NM NM - Bennett Irvin Wall, 23, Albuquerque, 1 Feb 1981

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MadMcGoo

MadMcGoo

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Bennett Irvin Wall
bennett_irvin_wall_1.jpg
upload_2020-7-4_8-47-14.jpegupload_2020-7-4_8-47-31.jpeg
Wall, circa 1984

Missing Since: February 1, 1981
Missing From: Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico
Classification: Missing
Sex: Male
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Date of Birth: January 11, 1958
Age: 23 years old
Height: 6’3” (75 inches)
Weight: 180 pounds
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

Details of Disappearance: Wall was last seen in Albuquerque, New Mexico sometime in February 1981. He lived in the 900 block of Louisiana southeast. He has never been heard from again.

Wall's parents reported him missing on January 25, 1984, almost three years after his disappearance. Few details are available in his case; he is missing under unknown circumstances.

Investigating Agency: Albuquerque Police Department 505-768-2470

Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Not Available

Sources
 
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6 Unidentified Person Exclusions
UP6018 08/15/1988 Ulster NY
UP6513 01/01/1990 Brunswick VA
UP6530 05/18/1990 Chesterfield VA
UP6548 10/31/1990 Amelia VA
UP6304 08/01/1993 Clarke VA
UP6639 07/28/2007 Fairfax VA
 
Interesting that the Charley Project page indicates that information also came from the California Attorney General's Office. Okay, that third link is to this office -- why California?

Why wait 3 years before reporting Mr. Wall missing?

Bennett Irvin Wall - Cold Case Missing Person

Do the parents live in Albuquerque? Or just Mr. Wall, who perhaps told his parents that he was relocating or changing jobs & moving to Cali???

If he worked at Sandia Labs, or as a contractor on Kirkland AFB, relocation could make sense.

My parents would notice if I didn't communicate for 3 days, let alone 3 years....

Can anyone find college information for Mr. Wall? At age 26, he could be a graduate & be in his 4th year of work.

Wonder where???
 
It would be interesting to know what the apartment management or owners had on record back in the 1980's when he was reported missing. Did he formally move out by choice? If so, did he give a forwarding address? Or did he appear to disappear into thin air and eventually after non-payment of rent they entered his apartment and got rid of all his things? And if so was anything suspicious?

And what his co-workers at last known job, friends, and neighbors said about when he was last seen and anything he said?

Paper trail for his last known vehicle?

Did LE look into any of this or not since he's an adult?
 
Agree about the lease & the car!

Reports indicate that no leads generated -- anything. Since Mr. Wall was an adult in 1981, perhaps his parents have passed?

Some families just don't communicate much. Plus, if Mr. Wall actually did work with sensitive projects, he may have been out of contact with his parents routinely due to work issues?

Lots of options, but a shortage of information!
 
Is it okay to post newspaper clippings? I found something re: the victim in an Albuquerque Newspaper from 2012 for him to report to court in Wisconsin to claim assets. Heading indicates he is presumed deceased. I'm going to upload the screenshot I took of it and if it's not allowed I will take it down and find another way to share.
 

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MadMcGoo said:
Bennett Irvin Wall
bennett_irvin_wall_1.jpg
View attachment 254348View attachment 254349
Wall, circa 1984

Missing Since: February 1, 1981
Missing From: Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico
Classification: Missing
Sex: Male
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Date of Birth: January 11, 1958
Age: 23 years old
Height: 6’3” (75 inches)
Weight: 180 pounds
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

Details of Disappearance: Wall was last seen in Albuquerque, New Mexico sometime in February 1981. He lived in the 900 block of Louisiana southeast. He has never been heard from again.

Wall's parents reported him missing on January 25, 1984, almost three years after his disappearance. Few details are available in his case; he is missing under unknown circumstances.

