The Springfield Three--missing since June 1992 - #1

[Missouri Mule]

I can understand a one perp theory if it was someone they knew. They may have let someone who they knew into the house and things turned ugly from there. The lady who apparently saw the van the next morning said a blonde resembling Suzie was driving, so the person could have been in the back of the van holding a gun on them. It's certainly possible.

However, if someone they didn't know was responsible, then there probably was more than one. Another thought I have always had in the back of my mind is that someone broke that porch light on purpose and Sherrill went to investigate and that's another way entry was gained into the house.

You are the third person (including myself) who has espoused that theory. It seems probable in view of the fact only the globe itself was broken and not the light itself. There are three logical reasons I can think it would have been broken. 1) To create a disturbance to get the door opened, 2) the perps somehow broke it by accident or 3) one of the women broke it while being carried out of the home. I lean to the first theory. It was the "ruse" to get the door opened at which time entry was gained by overpowering the occupants.

 

[HollywoodBound]

What are people leaning toward as far as motives go? If it likely some sort of family abduction and the friend was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or someone obsessed with one or more of the women and they didn't know it?

 

[Missouri Mule]

What are people leaning toward as far as motives go? If it likely some sort of family abduction and the friend was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or someone obsessed with one or more of the women and they didn't know it?

So far as I know the case and I have studied it for 15 years, I believe there are three scenarios that stand the test of time. 1) Drug involvement (not of the women) associated with the grave robbing matter (or what knowledge the individuals involved may have possessed), 2) Money or associated reasons, 3) Reason "X". I won't discuss the latter reason but it has been bandied about and there is some reason to believe it will gain additional traction as time progresses and the case continues to remain unsolved.

I lean toward reason #1 as do most people so far as I know. But this is only a tangential relationship; not a direct relationship. And I believe it was professionally contracted out by those higher up the food chain. There is and has been for a long time a thriving meth industry in Missouri as well as cocaine networks. I would personally place my bet there. And I want to be crystal clear in this regard. I do not believe, nor have I believed, nor would I assert that any of the women were users, buyers, distributors or had anything whatsoever to do with the drug trade lest anyone infer otherwise. Nevertheless I believe that the drug distribution network(s) had a stake in this matter and who ordered up the abductions. I do not believe the grave robbers themselves had anything to do with the actual abductions. I also believe they were ruled out early on in the investigation anyway.

But you certainly asked the right question. The motive is the key to solving this crime. That's the big unknown; at least to the general public. The police may know but they are not talking and at one time were even reported to have refused to talk about the case. Make of that what you will.

 

[MaryLiz]

Regarding the motive being drug-related, could Sherrill and/or Suzie possibly been an informant? I remember reading in the Greene County records that Suzie had filed charges against an XBF in the autumn of 1991. I think those charges were dismissed because no one showed up to court on the appointed day. Did I read somewhere else through all this that Suzie was scheduled to later testify against him or possibly someone else regarding drugs? I might have that wrong.

But after sifting through all the info again, if the motive was drug-related, it would make sense that possibly Sherrill or Suzie might have been an informant since they themselves didn't use drugs.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Regarding the motive being drug-related, could Sherrill and/or Suzie possibly been an informant? I remember reading in the Greene County records that Suzie had filed charges against an XBF in the autumn of 1991. I think those charges were dismissed because no one showed up to court on the appointed day. Did I read somewhere else through all this that Suzie was scheduled to later testify against him or possibly someone else regarding drugs? I might have that wrong.

But after sifting through all the info again, if the motive was drug-related, it would make sense that possibly Sherrill or Suzie might have been an informant since they themselves didn't use drugs.

No, I don't believe either was an informant. What I think was the motive was that the grave robbers that Suzie was scheduled to testify in court was the motivating factor. It is my speculation that either or both of them were being squeezed to plea bargain a deal for information on the drug trade in the Ozarks. With Suzie being out of the way the trial dragged on with little in the way of a decisive end. The grave robbing charges were penny ante compared to the much larger drug information that either or both may have possessed. I don't know that for a fact and as I say I am speculating. But that makes the most sense. The information that would have been squeezed out was deemed so important that the chances of it being revealed to the police was the likely motive. Suzie had to go as did Sherrill because mothers and daughters share most everything.

