NJ NJ - Carolyn Majane, 15, Moorestown, 22 Aug 1975

[mere]

Carolyn's body was found in Mt. Laurel along Rancocas Creek (if I remember correctly). It's probably five miles. In fact, Main Street in Moorestown becomes the Marne Highway when it hits Mt. Laurel and finally becomes Washington Street when it enters Mt. Holly (it's all State Highway 537). You can drive from where I was living on 2nd Street in Moorestown to the turn-off for Rancocas Woods in 5 to 8 minutes (I'm assuming this is the route the killer took). Whoever abducted Carolyn had to know the exact street to drive down to get to Rancocas Creek -- I've always thought whoever it was "scoped out" the area first, then abducted Carolyn.

That is a very accurate description of the course that was most probably taken by the person/persons who brought Carolyn to the spot in which her remains were discovered. The site that she was recovered was not an unknown or random spot. This area was a local wooded area that teens would party. Before it became a housing development, this area along the Rancocas Creek was a marshlike ground known as Texas Pond by the local youths who would party there.

 

[morf13]

I work about 10 or 15 minutes from this area, I may be able to do some digging or take photos of the area. I fished a lt as a Kid in Rancocas Creek. PM me if there's any help I can provide

 

[morf13]

On an August evening in 1975 fifteen year old Carolyn Majane left her home to meet some friends at a nearby store. It was summer and there was not a whole lot to do in the affluent town of Moorestown N.J. Her father wanted her to stay in that Friday night, because there had been an altercation the night before in the small downtown area and some other teens ended up in the emergency room. Carolyn had recently moved from Bethesda, Maryland to what had seemed liked a perfect little town. Carolyn and her friends would often meet up at the WaWa on Main Street, if they did not have a date that evening. That night Carolyn heard of a party and wanted to go. Carolyn was never seen again alive.



It was not until ten years after she vanished that her remains surfaced during the construction of Timbercrest housing development, just a couple miles away from where she disappeared. Children in the neighborhood found her while playing. Sadly in New Jersey during the 1970s teenage girls who were missing were presumed runaways. No investigation ever took place during the ten years Carolyn was missing. Her parents hoped she had run away, but knew she was dead from the night she did not return home.



Carolyn's remains were skeletal when they were found; this would cause difficulties in determining a cause of death. Again, sadly her cause of death was only listed as suspicious. Carolyn did not bury herself in the woods. This was no accident. Somebody put her there.



Thirty years later Carolyn, who was an avid swimmer with beautiful long blonde hair has not received justice. Her murder remains unsolved. Someone knows what happened on the night of August 22, 1975.

Anybody know more details about the 'altercation' from the day before?

 

[morf13]

A couple Female missing persons cases circa that time.

The 1st one is Margaret Fox in Burlington, which is 15 to 20 minutes drive from Moorestown:

The 2nd one is Lorraine Herbster from Westampton, also about 15 minutes from Moorestown:


Both found at this link:

https://www20.state.nj.us/NJSP_Ambe...08:pnX8?parameter=mp_detail&mp_id=628&type=mp

 

[scriptgirl]

Yeah , what about that altercation? Any details?

 

[mere]

I have never seen any specific information about the altercation other that in occurred on Main Street the night before. It was serious enough that kids ended up in the hospital and caused enough concern that Mr. Majane did not want Carolyn to go out the following evening. I hope that the incident was looked at as a possible connection and it would be interesting to see the details.

