VA VA - Christine Wright, 7, Dinwiddie, 12 Feb 1974

[shadowangel]

On Halloween night, 1967, 9 year-old Carolyn Jean McLaughlin left the Staunton, Va home of her mother to go trick-or-treating. Carolyn, dressed as a "go-go girl", was never seen alive again.
Following weeks of intensive searching by local and state authorities as well as assistance from the FBI, Carolyn was found by a hunter some 40 miles from Stuanton near the town of New Market. Carolyn was found in Smith Creek under a bridge in a rural area. She was still wearing the costume she had been trick-or-treating in. The medical examiner determined she had most likely died the night she was abducted. Though he ruled Carolyn had died of suffocation, there was water in her lungs indicating she had been placed into the stream alive, though probably unconscious. There were no obvious signs of molestation.

Ten years later, in July of 1977, charges were filed against 33 year-old Herbert David Alger, who had last been living in the small town of Stanley. Alger, at the time of the arrest, was already in prison for an earlier arson charge. Alger, along with two other men, had long been a suspect in the death of Carolyn. The other two suspects were both dead by 1977, one having been murdered and the other having committed suicide.

By 1980, Alger was in prison serving two life sentences (one for the murder of little Carolyn) as well as an addtional 23 years on various other charges. In June of '80, Alger was killed in a prison riot.

(Sources: Petersburg VA Progress-Index, 11-21-67; Danville VA Register, 7-30-1977)

 

[Soulmagent]

Hey just letting you know I am still reading and Still searching for the article about the sibling staring out the open door (not sleeping on the couch) My primary laptop went down and if i saved the link it would have been on that.I Know I read that about this case,but I know I need back it up with said link. That said i believe They may have changed that detail to protect the sibling.If anyone stumbles across this article please pm ,It also said the child was found awake at like 400am staring out the open door and it was before christina was discoved missing .I feel awful about my elusive link but I realy do think this article is important.

 

[shadowangel]

Thanks, Soulmagent...I'd really like to see the article, as it puts things in a different light. This article would almost indicate that the child may have seen what happened. I'd be willing to attempt tracking down the writer of the article and see why the contradictions with other stories.

 

[Soulmagent]

I decided to look up the weather on feb 13 1974.http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KPTB/1974/2/13/DailyHistory.html I looked up Petersburg it is only 16 miles according to google and it had the information for the year.I cannot see that door being open for more then 15 minutes if the childs skin was not cold to the touch.

 

[carrie]

I decided to look up the weather on feb 13 1974.http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KPTB/1974/2/13/DailyHistory.html I looked up Petersburg it is only 16 miles according to google and it had the information for the year.I cannot see that door being open for more then 15 minutes if the childs skin was not cold to the touch.

In the Richmond News Leader article dated 2/15/74, that was what the detective (Applewhite was his name) theorized. Christine's father was who related that to police about the younger child being on the couch asleep and not cold. The detective stated to the press that the "door could not have been open long if the child was not cold in 40 degree weather." ---I'm thinking that's what led them to focus the search in the immediate area right away as they did. I guess they thought, how far could she be in 15 or so minutes, believing as they did, that it was likely she wandered off on her own. They mentioned in another article police thought maybe she was hiding.

A little boy that lived near us when my daughters were little used to hide all the time. (My youngest daughter is married to him now incidentally-lol.) I remember two times in particular that he scared the whole neighborhood, his poor mother especially, half to death. Only one of those times, did the police end up being called before we found him.

That time he was hiding in an old shed under or in something in someones back yard. It had been searched a couple of times but no one looked under or in where he actually was, not realizing he was hiding deliberately and assuming he would answer if he heard his named called. He was in there not answering listening to everyone yelling for him. We were combing the neighborhood, mothers, and smaller children mostly who were too young for school yet.

After 15 minutes of about 10 adults looking everywhere we could think of with no results, I started to panic, and it wasn't even my child. I remember how hard it was to focus on looking for him because of the sick, horrible feeling in my stomach and the terrible thoughts running through my head of what could have happened?! should we stop looking and call 911 right now? are we making a mistake and losing precious time by continuing to look?! It was a mobile home park (we were gypsies remember-lol)and cars went in and out all the time, did someone get him in a car somehow and are they miles away with him as we're looking?!