Suzie was the one set to testify one week later. Sherrill wasn't. Sherrill could have been abducted long before the girls arrived at approximately 2:15 AM. Suzie was therefore logically the intended target. But Sherrill was there as was the unfortunate Stacy. Therefore all three were taken of necessity. It spiraled out of control. But the contractors were there to accomplish their mission. They were prepared to do whatever was required. And so they did.

The other deal was an ex parte order against an old boyfriend. He was identified but I can't possibly see how he would have had any motive since that charge died on the vine for lack of prosecution. This is very typical for these order of protection cases. Nothing unusual there.

One can read on the Greene County Circuit Clerk's website exactly what these individuals were charged with and all the particulars. It's very organized and one only need to type in the name and all of the docket sheets are available for inspection dating back to about 1990 or so. The only things there about Suzie and Sherrill were Suzie's expired ex parte order and Sherrill's lawsuit brought against her by now defunct Montgomery-Wards which probably was unaware she had been abducted. It too was dismissed. There was nothing on there about Stacy. But there is about the grave robbers. That's interesting reading. Imagine what might have happened if Suzie were there to testify or if they had cut a deal to give up valuable information. That all went down the tubes with Suzie dissappeared. If there was any jail time at all it was insignificant. And one of them had a very expensive and prominent defense attorney. I don't view that as incidental. The other was left for the public defender. I think this speaks volumes.

 

[HollywoodBound]

Thanks. That is a wealth of information. I had looked on Charleyproject and Doenetwork but had not read anything about the grave robbers.

 

[Hurricane]

The "transient's" composite drawing appears in the early editions of the Springfield News-Leader on two occasions.

The composite drawing appears in the June 16, 1992 edition of the KANSAS CITY STAR. I haven't figured out a way to reproduce it here but I quote the details and description from the article:


“Police released a composite sketch Monday of a man seen on foot near the home of a woman who later disappeared with her daughter and her daughter’s friend.”

(Capt. Tony) “Glenn said a witness saw the man in the morning and afternoon of June 5 and the afternoon of June 6 within a block of the home of Sherill E. Levitt.”

“The man was described as white, age 38-45, about 5-foot-8, 145 pounds, with long, sandy reddish-brown hair and a mustache and full beard.” End quote. Underlining is mine.

This witness did not see a van.

 

[Hurricane]

This quote concerning the waitress from George’s Steak House comes from the June 24, 1992 edition of the KANSAS CITY STAR:


“A waitress says she saw a mother and her daughter at a late-night restaurant shortly before they disappeared more than two weeks ago, police said Tuesday.”

“The waitress at George’s Steak House, a few blocks from the home, first spoke with investigators Sunday night, authorities said.

The waitress identified Levitt and Streeter as regular customers. She said that the two were at the restaurant sometime between 1 am and 3am and possibly as late as 4 am on June 7.

The waitress saw men she did not recognize talking to the three women, she told police.” End quote. Underlining is mine.

Two things stand out to me in this quote:

The waitress didn’t say how many men were talking to the three women.

The time frame of when the women may have been there is extended to as late as 4 am. The realm of possibility of this being a legitimate sighting is starting to close.

 

[Hurricane]

Here is another reported witness sighting I had not heard about before. This is quoted from the June 18, 1992 edition of the KANSAS CITY STAR:

“A ‘significant event’ apparently prompted a woman to go looking for her daughter on the night they disappeared with one of the daughter’s friends, police said Wednesday.

“Capt. Tony Glenn said investigators did not know why Sherrill E. Levitt, 47, was concerned about her daughter’s whereabouts in the early hours of June 7.

“What would cause a mother to be out at 2:15 am looking for her daughter?” he asked.

A witness told police that Levitt stopped at 2:15 am at a convenience store to ask the clerk whether he had seen her daughter and two of her daughter’s friends.

Levitt appeared hurried entering the Apco A-Mart store only halfway and quickly leaving, Glenn said.

