disappeared and have long been presumed murdered. The three were last seen getting into a blue-and-white speedboat at the Indiana Dunes State Park on July 2, 1966. Hamm and federal agents say that the girls may have seen who planted the bomb that killed Rude, and that Si may have been behind their disappearance. The case remains unsolved to this day."

[Richard]

There's really no doubt in my mind that Silas Jayne was involved in the disappearance and murder of these three women. He was a very evil man who committed literally hundreds of crimes over the years and used intimidation and outright murder to cover them up.
Here is a link to an article that details Silas Jayne's criminal activities:
http://www.ipsn.org/news/blood_feud_by_gene_oshea.htm

It's very long, but it does make mention of the three missing women:

It is an interesting article which does mention the three girls. I tend to have some doubts about the story, however. If this guy Jayne was into hiring professional hit met, why would he have some young guy in a motor boat pick up the three girls? Think of the variables involved: The girls had to be in the water at the time - otherwise how would he have gotten them into his boat? What kind of plan would rely on something like that? And sending one guy to get three girls? In front of so many witnesses? And leaving their stuff behind on shore? It just doesn't sound like a professional hit at all.

The statement that federal agents believe this is what happened to the girls does not ring true. Feds usually don't engage in such speculation without some solid evidence and then only through FBI media public affairs officers. For them to say that they think Jaynes did it, but for them NOT to have the evidence to present - they just wouldn't say that, because it makes them look inept and stupid when they "know" who did it and can't get him.

Any other theories or thoughts on this case?

[Mullins]

Seems like searching the property as planned before the sheriff's death would be the most logical place to start. Wonder what prevented that from moving forward?


QUOTE: Silas Jayne reportedly told a sheriff that he had three bodies buried underneath his residence some time after the women's 1966 disappearances. Law enforcement took the comment seriously and planned to search Silas' property; the sheriff involved was killed in a farming accident before the search took place. As a result, the lead was left cold.

[Richard]

Seems like searching the property as planned before the sheriff's death would be the most logical place to start. Wonder what prevented that from moving forward?
QUOTE: Silas Jayne reportedly told a sheriff that he had three bodies buried underneath his residence some time after the women's 1966 disappearances. Law enforcement took the comment seriously and planned to search Silas' property; the sheriff involved was killed in a farming accident before the search took place. As a result, the lead was left cold.

I can only speculate that it was the Sheriff who wanted to get the Search Warrant, and with his death went some (or all) of the witness evidence needed to obtain the warrant. If all had been done correctly, the Sheriff's successor Should have been able to obtain a warrant and conduct the search. For that matter, if any credence can be placed on the statement of Jayne, the present Sheriff should be able to obtain a search warrant.

[2sisters]

Was the sherrif's death of natural causes? If they aren't on that property the I would venture to say the next place is in the bottom of the lake, but that will be like finding a needle in a haystack due to the size of it.

[peters]

Another problem with the Silas Jaynes-Cherie Rude case link to the Indiana Dunes Mystery is that several of George Jaynes' employees saw the bombing suspects and even helped the police prepare a sketch of one that was printed in the Tribune. No one killed these witnesses, whose names were printed in the newspaper.

The theory is that the bomb was planted in the car in an approximately 20 minute period between its last use and the explosion. During this time two men arrived at the stables in a gray 1959 Buick and one of the men talked with the stable manager and a female employee about boarding a horse. The supposition was that this was a diversion while the bomb was planted. The men were never seen again.

[Mullins]

The girls might have fallen prey to other abductors not related to the Jaynes. Opportunists who worked in a group, most otherwise likely.Seems like the abductors would have disposed of/buried them there somewhere around the lake (were cadaver dogs used?) Or maybe they were transported somewhere else to avoid the girl's being id'd.

Another problem with the Silas Jaynes-Cherie Rude case link to the Indiana Dunes Mystery is that several of George Jaynes' employees saw the bombing suspects and even helped the police prepare a sketch of one that was printed in the Tribune. No one killed these witnesses, whose names were printed in the newspaper.

The theory is that the bomb was planted in the car in an approximately 20 minute period between its last use and the explosion. During this time two men arrived at the stables in a gray 1959 Buick and one of the men talked with the stable manager and a female employee about boarding a horse. The supposition was that this was a diversion while the bomb was planted. The men were never seen again.

[peters]

The key element is that the search did not begin until July 5th, the third day after the girls disappeared.

It's not clear what caused the delay except for the July 4th weekend. The families knew where the girls had gone and apparently filed missing persons reports over the weekend. To me, it is a little surprising they didn't drive out to the beach themselves. By the time the search started, the trail had become muddled.

Although Richard is correct that the cabin cruiser connection was considered reliable by law enforcement, news stories from the time are not so clear cut. First police reported that they had located 3 men from Michigan City who had accosted the girls in chin-deep water and offered them a ride on their cabin cruiser. The girls were said to have declined. Later, the police discounted the story and said that the men had talked with three other girls. The second cabin cruiser story came from a lawyer who admited that he saw three girls get into such a boat at a distance, but that he could not be sure it was the missing three.

The lead investigators for years hypothesized that the girls' "personal problems" led them to stage a voluntary disappearance. However, they believed that something went wrong and the girls ended up murdered, perhaps far from the dunes.

[PonderingThings]

Renee on left, unknown on right


Patricia on left, Unknown on right


Ann on left, Unknown on right

Could it be? Or is it just because of bad photos to compare to?

If this does make sense, the photos were most likely taken one year later as the photo of the unknown woman was taken in 1967 at Expo67 in Montreal, Quebec Canada.

The bodies turned up a year after that in 1968.

Talk about long shots but the resemblences are there... what are the odds?
http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/485ufpa.html

[MaryLiz]

Just bumping this one up...today is the 40th anniversary. I was searching for some new newspaper articles for any updates but couldn't find anything yet.

I'm just sure Silas Jayne and his Chicago horse mafia had something to do with these girl's disappearances as mentioned in the article Richard posted at the top, but I don't know if we'll ever find out what happened.

[MaryLiz]

Bumping up case..it has been 41 years yesterday (July 2) that these 3 girls disappeared. Unfortunately, no new leads and nothing posted on them since a year ago July 2.

[Richard]

Here are some updated links to the Doenetwork files on these three girls>

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/384dfin.html

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/656dfin.html

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/662dfin.html

[InterestedNHelping]

Anyone know if there is a picture of George Jaynes out there? I would REALLY like to see what he looks like. Thanks

[FLMom]

Three women missing after being seen in a boat?

Wonder where Oba Chandler lived during this time frame?