VA VA - Joan Cook, 45, Roanoke County, 24 Jan 2010

[MBLover]

Can you tell us if she was living where she disappeared from? I take it this possibly was the ex-husband's home? If she was not living there do you know if she was on the streets or staying with friends? Was Joan not working at this time? Have you been told of any of the places she would frequent (such as bars/clubs)?

Sorry for bombarding you with all of these questions - which you may or may not know the answers to. I have not heard back from my friend yet.

 

[Calliope]

Thanks for the concern To answer a few questions about my sister in law, it was not uncommon for Joan to disappear for weeks at a time with her boyfriend, then suddenly he dumps her, the last contact anyone had from her was from her cell phone and that cell phone was tracked to an exit off the interstate near where she left. The mesage was "I love you" and it was to the boyfriend that dumped her. Everyone that can be questioned has been questioned, her own family is estranged from her and no one claims to know here she is.

I too wonder why a search party hasn't been put together on this, but I am in Iowa and the drama is unfolding in Viriginia. I just wish she would call from wherever and let us all know she is alive and just getting away.

She loves her daughter, but alcohol has become a very important part of this young womans life.

Sad

I wondered about her birthday (2/2). Was she one to celebrate with family and friends? Is it of any significance from your perspective that she would disappear just prior to her birthday?

 

[sisterinlaw]

Joan is a beautiful woman, she has not worked in quit some time as I understand it and no one really knows where she has been staying, the ex boyfriend claims he does not know where she is. Joan likes to be around fun party type people, I am no aware of the bars or other places she hung out, like I said, I am miles away and the last communication I had with Joan was over a year ago when she and my brother separated.

Just pray, and keep looking for Joan, and if you know where she is, for god's sake and her little girls just let us know she is okay

 

[MBLover]

Praying for Joan, her little girl and her family. I hope she will return soon. I'm sure LE is checking out the ex-bf's story...at least I hope so.

Hopefully she's just on a bender somewhere and is safe and hope the ex has nothing to do with her disappearance.

 

[Shutterfly]

Here we go.....

Joan's last seen.... Elderwood Road 11pm.

"the exit" where the text message "I Love You" was sent....at 5 am (as per Sisterinlaw)

From one location to the other....5.6 miles

That text message pinged off of either this antenna or this tower. They are the only ones close enough to pick it up. I vote for the tower.

What I don't understand is how they would know what direction she was headed in, nor exactly which road she was on, based on the ping from a single text message.

http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=8179.0
*snipped and BBM*
Circumstances of Disappearance: She was last seen in Salem, VA at a residence on Elderwood Rd. She left that residence on foot at around 11pm. The last contact with her was a text message received at 5am on January 25th. At that time, according to cell phone records, she was about 6 miles away on the 3rd Salem exit going South on I-81 in VA.

 

[MBLover]

Shutter! Thank you for the wonderful map!!! Great job as always!!!

No job, no vehicle and an ex-beau.

Although the distance where she was last seen to where her cellphone last pinged isn't really that far it would have been a long walk - even on the highway (I-81 or Rt. 460) and I don't think there is any way on this earth she would or could have walked thru the woods to have reached this area. The terrain is terrible and she would have had to have traversed a mountain...

I guess we need to know:
~Towards what direction did she go when leaving the residence (towards W. Main or thru the woods towards I-81)
~Who were her friends in the neighborhood - did any of them give her a ride anywhere
~Had she pre-arranged a pick up at the convenience store (or the cigarette store across the street) on W. Main
~Who had she been hanging around/partying with and/or living with
~Was the ex-beau married - when did they "break up" and why
~Was she the type to hitch a ride

 

[MBLover]

http://www.wunderground.com/history...tml?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA

The weather that day -

high of 42 low of 34

It was rainy and very windy at times - 1.34" of rain for that day with wind gusts up to 38 mph

Which meant that it was downright cold. I don't think Joan would have been out in the elements for too long on that evening.

 

[nerosleuth]

I'm thinking that if it was cold, rainy, and windy that night, I don't believe she would have taken a long walk in that type of weather. I do think that someone gave her a ride and took her somewhere.

Even if the public transit bus was still in operation at that time of the night, I don't think she took the transit bus if she was unemployed and didn't have her own vehicle.

 

[Calliope]

http://www.wunderground.com/history...tml?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA

The weather that day -

high of 42 low of 34

It was rainy and very windy at times - 1.34" of rain for that day with wind gusts up to 38 mph

Which meant that it was downright cold. I don't think Joan would have been out in the elements for too long on that evening.

And even colder since.

