OH OH - John, 36, & Shelly Markley, 31, Bristolville, 15 Dec 1995

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I can't believe they are not already on here... I did a search so please forgive me if they already are.
Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of their disappearance and that is incredibly sad.
Is this what we now call a home invasion of some type. Most likely someone they knew, and were familiar with. Someone knew they were vulnerable and had just received a check for a large amount of money, and took advantage of the situation.

If someone could find the Markley children on Facebook... I managed to find a few of them, would we be able to invite them... would they want to get on here and update on any activity do you think?

Anyone from around the Bristolville, Ohio area? Anyone know the Markley family... Seems there may be a brother/sister of Shelly or John around... not to mention once again the children. (5 of them I think...)

Finally, I'm hoping we can all keep an eye out tomorrow for any news updates. It has been since the near the year 2000 that there were any news articles.

Shelly
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/markley_shelly.html

John
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/markley_john.html
 
This was right outside of my hometown. The news today is saying there are new leads.

BRISTOLVILLE, Ohio -There could be new information that may help solve the twenty-year-old mystery surrounding the disappearance of a Bristolville couple.

On December 15th,1995, ten days before Christmas, the children of John and Shelly Markley came home from school to find their parents gone. And they would never see them again. Trumbull county Sheriff Tom Altiere was in his first term as Sheriff in 1995.

"This has been on my mind for 20 years, this case," Altiere said. The Sheriff says they've just recently been investigating new information on the case.
"As a matter of fact, a couple of weeks ago we got some more leads on this and it's funny because now it's the 20 year anniversary. We have interviewed three people last week and we're looking for three more people to interview," said Altiere.

The Sheriff could not say more about who they are talking to.


More at the link below:



http://www.wfmj.com/story/30759163/...county-unsolved-mystery#.VnCQ98f0cgI.facebook
 
This happened two counties over from me. It's a pretty rural area. The Markleys have five children who are now adults. I'm not aware of any new information about them and today is 25 years they've been missing. Hope answers are forthcoming soon.
 
MadMcGoo said:
I wonder if there are any updates in this case.
Click to expand...

I live about 45 minutes from where this occurred, a pretty rural area. I've heard no new updates. Feel horribly for their now-adult kids and that no one has been charged. Hope law enforcement will direct more efforts to solving this. Proves it can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime-but I tend to think they were acquainted with the person. And I believe he had help disposing of them. I'd like it if a family member might join WS and add details, but as of yet don't believe they have.
 
sammyed said:
I live about 45 minutes from where this occurred, a pretty rural area. I've heard no new updates. Feel horribly for their now-adult kids and that no one has been charged. Hope law enforcement will direct more efforts to solving this. Proves it can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime-but I tend to think they were acquainted with the person. And I believe he had help disposing of them. I'd like it if a family member might join WS and add details, but as of yet don't believe they have.
Click to expand...
Thanks for responding! It is very sad to see that this hasn’t been solved. It would be nice to know more, even nicer if there were some renewed interest in the case.
 
I read the CP and at first did not give much thought into Stephen Durst because it states One of John's coworkers claimed to have been holding them for a $10,000 ransom, but authorities later decided the man was an opportunist who had not been involved in the Markleys' disappearances. He was charged with extortion. After reading another article Mystery remains two decades later
as well as the
MadMcGoo said:
8 Dec 1996, 7 - The Tribune at Newspapers.com
Click to expand...
that MadMcGoo posted for us (thank you) It gave me a different opinion. CP calls him a co worker the article says he worked for Markley and that Markley owed him $1000, it says he told many people this. It is also the exact amount of the check the Markleys' cashed the day they disappeared. The 2015 article states Durst also failed several questions about the couple’s disappearance. His answers were marked as deceptive when he said he wasn’t involved in the disappearance and didn’t see them after they were reported missing. Yet Durst was only charged with extortion. If these reports are correct he certainly seems like a good suspect.
It is also my belief that they were forced to go to the bank and get that money. The fact that John didn't take his watch, Shelly didn't take her smokes which family says they wouldn't have left without as well as the fact that John's sister just died, they are getting ready for funeral, coffee pot still on. Who is going to willingly run to the bank to pay someone $1000. Leaving less than a 1000 in the bank with a family that size. He had just borrowed 1500 for tires. They obviously didn't have a lot of money. Seems plausible to me they owed someone 1000. I just wish that when they got to the bank they would have said something. Yelled help or something. If they were being forced to go there, or threatened to be killed if they said anything it was their only chance for help. If someone says they will kill you when people are around, I would take that chance. I would yell, scream, make a scene. It's less likely they will kill you with witnesses around. More likely they will kill when no one is around.
 
