TX TX - Bessie Ann Kutnak, 63, Cameron, 16 Aug 1992

[Kat]

The Doe Network:
Case File 2085DFTX


http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2085dftx.html

Bessie Ann Kutnak
Missing since August 16, 1992 from Cameron, Milam County, Texas
Classification: Endangered Missing



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Vital Statistics

Date Of Birth: May 1, 1929
Age at Time of Disappearance: 63 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'6"; 145 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Blue eyes; grey hair. Slender build. Her stature and appearance could easily be mistaken for a man.
Medical: She was possibly suffering from dementia at the time of her disappearance.
Clothing: She was known to wear men's clothing, mens khaki pants and men's shirts and usually wore a baseball cap.


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Circumstances of Disappearance
Kutnak was last seen in Cameron, TX on August 16, 1992. Her pickup was found at her residence with a flat tire. She was last seen on FM 486 near Pettibone looking for her cattle that may have strayed from her land.



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Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Texas Department of Public Safety
512- 424-5074

Agency Case Number: M0608011

NCIC Number: M-935446902
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/k/kutnak_bessie.html

http://milamcounty.crimestoppersweb.com/missing.aspx

I do not find Bessie listed in NamUs at this time.

I don't find archived articles for Bessie.

Bessie has been missing 18 years today. Come home soon. Given Bessie's age and circumstances I wonder if a search of the UID's would match her details. JMHO.

 

[Rayemonde]

2004:

Another disturbing unsolved case West investigated was the disappearance in August, 1992 of Bessie Kutnak, 63, a Cameron-area farmer and rancher who also did odd jobs at Cameron businesses. Described as a loner, Ms. Kutnak was the last surviving member of her family. She lived alone on the family farm.

"She didn't have anybody to report her missing," West said. "She wasn't where she was supposed to be and she quit coming around. The last time anyone saw her was on a Saturday evening. She was out on a county road near Pettibone on foot, and was asking directions. She apparently was disoriented."

The turnout was staggering when the sheriff's department sought volunteers to search for Ms. Kutnak, who lived a quiet, uneventful, and probably lonely existence, never fully aware of the number of friends she possessed, West said. Ms. Kutnak's photograph was published in area newspapers and was broadcasted on television news programs. Volunteers went on foot, rode three-wheelers, and horseback in a massive search.

A DPS helicopter flew over the area for days, and game wardens searched the flood-swollen Little River and area creeks thinking she may have drowned.

"When she took missing, it showed how much everyone loved and respected her," West said.

Friends and neighbors hired psychics to participate in the search. "I remember a couple of people talking to me, and gave me a lot of information, but nothing that we could use … 'you are going to find her near water, you are going to find her under some leaves,'" West said.

Lawmen followed every lead, including tips that she was seen at a truck stop on IH 35 north of Temple, and near Little River-Academy.

"We just don't know what happened to her," West said. "We never did find any evidence of foul play. It appears the lady became disoriented, walked off and something happened to her. I knew the lady; everybody in town knew the lady."

Lawmen are not expecting a happy ending in this unsolved case.

http://m.tdtnews.com/archive/article_9364f6d9-6669-5ac3-95a4-e40b0cf2ab7c.html?mode=jqm

 

[Gourami Watcher]

She reminds me of a Jane Doe found in California in 1994. The distance is the only thing making me not want to submit to law enforcement.

 

[Murkywaters]

She reminds me of a Jane Doe found in California in 1994. The distance is the only thing making me not want to submit to law enforcement.
View attachment 128050

https://identifyus.org/cases/7040

Bessie isn't listed in the ruleouts, it can't hurt to submit it. There's a strong resemblance.

 

[Gourami Watcher]

I ended up sending it in to the Match Panel just to see what happens. I have a feeling they will say no because of the 1,000+ mile distance, but I do feel it could be possible she was abducted and could have been taken anywhere if the perp was a trucker, for example.

 

[Gourami Watcher]

As I guessed, Doe Network turned the match down yesterday. Distance was their issue. Probably a CODIS exclusion anyway.

 

[YaYa_521]

I submitted the following to Michael Nance @ NamUs. I'll keep this thread updated if/when I hear anything.

