KY KY - Michelle Collins, 22, Laurel County, 6 July 2004

kygal

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Michelle Lynn Collins:

AGE: 21 (when reported missing -- Charley Project has 22)
DATE OF BIRTH: 12/25/1982
MISSING: July 6, 2004; East Bernstadt (Laurel County) KY
Physical: 4'11" tall; 100 lbs
*NOTE: She was originally from (and had recently lived in) Leslie County KY (about 50 miles east of where she disappeared).


Michelle was last seen on July 6, 2004 at a residence on New Salem Road in Laurel County. Michelle has no known medical condition and was not depressed or suicidal at the time.
Michelle was last seen wearing blue jeans, a yellow baseball cap, and tennis shoes.
If anyone has any information about this case please contact Det. Mark Allen at the London Post 1-800-222-5555 or you can email him or you can email markl.allen@ky.gov






Here is the story on her that appeared yesterday, and that the local Crimestoppers is offering a reward for info.

Police Ask For Help In Missing Person Case

Police are asking for your help tonight... to find an eastern Kentucky woman who's been missing since 2004.

Beginning today Cumberland Valley crime stoppers are issuing a one thousand dollar reward for information leading to the whereabouts of Michelle Lynn Collins.

Police say Collins was last seen on July 6, 2004 at this trailer on New Salem Road in Laurel county.

A woman who lives there says she remembers collins leaving that night with a man and another woman... but says she has no idea what happened after that.

Police have not ruled out foul play... and say they've exhausted all leads.
They now hope the public can help.

She would now be 24 years old.

She's four feet eleven inches tall and weighs about one hundred pounds.

If you have any information about Michelle Lynn Collins you can call Kentucky State Police at 1-800-222-5555 or Crime stoppers at 606-878-CRIM.

LINKS:
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/collins_michelle.html
http://www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/cold_case/post11coldcase3.htm
http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/7192896.html (provides video of last woman to see her)
 
http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/8177927.html

Decomposed Body Found In Rural Laurel County
Posted: 11:42 PM Jun 25, 2007
Last Updated: 1:51 PM Jun 26, 2007
icon_video.gif
[FONT=Verdana,Arial]Body Found In A Barrel (Tuesday Noon Update)[/FONT]
icon_video.gif
[FONT=Verdana,Arial]Decomposed Body Found In Rural Laurel County[/FONT]

A mystery in Laurel County, after a gruesome discovery was made Monday.
Someone found a decomposed body in a wooded area near the Lily community.
Police, forensic teams, and the medical examiner were at the scene to investigate Monday night.
if (self['plpm'] && plpm['Mid-Story Ad']) document.write('');if (self['plpm'] && plpm['Mid-Story Ad']){ document.write(plpm['Mid-Story Ad']);} else { if(self['plurp'] && plurp['97']){} else {document.write(''); } }if (self['plpm'] && plpm['Mid-Story Ad']) document.write('');Officials say the badly decomposed body was found inside a barrel, just off U.S. 25.
At this point, they don't know if the body belonged to a male or female.
Officials also found several shotgun shell casings and bullets in the area.
The medical examiner says some of the bone fragments found are big enough to test for DNA, to determine whose body it is.

Associated Press Story (also on same site)
Human bones found, body believed incinerated in barrel

LONDON, Ky. (AP) - A coroner says a number of bone fragments found in a metal barrel in the Lilly community of southern Kentucky were human.
And Kentucky Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Emily Craig said a body had been incinerated in the barrel.
Laurel County Coroner Doug Bowling says a man and his daughter were hiking in the area yesterday and became curious about the fragments and contacted the Laurel County Sheriff's Department.
Bowling says he and Craig couldn't tell if the fragments were male or female, or what the manner of death was. Craig says there were multiple small bone fragments that were in such poor condition it may be difficult to determine if they belonged to a man or woman.
Craig says a body was incinerated in the barrel and the barrel contained multiple bullets.
She said the barrel was also full of bullet holes and believes someone may have been preparing to sink the barrel in water.
Officers found a burned pickup truck within about 40 feet of the barrel and it was being processed by authorities.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

In the story, they don't mention this or the only other Laurel County Case of a missing person. However, they do mention one in neighboring Whitley County. Do you think that I should contact someone and "remind" them of these two people? I emailed the reporter of the story and told him about them as well.