 

[morf13]

There's been cases before when people have been killed as a result of prior altercations. Maybe even accidentally, a fight breaks out, somebody falls and gets hurt or killed, etc. Somebody panics and disposes of the Body. All speculation, but worth considering. I may be able to get my hands on the Death cert, and less likely, on some or all of the police report

 

[mere]

I joined Websleuths ten years ago with the sole intent to bring attention to the murder of Carolyn Majane. Back then the only information I could find about her was on micro film. Times have changed and information is so much easier to obtain. For many reasons her unsolved demisehas touched me for most of my life and I always hoped that somehow her casewould be solved. The 40[SUP]th[/SUP] anniversary of her death is approaching and I truly believe that her case is very solvable. Over the years I have seen many other cases that seemed unsolvable being solved. So I have faith in Carolyn's case more than ever. It is amazing how people may start talking after so many years have passed when LE starts pressing old people of interest. The answers are out there. She was last seen on Main Street/ Wawa ona Friday night.No matter how many yearsgo by Carolyn deserves justice.

 

[sway]

I joined Websleuths ten years ago with the sole intent to bring attention to the murder of Carolyn Majane. Back then the only information I could find about her was on micro film. Times have changed and information is so much easier to obtain. For many reasons her unsolved demisehas touched me for most of my life and I always hoped that somehow her casewould be solved. The 40[SUP]th[/SUP] anniversary of her death is approaching and I truly believe that her case is very solvable. Over the years I have seen many other cases that seemed unsolvable being solved. So I have faith in Carolyn's case more than ever. It is amazing how people may start talking after so many years have passed when LE starts pressing old people of interest. The answers are out there. She was last seen on Main Street/ Wawa ona Friday night.No matter how many yearsgo by Carolyn deserves justice.

Completely agree Mere..... 40 years is way to long for this case to not have been solved. I would think that at least some of her classmates, acquaintances, and friends would have a much different perspective as adults in their 50's (likely with children of their own) than they did in their teens and may be willing to provide information they may have either been afraid to have in the past or didn't think was important then. It may be just one individual who knows something and all it might take is being asked at this point for them to say something. I don't have any knowledge of or to what extent LE has actively sought out people from that time lately and don't want to unfairly assume they haven't if that is not the case. It just seems odd that the only information there appears to be is that she was last seen at Wawa and possibly seen outside of a house where a party was going on. Given she was with friends initially that night and that there was likely a number of kids at the party and/or Wawa and to not know anymore than that is awful thin in terms of information. Based on that it's hard not to think that there isn't at least one person still around today that knows more than has been documented and could possibly provide additional information that would either directly implicate the killer or at least provide a new lead to follow. I couldn't imagine living all these years with that on your mind. It couldn't be easy.

If there is someone out there that knows something, I sincerely hope they come to the realization that 40 years is way too long also.

 

[scriptgirl]

Was Carolyn friends with anyone who came from a powerful family, someone who might be viewed as a suspect? This is a ritzy area and if that is so, then that could be why this case has not really been on the front burner.

 

[moe1975]

That is a very accurate description of the course that was most probably taken by the person/persons who brought Carolyn to the spot in which her remains were discovered. The site that she was recovered was not an unknown or random spot. This area was a local wooded area that teens would party. Before it became a housing development, this area along the Rancocas Creek was a marshlike ground known as Texas Pond by the local youths who would party there.

There was a part of the woods where there were three or four couches set out, most likely for kids to party in the woods or something like that, it wasn't too close to the creek. I remember going there while exploring the woods as only half of Timbercrest was developed when I moved there in 84' and I did love to explore. I remember there being a ton of sticker bushes in that area and what now seems like hundreds of ticks crawling on me and wanting to leave that area ASAP as it seemed very dark. I guess it makes sense now. I believe this is where she died, or close by. It was probably around the intersection of Woodthrush Court and Foxwood Drive. Later in 85' when they started to develop the new section of Timbercrest they took down most of the trees in the area and probably moved the remains around a bit. There were dirt mounds on top of the hill of what would become Woodthrush Ct. that were dug up for the foundations of the houses being built there.

 

[mere]

You are correct. We are not sure if this is the location of her demise but the corner of Woodthrush Court and Foxwood Drive is where her remains were definitely found.

