Match! TX - Houston, WhtFem UP4601, 15-20, Red Hair & Freckles, Jul'82 - Michelle Garvey

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Hi Roselvr,

I called Dr. Derrick on 12/23 about the possible match between their Jane Doe #4601 (red-headed girl in Western shirt) and Michelle Garvey from New London, CT. She didn't seem to have any familiarity with Michelle Garvey or with this specific missing person case. When she looked at Michelle's MP NamUs file she noticed that there was no DNA to compare against and said that, if it looked like there might be a connection, they could get DNA from her family and compare it. She asked me to send her an email with the information and somebody there would look into it...probably her. I sent that email on 12/26. I wanted to make sure it didn't fall through the cracks, though, so when I hadn't heard back by 1/7 I called the NCMEC and reported the identification to them. The story broke about three days later. I received an email from Dr. Derrick on 1/13 notifying me that my identification had been correct.
 
Yeah. I noticed that one of the files had just been entered into NamUs in 2013. I don't know. I assume it's been there since then.

Does anybody know if Michelle's parents are still alive?
 
Considering they are working to bring her body back to Connecticut, it's probably a safe bet she has at least some family left in the area.

There's no obit in The Day or The Bulletin yet, though.
 
Thank you for the warm welcome! :) I'm so excited to be here among people with a common interest and similar reasoning skills.

LYSSAV, As far as identifying Michelle, I must have just performed the search at just the right time. I don't know why other people weren't finding her missing file. Unless maybe it had been entered in Feb. 2013 but not made public until just recently. I don't know.

I did a simultaneous search of both NamUs databases and narrowed the UID results further by state. That was just a method of reduction...Texas, though, was a gut feeling. Probably watched too many JFK specials. When I compared the Last Seen vs Date Found dates in the two databases both files popped right out at me. And the included photos, as you saw, clearly confirmed the identification. Michelle had very distinct features.

PokyPuppy67
 
Oh, and well done, PokyPuppy! As a former resident of New London, I thank you.
 
I saw an old post online, from 2000, that stated she had a brother named Sean who was searching for her. That's the only thing I know, though. I hope they're coping okay.
 
pokypuppy67 said:
Hi Roselvr,

I called Dr. Derrick on 12/23 about the possible match between their Jane Doe #4601 (red-headed girl in Western shirt) and Michelle Garvey from New London, CT. She didn't seem to have any familiarity with Michelle Garvey or with this specific missing person case. When she looked at Michelle's MP NamUs file she noticed that there was no DNA to compare against and said that, if it looked like there might be a connection, they could get DNA from her family and compare it. She asked me to send her an email with the information and somebody there would look into it...probably her. I sent that email on 12/26. I wanted to make sure it didn't fall through the cracks, though, so when I hadn't heard back by 1/7 I called the NCMEC and reported the identification to them. The story broke about three days later. I received an email from Dr. Derrick on 1/13 notifying me that my identification had been correct.
Click to expand...


One thing that stands out is I've never seen DNA run that quick. They have to contact family to get it; they usually want 2 samples & will actually hold it until the 2nd comes in. I wonder if the sample was already taken & being processed in Texas. Hopefully we'll hear more. As I said; don't get discouraged; sounds like your call played a part. :)
 
pokypuppy67 said:
Hi Roselvr,

I called Dr. Derrick on 12/23 about the possible match between their Jane Doe #4601 (red-headed girl in Western shirt) and Michelle Garvey from New London, CT. She didn't seem to have any familiarity with Michelle Garvey or with this specific missing person case. When she looked at Michelle's MP NamUs file she noticed that there was no DNA to compare against and said that, if it looked like there might be a connection, they could get DNA from her family and compare it. She asked me to send her an email with the information and somebody there would look into it...probably her. I sent that email on 12/26. I wanted to make sure it didn't fall through the cracks, though, so when I hadn't heard back by 1/7 I called the NCMEC and reported the identification to them. The story broke about three days later. I received an email from Dr. Derrick on 1/13 notifying me that my identification had been correct.
Click to expand...

If what you say is correct (and I don't doubt that it is) it looks like your submission was the catalyst for the identification. And therefore, I'll change the flag to Match! to indicate a Websleuths solve.

Congrats pokypuppy.
 
pokypuppy67 said:
Hi Roselvr,

I called Dr. Derrick on 12/23 about the possible match between their Jane Doe #4601 (red-headed girl in Western shirt) and Michelle Garvey from New London, CT. She didn't seem to have any familiarity with Michelle Garvey or with this specific missing person case. When she looked at Michelle's MP NamUs file she noticed that there was no DNA to compare against and said that, if it looked like there might be a connection, they could get DNA from her family and compare it. She asked me to send her an email with the information and somebody there would look into it...probably her. I sent that email on 12/26. I wanted to make sure it didn't fall through the cracks, though, so when I hadn't heard back by 1/7 I called the NCMEC and reported the identification to them. The story broke about three days later. I received an email from Dr. Derrick on 1/13 notifying me that my identification had been correct.
Click to expand...

Congrats! Glad I asked!

Sorry; been busy. The guy from NamUs I'm friends with posted another article on Michelle this morning; which made me come back here.

