OH OH - Marvin 'Beau' King, 12, Clark Co, 25 Jan 1973

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Roy Harrold

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This thread is for discussion of unsolved child homicides in Clark County OHIO - it is NOT about unsolved homicides in Indiana. Please do not discuss Clark County Indiana cases in this thread.

Clark County OHIO Sheriff's website:
http://www.clarkcountyohio.gov/sheriff/unsolvedhomicides.html

I'm particularly interested in information about this case:

PLACE OF OCCURRENCE: POSSUM RD.
DATE OF OCCURRENCE: 1-25-73
ON JANUARY 25, 1973 12 YEAR OLD MARVIN (BEAU) KING WAS REPORTED MISSING FROM HIS MOBILE HOME ON UPPER VALLEY PIKE. ON JANUARY 26, 1973 AN ANONYMOUS CALLER REPORTED TO THE SPRINGFIELD NEWS/SUN AND ST. MARY'S SCHOOL THAT A BODY WOULD BE FOUND IN A FIELD/DITCH NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF SPFLD/XENIA ROAD AT REBERT PIKE. CLARK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DETECTIVES SEARCHED THE AREA AND LATER FOUND THE BODY OF MARVIN (BEAU) KING WHO HAD BEEN REPORTED MISSING. AN AUTOPSY OF MARVIN (BEAU) KING FOUND THAT HE HAD BEEN STRANGLED.
​
Anyone have info on this?
 
snko.jpg

Marvin Lee "Beau" King, 12
July 30, 1960 -- January 25, 1973


Back to the front you go, young man.
 
During a 10 year period starting on October 3,1970 and ending on January 23,1980 no less than four young men ranging in age from 10 to 14 were all abducted and murdered within a stones throw of Interstate 70 in Ohio and Indiana.

Three of the boys were strangled, Bill Comeans, Jerry Bayles and Beau King. The outlier by cause of death is Michael Klitch who was stabbed to death.

The geographic outlier in the set is Jerry Bayles who was kidnapped and murdered just north of Indianapolis.

I have been searching for other killings that might similar aspects to these 4 cases, but not all unsolved killings are listed on the 'net as yet.

Any comments?
 
GuyO, I've merged your post with Beau King's thread. If you have any links to add, it would be very helpful.

I've considered the possibility of a link between the murders of Beau, Bill Comeans, and Jerry Bayles, but I haven't found enough similarities to support a single killer theory. Then again, there's very little information available in Beau's case.
 
Facts:

Z5c7cre.jpg

10.03.1970 - Jerry Michael Bayles, 10, Indianapolis, IN
Circumstances: On 10/03/1970 at approximately 5:00 a.m., Jerry Michael Bayles Jr. had been delivering the Indianapolis Star newspaper and was last observed on South Harris Street, Indianapolis, Indiana. Bayles Jr. was abducted and killed. His body was discovered at 8:55 a.m. on 10/03/1970 in a roadside ditch in rural western Henry County.

LE Contact: Indiana State Police, District Investigative Commander
9022 South SR 67, Pendleton, IN 46064
1-765-778-2121 or 1-800-527-4752
Click to expand...
http://www.in.gov/isp/2924.htm

http://jerrymichaelbayles.weebly.com/

r5BNcP0.jpg

06.28.1971 - Michael Dean Klitch, 12, Galena, OH
On June 28, 1971 12 year old Michael Dean Klitch was reported missing to the Grandview Heights Police Department. Klitch was last seen at 2:10 p.m. leaving his residence on Cambridge Boulevard. His mother arrived at the tennis courts on West Goodale Boulevard at approximately 3:40 p.m. to pick him up; however, he was nowhere to be found. On July 11, 1971 the Delaware County Sheriff's Office responded to the area of Africa and Plumb Roads after being advised of possible remains located in a shed .2 of a mile off the roadway. The remains were identified of those belonging to missing Michael Dean Klitch. The cause of death was determined to be multiple stab wounds.

Contact: Delaware County Sheriff's Office
www.delawarecountysheriff.com
844 U.S. Highway 42 N
Delaware, OH
(740) 833-2800
Click to expand...
http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Law-Enforcement/Investigator/Cold-Case/Homicides/Klitch


9WRTFwf.jpg

01.25.1973 - Marvin Lee "Beau" King, 12, Valley Pike, Dayton, OH
On January 25th, 1973 twelve year old Marvin (Beau) King was reported missing from his mobile home on upper valley pike. On January 26th, 1973 an anonymous caller reported to the Springfield News/Sun and St. Mary's school that a body would be found in a field/ditch near the intersection of Springfield/Xenia Road at Rebert Pike. Clark County Sheriff's detectives searched the area and later found the body of Marvin (Beau) King who had been reported missing. An autopsy of Marvin (Beau) King found that he had been strangled.

