IL IL - Barbara Glueckert, 14, Huntley, 21 Aug 1976

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More than 28 years after 14-year-old Barbara Glueckert was last seen at an outdoor concert in the far northwest suburbs, police have reopened and intensified their investigation of the disappearance of the Mt. Prospect girl they have long believed was murdered.

Mt. Prospect investigators said they would deliver on Wednesday a set of bones they found near Tyler Creek in Elgin to the Kane County coroner's office for examination. Police were led to the site by an Elgin couple who were fishing in the area on Aug. 22, 1976, one day after Glueckert's disappearance.

The couple told police this month that they had recalled hearing the sound of someone digging with a metal shovel in a secluded and heavily wooded area around nightfall.

On Monday, police searching the area found several bones in various states of decomposition and some protruding from the ground.

Authorities are waiting for the coroner's office to examine the bones to see whether they are human or animal, said Detective Mike Nelson, who is leading the investigation.

Glueckert's disappearance a week before she was to start her freshman year at Mt. Prospect High School shook the community and has haunted the Mt. Prospect Police Department.

Linda Nagel, who with her husband, Steve, tipped off police to the Elgin site, recalled being "spooked" by the digging sound. She, her husband and a friend ran to their vehicle and drove away, she said.

The next day, Nagel said, her husband saw a newspaper article about Glueckert's disappearance and decided to report what they heard to police.

At the time, Nagel said, police brushed her husband off. But when Mt. Prospect police announced in January that they had reopened their case, Nagel said, her husband decided to tell them again about what they heard that night.

"I hope for her family's sake those bones belong" to Glueckert, Nagel said. "Her family, her parents, need to say goodbye to their child."

Police said they had no record of Steve Nagel making a report in 1976.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0504200131apr20,1,6775214.story?coll=chi-newslocal-hed
 
It makes a person wonder how many other cold case files have viable leads recorded that were never fully investigated. People give information to the police and then reasonably assume that their tip was checked out. Since police seldom talk about their tips - how would anyone know if their information was looked into? Just my opinion, but I would think that there are a lot of key tips in those old files, waiting to be checked or re-checked.
 
I was just going to post about this, the article was in my local paper today, as this occured not far from me. I had never heard of this case until today. I hope they will be able to identify the remains soon and give her poor family some closure. If these remains turn out to not to be Barbara, I hope LE will continue to try and match the bones to other missing girls in that age group,no matter how far away they were last seen. This could be a local girl, or a girl from across the country.

I agree with Richard, it makes you wonder how many cases may have been solved if police had listened more (or not lost track of) tips made by people early on.
 
joellegirl said:
Here's the link that was in my local paper today, hope it works:

http://www.nwherald.com/MainSection/299785230764525.php

Hopefully they will contine to search for the remains of Barbara. Her father is dying of cancer and was hoping to have some closure to his daughter's disappearance before he passes away.
The link, provided a year ago, above indicates that police checked in the area indicated and found some bones of a small animal - not specified what kind. Was it a dog or cat which had actually been buried? Or were they the bones of a wild animal? Could it be that maybe an animal had died in the woods sometime in the past 30 years?

If they were the bones of a dog or cat, could it be that further down, there might have been the body of a human? Someone burying a human body might have buried a dog or cat closer to the surface.

How many people do you know who bury their pet animals in the woods past midnight? I wonder really how much work was done to thoroughly check the site indicated. Any updates on this case?
 