I'd have probably called them a half an hour sooner but we were leaving that up to the Mom as far as when to call. She knew her child was prone to hide like that or she'd have called sooner no doubt. I'd have known that mine would not have done that and therefore assumed the very worst. Then again, no one really knows what a small child will get it into their mind to do. This child was 3 or 4 at the time. You can try to teach them about strangers and dangers etc. so they'll be safer, but you never really know if someone could trick them or somehow get their confidence.

The police ended up there a good 15 minutes before someone found my future son-in-law They were taking a report from his Mom and she was crying hysterically, it was AWFUL. I don't think he got punished for it she was so glad he was alright. I'm afraid if he'd have been mine, and having done it in the past, he wouldn't have seen outside the door, or watched TV, or whatever he liked to do for quite a while. 4 years old or not, there would have been consequences.

My heart goes out to these poor parents who go through something like that and then their children are never found. I can not even get my mind around how horrible it would have to be. When we were looking for him and I panicked it just freaked me out how quickly something could happen and your chld be gone forever. I don't even WANT to be able to comprehend, but I do feel for the parents who go through it. It would have to be the worst thing that could happen to a parent.

Thinking about that got me wondering about Christine's case. I wonder if that happens often enough (a child hiding like that) that police have experienced before it and that is one of the firt things they think may have happened. I'm sure most of them are hoping that's all it is.

P.S. Is this considered an off topic post? Please someone let me know if it is, because I don't mean it to be and it seems relevant to me or I wouldn't be posting it. God help us Newbie's we are clueless at times-lol.

 

[carrie]

Something that is really surprising me in Christine's case, and even more so now that I'm finding it in other cases similar to Christine's is how LE can possibly entertain the possibilty of these small children being runaways? has anyone heard of a case of a child under say 10 years old ever actually running away?

I wondered if these laws and policies have been changed since the cases to which I'm referring (in the 1970s). I found a case recently where a 4 year old child disappear seemingly without a trace. As in Christine's case, the FBI would not get offically involved because there was "no evidence the child had actually been kidnapped." I don't understand why, if a child of 4, or even 7, 8, or 9 (pre-adolescent is what I'm trying to say)disappears without a trace, rhyme, or reason, that is not evidence enough!

I'm just incredulous about finding out things were handled this way. Are the laws still like that? Is the unexplained disappearance of a small child not evidence enough to get the FBI involved? Not evidence enough of a kidnapping.

This is going to sound awful no doubt, but it sounds like it's all about money. If there's a ransom note, the FBI will get involved. That's almost like saying, if the parents are rich enough, the FBI will get involved (just my 2 cents).

If there is a ransom note, that would indicate possibly less danger for the child (not saying the child would still not be in danger). I don't know about anyone else, but if my child were to be abducted, I much rather it be for financial motives than for the other kinds of motives perpetrators have for abducting children. God forbid I should ever find myself in such a situation, but I think if my child had disappeared, I'd be thanking God if I subsequently received a (real) ransom note.

Just wondering if things are still handled this way, or whether laws and policies have been changed since then?

P.S. Again, if this is considered off topic feel free to let me know--but please be gentle about it

 

[shadowangel]

It may be that the attitude of the times had a lot to do with law enforcement's view of these disappearances. After reading literally hundreds of missing children cases, it appears that they were much more likely to believe that a child had wandered off than been kidnapped....Even up to the early '80s. Maybe it was the overall societal denial that such things occured, or were as common as they really were.
Today, if we read about Christine in the morning paper, most of us would jump to the conclusion that she had been kidnapped. In the early '70s, however, people still seemed willing to believe that a child could simply wonder off from her home into freezing night for no apparent reason.

Laws in most states (as well as federal laws) are finally catching up to the reality of the world we live in today. Law enforcement agencies are compelled to act immediately in the event of a missing child report. Its up to us to contact our lawmakers and ensure this trend continues and expands.