Anyone with information about the abduction and death of Beau King should call Clark County Sheriff's dispatch at 937-328-2560.
Click to expand...
http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Law-Enforcement/Investigator/Cold-Case/Homicides/King

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/n...oject-12-year-old-boys-death-remains-m/nWJPW/


qa5Zkzo.jpg

01.07.1980 - William "Bill" Comeans, 14, Columbus, OH
William Comeans was helping his father work on family car. He then went two doors down to get his sister to come from a birthday party but it wasn't over, so he came home and told his mother that he would go back to get her. His parent's never saw him again before his discovery. They filed a missing persons report and police canvassed the neighborhood. William's father and neighbor found him at the dead end of Buena Vista Ave., which was the next street over, by the railroad tracks. William died later at the hospital. The cause of death was strangulation. On two previous occasions, in September and October, William was attacked by two unknown males and was choked on both occasions.

Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Det. Chuck Clark (614) 525-3310
Click to expand...
http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Law-Enforcement/Investigator/Cold-Case/Homicides/Comeans

William Comeans: Media, Facts, Timeline and Maps **NO DISCUSSION** - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community


MAP
 
I should have added that the outlier chronologically was William Comeans being almost 7 years after Beau Kings death.

Mike Klitch was a very physically active youth who may have proven strong than he appeared, he comes from a family a tennis players some of whom have played professionally, and could have been harder to control than expected which led to him being stabbed rather than choked.

While it may be pure coincidence that 4 boys were murdered in a similar manner within a 3 year period within a close proximity of the same highway, statistically it is possible, it would seem highly improbable that at least two of them are not related.
 
It should be noted the following facts about the Jerry Michael Bayles case.

1) Mike was not strangled, but stabbed 9 times.
2) Mike lived on the south west side of Indianapolis, were he was abducted, not the north side.
3) I70 was not completed in 1970 and did not run through Indianapolis. It ended on the west side just east of South Harding Street and began again just west of Ritter Avenue on the east side.
4) Mike body, for the lack of a better word, dumped 38 miles from the location he was abducted at which was, yes, just a mile north of I70 in rural Henry County.

I am the founder "In Memory of Jerry Michael Bayles" and investigator in his case.

http://jerrymichaelbayles.weebly.com/
 
Welcime, Will-O, and thank you for the additional information.
 
Will-O said:
I am the founder "In Memory of Jerry Michael Bayles" and investigator in his case.

http://jerrymichaelbayles.weebly.com/
Click to expand...


The two suspects that were arrested at the sign company in Indianapolis in February 1969, were they both behind bars when Michael Dean Klitch was abducted in June 1971 and when Marvin Lee "Beau" King was abducted in January 1973.
 
I came across this info that may be of great interest for everyone.

January 25, 1973 was on a Thursday.

I don't think Marvin Lee "Beau" King had to attend school that day as it was the day that the funeral of President Lyndon Baines Johnson was held in Washington D.C. and in Texas.

I was a kid back then. I remember now that schools were closed that day and every television channel had coverage of President Johnson's funeral.
 
Will-O said:
It should be noted the following facts about the Jerry Michael Bayles case.

1) Mike was not strangled, but stabbed 9 times.
2) Mike lived on the south west side of Indianapolis, were he was abducted, not the north side.
3) I70 was not completed in 1970 and did not run through Indianapolis. It ended on the west side just east of South Harding Street and began again just west of Ritter Avenue on the east side.
4) Mike body, for the lack of a better word, dumped 38 miles from the location he was abducted at which was, yes, just a mile north of I70 in rural Henry County.

I am the founder "In Memory of Jerry Michael Bayles" and investigator in his case.

http://jerrymichaelbayles.weebly.com/
Click to expand...

Greetings Will-O,

I wish to respectfully submit some corrections about the Mike Klitch case:

1.) Horrifyingly, the autopsy report showed that Mike died from about 25 multiple stab wounds to the left chest and his body was found in an old abandoned shed which is now a lake.
2.) Mike actually lived in the suburban area of Grandview Heights Ohio, called Marble Cliff. It is nestled within Columbus Ohio. Marble Cliff is a very friendly, upscale and family oriented community.
3.) This is correct
4.) I read that the location where Mike's body was found was actually about 25 miles away.

Thank you for your dedication and investigation into the Jerry Bayles case!

