ME ME - Bonnie Ledford, 19, Dedham, 1980

ohwell1971

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Why, do you think, they are having a problem getting DNA from a family member?

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/l/ledford_bonnie.html

-Snip-

A human skull was located near Green Lake in Dedham in 2003; a search of the area turned up bones from a spine and a foot. The remains were from a woman in her twenties and are believed to have been in that spot for at least ten years prior to being discovered. Investigators believe the bones may be Ledford's, but they need a DNA sample from one of her relatives to test for identification. Her case remains unsolved.
 
Can they not get a court order for the DNA?
 
http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=state_police_unsolved&id=22721&v=Article-missing

-snip-
Human remains were discovered in 2001 near the Ledfords former residence. Artifacts found in the area of these remains stongly suggest the remains are that of Bonnie Ledford. A familial DNA sample is sought for confirmation. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Maine State Police Criminal Investigation Division III.

Well, that's odd - Charlie Projects says the human remains were found in 2003 & this one says 2001?? Typo I suppose. I have to wonder who called her in as missing? I wonder when LE last tried to contact family members?
 
BKLedford.jpg


Bonnie K. Ledford

Endangered Missing

Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Brown hair. Brown eyes.
AKA: Bonnie may use the last name Richardson.


Bonnie was last seen in Dedham, Maine in 1980.

A human skull was located near Green Lake in Dedham in 2003; a search of the area turned up bones from a spine and a foot. The remains were from a woman in her twenties and are believed to have been in that spot for at least ten years prior to being discovered. Investigators believe the bones may be Bonnie's, but they need a DNA sample from one of her relatives to test for identification. Her case remains unsolved.


Doe Network

Charley Project
 
http://bangordailynews.com/2009/06/26/news/profiles-of-mainersquos-missing-people/

Posted June 26, 2009, at 7:40 p.m

Bonnie K. Ledford

Missing since: 1980 from Dedham
Age: 19
Contact: State police

Ledford and her husband moved to Maine from Michigan in 1979 and were estranged when she disappeared the next year. Human remains were discovered in 2001 near the Ledfords’ former residence. Artifacts found in the area of these remains strongly suggest the remains are that of Bonnie Ledford. State police are seeking familial DNA for confirmation.


LE needs help in locating a family member in order to get DNA for comparison to prove the remains found are Bonnie's remains.
 
Bonnie's maiden name was Richardson.

She would be in her 50's now, so her parents are probably in their 70's. I hope they can be found soon, in case she doesn't have siblings.
 
Her husband remarried in 1981 and died in 2010 (both in Maine). I initially thought that he might have been in high school with Bonnie (making it perhaps easier to track her down in a high school yearbook or something) but he was about 12 years older, so no luck there. So strange that it was never determined where she had grown up, her parents names, etc.

As for clues for where Bonnie might be from, her husband was born in Detroit but grew up in Taylor, MI. Have had no luck with yearbooks for Bonnie though, and a birth listing is difficult with such a common name, especially since she need not have been born in Michigan...

I have found mugshots for a Bonnie K. Richardson from Wisconsin, born 1961, that looks vaguely similar.
 
I wonder if Bonnie was a nickname or her actual legal name?

Do you think the mugshot is close enough that it's worth sending to LE? It wouldn't be the first time it was found that a missing person was actually incarcerated after they went missing...
 
I'm not sure, I don't know if this other Bonnie has Richardson as a maiden or married name... Have you had a look at the mugshot?
 
I couldn't find it until just now - it's really hard to say, with the age difference.

A search on Ancestry wasn't any help. I found only 1 "public record" entry for the mugshot BR and nothing on Bonnie Ledford. I didn't see any other Bonnie Richardson's with the middle initial K born in 1961, though, and since Wisconsin isn't far from Michigan, I think you should consider submitting it... JMO...
 
I've submitted it just in case, who knows, can't hurt.
 
One possibility is that Richardson isn't even her legal maiden name. Maybe she was married once before. Maybe she was raised by a foster family and Richardson was their name. There is another case (Mary Jean McLaughlin) I am looking at where in her yearbooks the missing person appeared with the surname of her foster family. Unfortunately her former husband has passed away so it is impossible to find out even her birthday...
 
If she was born in August 1959, I MAY have found her half-siblings.
 
Called LE and was asked to leave my details, lets see if they call me back.
 
I've just realised that this case is no longer listed on Maine state police's list of Missing Persons. She definitely used to be listed there, until at least September 2012.
 
I've just realised that this case is no longer listed on Maine state police's list of Missing Persons. She definitely used to be listed there, until at least September 2012.

Hmm... interesting.
 
Hmm... interesting.

I emailed someone at Doenetwork who said she was taken off last month, possibly because a relation really was found. They said they'll check with their sources and see what's going on.
 
I emailed someone at Doenetwork who said she was taken off last month, possibly because a relation really was found. They said they'll check with their sources and see what's going on.

By relation, you mean a relative? I'm still not sure why she'd be taken off, if she's still missing... or did you mean that you think she was possibly found?
 
Yes by relation I mean relative. I'm only repeating what I was told. Since they were seeking familial DNA, it is possible that familial DNA has now been located by finding a relative, or perhaps she has been found alive, or was identified as deceased. She was only taken off the list by Maine State Police, nowhere else yet. I'll update if/when I hear back about why she was taken off.
 
Since 1971, seven Maine children reported missing have not been found

[snip]

Bonnie Ledford, 19, of Dedham, who went missing in 1980, and Angel Antonio Torres, 19, of the Saco-Biddeford area, who was reported missing by his family on May 24, 1999, are listed on the state police website.

Foul play is suspected in both cases.

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/05/1...rare-in-maine/
 

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