NH NH - Allenstown, Adult Female, 23-33, & 3 Children, under 11, Nov'85 & May'00 #3

I was thinking Lois Tomich could be the unidentified child's mother or connected to Rasmussen.

I read somewhere on WS that "Lisa" stated Rassmussen told her the others died after eating mushrooms. I realized that Mushroom Hunters have found several human remains/ skeletons.

Lois Tomich, a resident of Iowa, went missing in 1983. She was only 28 yrs old and had at least 1 child. Her remains were found in a 55 gal drum by Mushroom Hunters on May 5 or 6, 2006. Her estranged/ex-husband, Thomas Tomich, stated she moved to Texas (or planned to move).

Remains found in barrel that of woman missing since 1983

Tomich, who was 28-years-old at the time, was reported missing by her father. Danker said the father became concerned because he had not heard from her in a while.

Mushroom hunters discovered the remains on May 6 in an area where the city disposes of old trees. They came upon the barrel, which had rusted out, exposing the bones inside, Danker said.

A DNA sample from the remains was compared with a sample from the daughter, who is now 28-years-old, to confirm the identity of the remains, Danker said.

Then there were rumors she was having an affair or was dating her brother-in-law. There was supposedly some domestic violence in the marriage.

Thomas Tomich at one time was considered a serial killer because an alleged prostitute he knew was killed. I believe there were a few more victims.

After LE decided to arrest him; he jumped to his death.


Authorities now doubt Tomich was serial killer

OMAHA, Neb. — Tom Tomich took his secrets with him as he leaped to his death from an 11-story Omaha building, leaving behind investigators who now say they doubt Tomich was a serial killer.

Tomich, 50, committed suicide on Nov. 16, a day after his former wife’s remains were identified. They had been found in a 55-gallon barrel near Council Bluffs, Iowa, last spring.

Lois Tomich was 28 when she disappeared in 1983. Authorities say Tomich strangled his wife with a coat hanger because she had divorced him and become romantically involved with his brother.


Authorities looking into Tomich as a suspect in his wife’s murder soon discovered a link between him and a slain Omaha prostitute.

Investigations into Barajas’ death and those of three other prostitutes — Brianne Smith, Michelle “Micky” LaMere and Stephanie Caldwell — were reopened after authorities named Tomich as his wife’s killer.


I'm still wondering was there another man she planned to move to Texas with? It's probably a coincidence, but an interesting story.

Lois Fraissinet-Tomich laid to rest Saturday


Tomich was questioned immediately after his ex-wife's disappearance, and told law enforcement officials that he believed she went Texas. The couple married in 1980 and was divorced in 1981.
 
Do they doubt he was a serial killer, or suspect he was a serial killer?

Initially they suspected him in his ex-wife's disappearance in 1983. I believe I read that Thomas Tomich told LE that his ex-wife was seeing a man from Texas and planned to move with him to Texas.

Then somehow LE found out he was seeing a prostitute, Barajas, who turned up dead. There were a couple more murdered prostitutes so they assumed he killed all of them. That's when he became a suspected serial killer.

IMO, they must've found something out after his death that didn't connect him to the murders of the prostitutes. I'm trying to decide if his suicide means he was guilty of his ex-wife's murder, or was there another reason he took his life.
 
Initially they suspected him in his ex-wife's disappearance in 1983. I believe I read that Thomas Tomich told LE that his ex-wife was seeing a man from Texas and planned to move with him to Texas.

Then somehow LE found out he was seeing a prostitute, Barajas, who turned up dead. There were a couple more murdered prostitutes so they assumed he killed all of them. That's when he became a suspected serial killer.

IMO, they must've found something out after his death that didn't connect him to the murders of the prostitutes. I'm trying to decide if his suicide means he was guilty of his ex-wife's murder, or was there another reason he took his life.

Possible he killed her but not the others.
 
Possible he killed her but not the others.

It's very likely Thomas killed Lois. I believe there was domestic violence in the household.

Rasmussen being involved is probably a long shot. The Mushroom Hunters, time-frame, 55 gal barrel, single mother with at least 1 child and a man from Texas caught my interest. Plus I do not think Rasmussens whereabouts in 1983 are known. This barrel was found the same year or the year after the 2 smaller children were located in Bear Brook.
 
It's very likely Thomas killed Lois. I believe there was domestic violence in the household.