Richard, I am looking around to see if there are any findable updates, but so far nothing.
However, I did find a year old article which talks about the prime suspect in the Gluekert case. He was killed in a shooting about 2004. He was the last person seen with the girl.
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_110181021.html

Gluekert is still on DOE and they have updated it to say the suspect is dead, so it has been updated since 2004.
http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/1704dfil.html

more info on the Charley Project and they have been updated since the bones were found.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/g/glueckert_barbara.html
 
I haven't heard anything either. I googled her name and everyhting is from last year when they were hoping the bones were hers. It is like they gave up on that site when they said the bones belonged to an animal. I hope they looked further but I doubt it. Probably another story of current cases keeping them too busy.
 


http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1704dfil.html

The Doe Network:
Case File 1704DFIL

BGlueckert.jpg
BGlueckert1.jpg

Barbara Glueckert
Missing since August 21, 1976 in Huntley, Kane County, Illinois
Classification: Endangered Missing




Vital Statistics
  • Age at Time of Disappearance: 14 years old
  • Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'4"; 120 lbs.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Dark brown hair, brown eyes.
Circumstances of Disappearance
Glueckert was last seen leaving a concert on August 21, 1976. She was with a 24-year-old area man who had previous rape accusations made against him but was never convicted. The suspect left the area, but authorities eventually tracked him down in San Francisco. They found a letter he wrote that said he "put the girl in the ground". The suspect is now deceased. He denied any knowledge of Glueckert's death or her whereabouts for the rest of his life.

If this is blowing the margins. mods can you please edit?
TY!
 
Copied my post from the Unidentified section under MD-Possible Match? thread. (where Barbara was suggested as a pm for an UID in MD)

May I ask if you, or anyone has searched through the hot case files at doenetwork for any possible matches? I have computer problems and am unable to view any hot cases. It occured to me that if the suspect immediately left for CA perhaps he buried Barbara somewhere along the route.

I'd like to see a seperate thread set up for Barbara in the event this is not a match. There is a TON of info out there to read about Barbara's case. A ton of searches which happened in Huntley, and many newspaper articles over the years and as recently as 2006. Much can be learnt without having access to the paid subscription sites as well.

I'd also like to find out more about what LE knows about how soon the suspect moved to CA. Info states he resided in Elgin for a time being and was a tenant of the father of another missing girl! I would also like to know more about- if I read correctly- the 36 page letter the suspect wrote in December of 1976 telling a friend he buried a girl in the ground because he raped her and was afraid she would tell the police and later said it was untrue because he was on drugs. 36 pages is one long letter! Was there anything in that letter which might be clues on where he buried Barbara?

I'd like to find out which area's were searched. Where the location of the barn was, does the barn still exist or has that area been redeveloped?

What area's did the suspect frequent? It occured to me northeast IL has a bog, the Volo bog. I have never been there, and only leared of it a few years ago. Also, there are many marshy muddy- one can sink in the mud area's out in those far northwest burbs. One in Pinegree grove in particular between the single railroad tracks and the Prairie State select sires on rt 20. (I know because we got an atv stuck in it and took days to get the thing out and not before getting another vehicle stuck trying ;) )

Madeabecbec, can you ask the detective in Mt Prospect you tt any of these questions? or I can if this is not a match and anyone is interested in opening a thread either in the missing but not forgotten or the cold case forum here. (Preferably the cold case forum. )

thanks madeabecbec!

Cubby
 
Madeabecbec- Have you been in contact with the detective handling Barbara's case? Were these questions presented to him? Since you have already contacted him and we don't want a bunch of people inundating LE, could you ask if you have not already and let him know we have a cold case thread here for Barbara. Ask him what else he may be able to share from his files with us, as the prime suspect is deceased.


Additional questions for the detective:
Was it ever determined when Urlacher left Huntley/Elgin for California? Was it known if he was anywhere else in Cali before San Fran?

thank you!
 
There is a lot of info in newspaper articles available via search. Many have a lot of info to be gained without having a paid subscription to articles. My computer won't let me link, or I'd add them.

Please add links and articles as you find them.