As much as it pains me to say it, I can't help but believe that the local police may have overlooked something, some important evidence, in those first hours that could have pointed to a suspect.

** **** ** **** ** **** **
Carrie--Sometimes its not possible to think about some of these cases without climbing up on a soapbox. Your posts relate to missing children in general, and are welcome on my threads.

 

[yosande]

On November 25th, 1975, 3 year-old Christopher Harper was found floating in a shallow area of the James River in Richmond, VA. He had been missing for four days prior to his discovery. The ME determined he had died of suffocation, and was most likely dead when placed into the water.
It was also determined he had been sexually molested.

In mid-December, 20 year-old Marvin Leon Grimm was arrested and later convicted for the abduction, molestation, and murder of little Christopher.
Grimm lived in the same apartment complex as Harper's parents.

Grimm was a laborer for a local carpentry firm.

At the time of Christine's disappearance, the Wrights were awaiting the completion of their home in Richmond. Christine's obituary lists an address for the family in Richmond; the Jefferson Village apartments, where Grimm was living, are some 5 or 6 miles from the address.

Is it possible that Grimm worked for the firm building the Wrights' home? Could Christine have known him from there?

Grimm is still living at taxpayer expense, for the rest of his natural life, in a state prison near Richmond.

jmho of course but since he was convicted of this crime against a little boy, he could have easily taken one of Christine's brothers. imo, these individuals have preferences, age groups, and genders, that they generally stick with. again, jmo

 

[yosande]

Carrie, thanks for posting all this. It gives a much better insight into what was going on with the parents than what I had from the few articles I had written. It seems these poor people were struggling to deal with what happened within the constraints of their of their strong religious faith.

The more I read, the less sense this all makes. The mother finding the doors to the apartment opened in the months prior to Christine's disappearance is eerie. I wonder how she determined the youngest child was not responsible. Did she know who was?
If the youngest child were making nocturnal wanderings of the apartment, is it possible that someone there knew about it and SHE was the actual target that night? Could Christine have been up for some reason, heard someone tapping on the door, and been taken instead? The fact that there were no screams is another strange point in this story. I'd think even a 7-year old, grabbed from the open doorway of her home, could be hard to handle if she were struggling. The neighbors claimed to hear a tapping...How could they not hear a little girl struggling for her freedom?
Why would she go willingly with someone in the middle of a cold winter night, with only her nightgown on? Could it have something to do with her puppy, which she obviously loved?
It isn't stated how long the youngest girl was sleeping on the couch (when I first read that, I assumed she had left her bed and fallen back alseep on the couch, but I guess its possible that her parents let her sleep there normally.) If she had just wandered from her room and crawled up on the couch, she might not have been there long enough to get cold.

The area where Christine was found is known locally to be a fishing spot, so I definitely think this Christine was taken by someone very familiar with the area. I'm surprised however that, this being February, the area of the stream she was found wasn't frozen over. Could the killer have already known that?

And lastly, the articles state that LE were checking some dozen names in relation to Christine's disappearance. I'd love to get a look at that list...Either the police weren't able to lift any relevant prints from the door, or the killer wasn't yet in the system. It's difficult for me to get a clear picture of a suspect in my mind...I would think if the person were young, Christine would be more trusting, maybe even someone she knew from the local restaurants or from walking her dog. The fact that she was dumped, alive in a stream, could indicate that the person panicked and, unable to kill her by any other means, just pushed her into the stream. With the water being at or near freezing, she would have died quickly. (Which brings another point...Was she placed into the stream? Could she have been molested somewhere in the area, been let go, and fallen into the stream?)
On the other hand, the fact that the person was able to get her from the apartment, leaving behind no sign, without awaking anyone in the apartment complex (including her parents) seems to be the work of someone more mature...Someone who had either thought the details out carefully or had done something similar before.

Questions, questions.....

the first thing that came to my mind about the doors being opened was who else had access to the keys. Were the locks changed before they moved in? They had only been there a few months, August IIRC. So, managers, previous tenants...

