MD MD - Cynthia Gastelle, 18, Takoma Park, 3 Apr 1980
- Thread starter SheWhoMustNotBeNamed
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NOVAhistoryDetective
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Police would like to speak to the man in the picture below, who was in Takoma Park when Cynthia Gastelle went missing (3 April 1980). Police said he is not a person of interest in the case.
Is it known if this person was a classmate from Montgomery Blair High School? If so, we can locate yearbook/school archives through the graduating class president's contact info.
A few thoughts...It seems that LE has a serious interest in talking to this guy in the picture. I think they know more than they are saying. Perhaps this dude was just passing through the area on tour as a roadie with a southern rock cover band. Anyway, you wonder how far along now facial recognition software has come over the years, and if it could be utilized on an old photograph like this to find a match to an existing person's current appearance. From what I've read about facial recognition software it is very sophisticated, almost in an Orwellian way. Just ask the Chinese. Of course, by now, if this guy hasn't OD'd or died of liver disease, he's likely fat and bald and could be living in a van down by the river; so the software would have to account for that.Police would like to speak to the man in the picture below, who was in Takoma Park when Cynthia Gastelle went missing (3 April 1980). Police said he is not a person of interest in the case.
Matt Foley: Well you'll have plenty of time to think about that, when you're Living in a Van Down By the River!
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For consideration as a potential suspect in this case: Thomas Francis Edwards.
Thomas Francis Edwards spent many years in and out of the Patuxent Institution (in Maryland) with mental problems. This guy did, in fact, live "Down By the River".
He was a sexual sadist with a fondness for young girls ages 10 through 14, who had a documented fetish for hair and necks. He particularly liked blonde hair and pony tails.
In 1970, he was a suspect in two separate murders of women in Maryland. He was returned to the Institution, where he remained until his final discharge in July 1977.
He was on the loose between 1977 and 1981. Proven to have killed 3 girls/ young women and suspected of others.
Some time after his 1977 release from Patuxent, he went to California, where in 1981 he shot two 12-year-old girls, killing one and severely wounding the other. He was caught, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death.
Edwards remained in prison, on death row, filing appeal after appeal until his final appeal was denied in 2008. He died of natural causes a few months later... much more at the following Websleuths Serial Killer thread:
MD - MD - Thomas Francis Edwards, 1970's-80's
Thomas Francis Edwards spent many years in and out of the Patuxent Institution (in Maryland) with mental problems. This guy did, in fact, live "Down By the River".
He was a sexual sadist with a fondness for young girls ages 10 through 14, who had a documented fetish for hair and necks. He particularly liked blonde hair and pony tails.
In 1970, he was a suspect in two separate murders of women in Maryland. He was returned to the Institution, where he remained until his final discharge in July 1977.
He was on the loose between 1977 and 1981. Proven to have killed 3 girls/ young women and suspected of others.
Some time after his 1977 release from Patuxent, he went to California, where in 1981 he shot two 12-year-old girls, killing one and severely wounding the other. He was caught, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death.
Edwards remained in prison, on death row, filing appeal after appeal until his final appeal was denied in 2008. He died of natural causes a few months later... much more at the following Websleuths Serial Killer thread:
MD - MD - Thomas Francis Edwards, 1970's-80's
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Cindy Gastelle’s remains were found in a quarry area at the foot of Bull Run Mountain.or in MD. She was last seen leaving on a bus from silver spring, and had runaway before.The Gastelle family lived in Tacoma Park. (So did Helen Craver, Welch's girlfriend) Not only did Cindy Gastelle’s body show stabbing evidence, it was left in a secluded wooded area, a quarry, which reminds me of LLW's connection to a MN double murder.
Cindy Gastelle managed to cross the state line from MD and Virginia. Detective Brian Coady of PWC remarked “We don’t see any connection between Cynthia Gastelle and Northern Virginia”.
Cynthia’s brother also added that his advice to families with missing loved ones would be to exhaust every effort. ”My message to my peers in this awful club that we belong to is to not give up hope. ……Retrace the steps of your loved ones. Be a detective yourself.”
The Manassas VA sighting mentioned on “ Who killed the Lyon Sisters” presentation is about 20 miles from 1100 Mountain Road VA. Is there anyone other than "mike"; aware of the nefarious activity that connect these cases?
I sent a pic of a "Michael" with some resemblance to that boyfriend image to PWC -Cold Case Unit, 5036 Davis Ford Rd. Woodbridge VA for what it's worth. Thank you for the opportunity to post.
Cindy Gastelle managed to cross the state line from MD and Virginia. Detective Brian Coady of PWC remarked “We don’t see any connection between Cynthia Gastelle and Northern Virginia”.
Cynthia’s brother also added that his advice to families with missing loved ones would be to exhaust every effort. ”My message to my peers in this awful club that we belong to is to not give up hope. ……Retrace the steps of your loved ones. Be a detective yourself.”
The Manassas VA sighting mentioned on “ Who killed the Lyon Sisters” presentation is about 20 miles from 1100 Mountain Road VA. Is there anyone other than "mike"; aware of the nefarious activity that connect these cases?
I sent a pic of a "Michael" with some resemblance to that boyfriend image to PWC -Cold Case Unit, 5036 Davis Ford Rd. Woodbridge VA for what it's worth. Thank you for the opportunity to post.