Dear Mr. Nance,

I am respectfully submitting Ms. Bessie Ann Kutnak (MP42055) and UP3797 as a potential identification match. I have included in this email a link to a map showing the approximate distance between the locations of each case and a link to Ms. Kutnak's profile on the Texas Missing Person's Clearinghouse.

Although UP3797's estimated age range of 30-50YO is 13 years less than Ms. Kutnak's age of 63YO, their physical descriptions of height and weight are within 1" and 1 pound. "Partial remains with soft tissues" were discovered on Nov. 17, 1993 which is two months after Ms. Kutnak's disappearance on Sept. 15, 1993.

Beyond these similarities their circumstance notes are most convincing. UP3797 was wearing tan pants, a baseball cap, and "work-style" boots which, as an outfit, is quite similar to the type of clothing Ms. Kutnak reportedly wore--"She was known to wear men's clothing and usually wore a baseball cap." I'd venture to guess that as a cattle farmer who investigators believed might have been out looking for her cattle, she likely was wearing "work-style" boots.

Other than links or information readily available online I do not have any additional information in regards to either of these cases. However, please feel free to contact me if necessary.

Thank you for your work!

Breckenridge, TX to Cameron, TX - Approx. 3 1/2 hours
Texas Missing Persons Clearhouse Online Bulletin

#
Adding this info for the WSleuthers.
Bessie Ann's profiles -
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Bessie Ann Kutnak – The Charley Project
The Doe Network: Case File 2085DFTX

UID 3797 -
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[BrownPaperBag]

I submitted the following to Michael Nance @ NamUs. I'll keep this thread updated if/when I hear anything.

Dear Mr. Nance,

I am respectfully submitting Ms. Bessie Ann Kutnak (MP42055) and UP3797 as a potential identification match. I have included in this email a link to a map showing the approximate distance between the locations of each case and a link to Ms. Kutnak's profile on the Texas Missing Person's Clearinghouse....

Good job! I do wonder if that is her. If so, she didn't get that far away on foot with dementia in the texas heat. I hope they write you back!

 

[BrownPaperBag]

I was searching for some more info on the circumstances around the unidentified person and I ran across an entry at the Doe network:

"106UFTX was located November 17, 1993 in Stephens County, Texas. She was identified in November 2008 as Donna Lee Allman, missing since 1990."

I don't know if this is the same person, but she was discovered on the same day in Stephens County. I haven't researched/compared namus and the doe network, but it seems weird to me that there would be two bodies found in the same county in the same day unless they for some reason died in the same location.

Here is the link to the doe network where I found this - it's about 2/3 down the page: Doe Network Identified

So the question is: has the body been identified as Donna Allman, or were two bodies found in Stephens County, Texas on the same day?

 

[BrownPaperBag]

I did some more reading and found an old tapatalk forum that showed the doe network person had the same clothes as the namus victim, and so if the Doe Network has good info on this person, it's not Bessie. I do think it was a really excellent find though - same size/weight/baseball cap/men's pants/workboots - all sounded so likely.

 

[YaYa_521]

I did some more reading and found an old tapatalk forum that showed the doe network person had the same clothes as the namus victim, and so if the Doe Network has good info on this person, it's not Bessie. I do think it was a really excellent find though - same size/weight/baseball cap/men's pants/workboots - all sounded so likely.

My apologies for replying so late. Thank you for the updates and compliment. I'm excited to see that Donna has her name back! Like you were, I was struck by the similarities of the two profles. I suppose my email prompted NamUs to finally update the case file. Thanks again.

Where are you, Bessie?

 

[YaYa_521]

It seems to me Bessie was quite popular and cared about by many of the locals. Sounds as if she was a hard working woman who lived life on her terms. Some of the people commenting bring up some good avenues for sleuthing which could possibly lead to uncovering more about her disappearance. MOO

Central Texas Crime
22 Nov 2019 - More at link + interesting comments

Bessie Ann Kutnak - Missing since August 1992 - Milam County, Texas. Last reported sighting, she was on foot near Pettibone.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Bessie Ann Kutnak – The Charley Project

 

[LouLou74]

If she had no family, who would benefit from her demise? Meaning, who would get her land, cattle, etc? Possible suspect?