IL IL - Mary Ann Switalski, 16, Chicago, 15 July 1963

[Beekarina]

It would be interesting to learn more about this couple, and the fate/whereabouts of other young people who they hired. Not an easy task now, I'm sure.

The letter does seem similar to Elizabeth Palmer

 

[Alleykins]

It would be interesting to learn more about this couple, and the fate/whereabouts of other young people who they hired. Not an easy task now, I'm sure.

The letter does seem similar to Elizabeth Palmer

My mother sold magazine subscriptions shortly after high school. It's how she met my father. They ended up in Chicago, where my sister was born (1965). I guess he'd worked out of the windy city for a couple of years before my mother came along, according to my aunt.
I can't say for sure this was the same operation, but it sounds so similar. Both of my parents died in their 60s.

 

[JSolt1210]

Kingsport Times (Tennessee) July 22, 1971
“8 Years Later Mother Still Hopes for Some Word”
(snip) “Three days after she disappeared, the letter came, postmarked Oak Park, Ill.:
•
“I’m just fine. Please don’t worry. I am alright. I can’t tell you where I am or what I’m doing because you would probably interfere.”
•
“The letter looked like her handwriting,” her mother said, “but I can’t be positive.” (snip) Mrs. Switalski still has Mary Ann’s letter, which didn’t sound like Mary Ann at all.
•
“I can tell you I’m experiencing a strange but educational experience. I may never see you or any of my friends again.”

"I can tell you I'm experiencing a strange but educational experience..."

That doesn't sound to me at all like the words an average 16-year-old would write. Also "a strange but educational experience" to me is an odd and maybe even grandiose over-description of what essentially is just selling magazines. Same goes for "I can't tell you where I am or what I'm doing because you would probably interfere." What's so top-secret about selling magazines?

If this is Mary Ann's handwriting, I would assume she was forced to write that.

The ending, in my opinion, seems to set up an explanation of her disappearance, suggesting she will go missing by choice, which to me sounds like an abductor trying to cover up his/her tracks.

 

[MadMcGoo]

It would be interesting to learn more about this couple, and the fate/whereabouts of other young people who they hired. Not an easy task now, I'm sure.

The letter does seem similar to Elizabeth Palmer

It would be interesting to know more about that couple! The two disappearances sound so much alike IMO. I can't imagine a legitimate "magazine sales job" being so intensely educational and strange that it would warrant a letter home to basically say 'goodbye'. I'd like to know what she was doing that caused her to worry about her family interfering. Safe to say it probably wasn’t magazine sales.

(This reply has apparently been sitting here, waiting to be sent, since yesterday)

So, I agree with your opinion @JSolt1210 ... someone probably knew for certain that she wouldn’t be returning. Same theory I developed about Elizabeth Palmer’s disappearance after reading through those letters. Some of those letters also seemed to be written by someone quite a bit older than her, although by all accounts she was a very intelligent gal.

 

[UncoolNegated]

I really don't know what to make of the letter in this case. But that she was last seen at a carnival is disturbing for me. Since it would attract so many young people, it just seems like the kind of place that an abductor would go to. I guess, along those lines, I wonder if the letter was forged or coerced.

 

[Richard]

Mary Ann Ruth Switalski

Image 3: Age-progressed to 65 years.

Name: Mary Ann Ruth Switalski
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: July 15, 1963
Location Last Seen: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Physical Description
Date of Birth: September 14, 1946
Age: 16 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 102 lbs.
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Hazel
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers
Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Black sleeveless blouse, white shorts, and straw sandals.
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance
Mary Ann Ruth Switalski attended a carnival at St. Priscilla's Catholic Church on July 15, 1963. Two days after her disappearance her parents received a short letter postmarked from Oak Park, Illinois. In the letter, Mary Ann stated that she was fine and that she was going to earn some money to take care of them. No further contact was ever made.

It is believed that Mary Ann may have joined a magazine door-to-door sales group that was headed to California. The husband and wife owners of the sales organization gave conflicting statements. The wife stated that Mary Ann left with the sales group and the husband stated that Mary Ann never left Chicago.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: Chicago Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Detective Mark SKweres
Agency Phone Number: 312-744-8261
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 63B200225
NCIC Case Number: M640576567; updated in March 8, 2012. The original was deleted on March 6, 2012, for unknown reasons.
NamUs Case Number: 4642
NCMEC Case Number: 1180028

Information Source(s)
Namus
NCMEC
FBI - ViCAP Alert
Chicago Tribune News Archive
2277DFIL - Mary Ann Ruth Switalski

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for Mary Ann - this summer will be 58 years.