I don't know for sure if they had the neighbor on there, but she remembers hearing a woman scream and shots about the same time as the vehicle was found burning two or three years ago.... I think this very well could be her.
 
It can't hurt, kygal.

She was small, wasn't she?

What a horrible way for someone to die. :(
 
Well, it isn't Michelle, but it could have been a friend of my dad's who disappeared in 1992. The bones were determined to have come from a MALE. I sent both in so hopefully they will look into it soon. They are supposed to have suspects attached to the truck that was found, so I guess we'll have to see what comes of it.
 
hello kygal...
I am familiar with this case and read that many people thought that it might have been her. I also think they said the body had only been there for a year or two. I hope that her family gets some closure soon. There are a lot of unsolved murders/disappearances in that area....
 
The parents of a missing woman issued a $10,000 reward yesterday for information.

Tommy and Bonnie Collins offered the reward to help locate Michelle Lynn Collins, 22, who disappeared July 6, 2004, near East Bernstadt in Laurel County.

Kentucky State Police detective Mark Allen is investigating the case. Police said leads have been exhausted.

http://www.kentucky.com/news/state/story/169536.html
 
Just to drop in and update, the man charged with killing the man found in the barrel has identified the victim as William Smith of Somerset. According to the murderer, this stemmed from a long-term drug deal gone bad.
 
A young Leslie County woman disappears leaving two young daughters behind. Michele Collins was last seen in 2004 and her family wants some answers.

Bonnie Collins says she's beginning to wonder if she'll ever find out what happened to her oldest child.

"She was one of the sweetest persons you'd ever want to meet, all the time happy," Bonnie said.

Collins says the last time she saw her daughter she was heading to Laurel County with her boyfriend. That was nearly four years ago

http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/19252089.html
 
A young Leslie County woman disappears leaving two young daughters behind. Michele Collins was last seen in 2004 and her family wants some answers.

Bonnie Collins says she's beginning to wonder if she'll ever find out what happened to her oldest child.

"She was one of the sweetest persons you'd ever want to meet, all the time happy," Bonnie said.

Collins says the last time she saw her daughter she was heading to Laurel County with her boyfriend. That was nearly four years ago

http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/19252089.html


My wondering is just where did the boyfriend go? And how did she end up in one of the biggest drug areas in Laurel County -- sixty miles from home? Just some thoughts. I bet if the boyfriend were named I could find out plenty about him -- I have family in Leslie and Laurel Counties so I could def find something.
 
http://www.kentucky.com/news/state/story/893069.html

13 Aug 09

Police are searching a large pond in eastern Laurel County for the body of a woman missing since July 2004.

Police developed information that the remains of Michelle Lynn Collins might be in the pond, and search dogs later indicated there could be a body in the water, said Capt. Lisa Rudzinski, commander of the London state police post.

Police had a dam breached Monday to lower the water level. Workers have been using pumps since then to drain the pond.

It is the second time police have drained a pond to look for Collins' body.

more at link
 
Snipped:

Michelle Lynn Collins’ family says they’re willing to pay $10,000 to anyone who may be able to help crack the case. Collins, a 22-year-old mother of two vanished after leaving a mobile home on New Salem Road near East Bernstadt on July 6, 2004. Police say she was last seen driving away with two friends, but they’ve been questioned by detectives who say they don’t know where she could be.

and

In addition to the $10,000 dollar reward announced Thursday, the Cumberland Valley Crime Stoppers is offering another $1,000, as detectives, too, hope the money brings new information, as they say they’ve exhausted all of their leads.

a-michelle.jpg


http://www.rewardstv.net/missing-persons/11000-cold-case-reward-michelle-vanished/
 
I'm bumping this old case to spark interest. Anyone know of any Jane Does who might fit?
 

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