PA PA - Man remembers possible murders in Pottstown/Reading, 1950s-1960s

[lostfaith]

Didn't know where to post this, but I thought it was interesting. Bet you all could come up with some possibilities.

http://www.pottstownmercury.com/site...id=18041&rfi=6




Although it sounds like the makings of a good murder novel, this mystery is real.


To thicken the plot, officials say they have a crime but no victim, and the suspect died decades ago without a criminal record.



Police are seeking out people who may have information about children from the Pottstown/Reading area who went missing in the late 1950s to early 1960s.

The search came about because of a series of recollections by a man who is currently serving a term in federal prison for fraud.

"During the course of our representation, it was brought to our attention that our client was traumatized by things he had seen his father do when he was a boy," Richard Garvey, staff investigator for the Federal Public Defenders Office in Harrisburg, said.

Garvey’s client told him, during an interview about his personal history, that he recalls two, possibly three, incidents where he watched his father bury dead children. The client is not being identified to protect him and his family.

[gardenmom]

I'm thinking, no victim, no crime. They seemed to have checked for missing children, and have found none. The guy might be nuts...

[pardilia]

Originally Posted by gardenmom

I'm thinking, no victim, no crime. They seemed to have checked for missing children, and have found none. The guy might be nuts...

He might not be nuts - his father could have been burying children that were related to him - brothers/sisters - who were kept somewhat hidden from the public eye and not born in a hospital so there'd be no record of them.

[Bluecat]

Is it possible that his father travelled to find his victims? Also, given the age of the crimes, if they did occur, it may be possible that there were more paper records that either have not been gone through or have been lost/destroyed. Or could they have been poor, and so not much attention was given to the disappearances? New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia are within a few hours drive. The area was in a serious decline from the 1940s through the 1970s as industry moved away, so it is entirely possible that there was an underreporting of crime or missing persons, even children.

[4kidz]

Kathy Shea?
Missing from Tyrone, PA in 1965
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sho...t=pennsylvania

[2sisters]

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/...an_steven.html
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/...chia_mary.html

these are in the general area. There may be some truth to this, you really never know. He could possibly be recalling vivid dreams he had as a child. It should be checked out in case.

[Richard]

This was an interesting story. Has anyone heard anything more about it?