 

[Richard]

A listing of historical events which occurred in July 1963:

events of july 1963 - AOL Search Results

 

[Hope32]

The link to Annie Doe is no longer working. taking that to mean that she has been given her name and family back.

 

[Hope32]

Rule Out list 6/15/2021:

Exclusions

NamUs # UP6642 Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found August 7, 1986
State VA
County Chesterfield
Estimated Age Range (Years)15-35

NamUs # UP6279 Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found December 18, 1996
State VA
County Fairfax
Estimated Age Range (Years)50-70

NamUs # UP2473Female, Uncertain
Date Body Found March 23, 1973
State CA
County San Bernardino
Estimated Age Range (Years)18-25

NamUs # UP6629Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found February 3, 1991
State VA
County Frederick
Estimated Age Range (Years)20-39

NamUs # UP8493Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found December 6, 1993
State VA
County Fairfax
Estimated Age Range (Years)25-35

NamUs # UP10693Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found April 28, 2005
State IL
County Cook
Estimated Age Range (Years)12-18

NamUs # UP1567Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found June 1, 1987
State TN
County Knox
Estimated Age Range (Years)21-30

NamUs # UP6249Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found November 14, 1980
State VA
County Rockingham
Estimated Age Range (Years)20-30

NamUs # UP6259Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found April 22, 1981
State OH
County Lawrence
Estimated Age Range (Years)30-60

NamUs # UP7097Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found March 18, 1967
State DE
County New Castle
Estimated Age Range (Years)16-25

NamUs # UP5211Female, White / Caucasian,Hispanic / Latino
Date Body Found September 30, 1968
State IL
County Will
Estimated Age Range (Years)20-30

NamUs # UP8419Female, Uncertain
Date Body Found January 16, 2001
State VA
County Isle of Wight
Estimated Age Range (Years)20-30

NamUs # UP10929Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found August 19, 1971
State OR
County Josephine
Estimated Age Range (Years)14-25

NamUs # UP15494Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found November 18, 2015
State IL
County Cook
Estimated Age Range (Years)71-80

NamUs # UP5206Female, Black / African American
Date Body Found May 13, 1997
State IL
County Will
Estimated Age Range (Years)15-24

NamUs # UP5556Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found May 30, 1976
State VA
County Virginia Beach
Estimated Age Range (Years)30-49

NamUs # UP6482Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found December 30, 1979
State VA
County Frederick
Estimated Age Range (Years)30-45

NamUs # UP10162Female, Uncertain
Date Body Found April 11, 2012
State FL
County Miami-Dade
Estimated Age Range (Years)60-80

NamUs # UP442Female, White / Caucasian,Hispanic / Latino
Date Body Found January 2, 2004
State FL
County Miami-Dade
Estimated Age Range (Years)45-65

NamUs # UP12683Female, White / Caucasian,Black / African American
Date Body Found June 6, 2014
State VA
County Newport News
Estimated Age Range (Years)25-45

NamUs # UP7514Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found September 4, 1979
State FL
County Miami-Dade
Estimated Age Range (Years)18-25

NamUs # UP6661Female, Hispanic / Latino,Uncertain
Date Body Found February 3, 1991
State VA
County Stafford
Estimated Age Range (Years)25-45

NamUs # UP5325Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found May 1, 1995
State IL
County Champaign
Estimated Age Range (Years)18-29

NamUs # UP6796Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found November 18, 1985
State VA
County Alleghany
Estimated Age Range (Years)35-75

NamUs # UP11748Female, White / Caucasian,Hispanic / Latino,Other
Date Body Found October 18, 2013
State IL
County Clark
Estimated Age Range (Years) 20-40

 

[TheArtfulDetective]

The Disappearance of Mary Ann Switalski

March 18, 2019

EARLY LIFE:
Mary Ann Switalski was born on September 14, 1946. She lived with her parents, Matilda and and Eugene Switalski, and her younger sister in the 6200 block of west Cornelia Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.