 

[mere]

It seems the location where Carolyn was found was known as Texas Pond in the 1970s. It was described as a marsh or swamp where local teens partied. This would be consistent with run off from the Rancocas Creek. By the 1980s this area was zoned for construction for more homes in the Timbercrest development. The creek would have been dammed and the swamp area would have dried up. That can easily change the theory that Carolyn was buried. Being placed into the swamp seems like a very likely possibility.

 

[mere]

Forty one years ago today, fifteen year old Carolyn was last seen walking down Main Street in Moorestown NJ. Ten years later her remains were found a few miles away at a construction site. I hope this year the person responsible for her death is brought to justice.

 

[Schipperke]

"Was Carolyn friends with anyone who came from a powerful family, someone who might be viewed as a suspect? This is a ritzy area and if that is so, then that could be why this case has not really been on the front burner." Scriptgirl

A quick check indicates that Carolyn's father was connected to the construction industry through Shirley Contracting. They did business with Omni- Clark- George Hyman Construction with offices nationwide and lots of government contracts. Looks like her brother (could be her father) had a small-plane pilot's license. My guess is that dad had some kind of leverage in the business and would need fit in with the upper crust Moorestown image. Looks like her heritage was Italian with some family connection from Atlantic City, NJ. Any rebel child can find herself in a dangerous position to either or both herself and her family--that is and always has been true. Once we mature, we sometimes wonder how we ever lived through those turbulent teen years and our self-indulgent behavior when parents and children have love-hate relationships almost daily. Most do survive both our parents fury and our peers' enticement.

What caught my interest was the reference to "Texas pond," wondering how it got that name in New Jersey? In my mind, it piqued some references in the Ft. Worth Three case--but certainly nothing solid to connect at this point. Does anyone remember how it got that name and by whom? A nationwide contractor might possibly bring construction-connected people into the area with him. Just another consideration for anyone who was spending time with Carolyn in 1975 and might have some real recollections to build on.

 

[morf13]

Any new news here?? This is one of the closest crimes to my house,so it's pretty interesting

 

[sway]

I lived in Rancocas Woods at the time Carolyn was evidently murdered and not that far from where she was found years later. Although I was just a little kid at the time I can guarantee you there is no way this happened on a weekend night and that someone or multiple someone's don't know what happened given where she was ultimately found which was previously (at the time of her death) at or near the location of what was known as Texas Pond. Texas Pond on a weekend night was not going to be vacant. I know that and I was maybe 10 years old at the time. There is no doubt in my mind there are people alive that know what happened to this teenage girl and have chosen over the past 40+ years to remain silent. I loved growing up in Rancocas Woods and it pains me to know that something like this took place and that no one will come forward to give this girl the justice she and we all would want if we found ourselves this same situation with a loved one. I don't think its a stretch that someone reading this has knowledge of what happened that night or at least some additional information that has yet to have been reported/documented and the reason they are reading this is because their conscience is weighing on them. I urge them to do right and come forward with any information they may have. It's been far too long.

 

[Mountain Mama]

Raccoon- your description of the events that took place in the hour prior to Carolyn's disappearance is very alarming. The man who you encountered was obviously out of his mind, and incensed as he combed the streets of the town. Thank gosh you were able to escape him. This brunette man you describe, with hair parted on the side, driving the dark car with PA tags. He sounds like someone with an urge to kill, a person who has a secret personality that he can hide. Carolyn's body was left in a swampy area where de-composition would happen quicker. This sounds like the work of a savvy and skilled deviant.

As I understand it, the location where Carolyn's remains were located was a known party spot. While some think it was a local partier, it could also have been a smart perp who thought up good red herrings. Something along the lines of, if they do find her body at Texas Pond, the police will interrogate & focus their investigation on the teens.

 

[Mountain Mama]

Raccoon - This is a pic of James Debardeleben who was one of the active SKs along the east coast during the seventies, eighties and ???.

Can you recall if this was the man who scared you that night?

 

[scriptgirl]

Did he usually go after teen girls, though? I thought he only preyed on fully adult women.