Police have known the information for a few days but waited to construct a precise timetable before releasing it, he said at a news conference on the 10th day of the investigation.

Glenn said investigators had not established which two of her daughter’s friends Levitt asked the clerk about.” End quote.

This witness sighting must have been eliminated rather quickly. Anyone remember any discussion on this? If true it would certainly begin to tighten down the window of opportunity.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Here is another reported witness sighting I had not heard about before. This is quoted from the June 18, 1992 edition of the KANSAS CITY STAR:

“A ‘significant event’ apparently prompted a woman to go looking for her daughter on the night they disappeared with one of the daughter’s friends, police said Wednesday.

“Capt. Tony Glenn said investigators did not know why Sherrill E. Levitt, 47, was concerned about her daughter’s whereabouts in the early hours of June 7.

“What would cause a mother to be out at 2:15 am looking for her daughter?” he asked.

A witness told police that Levitt stopped at 2:15 am at a convenience store to ask the clerk whether he had seen her daughter and two of her daughter’s friends.

Levitt appeared hurried entering the Apco A-Mart store only halfway and quickly leaving, Glenn said.

Police have known the information for a few days but waited to construct a precise timetable before releasing it, he said at a news conference on the 10th day of the investigation.

Glenn said investigators had not established which two of her daughter’s friends Levitt asked the clerk about.” End quote.

This witness sighting must have been eliminated rather quickly. Anyone remember any discussion on this? If true it would certainly begin to tighten down the window of opportunity.

That was a bogus report. I can confirm it.

The waitress report can never positively be ruled out but most people who are familiar with the case tend to discount it.

The "transient" is an issue that deserves a full and complete explanation by the Springfield Police Department. It was left hanging out there as were many things about this case. I personally provided to the lead detective a recent mug shot of such an individual who met that description and had a long unsavory history. I also saw him in person and he fit the description exactly.

 

[Hurricane]

One can read on the Greene County Circuit Clerk's website exactly what these individuals were charged with and all the particulars.

I found the Docket Sheet concerning the Ex Parte order against Kovacs but I can’t find anything concerning the case of “felony institutional vandalism”. I have a newspaper article but can you provide a link to the case? I realize it’s a stretch for an old boy friend to go from selling 26 grams of gold teeth fillings to kidnapping/murder, but he could have very well been squeezed to participate by someone up the chain.

 

[Hurricane]

That was a bogus report. I can confirm it.

The waitress report can never positively be ruled out but most people who are familiar with the case tend to discount it.

I thought the report of Levitt in the convenience store was probably discounted rather early in the case when I found it.

The article I referenced concerning the waitress at George's Steak House refers to the restaurant as "crowded". I would feel better about the validity of this report if I knew if the other two calls concerning this sighting were from customers or other employees. If there were several people in the restaurant at that hour and Suzie was "argumentative" why wouldn't other witnesses later remember the encounter?

 

[Missouri Mule]

I found the Docket Sheet concerning the Ex Parte order against Kovacs but I can’t find anything concerning the case of “felony institutional vandalism”. I have a newspaper article but can you provide a link to the case? I realize it’s a stretch for an old boy friend to go from selling 26 grams of gold teeth fillings to kidnapping/murder, but he could have very well been squeezed to participate by someone up the chain.

He's not one of the grave robbing individuals. Try looking at this case #. 492CF0856.

You're about 90% of the way there. Think higher up the food chain.

I don't believe either one had anything to do with the actual abductions. However, I believe what they knew and could be squeezed to divulge by the cops had everything to do with the case. There is your likely motive. The "big fish" probably decided they couldn't wait any longer to act. And so they did.

Bring in some independent contractors and remembering Joseph Stalin's motto "No man -- no problem" lays out the most likely scenario of what went down that night. There are two other scenarios that I can think of but this one makes the most logical sense to me based on what I know and think I know about the case.

 

[Missouri Mule]

I thought the report of Levitt in the convenience store was probably discounted rather early in the case when I found it.

The article I referenced concerning the waitress at George's Steak House refers to the restaurant as "crowded". I would feel better about the validity of this report if I knew if the other two calls concerning this sighting were from customers or other employees. If there were several people in the restaurant at that hour and Suzie was "argumentative" why wouldn't other witnesses later remember the encounter?

