VA VA - Rockbridge Co, WhtMal 20-40, 149UMVA, hitchhiker 'Chris', clothes, VA glasses, crucifix, May'87

[bflocket]

I like it how Charley states "Few details are available in his case." NamUS doesn't have any addition info, but his pic is slightly bigger (or less cropped).

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/e/earls_ernie.html


I'm not very well versed on the different uniforms worn by different branches of the armed forces. But that pic looks like a Senior Portrait to me. That chair in the background looks like something that would be in one.
Could it be JROTC? I remember people (back when I was in school in the 1990's) wearing similar uniforms. They were kids who weren't yet old enough to be in the military, so it was some kind of "pre-military" prep program. But whether Army, Navy, Air Force, etc, I don't know.

 

[carbuff]

That looks a lot like the uniform my classmates in Civil Air Patrol used to wear.

 

[AnnieOakley]

I wish there was a better pic of Ernie Earls: https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/11230/0/

What would the uniform be in that pic does anyone know?

It looks just like the AFJROTC uniforms students at my school wear. The uniform also called boy scouts and, as I think someone mentioned, civil air patrol, to mind.


When I think of our UID "Chris", the details remind me of some special ed students I've had over the years. I mean no disrespect by this. I could easily see him being a young man who, having low academic skills, at least writing that we know of, perhaps could not score well enough or having disabilities, could not serve in the military. But very much wanted to, so he did things that he could do to feel that connection. He wore some pieces, perhaps purchased at a thrift store. The glasses may not have been his. He may have worn them because he thought they made him look intelligent, or, perhaps needed visual correction, but couldn't afford his own glasses. (Or had his own but insisted on wearing these...I've fought that battle before too!)

Carrying the little notebook seems odd for someone who doesn't write well, but it is a coping skill we taught kids for years who have ADD, or memory problems from TBI, for example. (Now most of them put notes in their phone.) Also, I pictured him taking it in and out of his front shirt pocket- did I make that up or was it described that way? Anyway, that seemed like a law enforcement style thing to do, maybe? I could see this young man trying to use the Appalacian Trail hike for a military survival training type exercise.

I'm wondering if there is a family out there who is missing a disabled brother who continued living with mom as an adult, and disappeared shortly after their mother passed, or became unable to care for him anymore. A brother who always had dreams of being in the military, or some other very masculine job, like a cowboy? Maybe dad or an uncle was a vet.

 

[vermontaigne]

The age range assigned to the UID, 21-22, seems extraordinarily tight. If it's right, it's pretty young for ex-military.

I don't believe anything about the trucker's story, except that he killed him, and maybe a couple locations and times. I guess a hitchhiker might be familiar with policies against unauthorized passengers from discussions with other truckers, but there's a lot of homoerotic overtone in Swartz's account of how the passenger reminded him of a friend who'd just died, yadda, yadda. I think that's as close as we get to a real motive.

 

[bflocket]

Tried to copy current exclusions with copy/paste but it didn't look right.
So here they are...



Sorry if it's small. It gets bigger when clicked.

 

[carbuff]

Map of the places mentioned in the narrative: https://goo.gl/maps/oKeE0

Looks like a perfectly logical route from Little Rock to New Jersey. Somebody upthread had questioned it.

Big discrepancy: the truck stop where he picked "Chris" up is said to be 4 or 5 hours from the destination in New Jersey. It's more like 12 or 13 hours, according to Googlemaps.

 

[bflocket]

Map of the places mentioned in the narrative: https://goo.gl/maps/oKeE0

Looks like a perfectly logical route from Little Rock to New Jersey. Somebody upthread had questioned it.

Big discrepancy: the truck stop where he picked "Chris" up is said to be 4 or 5 hours from the destination in New Jersey. It's more like 12 or 13 hours, according to Googlemaps.

I messed around with the map a little and got about 8-hrs, taking I-81 most of the way. It's about the same for switching over to I-95 (even thought I KNOW how traffic is wretched on that route).