Mary Ann was a junior at Notre Dame High School and was described as being a good student. She had recently put down a deposit on her senior yearbook and class ring. While not at school, she held a part-time job at a neighbourhood store and earned money babysitting.

DISAPPEARANCE:
On July 15, 1963, Mary Ann attended a carnival at St. Priscilla Catholic Church with some friends. The location was just over a mile from her home. At 10:15pm, she was last seen leaving the carnival.

SEARCH:
On July 17, 1963, Matilda and Eugene received a letter from their daughter, which was postmarked Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago where the family often went shopping. In it, she wrote that she was “experiencing a strange but educational experience”, but noted that she was fine and would be sending them money soon. However, she didn’t tell them where she was, as she didn’t want anyone to “interfere”, and added that, while she would call, she might never see them or her friends again.

Despite what she said the letter, Mary Ann never again got in touch with her family.

On August 7, 1963, the first media report about Mary Ann’s disappearance was ran in the local paper. For years, her parents ran ads in newspaper personal columns, hoping someone would come forward with information, but no one ever did.

In order to raise money for a reward fund, Mary Ann’s mother took on a part-time job. However, it went unclaimed. Her parents aren’t sure why she would have run away, as they weren’t aware of any problems in her life.

Investigators have established that, after she went missing, she joined an organization that sold magazines door-to-door. It had been en route to California at the time of her disappearance. In 1965, the couple who ran the group was questioned by the FBI and admitted to hiring Mary Ann. However, they gave conflicting statements as to what happened to her. While the wife said she’d left the group sometime after joining, the husband said she never left Chicago.

On June 17, 1967, Allen J. Silver of New York was arrested at a motel on a charge of conspiracy to commit robbery. Both the family and the police were interested in him, as he’d had a magazine sales group that was in Chicago at the time Mary Ann went missing. A retired detective who had initially been assigned to the case stated that she believed his group to have been the one the missing girl had joined.

It’s currently unknown if Silver is the husband of the couple who was interviewed by the FBI.

There have been no indications of Mary Ann’s whereabouts since 1963. Her DNA has been tested against numerous Jane Does from across the United States, but no match has ever been made.

THEORIES:
1) One theory held by those online is that Mary Ann is alive and well. Given there’s no evidence to prove she is deceased, it’s thought that she might still be alive, with a family, and living in another part of the United States.

2) The primary theory held in the case is that the couple who ran the magazine organization were involved. Some have speculated that Mary Ann might have been sold into a sex ring, while others feel the pair abandoned her for not selling enough magazines. The latter was known to happen in similar organizations.

3) The final theory states that Mary Ann’s disappearance is the result of foul play and, as a result, she is currently deceased. Given the lack of evidence in the case, this can neither be proven or disproved at this time.

CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
Mary Ann Switalski went missing from St. Priscilla Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois on July 15, 1963. She was 16 years old and was last seen wearing a black sleeveless blouse, white shorts and straw sandals. At the time of her disappearance, she was 5’2″ and weighed approximately 102 pounds. She has blonde hair and hazel eyes.

Currently, her case is classified as an endangered runaway. If alive, she would be 72 years old.

Mary Ann’s dentals and DNA are on file. If you have any information regarding the case, you can contact the Chicago Police Department at 312-744-8261 or FBI ViCAP at 1-800-634-4097.

The Disappearance of Mary Ann Switalski

 

[Beekarina]

Where there is DNA available, I wonder if she is/was alive and had children, if any descendants may appear now with the popularity of Ancestry, 23andme, etc? Such an interesting, and strange case.

 

[Alleykins]

Where there is DNA available, I wonder if she is/was alive and had children, if any descendants may appear now with the popularity of Ancestry, 23andme, etc? Such an interesting, and strange case.

I've suggested to family of long-term missing persons to put their DNA on Gedmatch to see what shakes out, on the off chance their loved one started a new life and their kids and grandkids have put their DNA out there, too.

 

[Friday Fan]

I wonder who she was with at the carnival? Who went with her?? Who saw her there?? There had to be someone who knew her who saw her there.

It sounds like she was at very low risk to run away.
She attended a Catholic high school and seemed like she was looking forward to her senior year.
It does not seem like her family needed money.

She just doesn't seem like the type who want to take off from a carnival??