 

[yosande]

Interesting. Mmmmm. He apparently would have been in Chester around that time. I wonder if there's anyway to find out whether he lived in that apartment complex? It seems worth looking into.

A couple of similarities too...

One, the way the girl he was convicted of murderering was kidnapped right out of her house, at a pajama party no less, so several other children would have had to be there.

Two, in one of the cases he was suspected in, the victime was dumped in the water while still alive, she had water in her lungs. A small similarity but a similarity none the less. water in the lungs, hugh similarity sp.

It just boggles my mind that someone can kidnap a child, rape and kill the child, and then get out of jail after 9 years. NINE YEARS!! I just don't understand that! Twenty nine isn't long enough IMO but at least it's closer to a lifetime, more than that young girl will ever have.

If I knew how to bump, I'd bump this. I would like to know which case was another victim found with water in her lungs. Link please. age. gender, name?
So many names, victims, perps. I'm having trouble sorting it all out.

 

[yosande]

I'm really sorry for yet another post but IIRC, one post said that her slippers were not missing, and another post said they were gone. I think this is a very important detail. One would suggest she was picked up and taken out, and the other suggests she got up and walked out, possibly to help her prego dog go potty. A stalker would know the routine. imo, this was not a first time offense for this rapist/murderer.

 

[shadowangel]

If I knew how to bump, I'd bump this. I would like to know which case was another victim found with water in her lungs. Link please. age. gender, name?
So many names, victims, perps. I'm having trouble sorting it all out.

http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2007/07/19/COVER-BARKER-MAIN-0629-E.rtf.aspx from an earlier post by Soulmagent. The victim was Paula Jean Chandler, 18, who was murdered in June of 1982. Chandler has long been considered a victim of Glenn Haslam Barker.
The article and the previous week's article (which is linked at the website) are well worth reading.

Welcome to the discussion, by the way. All opinions, thoughts and bits of information are appreciated.

 

[shadowangel]

jmho of course but since he was convicted of this crime against a little boy, he could have easily taken one of Christine's brothers. imo, these individuals have preferences, age groups, and genders, that they generally stick with. again, jmo

This is quite true. Pedophiles appear to prefer either children of a particular sex, race, or age group. In some cases its a combination of these factors; in others, it appears to simply be a matter of opportunity, as long as the child is within a given age range. Without knowing more about Grimm at this point, its difficult to determine where his predilections lie.

 

[shadowangel]

I emailed the editor from The Hook who wrote the articles about Glenn Barker. I included some of the information we've been able to gather to this point. I'm not overly hopeful that there will be any interest in Christine's case, but I thought it worth the try.

 

[Soulmagent]

I emailed the editor from The Hook who wrote the articles about Glenn Barker. I included some of the information we've been able to gather to this point. I'm not overly hopeful that there will be any interest in Christine's case, but I thought it worth the try.

Have you gotten a responce yet?

 

[shadowangel]

Have you gotten a responce yet?

Nothing as of yet. I at least expected a "Thank you for your interest"-type email.
I was going to give it until the end of this week before I move forward with contacting other news outlets, then CrimeSolvers and the local PD.

 

[shadowangel]

Bumping Christine back up.

Still nothing from the story writer at The Hook...They have another email addy for story ideas, am I overdoing it if I re-word my email and send it to that address?
I was hoping that the Chesterfield CrimeSolvers would have their email up and running by now...Next step is to write them a letter and see what info is available.

I don't think its all that much to ask that someone look into the evidence in her case, see what is there....Fingerprints, DNA for a CODIS search...

*sigh*

 

[Soulmagent]

While looking over another case I came across some very interesting information about Micheal Nickolaou. It was a long read but it put him in virginia mid 70's .I am not sure how plausable a suspect in Christine's case he could be but when I got to the part where his virginia conections are mentioned I thought of Chrisitine.

Micheal Nickolaou

Also the glasses thing made me wonder if he fit the description of the guy in lyons sisters case.

http://www.crimeandjustice.us/forums/lofiversion/index.php?t8667.html

 

[shadowangel]

I can't get the link to open :waitasec:

 

[Soulmagent]

Sorry shadowangel ,I fixed it .