NY NY - Josephine Despard, 26, Olean, 7 Feb 1984

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Josephine Doris Despard

JCDespard.jpg


Case File 1778DFNY


Missing since February 7, 1984 from Olean, Cattaraugus County, New York
Classification: Endangered Missing

Vital Statistics

Date Of Birth: January 24, 1958
Age at Time of Disappearance: 26 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'2"; 102 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Short, thick black hair; brown eyes.
Dentals: Available
Scars: C-Section scar
Clothing: Josephine was last seen wearing a red coat with a hood and a beige sweater.
Footwear: Brown knee high boots
AKA: Josie; Josephine Cottone Despard (Cottone - maiden name)

Circumstances of Disappearance

Josephine Despard was last seen in Olean, NY on February 7, 1984.
She was separated from her husband and the mother of a then 6-year-old daughter. She was living with her mother on North Clinton Street and taking classes at Jamestown Community College. Family members said Despard was attempting to make a better life for herself and her daughter.

On the evening of February 7, Despard left the family home at 17.00 with a male acquaintance from Franklinville. They were reportedly going to his home to swap some stereo components. The man later told police that they instead went to the Olean Mall for a cup of coffee and that he had last seen her at 18.00. The man had stated that Ms. Despard met with friends at the mall and he left alone. The man died later that year by committing suicide. He was a person of interest during the few months before his suicide. The suspect had tried to leave the country after Ms. Despard disappeared. He was stopped at the Peace Bridge at the Canadian border, was charged with parole violation and drug possession and returned to the United States.
Josie was the oldest of seven children and was always close to her mother.

Investigators

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Olean City Police Department
716-376-5678

Agency Case Number: OL-00662-06

NCIC Number: M-119435227

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1778dfny.html
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/d/despard_josephine.html
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/5381/53
 
news article - May 10, 2009

Despard mystery

On Mother's Day, Mrs. Eileen Payne will once again be honored by her sister's daughter, Lois Payne, as the woman who raised her from childhood. As in years past, Lois Payne will also remember her other mother who was taken away from her at an early age.

Ms. Despard's disappearance from Olean dates back to an evening in February of 1984. She was 26 years old at the time, separated from her husband and the mother of then 6-year-old Lois. She was also living with her mother, Lois Cottone, on North Clinton Street and taking classes at Jamestown Community College.

"We believe she was taken against her will because my sister was really close to my mom and would have told her," if she was going somewhere.

On the evening of Feb. 7, Ms. Despard left the family home at 5 p.m. with a male acquaintance from Franklinville. They were reportedly going to his home to swap some stereo components. The man later told police that they instead went to the Olean Mall for a cup of coffee and that he had last seen her at 6 p.m. The man, whom police have not identified, had stated that Ms. Despard met with friends at the mall and he left alone. The man died later that year by committing suicide, and his mother also committed suicide a couple of years after that, police have reported.

Ms. Despard's husband, Kenneth, was living in California at the time of her disappearance, and later remarried.

http://www.oleantimesherald.com/new...cle_57cd1027-412e-525c-af6d-00a4b3091962.html
 
Josehine ( Cottone) Despard Missing since 1984

Topix forum set up by her sister Eileen and contributed by many family members too.

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/olean-ny/TNT4T82H4OKTT7QU6

From some comments there it seems Josie might have been seen after the mall at diner with unknown male of trucker appearance. Later on she was seen at disco with the same male and one other unknown male. She seemed to left disco with them.
 
Did any of her friends say they met her at the mall like the man said? Were the later sightings by people who actually knew her? If not, then I think it might have been mistaken identity or friends the man she left with trying get him off the hook. Are they even sure that the "later sightings" were not on an earlier night than the one in question?
 
I have not seen any comments there from friends who supposedly met her at the mall, however mentioned sightings are by two different people (one at diner, one at disco) who knew her.

I have seen on different boards mentioning that Topix is one big gossip, so I am not really sure how reliable those information are, however it seems to me that lots of people connected to victims do come to topix to pour their heart and secrets out.
 
I have seen on different boards mentioning that Topix is one big gossip, so I am not really sure how reliable those information are, however it seems to me that lots of people connected to victims do come to topix to pour their heart and secrets out.

She seems to project a magnetic quality in what I assume is her high school graduation picture so I can see why people would be drawn to her case.

Apparently, her husband was thoroughly checked out. He was in California but could have still hired a killer. I don't think he was involved from what I see though.

The guy she left with was on parole so did she have a propensity to hang out with shady characters?

If she was with two guys that no one knew, that is very mysterious.
 