Investigating Agency: Albuquerque Police Department 505-768-2470

Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Not Available

Sources
Click to expand...
He graduated from Peoria High School in Il. in 1974
 
Lemonslush said:
Is it okay to post newspaper clippings? I found something re: the victim in an Albuquerque Newspaper from 2012 for him to report to court in Wisconsin to claim assets. Heading indicates he is presumed deceased. I'm going to upload the screenshot I took of it and if it's not allowed I will take it down and find another way to share.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Lemonslush, for both!

Does the Wisconsin notice indicate a family member passed, with Bennett Wall still listed in that person's will?

Calling another genealogist @LotsaLatte , any insight?
 
Lemonslush said:
Is it okay to post newspaper clippings? I found something re: the victim in an Albuquerque Newspaper from 2012 for him to report to court in Wisconsin to claim assets. Heading indicates he is presumed deceased. I'm going to upload the screenshot I took of it and if it's not allowed I will take it down and find another way to share.
Click to expand...

Well, I found Casenet for Wisconsin & looked at the case, 12CV0507 which apparently remains unresolved?

At the 11/1/12 hearing, the trust was (I think) placed into receivership. IDK what that means.

In July of 2018 and July of 2019, the Court said that the case is in the wrong court & should be in Probate.

The case involves a trust. At one point, 4 attorneys are listed.

Anyone up to contact the trust administrator & ask if there was anything at all she could tell us in 2020 about this long-ago case? Home Page - Legacy Private Trust Company

Found his father's will!!! Deceased May of 2010. Not going to post identifiers here. Still, confusing information in the will, but may have figured it out?

Lemme poke around some more....
 
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Laughing said:
Found his father's will!!! Deceased May of 2010.
Click to expand...

Are you allowed to say just a yes or no if he's mentioned in his father's will?

I assume then from the mid-1980's to 2010 we can assume at least one parent never saw their son again before passing away but would have wanted to, since they did report him missing, and that's really tragic.
 
You guys are wonderful for finding all this info! I’m always amazed. Thank you!

I agree his face is very distinctive. By the looks of his photo on NamUs, so are his teeth. One of his top front two seems to either protrude a little further than the other or possibly be crooked - it’s hard for me to tell. And it may just be a flaw in the photograph itself.

I know the height is off by several inches (assuming both estimates are near accurate), but I’m reminded of Julie Doe when I see Bennett.

2752UMFL
 
We're specifically to avoid sleuthing family, but in this case -- background matters!

I won't post specifics here on the searchable thread.

Bennett Irvin Wall is indeed named in his father's will. There is/was a trust, I don't know much about trusts.

I am primarily a genealogist. I look at newspapers & documents for relationships between people & locations to track family members.

Bennett Irvin Wall's Dad was married in 1979. So far, I haven't been able to find a death record or a divorce record for Bennett's Mom, these might be in Peoria, Illinois or Mequon, Wisconsin but no records yet.

The court record of the will indicates 2 other heirs, with a different surname.

As an old genealogist, I presume that these two people are step-children or similar, came into Mr. Wall's constellation with the 1979 marriage.

Now look at those dates -- marriage with blended family in 1979, last contact with Bennett Irvin Wall in 1981.

Possibilities:

Dad is too busy with new wife & stepchildren to realize that he doesn't even hear from Bennett
Bennett is upset about the marriage & chooses not to communicate with Dad
Bennett may be aligned with his Mom (first wife) in a divorce, especially if Wife #2 was, er, involved before the divorce

I'd like to know:

Does Bennett have siblings? Any other Wall students in those yearbooks with a family resemblance? What is their take? My guess is actually NO since none are listed as heirs. Any siblings could have predeceased Mr. Wall & not mentioned in the court filing of his will (which may list any predeceased siblings as just that to speed up the process.)

The will presumed Bennett Irvin Wall is alive, indicating that Dad did not have him declared deceased. An attorney is appointed to represent Bennett in the will's processing.