Back to this article Police: Body found in 1982 in Texas is missing New London teen Connecticut State police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance, in a statement released Friday, said the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children contacted the state police Missing Person Unit and requested assistance in a criminal investigation.

Connecticut State Police detectives met with Garvey's family members where DNA samples were taken and submitted to the University of North Texas in Fort Worth, Texas, where they made a positive identification of Michelle Garvey

This newest article rubs me the wrong way & is why I came back here! Big deal; they took DNA; I don't think they entered Michelle in NamUs.

Connecticut Missing Persons Unit makes progress; cases drop from 243 to 166 in 2 years, NamUs says

Finding out Michelle’s fate was a collaboration of the Connecticut State Police Missing Persons Unit and authorities in Texas. Detectives with the unit got a DNA sample from Michelle’s family to enter into a national database. Texas officials had exhumed the body to get DNA samples. In January, state police announced a match had been made.
 
"Finding out Michelle's fate was a collaboration of the Connecticut State Police Missing Persons Unit and authorities in Texas"?

I DON'T THINK SO! Yeah, that really honks me off!

All their "collaboration" ever did was keep a case from being solved for 30 years until an average citizen called in a tip with the identification. Guess maybe I'll have to post the recordings of the calls that I made to the Authorities in Texas in December and to the NCMEC on January 7 identifying Michelle. Then we'll know for sure who found out Michelle Garvey's fate, and who's just taking false credit for it.
 
pokypuppy67 said:
"Finding out Michelle's fate was a collaboration of the Connecticut State Police Missing Persons Unit and authorities in Texas"?

I DON'T THINK SO! Yeah, that really honks me off!

All their "collaboration" ever did was keep a case from being solved for 30 years until an average citizen called in a tip with the identification. Guess maybe I'll have to post the recordings of the calls that I made to the Authorities in Texas in December and to the NCMEC on January 7 identifying Michelle. Then we'll know for sure who found out Michelle Garvey's fate, and who's just taking false credit for it.
Click to expand...

You deserve credit for your hard work, pokypuppy67! :maddening:

Thank you so much for bringing Michelle home to her family!
 
pokypuppy67 said:
"Finding out Michelle's fate was a collaboration of the Connecticut State Police Missing Persons Unit and authorities in Texas"?

I DON'T THINK SO! Yeah, that really honks me off!

All their "collaboration" ever did was keep a case from being solved for 30 years until an average citizen called in a tip with the identification. Guess maybe I'll have to post the recordings of the calls that I made to the Authorities in Texas in December and to the NCMEC on January 7 identifying Michelle. Then we'll know for sure who found out Michelle Garvey's fate, and who's just taking false credit for it.
Click to expand...

Look at some of the articles for Paulette; they rub me the wrong way too.

Me being me asked...

Is this accurate? Another article you posted said they had nothing to do with the match; her case report was in a file off site. IIRC; her brother was the one that entered her in NamUs...

Police: Body found in 1982 in Texas is missing New London teen New London police Deputy Chief Peter Reichard said Garvey is in the department's system but computer files only go to 1987. All old files are housed off site and not immediately available, he said. It sounds like her case was not listed on any site except NamUs when her brother initiated it; otherwise she would have been ID'd a long time ago

I think what this is indicating is that different forces were working on two different sides. Efforts to ID the body in Texas - and effort to locate the missing from Connecticut. Eventually the two halves will come together in resolution. - "Connecticut State Police detectives met with Garvey's family members where DNA samples were taken and submitted to the University of North Texas in Fort Worth, Texas, where they made a positive identification of Michelle Garvey.
Click to expand...
 
As for why Michelle was killed, it's perfectly plausible that she ran off with a bloke and that by the time they reached Houston, he saw her as a liability (or she was "irritating" him) and so he strangled her to death.
 
I am just trying to figure out how this site works as far as matching photos. I viewed thevideo. What did I miss? The girl was identified and now the case is solved.

Are you saying that you believe no one outside this forum is or has been behind the scenes actually putting in long hours and hard work unrelated to photo images to soolve these cases? I don't mean to offend anyone, but I find that mindset very disturbing because it sounds like a competion and credit game.

About 3 or 4 years ago (had not viewed any "crime" forums before that) sent information on two different cases that were publically listed as identified about 6 or 8 weeks later.

My work had nothing to do with these being solved. The agency investigator was newly appointed to the case had the same idea and was working on the potential identification before I spoke with him. I found his investigation to be facinating and how he came to believe he had a solved case.

He did not take any personal credit and I certainly did not just because I "thought" there might be a successful resolution. He was humble and gracious and thanked me for my effort and invited me toresearch info on other cases.When a name is put out on any forum or photo presented, that is not evidence to claim "credit" which again I find disturbing. Thank God there are new eyes looking into these cases with all the information available to them.

There are dozens of people responsible for identification and none can take "credit", nor would they. There are also dozens who choose to ignore good leads and trust the garbage entered nto the data bases...make a rule out and go on. That is even more disturbing.

At any rate, everyone should be thankful there is yet another UP who is no longer a "DOE! :happydance::cheers:
 
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