I think he was on parole for marijuana possession so not sure how shady or rather green he was.

Josie reminds me of one UID, even though certain facts do not match. I really wish there were few more pictures of her available for better comparison, rather then only one available posted above.
 
Ok, few corrections. Guy on parole studied with Josie at J.C.C, that is how they knew each other. Diner where she was seen eating with trucker stranger that evening was Perkins restaurant in Olean. At disco club, she was seen with two men, however it is not clear from comments if she was first at diner and then disco or other way around. Lady working at diner though mentioned that usually when bars nearby closed people came from there to their restaurant.
 
This is a local missing person's case that I'm told hasn't been reported on since 2009. I'm told that Josephine's sister, Eileen, and daughter Lois (6 at the time) are desperate for some renewed interest. A family friend stated that this link below (Olean Times Herald) is the last known article published locally. I promised that family friend, Debbie, that I would post it here. It has now been almost 33 years since her disappearance. Anyone have any suggestions where to start when it appears as though the main suspect (per article?) may be deceased and it doesn't appear as though the local pd wants to or can release his name? Thank you!!

http://www.oleantimesherald.com/new...cle_57cd1027-412e-525c-af6d-00a4b3091962.html

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/d/despard_josephine.html

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1778dfny.html

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/5381/0/

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/olean-ny/TNT4T82H4OKTT7QU6


I must confess that I haven't torn through all of the above yet, I just wanted to keep my promise.

*** Sorry, I DID search for her before I added all of this-- not sure why she didn't come up? Thanks for linking the two whomever??



Josephine.PNG
 
One of the supposed suspects is mentioned above in my post/links, not sure what good that information might bring to her family apart maybe possibility to find out places he sometimes went to (for possible searches). If trucker story is though correct than unfortunately she could be really anywhere.

It would be good if her family did some fresh appeals and interviews on local news or tv, to get her case out there again, to revive it and make people to talk again. It might give chance to some people come finally forward with any old information. It would be good if family released some extra pictures of her too.

Her NamUs profile says that her DNA is not available! If not done yet, it should really be done as soon as possible. It would really help with comparison to any possible UIDs all across country or any other living person for that matter.
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/5381/0/

Member Roselvr here is wealth of information how it can be done and is assisting many families of missing people. I will send her message to point her to this case.
 
This is a local missing person's case that I'm told hasn't been reported on since 2009. I'm told that Josephine's sister, Eileen, and daughter Lois (6 at the time) are desperate for some renewed interest. A family friend stated that this link below (Olean Times Herald) is the last known article published locally. I promised that family friend, Debbie, that I would post it here. It has now been almost 33 years since her disappearance. Anyone have any suggestions where to start when it appears as though the main suspect (per article?) may be deceased and it doesn't appear as though the local pd wants to or can release his name? Thank you!!

http://www.oleantimesherald.com/new...cle_57cd1027-412e-525c-af6d-00a4b3091962.html

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/d/despard_josephine.html

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1778dfny.html

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/5381/0/

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/olean-ny/TNT4T82H4OKTT7QU6


I must confess that I haven't torn through all of the above yet, I just wanted to keep my promise.

*** Sorry, I DID search for her before I added all of this-- not sure why she didn't come up? Thanks for linking the two whomever??



View attachment 110039

One of the supposed suspects is mentioned above in my post/links, not sure what good that information might bring to her family apart maybe possibility to find out places he sometimes went to (for possible searches). If trucker story is though correct than unfortunately she could be really anywhere.

It would be good if her family did some fresh appeals and interviews on local news or tv, to get her case out there again, to revive it and make people to talk again. It might give chance to some people come finally forward with any old information. It would be good if family released some extra pictures of her too.

Her NamUs profile says that her DNA is not available! If not done yet, it should really be done as soon as possible. It would really help with comparison to any possible UIDs all across country or any other living person for that matter.
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/5381/0/

Member Roselvr here is wealth of information how it can be done and is assisting many families of missing people. I will send her message to point her to this case.

Sorry, my health has been really bad since August. Here is her NamUs profile, her family needs to contact Lori Bruski to get DNA in her profile. They lost funding, so I'm not sure what's going on with DNA samples, Lori would know.

Next suggestion, they should make a FB page to get her face out there, also try to contact news agencies to try to get at least one article written which should get the ball rolling for her story to be out there.

They also should try to order her file thru Freedom of Information Act. NY makes it very easy. I can grab you links later on. Have to get grandson to an Easter egg hunt
 
OLEAN, N.Y. — Police in a western New York city say they'd like to talk to the writer of a letter that arrived 34 years to the day after the disappearance of a young mother.