To me it seems more like a stranger abduction or maybe she had a secret boyfriend?? (Like Jolaine Hemmy formerly Pecos Jane Doe)
She must have gone to the carnival with someone...

 

[chaddylex]

Mary Ann's NamUs profile was modified on 11/20/22
She currently has 29 rule outs listed.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

UP8419
01/16/2001
Isle of Wight
VA

UP10929
08/19/1971
Josephine
OR

UP15494
11/18/2015
Cook
IL

UP5206
05/13/1997
Will
IL

UP5556
05/30/1976
Virginia Beach
VA

UP6482
12/30/1979
Frederick
VA

UP10162
04/11/2012
Miami-Dade
FL

UP442
01/02/2004
Miami-Dade
FL

UP12683
06/06/2014
Newport News
VA

UP7514
09/04/1979
Miami-Dade
FL

UP6661
02/03/1991
Stafford
VA

UP5325
05/01/1995
Champaign
IL

UP6796
11/18/1985
Alleghany
VA

UP11748
10/18/2013
Clark
IL

UP6642
08/07/1986
Chesterfield
VA

UP6279
12/18/1996
Fairfax
VA

UP2473
03/23/1973
San Bernardino
CA

UP6629
02/03/1991
Frederick
VA

UP8493
12/06/1993
Fairfax
VA

UP10693
04/28/2005
Cook
IL

UP6249
11/14/1980
Rockingham
VA

UP1567
06/01/1987
Knox
TN

UP6259
04/22/1981
Lawrence
OH

UP7097
03/18/1967
New Castle
DE

UP5211
09/30/1968
Will
IL

UP8427
07/17/1982
Washoe
NV

UP7228
10/25/1965
Pima
AZ

UP7228
10/25/1965
Pima
AZ

UP3153
04/19/1981
Will
IL

 

[RBC69]

"I can tell you I'm experiencing a strange but educational experience..."

That doesn't sound to me at all like the words an average 16-year-old would write. Also "a strange but educational experience" to me is an odd and maybe even grandiose over-description of what essentially is just selling magazines. Same goes for "I can't tell you where I am or what I'm doing because you would probably interfere." What's so top-secret about selling magazines?

If this is Mary Ann's handwriting, I would assume she was forced to write that.

The ending, in my opinion, seems to set up an explanation of her disappearance, suggesting she will go missing by choice, which to me sounds like an abductor trying to cover up his/her tracks.

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe it wasn't coerced, but it could have been dictated to her by these people who had somehow gotten into her head and led her to believe that she was doing something exciting. It almost sounds like something someone about to go into a cult would write, so while not technically coerced she could have been the focus of a concerted attempt to brainwash her for lack of a better term. Then something might have gone terribly wrong along the way. I hope I'm wrong and she's living the life she wants.

 

[Richard]

60 years missing...

Mary Ann Ruth Switalski, age 16
Missing since 15 July 1963

LINK:

Mary Ann Ruth Switalski – The Charley Project

 

[TheArtfulDetective]

Anniversary of disappearance today.

 

[Richard]

Bumping this thread up...

 

[madamx]

Mary Ann Switalski

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: July 15, 1963 from Chicago, Illinois
Classification: Endangered Runaway
Age: 16 years old
Height and Weight: 5'2, 102 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Blonde hair, hazel eyes.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A black sleeveless blouse, white shorts and straw sandals.





Details of Disappearance
Switalski was last seen in Chicago, Illinois on July 15, 1963. She attended a carnival at St.Priscilla's Catholic Church that day. She has never been seen again. Her parents received a letter from her two days after her disappearance, however; Switalski wrote that she was fine and would be sending them some money soon. She never got in touch with them again. It has been established that Switalski joined an organization that sold magazines door-to-door. It was bound for California at the time. When questioned, the couple who ran the group admitted they had hired her, but gave conflicting statements as to what happened afterwards. The wife said Switalski had left the group sometime before; the husband claimed she had never left Chicago at all. Switalski's disappearance remains unsolved. Few details are available in her case.



Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Chicago Police Department
312-746-6000

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/switalski_mary.html

I wonder how much the couple was questioned and if they were watched. I wonder if there were any other kids that went missing that were connected to this couple and I wonder if the couple ever got in trouble with the law at any other point?