I think you probably answered your own question. Logically, the report didn't stand up to logic. If Suzie and Sherrill were in a big argument in a public restaurant one would conclude several people would have remembered and reported the incident since the case was all over the news and television. What would have been very helpful if the individuals involved had identified themselves so this could have been put to rest as happened in the alleged convenience store sightings. A lady came forward, confirmed she was the one and that was no longer operative. Unfortunately the George's story has never completely been put to bed. The preponderance of evidence suggests it didn't happen. (although I did find the waitress highly credible in the "48 hour" piece.)

There is one lesson to be learned in this however. And that is eyewitness testimony is probably the worst kind of evidence there is. And yet it is given enormous weight by juries over the years. And that is also one of the reasons I do not believe the "moss green" van scenario is reliable nor logical. Why the police bought and sold that "moss green" van story is one of the enduring mysteries of the case. It doesn't stand up to logic, nor the available facts. The van was almost, without question, white as described in the three weeks leading up to the abductions. And what possible logic could have caused anyone to have painted it this unique color prior to abducting the women? It simply doesn't pass the smell test.

 

[Hurricane]

He's not one of the grave robbing individuals. Try looking at this case #. 492CF0856.

One of the grave robbers was also an ex-boyfriend of Suzie Streeter according to the Kansas City Star edition of July 2, 1992. I’m not saying it was Kovacs.

“A man accused of vandalizing a tomb will be questioned in the disappearance of three women, but police said Wednesday that they expect to eliminate him as a suspect in the missing-persons case.

The 21-year-old man was arrested Monday in Mundelein, Ill., and was being held Wednesday in the Lake County Jail.”

“The man and two others were charged last week with felony institutional vandalism. They are accused of breaking into a mausoleum at Springfield’s Maple Park Cemetery on Feb. 21 and stealing a skull and some bones.

One of the other accused vandals is a former boyfriend of Streeter, who gave a statement to officers investigating the vandalism”

“Police have said her former boyfriend, 20, sold 26 grams of gold teeth fillings from the skull at a Springfield pawn shop for $30.

The ex-boyfriend and the third alleged vandal, 19, were questioned extensively in the disappearances, and both are cleared as suspects, Glenn said.

Investigators say the 21-year old arrested in Illinois isn’t a Springfield resident, but he is thought to have been in Springfield on June 7.”

Thanks for the case number, which I’ll read next.

It appears that the “transient” male could not be the 21-year old, as he was described as being 38-45 years old.

 

[MaryLiz]

I found that article in the Kansas City Star last night about Sherrill Levitt at the convenience store looking for Suzie and was going to post it on here later tonight. I figured it was bogus though since that was the only place I ever read it.

I wish they could verify those other calls from people who said they saw them in the restaurant. I never thought it was a credible sighting but since it is still an issue I'm beginning to wonder about it.

 

[Hurricane]

I wish they could verify those other calls from people who said they saw them in the restaurant.

Keep searching the papers to see if we can determine if the other two who called police are employees or customers. If they are employees working together then I think the three could have influenced each other until they were all in agreement. Customers who had no further contact with the waitress (as in non- daily customers) would add creditability to the sighting.

The fact that one of the younger females was "argumentative" should have drawn attention to herself, regardless of who she was. Others should have taken notice.

 

[Hurricane]

You're about 90% of the way there. Think higher up the food chain.

I have a person of interest who I have thought was involved in this, especially as time has passed. He would fall into the same age bracket as the "transient" male. However I don't have a physical description or picture to know about his appearance at that time.

 

[Missouri Mule]

One of the grave robbers was also an ex-boyfriend of Suzie Streeter according to the Kansas City Star edition of July 2, 1992. I’m not saying it was Kovacs.

“A man accused of vandalizing a tomb will be questioned in the disappearance of three women, but police said Wednesday that they expect to eliminate him as a suspect in the missing-persons case.

The 21-year-old man was arrested Monday in Mundelein, Ill., and was being held Wednesday in the Lake County Jail.”

