Identified! CA - Mendocino Co, 2 WhtFem Teens, Jul'79 *Francine Trimble & Kerry Graham*

[wondering22]

Here's a link to the second, newer thread about these JDs.

http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40071

 

[Becba]

The illustrations of the 2 kids have them with brown eyes even though eye color is not known. I would venture they have blue eyes due to having light brown hair that was identified. If their hair was as blonde looking as the illustrations then it would be likely they have blue eyes. Think they used brown because it is more common. Just speculating.

Where is the info saying they were not brother and sister?

 

[lymom3]

The illustrations of the 2 kids have them with brown eyes even though eye color is not known. I would venture they have blue eyes due to having light brown hair that was identified. If their hair was as blonde looking as the illustrations then it would be likely they have blue eyes. Think they used brown because it is more common. Just speculating.

Where is the info saying they were not brother and sister?

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...ia+unidentified

Here is the link I found here on Websleuths. Obviously there is discussion here and they feel the DNA may have been mishandled but who really knows for certain?

 

[Richard]

The illustrations of the 2 kids have them with brown eyes even though eye color is not known. I would venture they have blue eyes due to having light brown hair that was identified. If their hair was as blonde looking as the illustrations then it would be likely they have blue eyes. Think they used brown because it is more common. Just speculating.

Where is the info saying they were not brother and sister?

Brown eyes are far more common than any other color. Even for people with blonde or light brown hair. That said, however, It is doubtful that they knew the actual eye color of these two children. Eye color is one of the first things to be lost in the decomposition process.

 

[outofthedark]

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...ia+unidentified

Here is the link I found here on Websleuths. Obviously there is discussion here and they feel the DNA may have been mishandled but who really knows for certain?

The link doesn't really work

 

[lymom3]

The link doesn't really work

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34302&highlight=california+unidentified


try that

 

[outofthedark]

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34302&highlight=california+unidentified


try that

Thanks!!

 

[Becba]

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...ia+unidentified

Here is the link I found here on Websleuths. Obviously there is discussion here and they feel the DNA may have been mishandled but who really knows for certain?

I looked at this the other night and I too think the dna may have been mishandled or something was wrong. It makes me wonder if other identities are not matched due to mix ups or some problem. Like Sharon, who was so close of a match to other girls, and we know at some point her dna was in question due to the hospital. Things like that could be permanently devastaing to a case.

 

[bykerladi]

I read through that entire thread and didn't see where it stated the two unidentified kids were not related vai DNA testing. Could someone point that out for me?

 

[lilsister]

I think that someone was just quoting from another thread so I really think we need to find out definitively if they were or were not bro and sis. According to the Doe Network "the Anthropologist report indicates a high probability that the two were brother and sister". I have not seen anything to indicate otherwise.I just called the Mendocino Records Dept and the woman I spoke w/ was familiar with the case. She indicated that they have never determined if the were definately (so according to her no DNA test was done)brother and sister but she did say that it was determined that they MOST likely WERE Brother and Sister. I asked if there were any updates in the case and she said no.

 

[Roy Harrold]

[I'm new, here, so if this posting is inappropriate or offends anyone, please tell me. This is speculation we had on our blogsite]

DOE Network case file #s 111UMCA and 131UFCA are the skeletal remains of a teenage boy and girl, located on July 8, 1979, near Highway 20, West of Willits, in Mendocino County, CA.

The male was estimated to be 13 at the time of death, and the female was estimated to be 14. The estimated date of death is December 8, 1978. Forensic anthropology suggested a strong possibility that they were brother and sister.

Unidentified remains of children are particularly sad and tragic, for many reasons - not least of which being the implication that there might not have been matching missing persons reports because the parents/ guardians didn't care enough to report them missing.

There are many other possibilities, of course. Children assumed to be runaways (as many missing teens are assumed to be) are not always reported, but we also know that missing runaway reports are not always preserved or even recorded properly by overworked police agencies.

There is also the possibility that the parents/ guardians or other family members themselves may have perished around the same time.

The following is purely speculative.

The location of the remains and the estimated date of death are suggestive of another tragedy that occured only months before...
"On November 18, 1978 a shocking mass murder/suicide took place in Jonestown, Guyana that left 913 men, women, and children dead - most were followers of the cult leader, Jim Jones."

Jim Jones' People's Church was headquartered for many years near Ukiah, CA - also in Mendocino county. Later, many of the church's members relocated to San Francisco along with Jones - but not all of them did. Later still, most of Jones' followers in Mendocino County and San Francisco relocated to Jonestown, Guyana. But - did ALL of them?

Is it possible that these deceased teens, who appear to have been well looked after and cared for before their deaths, were children of People's Temple members still living in Mendocino at the time of the Jonestown tragedy? That they were "euthanised" by their parent(s) in misguided solidarity with the Jonestown victims - and that the parent(s) disposed of themselves similarly but in a different location?

Or, perhaps - is it possible the teens were left behind with some other guardian, and their parents and other family perished at Jonestown? That the guardian "euthanised" the kids so they could "join their family in heaven" or something? Or even, that the guardian was predatory and seized the opportunity once parents and family died at Jonestown, to abuse and dispose of the teens left behind - knowing there was no one left to report them missing?

 

[outofthedark]

Quite interesting

 

[Roy Harrold]

Quite interesting

So is this "Lyle Stevik" case you have in your signature line! Thanks for making me aware of it.

 

[anthrobones]

http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40071&highlight=Mendocino+County

 

[Lurker Steve]

This link indicates that there was a recent DNA test that showed the kids weren't related.

 

[Roy Harrold]

Wow! Fantastic info - thanks everyone.

I knew I was going to luv it here.

 

[outofthedark]

So is this "Lyle Stevik" case you have in your signature line! Thanks for making me aware of it.

Anytime!

Just sent an email to the Doe Network on some theories I had on him- still no reply from them though, the detective working the "Lyle Stevik" case doesn't have an e-mail... sad because he was found 5 years ago on this day - I hope this case gets solved before 10 years come and go- but I have a feeling that the chances of that probably happening are slim because of how baffling the case is...

I did e-mail his case file to the TV show "Cold Case Files" and "America's Most Wanted" for ideas for the shows- but I haven't had a response from "CCF" as of yet...

 

[missacorah]

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/26dmak.html

This pair first sprang to my mind when I read this.

 

[Roy Harrold]

"...but I have a feeling that the chances of that probably happening are slim because of how baffling the case is..."

Yes! Almost as though the person wanted to make themselves and their passing into a mystery. (?)

 

[Roy Harrold]

If the info at the link Steve posted is correct, DNA has ruled out the kids being related.

The Fandel kids are another very mysterious case. When I first got online a decade ago, there was at least one site about them run by someone from the police department in Alaska that you see referenced on Doe - but it also mysteriously vanished after awhile!