 

[sisterinlaw]

All of you are awesome, the information should be helpful. I too was wondering about the weather, that's a long walk at 11:00p.m. in the cold. Why aren't the pd looking harder? If she want's to remain whereever she is that's ok, but at least for the sake of her own mother and daughter please contact someone to advise life>>>>

 

[Calliope]

I'm thinking that if it was cold, rainy, and windy that night, I don't believe she would have taken a long walk in that type of weather. I do think that someone gave her a ride and took her somewhere.

Even if the public transit bus was still in operation at that time of the night, I don't think she took the transit bus if she was unemployed and didn't have her own vehicle.

Buses don't run that late here. (we're lucky they run at all)

 

[Calliope]

All of you are awesome, the information should be helpful. I too was wondering about the weather, that's a long walk at 11:00p.m. in the cold. Why aren't the pd looking harder? If she want's to remain whereever she is that's ok, but at least for the sake of her own mother and daughter please contact someone to advise life>>>>

You said she'd take off before... when she did so, did she at least call family and / or friends? Is it out of character for her to be gone this long and contact no one?

 

[mahoneys07]

what really bothers me is the height and weight associated with a certain bosy style seems to be becoming a trend in these cases I can think of 4 off the top of my head from VA that are missing or found deceased that fit the profile

 

[Calliope]

<snipped>
*snipped and BBM*
Circumstances of Disappearance: She was last seen in Salem, VA at a residence on Elderwood Rd. She left that residence on foot at around 11pm. The last contact with her was a text message received at 5am on January 25th. At that time, according to cell phone records, she was about 6 miles away on the 3rd Salem exit going South on I-81 in VA.

Is it possible that two towers would have picked up the signal in succession? (thereby suggesting she was headed south)

 

[SuziQ]

You said she'd take off before... when she did so, did she at least call family and / or friends? Is it out of character for her to be gone this long and contact no one?

I'm still confused over the conflict in family statements. Does she have a tendancy to run off or not? :waitasec:

http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=11988426

(snip)
A family member says she has been on anti-depressent medicine for years.

They also say for her to wander away, especially from her seven-year-old daughter, is very uncharacteristic.

 

[MBLover]

Valley Metro buses - they only go just barely into Salem and go nowhere near W. Salem (Roanoke County). The Smart bus travels I-581 to I-81 and does not go Rt. 460 through Salem to Christiansburg/Blacksburg.

11 & 15 To Valley View Mall from Campbell Court
12 & 16 To Campbell Court from Valley View Mall
21 & 25 To Crossroads Mall from Campbell Court
22 & 26 To Campbell Court from Crossroads Mall
31 & 35 To Vinton from Campbell Court
32 & 36 To Cambell Court from Vinton
41 To Southeast Roanoke from Campbell Court
42 To Campbell Court from Southeast Roanoke
51 & 55 To Tanglewood Mall from Campbell Court
52 & 56 To Campbell Court from Tanglewood Mall
61 To Brambleton & Red Rock from Campbell Court
62 To Campbell Court from Red Rock
65 To Carlton & Grandin from Campbell Court
66 To Campbell Court from Carlton & Grandin
71 To Lewis Gale Hospital from Campbell Court
72 To Campbell Court from Lewis Gale Hospital
75 To Veterans Hospital from Campbell Court
76 To Campbell Court from Veterans Hospital
81 To Goodwill Salem from Campbell Court
82 To Campbell Court from Goodwill Salem
85 To Peters Creek Road from Campbell Court
86 To Campbell Court from Peters Creek Road
91 To Veterans Hospital from Goodwill Salem
92 To Goodwill Salem from Veterans Hospital

So buses are out... a taxi (no job no money to pay for one), transportation by a friend/neighbor, walk, hitch seem to be her only options.

 

[Calliope]

I asked about the birthday because as I got older it wasn't so much I wanted to celebrate for myself, but for my kids. They always made a big deal over it, especially at that age.

 

[hoppyfrog]

Thanks for the concern To answer a few questions about my sister in law, it was not uncommon for Joan.....<snip>

Dear Sisterinlaw:

Per the WS rules, if you are the family member of a missing person, you must contact WS's owner, Tricia Griffith, so she can verify your identity before you post any more. Her email is tgrif@xmission.com. This is done to prevent imposters from coming on WS and posting "information" that is not true. Thanks for your help!

Hoppy
moderator

 

[SuziQ]

*Bump*

 

[truthsleuth]

what really bothers me is the height and weight associated with a certain bosy style seems to be becoming a trend in these cases I can think of 4 off the top of my head from VA that are missing or found deceased that fit the profile

Not to be totally dense (which of course is always possible in my case ), but can you elaborate on your statement? I have no idea what you're referring to as a certain bosy style seems to be becoming a trend in these cases I can think of 4 off the top of my head from VA that are missing or found deceased that fit the profile. Even if you meant "a certain boys' style seems to be becoming a trend" I'm still lost. Help.