“The man and two others were charged last week with felony institutional vandalism. They are accused of breaking into a mausoleum at Springfield’s Maple Park Cemetery on Feb. 21 and stealing a skull and some bones.

One of the other accused vandals is a former boyfriend of Streeter, who gave a statement to officers investigating the vandalism”

“Police have said her former boyfriend, 20, sold 26 grams of gold teeth fillings from the skull at a Springfield pawn shop for $30.

The ex-boyfriend and the third alleged vandal, 19, were questioned extensively in the disappearances, and both are cleared as suspects, Glenn said.

Investigators say the 21-year old arrested in Illinois isn’t a Springfield resident, but he is thought to have been in Springfield on June 7.”

Thanks for the case number, which I’ll read next.

It appears that the “transient” male could not be the 21-year old, as he was described as being 38-45 years old.

Correct. The "transient" was neither of these other individuals. So far as I know he had no connections to any of the younger men.

As far as the "transient" is concerned I believe it is one of the unfortunate aspects of this case. Although for some two or three days the composite of this individual was shown in the newspaper and written about he just sort of dissappeared into the mist of the netherworld not to be heard again. This, even after I hand delivered to the lead investigator the actual "mug" shot of a man who very closely fit this description having a rather checkered history.

One has to ask why the SPD chose to ignore this potentially very valuable aspect of the case since given time other individuals or perhaps this individual would have been positively identified by Springfield citizens as being on that corner where he obviously had no reason to be. As with many aspects of this case, it was, as one officer put it, run like no other case in Springfield history (words to that effect.) There are so many loose ends to this case it boggles the mind.

 

[MaryLiz]

Here's a rather interesting article from the Kansas City Star from July 21, 1992, in which an FBI Violent Crime Specialist presents a profile of the perps. Interesting that he theorizes the people with the primary abductor unwillingly became involved in a perhaps unplanned abduction. He even goes so far as to state the primary person didn't know what was going to happen, as if it all happened quite by accident! I don't think I agree with that but it's intriguing to read nonetheless.


The Kansas City Star
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]July 21, 1992[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]Section: MID-AMERICA[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]Edition: MID-AMERICA[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]Page: B6[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica][SIZE=+1]Acquaintance abducted 3, FBI theorizes Person was trusted by at least one of missing women, expert believes.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]The Associated Press[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]SPRINGFIELD - An FBI violent crime specialist theorizes that three missing women were abducted by someone at least one of them trusted, and the abductor probably had help from one or more others.[/FONT][FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]Authorities want to talk with people who may unwillingly have become involved in a possibly unplanned abduction, said James Wright of the bureau's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]"I think they (other people) were brought into this not knowing what was going to happen. It's quite possible that the primary person did not know what was going to happen," Wright said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]"There are people that have knowledge who don't feel good about the knowledge they have. They may not be the primary person. " Wright spoke after a call-in television show about the case that aired Sunday night on KOZK-Ozarks Public Television. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]Wright has been following the case since Sherrill Levitt, 47; her daughter, Suzie Streeter, 19, and Streeter's friend, Stacy McCall, 18, disappeared June 7. Authorities think the women were abducted because many things they would have taken out of town were left at Levitt's home in Springfield. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]Wright said his theory came from "the totality of information," but he avoided specifics about the number or type of people he suspects are involved. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]The abduction leader probably was an acquaintance "who may have known their comings and goings," he said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]Secondary players may fear going to police because they think the primary culprit would retaliate, he said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]But anyone withholding information probably is feeling strong anxiety, he added. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]"If you think you don't feel good about it now, don't think it's going to get any better. Don't think it's going to go away," Wright said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]Springfield Police Chief Terry Knowles said the department could protect those who provide information. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]Police Capt. Tony Glenn said the program received 118 calls, all but four of which were handled off the air. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]"Those people who have contacted us anonymously, we'd like to hear from them again and develop some type of dialogue with them," Glenn said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]Wright, whose unit handles 1,000 cases a year, said the disappearance was an unusual, puzzling case. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,geneva,helvetica]"If you look into the records of missing persons every year, you would not come across many cases like this," he said.[/FONT]