TY

Cubby
 
Copying my post over from the MD-Possible Match? -
Doe Network - Case File 279UFMD found UID
* Discovered on September 12, 1976 in the Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland.
* She was a victim of homicide/strangulation
* Estimated Date of Death: 24 hours prior
* Estimated age: 15-25 years old

compared with Barbara Glueckert - age 14 missing since 8/21/1976
 
Barbara Glueckert, Karen Schepers & Thomas Urlacher link..

here's an article I found that mentioned names click
Karen Schepers 23 Missing since April 16, 1983 from Carpentersville, IL
~~snip~~
Already he's made one loosely connected discovery. Thomas Urlacher, suspected in the 1976 disappearance of 14-year-old Barbara Glueckert from Huntley, was a previous tenant of Schepers' Elgin apartment at 311 Lovell St. Urlacher was shot to death in April 2004 in Colorado, and Glueckert never has been found.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then there is this about Karen on missing pieces
 
Hot case #1534

Possible match to Barbara?
Hot case #1534
==============================

I just found this

Unidentified Body - Possibly Female

* The victim was discovered on January 1, 1986 in San Bernardino County, California
* Estimated Date of Death: at least 10 years - probably much longer.
* The remains had been buried in the desert at least five years
* State of Remains: Partial Skeleton

Vital Statistics

* Estimated age: 14-18 years old
* Approximate Height and Weight: 4' 10" - 5' 2".
* Distinguishing Characteristics: The victim was very small and gracile. Anthropologists indicate that the pelvic morphology appears female, but the age estimate is 14 to 18 years, making assessment unreliable (sex cannot be determined on subdadult skeletal remains). There was a fracture of the right proximal femur which appears to be parimortem.
* Dentals: Available; tooth 23 glued in backwards; tooth 22 fractured PM.
* DNA: No profile can be obtained at this time.

Case History
The victim was found in San Bernardino County, California on January 1, 1986.
Identification may only be confirmed or ruled out by dental X-rays. DNA may be possible as DNA technology increases – but is not currently available.
The missing person MUST HAVE dental X-rays to be able to be matched or ruled-out as this victim.

Investigators
If you have any information about this case please contact:
David Van Norman
San Bernardino County Sheriff - Coroner
909-387-2978
Email - click here
You may remain anonymous when submitting information.

Coroner Case Number: 99-6775

NCIC Number: U-790000844

Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.
 
Hot case #1534

Possible match to Barbara?
Hot case #1534
==============================

I just found this

Unidentified Body - Possibly Female

* The victim was discovered on January 1, 1986 in San Bernardino County, California
* Estimated Date of Death: at least 10 years - probably much longer.
* The remains had been buried in the desert at least five years
* State of Remains: Partial Skeleton

Vital Statistics

* Estimated age: 14-18 years old
* Approximate Height and Weight: 4' 10" - 5' 2".
* Distinguishing Characteristics: The victim was very small and gracile. Anthropologists indicate that the pelvic morphology appears female, but the age estimate is 14 to 18 years, making assessment unreliable (sex cannot be determined on subdadult skeletal remains). There was a fracture of the right proximal femur which appears to be parimortem.
* Dentals: Available; tooth 23 glued in backwards; tooth 22 fractured PM.
* DNA: No profile can be obtained at this time.

Case History
The victim was found in San Bernardino County, California on January 1, 1986.
Identification may only be confirmed or ruled out by dental X-rays. DNA may be possible as DNA technology increases – but is not currently available.
The missing person MUST HAVE dental X-rays to be able to be matched or ruled-out as this victim.

Investigators
If you have any information about this case please contact:
David Van Norman
San Bernardino County Sheriff - Coroner
909-387-2978
Email - click here
You may remain anonymous when submitting information.

Coroner Case Number: 99-6775

NCIC Number: U-790000844

Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.


My bold on the dentals, while there is little info on the UID if Barbara's denatals are available this should be an easy rule in/rule out.
 
Are you going to submit it?


Since Madeabecbec has already made contact with the detective handling Barbara's case regarding the possible MD match, I am going to wait for feedback from her. Don't want too many people inundating LE if they already have a sleuth they are communicating with here at LE. If she has not, I will call him as I am 'local'- Unless you would like to since you found the possible. Don't want to step on any toes. Either way is fine with me.
 

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