Please visit our URL dedicated to Mike Klitch's case here:

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...Klitch-12-Grandview-Heights-Ohio-June-28-1971

Thanks for all your work!

Regards,

Satch
 
Why would the anonymous caller in Beau's case call a school to report a missing man? Why not call LE first? That makes absolutely no sense. It makes me wonder if the caller may have been the killer.
 
@Stella You're probably right- it may have been the perp or the killer who made the call. It could've also been someone who discovered the body & didn't want to get involved with the police. But its interesting to see they called a newspaper & a school first.
First thoughts - unfortunately it sounds like this could be a case of stranger abduction and murder, just given how quickly he was reported missing, then the call, and then a body was found. We all know the stats. Missing children who aren't found in the first 24 hours have a lower survival rate. But its possible to also be a family member or close family friend, those cases are more likely.
I also found this post on Reddit from three years ago, and I'm gonna C/P it here because it's got a lot more info/ timeline. It's been marked as "archived" on the subreddit Unresolved Mysteries.

"On January 25, 1973 12 year old Marvin Lee King or as he went by Beau was a resident of the trailer park in upper valley park in Springfield, Ohio. He had called his mother at bar she worked, she answered, but could not talk to him. She told him she would call back, and when she did Beau did not answer. She then called a neighbor and asked them to check up on him. He was nowhere in sight. His mother then caught a ride with a friend and left work early to search for her son.

When she got home, her son could still not be found. It looked like that he had been baking cookies. There was no sign of a struggle and when she asked neighbors if they’d seen him they said they talked to him, but it didn’t seem like there was anything wrong. One neighbor claimed to see Beau get into a car that was possibly a 1965 Pontiac or Chevrolet. His mother then reported him missing around 11:30 p.m. that night.

The next day a man made anonymous calls to the Springfield News and St. Mary’s school that there was a body of a man in a ditch along West Possum Road in Springfield, Ohio. The last call came in around 9:45 p.m. The police went and searched for the body just after 10 p.m.

It wasn't the body of a man as the caller claimed, but the body of 12 year old Beau. He was fully clothed except for his jacket. The young boy had been murdered as he had been strangled to death. It was estimated that he had died with the last 12 to 16 hours."

I wish we knew more about what time he called his mother, and how long had it been since she reported him missing at 11:30 pm that night.

Another unfortunate thing I've been finding is that a lot of the news websites have paywalls- blah.
 
Namlok04 said:
@Stella You're probably right- it may have been the perp or the killer who made the call. It could've also been someone who discovered the body & didn't want to get involved with the police. But its interesting to see they called a newspaper & a school first.
First thoughts - unfortunately it sounds like this could be a case of stranger abduction and murder, just given how quickly he was reported missing, then the call, and then a body was found. We all know the stats. Missing children who aren't found in the first 24 hours have a lower survival rate. But its possible to also be a family member or close family friend, those cases are more likely.
I also found this post on Reddit from three years ago, and I'm gonna C/P it here because it's got a lot more info/ timeline. It's been marked as "archived" on the subreddit Unresolved Mysteries.

"On January 25, 1973 12 year old Marvin Lee King or as he went by Beau was a resident of the trailer park in upper valley park in Springfield, Ohio. He had called his mother at bar she worked, she answered, but could not talk to him. She told him she would call back, and when she did Beau did not answer. She then called a neighbor and asked them to check up on him. He was nowhere in sight. His mother then caught a ride with a friend and left work early to search for her son.

When she got home, her son could still not be found. It looked like that he had been baking cookies. There was no sign of a struggle and when she asked neighbors if they’d seen him they said they talked to him, but it didn’t seem like there was anything wrong. One neighbor claimed to see Beau get into a car that was possibly a 1965 Pontiac or Chevrolet. His mother then reported him missing around 11:30 p.m. that night.

The next day a man made anonymous calls to the Springfield News and St. Mary’s school that there was a body of a man in a ditch along West Possum Road in Springfield, Ohio. The last call came in around 9:45 p.m. The police went and searched for the body just after 10 p.m.

It wasn't the body of a man as the caller claimed, but the body of 12 year old Beau. He was fully clothed except for his jacket. The young boy had been murdered as he had been strangled to death. It was estimated that he had died with the last 12 to 16 hours."

I wish we knew more about what time he called his mother, and how long had it been since she reported him missing at 11:30 pm that night.

Another unfortunate thing I've been finding is that a lot of the news websites have paywalls- blah.
Click to expand...

Welcome, Namlocko4! I have a subscription to Newspapers.com, so will try some searches.
 
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