What happened to Bennett's Mom? Was there a divorce, or was there a vehicle accident or sudden illness that claimed Mom & sibling(s)?

Did Dad think Bennett was going to California? Did Bennett's employer have facilities in California, why is the California DOJ involved?


And -- I do see the possibilities of Julie Doe. Telling Dad in 1981 that you are changing genders, I think that could sever communication, yep. RE: the isotope testing, is 3 years -- 1981 to 1984 - enough time to be in Florida to indicate living in Florida? Did Bennett live in Albuquerque only briefly, did he perhaps go to college in Florida, and return?

LE indicates the surgery was rare at the time -- if LE is asking, that could lead them toward answers?

I'm wordy. Hope you all can grab something useful from all this!

Suggestions for next steps???

TY, Laughing
 
Wordy, but thorough and precise...I love it @Laughing ! Thank you!

I have a lot of the same questions:

Who reported Bennett missing, and why the 3 year delay?

What was he doing in NM? There are a lot of locations mentioned - IL, WI, CA, NM. I’d also like to know the extent of his ties to each place. It might give some indication as to where to look.

I think your presumption about his parent/sibling situation is most likely pretty close to being accurate. A blended family makes the most sense.

@Lemonslush you mentioned that he graduated in 1974. Could you have meant 1976? I noticed that was the date (year) of one of his yearbook photos and more consistent with his age. Probably doesn’t make much difference, I was just making notes for when I have time to do a little classmates.com digging. I appreciate all your help!

Next step? I think, considering Bennett does not have DNA available for comparison, finding any living relatives might be beneficial. I’m not suggesting we contact them, but I know of a few instances in the past where I’ve submitted potential matches to law enforcement and DNA was needed in order to rule them in or out - I’ve usually been asked if I knew of any living relatives or to keep an eye out for them. Knowing that ahead of time would help, I think.

Unfortunately I’ve lost access to my paid access research tools, but I’ll help in any way I can.

Re: Julie Doe. The resemblance is there, but more importantly the circumstances fit. IMO. I imagine Julie’s story (presumable disappearance) began much like what little we know about Bennett’s, and visa versa. I’d say the connection was impossible if not for cases like Princess Blue / Julie Davis. My understanding is that Julie was listed in one or more of the larger missing person databases. Another reason DNA will likely prove important in Bennett’s case.
 
Yes! I did mean '76 for his year of graduation. Originally I saw one yearbook entry and made that assumption but after seeing the others it's definitely 1976! Sorry about that! Will search for other family members. Also will check the state of Albuquerque in January/February 1981. Maybe there was some weird stuff going on. I'm on it. In the meantime if there's anything more pressing anyone would like me to work on re: this case let me know and I will do my best! Another important question: Do you think the attorney listed in the Wisconsin article might be able to shed some light? Can someone call him or do we not do that?
 
@Lemonslush, the first contact would probably by the detective at APD listed in NAMUS.

If the APD already contacted the attorney(s) or the trust officer, we won't learn anything new.

The APD may be willing to answer some questions, maybe even come here to post.

Listed by NAMUS:

Heather Chavez
Albuquerque Police Department
(505) 768-2020

(NOTE: just this case, please, just Bennett Irvin Wall, Missing, please)

I've contacted LE in other cases, and received good responses. Often, they can't tell you anything because it is an ongoing case.

IIRC there are dentals for Mr. Wall.

Since we haven't identified a sibling, DNA could be difficult or impossible.

NOTE: we do not ever, no never, never never ever contact family/presumed family. Never never never!

JMHO YMMV LRR
 
A lot to take in!! Thank you so much Lemonslush!

I found Bennett’s case while searching NamUs and Charley Project for missing person cases from the 1980s. I didn’t find much information concerning his disappearance and noticed there was no thread for him on Websleuths. As you can see, if there is anything to be found, someone on this forum is bound to find it!

I’m like you, I’d really like to know what happened to him!
 
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