WI WI - Charlotte Ann Erdman, 15, Watertown, 18 July 1974

[namstache]

Since Charlotte is a missing child, will she be established with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children?

Two NCMEC administrators have been assigned to her case.

 

[Mysteries1974]

Two NCMEC administrators have been assigned to her case.

Ok that’s Awesome!

 

[T rex]

Thank you!
Charlotte's date of birth is 10/21/58. This is the first time her case has ever been opened.
It is possible she is alive and well, but her family would like to rule out the possibility that she may have been in the unidentified database all these years. We only have an approximation of the trucker's name right now so it is not being released at this time.
Also it is important to note in her case that the date of disappearance should be considered "on or around" this date rather than exact.

Do you know if the authorities have ruled out the possibility that Charlotte could be living under her name, such as activity with her ss number? I assume they have but thought I would ask and keep this thread bumped up for awhile.

 

[Mysteries1974]

Do you know if the authorities have ruled out the possibility that Charlotte could be living under her name, such as activity with her ss number? I assume they have but thought I would ask and keep this thread bumped up for awhile.

I’ve been thinking of checking social media outlets to see if that’s possible as well. Maybe she’s living under the last name of this “trucker”

 

[Laughing]

I’ve been thinking of checking social media outlets to see if that’s possible as well. Maybe she’s living under the last name of this “trucker”

Or, separated from him long ago & using a different married name?

But, if so, why did she stop writing her family?

 

[Mysteries1974]

Or, separated from him long ago & using a different married name?

But, if so, why did she stop writing her family?

I don’t know but maybe something was happening in her home or the area she lived in that caused her to want to runaway. I don’t see any other viable reason for her to want to leave like that.

 

[namstache]

Homelife may likely have been a factor in her departure, but her letter indicated she cared for the well-being of the family and desired to continue communicating. Her SSN has been checked with no leads developed. It is possible she may have entered in a marital relationship with the trucker. If she is out there, hopefully this search will let her know her siblings would love to just know she is ok. At this point in time they fear she may have been deceased for years.

 

[Mysteries1974]

Homelife may likely have been a factor in her departure, but her letter indicated she cared for the well-being of the family and desired to continue communicating. Her SSN has been checked with no leads developed. It is possible she may have entered in a marital relationship with the trucker. If she is out there, hopefully this search will let her know her siblings would love to just know she is ok. At this point in time they fear she may have been deceased for years.

I’m hoping that this is a happy ending. She’s not the only runaway from that time to be missing this long. The oldest runaway case I knew of dates back to 1964 and that girl was found safe last year.

 

[T rex]

I can definitely understand why the truckers name can not be released at this time but I was thinking it could be helpful to know what his routes were. That is if he had regular routes and wasn't just all over the place.

 

[Mysteries1974]

Charlotte Ann Erdman

• 
• 

Charlotte, circa 1974

• Missing Since07/18/1974
• Missing FromWatertown, Wisconsin
• ClassificationEndangered Runaway
• Date of Birth10/21/1958 (60)
• Age15 years old
• Height and Weight5'8, 140 pounds
• Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian female. Brown hair, blue eyes.

Details of Disappearance
Charlotte ran away from her Watertown, Wisconsin home on July 18, 1974. About two weeks later her parents got a letter from her, postmarked Illinois. Charlotte wrote she'd been picked up by a 41-year-old long-haul truck driver based in Illinois. She said she wasn't involved in anything illegal and promised to write again.

Charlotte's family never heard from her again after receiving the letter, but she wasn't reported missing until May 29, 2019. Few details are available in her case.
Investigating Agency

• Dodge County Sheriff's Office 920-386-3726

Source Information

• NamUs
• Websleuths
• Charlotte Ann Erdman – The Charley Project

Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004. Last updated June 24, 2019; casefile added.

 

[Darling136]

Link to Namus
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[stephgphillips]

Charlotte - where are you?

 

[stephgphillips]

I am the president of the nonprofit organization Someday Known which helped open this case and I am working directly with charlotte's family. They will be submitting DNA soon for comparison against the unidentified person database.

Do we know which direction the trucker was headed? East or West?

 

[T rex]

I wonder if Charlotte's family ever submitted that DNA as they were planning to do and got the process started of rule outs and possibly a match?

 

[Mysteries1974]

I wonder if Charlotte's family ever submitted that DNA as they were planning to do and got the process started of rule outs and possibly a match?

I’m pretty sure they did a while back

 

[sluethermac]

Big thing they left out is if the letter was actually written by her or by her possible abductor. If that letter is still around should have someone compare handwriting.

 

[Mysteries1974]

Big thing they left out is if the letter was actually written by her or by her possible abductor. If that letter is still around should have someone compare handwriting.

Well as of now, it’s a runaway case unless something indicates that foul play was involved. We need to first make sure that Charlotte is not an Unidentified person which is the reason for DNA.

 

[AnnieOakley]

So she was just reported missing a couple weeks ago, I thought it was just an update or something. That's interesting.
It's her grandmother's obituary but I can't make heads or tails about who her parents could be. Maybe they go by another name or are not listed in this obit. Theres a full copy of it at this find a grave page.
Sorry I had to edit, I forgot to add the link. Here it is.

Esther Hattie Wendt Nelson (1910-2004) - Find A...

According to her dad's obit, Charlotte's mom was Shirley Nelson and became Shirley Habeck when she remarried. It looks like biological sibs of Charlotte may be Gary Erdman, Amy Mollus, and Wendy Nelson? (Possible Wendy has a different dad, or she may have just used Nelson after her parents divorce?)

ETA-- Ooops, forgot link:
Donald Erdman Obituary, Menomonie, Wisconsin

 

[vw51212]

According to her dad's obit, Charlotte's mom was Shirley Nelson and became Shirley Habeck when she remarried. It looks like biological sibs of Charlotte may be Gary Erdman, Amy Mollus, and Wendy Nelson? (Possible Wendy has a different dad, or she may have just used Nelson after her parents divorce?)

ETA-- Ooops, forgot link:
Donald Erdman Obituary, Menomonie, Wisconsin

Could be different Father for her and Gary, Nelson could be her 2nd marriage and Habeck her third married name? Hard to say but given the circumstances there may be blended family drama or police that refused to take the missing person report if they did call originally.

Additionally in Jefferson County Charlotte went missing just 1 month prior (June 1974) another girl Catherine Lynne Sjoberg
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) went missing from the Concord house (in Jefferson Co)
The same Concord house where Edwards abducted and killed 2 in 1980

 

[Mysteries1974]

Could be different Father for her and Gary, Nelson could be her 2nd marriage and Habeck her third married name? Hard to say but given the circumstances there may be blended family drama or police that refused to take the missing person report if they did call originally.

Additionally in Jefferson County Charlotte went missing just 1 month prior (June 1974) another girl Catherine Lynne Sjoberg
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) went missing from the Concord house (in Jefferson Co)
The same Concord house where Edwards abducted and killed 2 in 1980

Maybe Charlotte knew Edwards back then and potentially Sjoberg