Identified! DE - Townsend, WhtFem Skeletal 132UFDE, 33-63, off Route 13, Jun'77 - Marie Petry Heiser

[tayaway]

So the children were actually adults when their mother disappeared. Seems they didn't know her at all.

Were they children, teens, or adults? It's very confusing! This Yahoo article reports that "One day, about a half-century ago, William Heiser Jr. came home from boarding school to find that his mother was gone. His father, William Sr., a former police officer, told him and his sister [Sharon] that their mother had walked out."

So, if WHjr was in boarding school, he'd be 18 (19?) or under, I'm guessing. If, as the article states, he's 68 now, and roughly 44 years ago she left, he'd have been about 24? Why would the press consistently refer to him, along with his sister, as 'children'?

- but wait - According to this Fox 29 Philly clip, WHjr was in 4th grade when his mother 'left' in 1977. That'd make him 9 or 10 years old at the time of her disappearance.

That'd place him in his 50s, not pushing 70. Turns out, on LinkedIn, he lists his first job, as a cop, starting in 1988. If we go by the Fox source, he joined the force around the age of 21 or 22, after getting his uni degree. It appears that he 'retired' from the police K-9 unit (MOO: What an interesting police specialty for him to choose. Wonder what nudged him in that direction...) to focus on his company, Coast to Coast K9 Teams.

IMO: The press description of MPH's offspring as 'children' at the time of her death is accurate -well, at least WHjr; I didn't come across any info on Sharon other than she lives out in CA.

 

[Seattle1]

Were they children, teens, or adults? It's very confusing! This Yahoo article reports that "One day, about a half-century ago, William Heiser Jr. came home from boarding school to find that his mother was gone. His father, William Sr., a former police officer, told him and his sister [Sharon] that their mother had walked out."

So, if WHjr was in boarding school, he'd be 18 (19?) or under, I'm guessing. If, as the article states, he's 68 now, and roughly 44 years ago she left, he'd have been about 24? Why would the press consistently refer to him, along with his sister, as 'children'?

- but wait - According to this Fox 29 Philly clip, WHjr was in 4th grade when his mother 'left' in 1977. That'd make him 9 or 10 years old at the time of her disappearance.

That'd place him in his 50s, not pushing 70. Turns out, on LinkedIn, he lists his first job, as a cop, starting in 1988. If we go by the Fox source, he joined the force around the age of 21 or 22, after getting his uni degree. It appears that he 'retired' from the police K-9 unit (MOO: What an interesting police specialty for him to choose. Wonder what nudged him in that direction...) to focus on his company, Coast to Coast K9 Teams.

IMO: The press description of MPH's offspring as 'children' at the time of her death is accurate -well, at least WHjr; I didn't come across any info on Sharon other than she lives out in CA.

Given that Marie was age 50 in 1977 when she vanished, I believe both children were most likely young adults. I'm not familiar with the clip stating son in grade 4. But I thought I read the son is retired-- and late 60's now?

 

[Seattle1]

Woman Found Slain in 1977 ID'd as Wife of Philadelphia Cop, Who Told Kids She'd Run Away

3/26/21

The statement does not identify a person of interest in the killing.

The case remains open and is under active investigation.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact New Castle County Police Detective Jeffrey Sendek at (302) 395-8110. He can also be reached via email at Jeffery.Sendek@newcastlede.gov.

 

[tayaway]

Given that Marie was age 50 in 1977 when she vanished, I believe both children were most likely young adults. I'm not familiar with the clip stating son in grade 4. But I thought I read the son is retired-- and late 60's now?

I linked to the Fox clip that said he was in grade 4 at the time of his mother's disappearance. Click on it and you'll hear the newsman say it.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

With regards to Marie Heiser, the statement released by police does not name a person of interest in her murder. The case is still being actively investigated.
Woman Murdered In 1977 Confirmed To Be The Wife Of A Cop Who Never Reported Her Missing

 

[Reasonable & Just]

Yeah, exactly.

I mean, being grown up doesn't mean you want to lose a parent, no matter what the circumstances.

Or, it's internalized fear, shame, and denial. Abusive families produce troubled people who run and deny in order to keep the door shut on the nightmare of their childhood. They don't have to love the abusive parents or protect their image. Some people just keep running and hiding, in order preserve their sanity.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

I've restored the color to Marie's photo.

 

[Richard]

Marie Petry Heiser, 50
Murdered in June 1977

 

[Reasonable & Just]

Marie Petry Heiser, 50
Murdered in June 1977

Lovely lady, taken too soon.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Marie Petry Heiser May Have Been A Victim Of Serial Killer Henry Lee Lucas
On June 27, 1977, police discovered the remains of a woman in a field outside of Townsend, DE. The woman did not match any missing persons reports at the time, but was finally identified as Marie Petry Heiser. Heiser was the wife of a former police officer who had told his children that their mother had abandoned them. Heiser's son stated that he never imagined his mother had met with foul play.

Photo: FBI / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain
It's been theorized that Heiser may have been murdered by the notorious serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, who lived in a nearby Maryland town at the time of her murder. Lucas claimed to have murdered several women in the area during that time but later recanted the confession.
11 Jane And John Does Who Got Their Names Back In 2021

 

[SolVic]

Her husband totally did it. I’m adding him to my collection now.

By the way, I’m a little late, but does anyone here know the date of when Marie was last seen alive?

 

[Richard]

Marie Petry Heiser Photo: New Castle County Police

LINK:

Naked Body Found In 1977 Has Been Identified As Mother Of 2, Wife Of Ex-Cop Who Said She'd Left Town | Oxygen Official Site