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The following is from the Charley website. It should be noted that while this former missing person case has been "resolved" in that Cynthia's remains were found and have since been identified, her murder remains unsolved.
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Cynthia Joan Gastelle
RESOLVED
Gastelle, circa 1980
Gastelle disappeared from Takoma Park, Maryland on April 3, 1980. Her skeletal remains were found in Haymarket, Virginia in February 1982. She wasn't identified until June 2012.
Source Information
------------------------------------------
Cynthia Joan Gastelle
RESOLVED
Gastelle, circa 1980
- Missing Since 04/03/1980
- Missing From Takoma Park, Maryland
- Classification Missing
- Sex Female
- Race White
- Age 18 years old
- Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female.
Gastelle disappeared from Takoma Park, Maryland on April 3, 1980. Her skeletal remains were found in Haymarket, Virginia in February 1982. She wasn't identified until June 2012.
Source Information
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Has there ever been info on where the two job interviews were supposed to be?
I'm really feeling like it's not out of the question that this could be connected to Veronica Hepworth's murder. They were the same age, and their bodies were found about 2-3 miles apart, 2 weeks apart (although Cynthia went missing 2 years earlier than Veronica).
The discovery of Cynthia's body could, IMO, have put unexpected stress on the person who killed her. Is it possible that this individual then went out looking for another victim in response to this? Veronica lived in Fairfax but was last seen in Alexandria the night before her body was found. Cynthia was obviously from farther away, but also was not connected to this particular area. If these murders were committed by the same person, I suspect he lived or worked in this area. IMO.
Thinking about this logically.. Cynthia lived in Takoma Park. Depending on the job, I imagine the interviews would have been inside the beltway. Probably, anyway... Could Cynthia have gone out after her interviews (assuming she did show up to them), intending to return home the next morning? Side note, April 3, 1980 was a Thursday, as was February 25, 1982 (the day Veronica Hepworth was last seen alive).
Alexandria had a whole country music/biker/bar scene that seemed to attract people from all over. It feels plausible that Cynthia could have ended up there the evening of April 3, or maybe she had an interview in the area/close by and met the wrong person... You just really wouldn't end up near Haymarket for no particular reason, especially if you personally have no ties to the area. Thoughts?
Obviously this is pure speculation, but IMO the timing of Cynthia's body being found, and Veronica being killed and left in such close proximity exactly two weeks later is odd/doesn't feel like a coincidence.
I'm really feeling like it's not out of the question that this could be connected to Veronica Hepworth's murder. They were the same age, and their bodies were found about 2-3 miles apart, 2 weeks apart (although Cynthia went missing 2 years earlier than Veronica).
The discovery of Cynthia's body could, IMO, have put unexpected stress on the person who killed her. Is it possible that this individual then went out looking for another victim in response to this? Veronica lived in Fairfax but was last seen in Alexandria the night before her body was found. Cynthia was obviously from farther away, but also was not connected to this particular area. If these murders were committed by the same person, I suspect he lived or worked in this area. IMO.
Thinking about this logically.. Cynthia lived in Takoma Park. Depending on the job, I imagine the interviews would have been inside the beltway. Probably, anyway... Could Cynthia have gone out after her interviews (assuming she did show up to them), intending to return home the next morning? Side note, April 3, 1980 was a Thursday, as was February 25, 1982 (the day Veronica Hepworth was last seen alive).
Alexandria had a whole country music/biker/bar scene that seemed to attract people from all over. It feels plausible that Cynthia could have ended up there the evening of April 3, or maybe she had an interview in the area/close by and met the wrong person... You just really wouldn't end up near Haymarket for no particular reason, especially if you personally have no ties to the area. Thoughts?
Obviously this is pure speculation, but IMO the timing of Cynthia's body being found, and Veronica being killed and left in such close proximity exactly two weeks later is odd/doesn't feel like a coincidence.
[URL='https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/91901220/cynthia-joan-gastelle#']
Cynthia Joan Gastelle[/URL]
BIRTH 4 Sep 1961
Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, USA
DEATH 3 Apr 1980 (aged 18)
Haymarket, Prince William County, Virginia, USA
BURIAL Unknown
Cynthia Gastelle, 18, Takoma Park, MD, is thought to have passed away on or about April 3, 1980.
LINK:
Cynthia Joan Gastelle (1961-1980) - Find A Grave...
Charlotte9909
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According to articles, she only made it to one of the interviews. Her father got a call that afternoon from the deli telling him Cynthia had gotten the job. She never got to the second interview
Yes, he seems like a good possibility. He preyed on younger women.
Yes, I did see that after my original post. I wish we had the ability to edit older posts!
Interesting..
"He later moved to Fairfax County, Virginia, in the mid-1970s and remarried. He worked for several high-tech firms in the Washington, D.C. area, including TRW, ICA and Logicon Process Systems."
After a quick read through of his wiki I would be curious to know abouts his office was located at that time... It's super common to commute from Fairfax to Silver Spring (where the deli was). For as long as I can remember (I wasn't around in the 70s, mind) that general area has been an "office hub." It's probably not out of the question that he could have worked over there and maybe saw her trying to hitchhike to her next interview?