TN TN - Teresa 'Trenny' Lynn Gibson, 16, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 8 Oct 1976

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cadetcallie said:
Hi again :) right now the theory that makes most sense to me is that Robert or another student got her to leave the trail innocently, under the guise of exploring or drinking/smoking. Or she may have seen someone she knew in the woods and went to see what they were doing. Once out of earshot and eyesight (not as far as one might think in the woods), he assaulted Trenny whether he intended to kill her or not. Maybe she fought back or threatened to tell. I doubt he had time to get her to the part of the road where her scent was found before the school bus left, but I have a feeling that is the place where her body was put into a car and removed from the park. I think he got lucky and she was not found overnight because the dogs and searchers were looking for a live person. The logistics of her body being removed are hard to work out. But we don’t know how far off the trail Trenny got, and her body could have been much closer to the road than the spot she went missing, which would make for easier retrieval. He kept her comb as a weird trophy/keepsake and gave the classmate her jewelry either to take suspicion off himself or perhaps as “hush money”. If he were completely innocent, he is the weirdest, nosiest, and most unhelpful witness alive. Also, the phone call screening is so fishy. Who was he expecting to call the house that the Gibson’s couldn’t talk to? Someone must know something.
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That brings me to ask:

Has the area by the SMNP entrance ever been searched? Does the entrance have a heavily wooded area? What about nearby homes? Did anyone ever see Trenny being pulled out of a vehicle and disposed of in the woods?
 
MaryG12 said:
That brings me to ask:

Has the area by the SMNP entrance ever been searched? Does the entrance have a heavily wooded area? What about nearby homes? Did anyone ever see Trenny being pulled out of a vehicle and disposed of in the woods?
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The search was conducted on the point last seen, the Forney Creek trail, Andrew’s Bald, drainages, the pumping station and the AT, where Dunlap stated he spotted small-sized tennis shoe prints during the initial search for Trenny. Double Springs shelter was searched, as was the trail. Attention was paid to the spots where the dogs picked up Trenny’s scent, but nothing was found except for a half- can of beer and some cigarette butts. Oddly, the observation tower on Clingman’s Dome was not searched, Trenny’s scent was picked up by dogs at the base.

There was no mention of any homes being searched, nor the entrance to the Park. I can tell you that the parking lot looks much different now than it did back then. Many trees were removed due to an insect infestation in the 80’s.
There were no reported sightings of Trenny removed from a car /being disposed of. However, there was a prevalent rumour that she was sighted in a car in NC.
 
Just my thoughts on this case. I always felt that Trennie went off trail and got lost and perhaps ended up on the Applachian Trail by accident. It always seemed the simplest explanation.

I do have nagging doubts though. She seems to have gone missing quite close to the parking lot, would it be that hard not to be found at some stage ?

If Robert Simpson was involved, he would have had to somehow get ahead of her on trail (I believe he was behind her on the walk) and then choose a place lie in wait for her, in a park that I am assuming he never visited before. How easy would it be to track someone on that trail, while keeping quiet ?

However, he did have her hairbrush which is pretty damning.

I believe the other school person following the bus in his car is a 'red herring'. Following behind a bus for 50 miles and not knowing its destination seems a bit unlikely.
 
jetsfanjohn said:
Just my thoughts on this case. I always felt that Trennie went off trail and got lost and perhaps ended up on the Applachian Trail by accident. It always seemed the simplest explanation.

I do have nagging doubts though. She seems to have gone missing quite close to the parking lot, would it be that hard not to be found at some stage ?

If Robert Simpson was involved, he would have had to somehow get ahead of her on trail (I believe he was behind her on the walk) and then choose a place lie in wait for her, in a park that I am assuming he never visited before. How easy would it be to track someone on that trail, while keeping quiet ?

However, he did have her hairbrush which is pretty damning.

I believe the other school person following the bus in his car is a 'red herring'. Following behind a bus for 50 miles and not knowing its destination seems a bit unlikely.
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Why are you assuming that he had never been to the park before?
 
jetsfanjohn said:
Good point. He just doesn't strike as a criminal mastermind though !! I just have a feeling that he would have goofed up somewhere along the way if he was involved...and yet he still had that hair comb !!
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The comb and the jewelry in the possession of the other girl are what convince me that there was foul play. The only question for me is whether Simpson was the sole perpetrator or whether he was in league with others.
If he was the sole perpetrator, then sexual assault was almost certainly the motive. If he was in league with others, it could have been sexual assault, revenge, bullying, or any combination of the above.
 