So I know the Markley family very well and grew up in Bristolville, Ohio. I’ve always believed this case is very solvable. I’ve spent many years researching this case, it seems the sheriffs department just doesn’t have time or interest. I believe some good media/ documentary coverage could crack this case.
 
jpriddy1 said:
So I know the Markley family very well and grew up in Bristolville, Ohio. I’ve always believed this case is very solvable. I’ve spent many years researching this case, it seems the sheriffs department just doesn’t have time or interest. I believe some good media/ documentary coverage could crack this case.
Click to expand...
Hi @jpriddy1, It is such a shame when solvable cases go unsolved especially when the reason is lack of interest or time. I'm sure the family would like answers. Can you tell a little bit about John and Shelley? With the researching you have done do you have a theory of what may have happened? I had posted a couple years ago about Stephen Durst. Do you think he could have been involved? Just so curious. Thanks
 
This has all the signs of a surprise abduction. The coffeepot was still on the stove, the wallet, watch, cigarettes, all left behind, not to mention the sighting of a third party in the Markley's pickup truck.

$1000 was not a huge sum of money to commit a double-homicide over in 1995. Perhaps the killer believed they had more tucked away? I wonder if he returned to the house after the event and that's when the safe was ransacked?
 
I just found out about this case and came here to see if there was more information. So bizarre that LE seemingly doesn’t have much interest in solving this one, John and Shelley seemed to be responsible parents of 5 children.. surely that’s something to be looked into? Maybe they know more than we think and just can’t get the right evidence to nail someone down? I feel horrible for their children, imagine coming home ten days before Christmas and discovering that your parents are gone, never to be seen again.
 
Atombudd said:
I read the CP and at first did not give much thought into Stephen Durst because it states One of John's coworkers claimed to have been holding them for a $10,000 ransom, but authorities later decided the man was an opportunist who had not been involved in the Markleys' disappearances. He was charged with extortion. After reading another article Mystery remains two decades later
as well as the
that MadMcGoo posted for us (thank you) It gave me a different opinion. CP calls him a co worker the article says he worked for Markley and that Markley owed him $1000, it says he told many people this. It is also the exact amount of the check the Markleys' cashed the day they disappeared. The 2015 article states Durst also failed several questions about the couple’s disappearance. His answers were marked as deceptive when he said he wasn’t involved in the disappearance and didn’t see them after they were reported missing. Yet Durst was only charged with extortion. If these reports are correct he certainly seems like a good suspect.
It is also my belief that they were forced to go to the bank and get that money. The fact that John didn't take his watch, Shelly didn't take her smokes which family says they wouldn't have left without as well as the fact that John's sister just died, they are getting ready for funeral, coffee pot still on. Who is going to willingly run to the bank to pay someone $1000. Leaving less than a 1000 in the bank with a family that size. He had just borrowed 1500 for tires. They obviously didn't have a lot of money. Seems plausible to me they owed someone 1000. I just wish that when they got to the bank they would have said something. Yelled help or something. If they were being forced to go there, or threatened to be killed if they said anything it was their only chance for help. If someone says they will kill you when people are around, I would take that chance. I would yell, scream, make a scene. It's less likely they will kill you with witnesses around. More likely they will kill when no one is around.
Click to expand...
Well, seems SD is a fantastic suspect. I wonder why the PD doesn't think he was involved.

We need to get eyes and ears on this case ASAP. I feel like this is so solvable.

And yeah, I've always been told: never go to a secondary location or you're effed.
 
NeverPersonal said:
Well, seems SD is a fantastic suspect. I wonder why the PD doesn't think he was involved.

We need to get eyes and ears on this case ASAP. I feel like this is so solvable.

And yeah, I've always been told: never go to a secondary location or you're effed.
Click to expand...
Steve Durst is definitely a suspect. The police later changed their position on him.
 
Atombudd said:
Hi @jpriddy1, It is such a shame when solvable cases go unsolved especially when the reason is lack of interest or time. I'm sure the family would like answers. Can you tell a little bit about John and Shelley? With the researching you have done do you have a theory of what may have happened? I had posted a couple years ago about Stephen Durst. Do you think he could have been involved? Just so curious. Thanks
Click to expand...
I do very much believe he was involved and I’m not alone in that belief
 
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