The letter, with no return address or name, arrived in the mail at the Olean police station Feb. 7. The Olean Times Herald reports it contained information about the unsolved 1984 disappearance of 26-year-old Josephine Cottone Despard.

Olean Police Capt. Robert Blovsky won't reveal details but says it does not implicate the writer.

https://www.registercitizen.com/new...letter-about-34-year-old-missing-12612172.php
 
Person who was last seen with Doris has been arrested in Dec 1979 for sexual attack on 14 year old. (I am replacing his name below with dots).

Dec. 6, 1979
A tip and a hunch were credited by police with the arrest Tuesday night of a 22-year-old Cattaraugus County man on a charge of sexually attacking a 14-year-old girl here. "One of our road officers, with information from the street, started to work on a hunch and was very determined to follow through on this hunch," Canandaigua Police Chief Patrick McCarthy said yesterday. The investigation led to "a mystery man who visited the city during the weekend of the attacks," he said. Police now say that mystery man is ...., 22, of Chestnut Street Extension, Franklinville, Cattaraugus County. He was arraigned yesterday morning in Canandaigua City Court Court on one count of first -degree sodomy in connection with an attack on a 14-year-old girl Oct. 13. The incident allegedly took place about 11 p.m. in a field behind a pizza parlor on South Main Street. ....is being held in the Ontario County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail.
.... was arrested about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday at his home in Franklinville, which is about 100 miles southwest of Canandaigua.

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/137055884/
 
OLEAN, N.Y. — Police in a western New York city say they'd like to talk to the writer of a letter that arrived 34 years to the day after the disappearance of a young mother.

The letter, with no return address or name, arrived in the mail at the Olean police station Feb. 7. The Olean Times Herald reports it contained information about the unsolved 1984 disappearance of 26-year-old Josephine Cottone Despard.

Olean Police Capt. Robert Blovsky won't reveal details but says it does not implicate the writer.

https://www.registercitizen.com/new...letter-about-34-year-old-missing-12612172.php

I was just coming to post this. Another source (same info): http://www.wgrz.com/article/news/lo...34-year-old-missing-persons-case/71-518694141

I wonder what was in the letter and why someone would send it after 34 years? Maybe the writer heard a death bed confession from someone or is close to dying themselves and wanted to share what they know?
 
http://buffalonews.com/2018/02/14/3...m-disappears-anonymous-letter-sent-to-police/
"I think they wanted to know that there was more we should be looking into," Blovksy said. "I wish I could talk to this person. Obviously, this person knows more. I would like to pick their brains."

Blovsky emphasized that the writer of the letter isn't in any trouble. And he said, "it can all be confidential."

Blovsky would not reveal the contents of the letter, but did say it was handwritten and addressed to him and three now-retired investigators. It was postmarked from Buffalo.
"I would say that obviously, this is bothering you. I would like to help you with this. Get this off your mind and get this off your chest. Let me help the family and get some closure for them."

Blovsky posted the information about the letter on the department's Facebook page in the hopes of reaching the writer, posting his name and office number: 716-376-5673.

"I will meet you anywhere you wish and can keep it confidential," he wrote. "Please contact us."
 
OLEAN, N.Y. — Olean Police want to talk to the person who sent an anonymous letter that offered possible clues about what happened to a young mother that disappeared 34 years ago.
The one-page, handwritten letter was postmarked in Buffalo but had no name or return address. Police got the letter on February 7 — the same day Josephine Cottone Despard disappeared in 1984.
The then 26 year old was last seen at the Olean Mall with a male acquaintance from Franklinville. The man committed suicide a few months after Despard's disappearance. Police never publicly released his name.
Olean Police Captain Robert Blovsky told 2 On Your Side the letter does not implicate the writer but said it mentions the man's name and says he was in some way involved in Despard's disappearance.
Captain Blovsky also said the letter mentioned a location. Police would only say it's in New York state, not far from Olean. It's described as a vast residential area with nearby wooded areas.
"It gives a location of where things may have gone bad," said Captain Blovsky. "We need to go there to find out, look at it, see exactly where it is and see if we can identify the right spot and go from there."
Police were also scheduled to speak with two family members this week to see if there was any new information they may have gotten or heard.
Police say since they posted on Facebook about receiving the anonymous letter, they've heard from about five or six people who came forward with information that may be helpful in solving the case.
Captain Blovsky said the letter by itself isn't "earth shattering" and alone won't solve the case, but he stressed the need for more information and said no clue or piece of information is too small.
http://www.wgrz.com/article/news/lo...34-year-old-missing-persons-case/71-518694141
 

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