Are you sure the 12-13 hrs wasn't VA→AR→VA→NJ?

 

[carbuff]

I messed around with the map a little and got about 8-hrs, taking I-81 most of the way. It's about the same for switching over to I-95 (even thought I KNOW how traffic is wretched on that route).

Are you sure the 12-13 hrs wasn't VA→AR→VA→NJ?

Either that, or there was traffic at the time I made the map. Googlemaps seems to use current traffic rather than normal driving time now I'm seeing the same thing you are now.

 

[chrisa1981]

I was thinking that this guy could be a possible match for Chris Doe;

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1118dmon.html

Disappearance and death are close to each other.

Both had brown hair.

Both are about right age.

Both have something to do with military.

 

[cvaldez1975]

The age range assigned to the UID, 21-22, seems extraordinarily tight. If it's right, it's pretty young for ex-military.

I don't believe anything about the trucker's story, except that he killed him, and maybe a couple locations and times. I guess a hitchhiker might be familiar with policies against unauthorized passengers from discussions with other truckers, but there's a lot of homoerotic overtone in Swartz's account of how the passenger reminded him of a friend who'd just died, yadda, yadda. I think that's as close as we get to a real motive.

i was getting the same feeling. his reluctance to talk about it at all.

 

[hayaletcatcher]

Rule outs

Victor Abrego 1958 California
Richard Bayne 1953 New York
Michael Bearup 1954 Michigan
Bruce Boughton 1951 California
Stephen Bovard 1962 Louisiana
Randall Brosius 1954 Pennsylvania
Steven Bunch 1959 Kentucky
William Cordes 1968 California
Clarence Dellis 1940 Louisiana
William Downey 1974 Washington
Edward DuBarry 1947 New Jersey
Stuart Garbowitz 1956 California
Eloy Garcia 1950 California
Angelo Gatti 1952 California
Harry Gibson 1952 Arizona
Lloyd Gilsdorf 1952 Florida
Gregg Haskell 1965 Florida
Kipling Hess III 1966 Florida
Raymond Hunley 1963 Indiana
Michael Hunter 1955 Colorado
Reeves Johnson 1951 Maine
Mark Kommel 1948 New York
John Martin 1951 New York
Phillip Montoya 1959 California
William Newman, Jr. 1955 Louisiana
Richard Rhyne 1953 Texas
Robert Sanfelice 1951 New York
Thomas Scott 1956 Texas
Claude Shelton 1934 Kentucky
Bobby Stephens 1953 Michigan
Virgil Tackett 1968 Alaska
Robert Thrasher 1952 Washington
John Troha 1963 Michigan
Amadeo Vigil 1955 Colorado
Paul Vogen 1953 Arizona
JAMES WELTER 1951 Mississippi

 

[carbuff]

Rule outs

Victor Abrego 1958 California
Richard Bayne 1953 New York
Michael Bearup 1954 Michigan
Bruce Boughton 1951 California
Stephen Bovard 1962 Louisiana
Randall Brosius 1954 Pennsylvania
Steven Bunch 1959 Kentucky
William Cordes 1968 California
Clarence Dellis 1940 Louisiana
William Downey 1974 Washington
Edward DuBarry 1947 New Jersey
Stuart Garbowitz 1956 California
Eloy Garcia 1950 California
Angelo Gatti 1952 California
Harry Gibson 1952 Arizona
Lloyd Gilsdorf 1952 Florida
Gregg Haskell 1965 Florida
Kipling Hess III 1966 Florida
Raymond Hunley 1963 Indiana
Michael Hunter 1955 Colorado
Reeves Johnson 1951 Maine
Mark Kommel 1948 New York
John Martin 1951 New York
Phillip Montoya 1959 California
William Newman, Jr. 1955 Louisiana
Richard Rhyne 1953 Texas
Robert Sanfelice 1951 New York
Thomas Scott 1956 Texas
Claude Shelton 1934 Kentucky
Bobby Stephens 1953 Michigan
Virgil Tackett 1968 Alaska
Robert Thrasher 1952 Washington
John Troha 1963 Michigan
Amadeo Vigil 1955 Colorado
Paul Vogen 1953 Arizona
JAMES WELTER 1951 Mississippi