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Ozoner said:
The comb and the jewelry in the possession of the other girl are what convince me that there was foul play. The only question for me is whether Simpson was the sole perpetrator or whether he was in league with others.
If he was the sole perpetrator, then sexual assault was almost certainly the motive. If he was in league with others, it could have been sexual assault, revenge, bullying, or any combination of the above.
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I get the impression he wasn't questioned hard or fast enough by the Police.
 
Has the information about her comb and jewelry been verified through LE or news media? TIA
 
Lemon Drop said:
How did this go unnoticed? The similarities are chilling! Correct me if I am wrong...

Monroe County Jane Doe (1979).

Trenny Lynn Gibson – The Charley Project
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I never really considered them as potential matches, because I can think of few scenarios where Trenny would survive to end up in the FL keys in 1979. But seeing them next to each other I agree that there is a resemblance! This thread discusses some interesting features of Bahia Honda/Monroe County Jane Doe, including some dental info and the fact that she had emphysema at such a young age (genetic?). Maybe @Starbuck80 knows something that could rule her in or out based on that?
 
cadetcallie said:
I never really considered them as potential matches, because I can think of few scenarios where Trenny would survive to end up in the FL keys in 1979. But seeing them next to each other I agree that there is a resemblance! This thread discusses some interesting features of Bahia Honda/Monroe County Jane Doe, including some dental info and the fact that she had emphysema at such a young age (genetic?). Maybe @Starbuck80 knows something that could rule her in or out based on that?
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Was Trenny a smoker?
 
cadetcallie said:
I never really considered them as potential matches, because I can think of few scenarios where Trenny would survive to end up in the FL keys in 1979. But seeing them next to each other I agree that there is a resemblance! This thread discusses some interesting features of Bahia Honda/Monroe County Jane Doe, including some dental info and the fact that she had emphysema at such a young age (genetic?). Maybe @Starbuck80 knows something that could rule her in or out based on that?
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I see the resemblance but Trenny went missing in 1978. This UID was found in the water in 1979 with a PMI of only 5 hours. Where would Trenny have been all that time?
 
Two for the road said:
I see the resemblance but Trenny went missing in 1978. This UID was found in the water in 1979 with a PMI of only 5 hours. Where would Trenny have been all that time?
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Ran away with somebody, living on the road, hitched a ride to Florida where it's easier to live homeless?

Not saying it's likely, just that I can imagine scenarios.
 
Just a quick question. Running with the theory that it may have been Robert Simpson who lured Trenny off the trail. I believe he was behind her on the trail after they split up. How does he get ahead of her to be waiting in the woods further up the trail ?

I have no knowledge of the area other than it was wooded. Would it be feasible for him to stay close to the trail and not be seen/heard ? How difficult is the terrain there once you are off the trail ?
 
jetsfanjohn said:
Just a quick question. Running with the theory that it may have been Robert Simpson who lured Trenny off the trail. I believe he was behind her on the trail after they split up. How does he get ahead of her to be waiting in the woods further up the trail ?

I have no knowledge of the area other than it was wooded. Would it be feasible for him to stay close to the trail and not be seen/heard ? How difficult is the terrain there once you are off the trail ?
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It's very, very steep off the trail. Unmarked, dangerous, easy to get lost.

View from the very beginning of Andrews Bald!

https://cdn2.apstatic.com/photos/hike/7024240_large_1554846553.jpg

FATMAP: 3D Map & Guides for Skiing, Hiking and Biking
 
Thanks for posting those pics, Betty P.

I can't really see Robert Simpson getting ahead of her while off trail. It would be very difficult.

I could perhaps see a scenario where he said or did something that spooked or annoyed Trenny and she really wanted to be as far away him as possible.

Maybe she thought she saw a shortcut through the trees that would bring her closer to the where the bus parked, but then the trail petered out ?
 
jetsfanjohn said:
Thanks for posting those pics, Betty P.

I can't really see Robert Simpson getting ahead of her while off trail. It would be very difficult.

I could perhaps see a scenario where he said or did something that spooked or annoyed Trenny and she really wanted to be as far away him as possible.

Maybe she thought she saw a shortcut through the trees that would bring her closer to the where the bus parked, but then the trail petered out ?
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I think that Robert Simpson was involved with Trenny's abduction and murder, but I don't know whether he acted alone.
His possession of her comb proves his guilt as far as I'm concerned.
 
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