Added to ruleouts:

George Bugher
Ross Crane
Thomas Gordinier
Steven Hedgers
Louis Hogan Jr.
Stephen Lund
Thomas Maxwell
Harold Melching
Jan Mlot
Jimmy Robinson
Richard Viglizzo
Kenneth Welch
Duane Winger

Updated link: Unidentified Person Case

 

[Richard]

Rockbridge County John Doe

The decomposing body of a white male was found on May 27, 1987 in Rockbridge County, Virginia. He was estimated to be between 20 and 40 years of age (most likely being aged in his early twenties).

The decedent's hair was brown and he was approximately five feet four inches tall. He was presumed to have been nearsighted, as he wore plastic-framed glasses to treat the condition, issued by a Veterans Administration.

The decedent's possessions included a switchblade along with a cross necklace, ten dollars and twelve cents, a cassette tape, memo pad, a lighter, and a pen. His clothing included a short-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, white socks with yellow and green stripes, a brown belt with paint-spattering, brown shoes, and a coat.

The man had been killed by two gunshot wounds by a man named John Swartz, who has since been convicted of his murder. The victim had allegedly been picked up at a truck stop by Swartz and had informed Swartz his name was Chris.

Swartz had paid the decedent assist him with unloading cargo, which he then used to buy several items. After Swartz had picked up a second shipment, the Swartz requested more money along with some of the items in the vehicle, threatening Swartz with the knife he had purchased with his initial payment. This physical threat was accompanied by a verbal threat of informing authorities he had an "unauthorized passenger" inside his vehicle. After he had taken contact information that was later discovered in his pockets, Swartz eventually killed the man and proceeded with his shipment.

LINK:

List of unidentified murder victims in the United States - Wikipedia

 

[Gardener1850]

“Chris” – UNSOLVED APPALACHIA

 

[calvinshobbes]

very sad case. I think Chris is not his real name. He carried the switchblade for protection. If his prints did not come up in the FBI military database, maybe the military clothing and eyeglasses were his brother's or a relatives'. A heavy brown coat with fur lining in May ... maybe this person is from the New England or somewhere with harsh winters. I hope someone somewhere is looking for him and he finally gets his name back.

 

[apearn]

Bump - 33 years

 

[carbuff]

Added to ruleouts:

George Bugher
Ross Crane
Thomas Gordinier
Steven Hedgers
Louis Hogan Jr.
Stephen Lund
Thomas Maxwell
Harold Melching
Jan Mlot
Jimmy Robinson
Richard Viglizzo
Kenneth Welch
Duane Winger

Updated link: Unidentified Person Case

I don't think there are any additional ruleouts since several years ago. Kind of a quick check though--I'll add it to my to-do list to double check it...

 

[apearn]

News article on the sentencing

 

[apearn]

The killer's comments are interesting. He also confesses before taking a polygraph.....that interests me for some reason.

 

[apearn]

Two things bother me:
1. The killer confesses before a polygraph (per news reports). Personally, I'd take my chances with the polygraph UNLESS I needed to try to hide who the victim was. Did the killer have a family of his own (wife and kids)? In 1987 being gay was a pretty rough time in a lot of places so maybe this victim was working the truck stops.

2. There is a note about the victim misspelling common words. Lack of education, English is a second language, drugged, disabled maybe.......

Robert Anthony Biela – The Charley Project

Name: Robert Anthony Biela
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: September 4, 1986
Location Last Seen: Harlingen, Cameron County, Texas

Physical Description
Date of Birth: May 12, 1950
Age: 36 years old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 5'4" - 5'7"
Weight: 130 - 140 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: A birthmark on the left side of his lips. He is disabled.