Rasmussen being involved is probably a long shot. The Mushroom Hunters, time-frame, 55 gal barrel, single mother with at least 1 child and a man from Texas caught my interest. Plus I do not think Rasmussens whereabouts in 1983 are known. This barrel was found the same year or the year after the 2 smaller children were located in Bear Brook.

Yes, it's a long shot that Rasmussen would be involved, but stranger things have happened!

What bothers me about the Thomas Tomich case is that at one point investigators were certain he was a serial killer and then years later it was concluded that it was unlikely. Then they were certain he murdered his wife. Zero evidence that he did, only a history of habitual domestic violence.
It's likely he did murder her, but I would leave room for doubt only because of their previous errors about him being a serial killer.
 
Yes, it's a long shot that Rasmussen would be involved, but stranger things have happened!

What bothers me about the Thomas Tomich case is that at one point investigators were certain he was a serial killer and then years later it was concluded that it was unlikely. Then they were certain he murdered his wife. Zero evidence that he did, only a history of habitual domestic violence.
It's likely he did murder her, but I would leave room for doubt only because of their previous errors about him being a serial killer.

I discovered it a few months ago so hopefully my memory holds up. But I believe people that knew him said he was a nice guy and they were surprised about the allegations that he murdered his ex-wife and prostitutes. Thomas Tomich had domestic issues in other relationships and marriages. So his exes may have a different take on him.

If he killed her, I'm surprised he stayed in the same area.

I agree, this case has so many twists and turns. Anything is possible!
 
Every day I keep hoping for something new on this one. My trees by this point are much much more detailed. I was hoping that without the DNA there still might be someone who just stood out - perhaps someone who just seemed to fall off the map. Not so far. Always possible I missed something though, maybe even likely. Then again, it's also possible that it's just not going to show up on paper - an adoption or an NPE or something.

Soon, y'all. I really believe it's going to be soon. I think the people working this one are the right combo of smart and tenacious. Honestly, it's kind of heroic what they've done already when you think about it. I'm really rooting for them to bring this all the way home though.
 
Every day I keep hoping for something new on this one. My trees by this point are much much more detailed. I was hoping that without the DNA there still might be someone who just stood out - perhaps someone who just seemed to fall off the map. Not so far. Always possible I missed something though, maybe even likely. Then again, it's also possible that it's just not going to show up on paper - an adoption or an NPE or something.

Soon, y'all. I really believe it's going to be soon. I think the people working this one are the right combo of smart and tenacious. Honestly, it's kind of heroic what they've done already when you think about it. I'm really rooting for them to bring this all the way home though.

I figured with the info we were given, I'd try my hand at genealogy research. It's been a lot of fun and very interesting. I'm sure your research is more in depth than mine, I'm so new at this.

What I'm finding is a ton of endogamy and the same surnames popping up over and over again. Multiple times in one sibling line. I would love to know which of those repetitive, common surnames were genetically linked and how strongly. That would help narrow the field.

I haven't found anything that stands out, either. What I'm finding are a ton of potential female descendants who could be the MC's mother, if she survived her encounter with TPR. And I hope they're contacting some of the closest female relatives in that age range who are still living or the immediate family of ones who have since passed away, because these women are now in their 60s & 70s, and aren't getting any younger. Waiting for more Mitchell-Livings female descendants to put their DNA profiles on GEDmatch could take forever.

At this point, an NPE wouldn't surprise me at all. Goodness knows TJ Mitchell took a long time to settle down, who knows how he conducted himself up until he did.
 
You're right though about the interconnected nature of the families. Even more true when you get into some of those ancillary lines.
 
Well if there is an NPE, its further down than that. I was able to confirm that much, MC is definitely a descendant of TJ and one of his wives.

Just curious, how were you able to confirm the MC is definitely a descendant of TJ and one of his wives? Did he have more than one? I only know of one wife, Lourana.

I'm going off strictly what I've read here and in news articles about the MC being a 5th or 6th gr grandchild of those two common ancestors, Mitchell & Livings.
 
Will y'all stop letting me talk without my notes?? Or maybe not post on no sleep haha.

Correct Alleykins, I meant to say TJ and his wife and one of their known children. They're very sure they're looking at the right family lines.

No worries. Thanks for clarifying, I was getting worried I'd missed something, because I really don't know what I'm doing.
But, how I read it, is that the common ancestors are TJ Mitchell and William Livings, no mention of their wives. Do you know for sure that the Mitchell family line they're researching sprung from both TJ and his wife, and not just TJ? I'm curious now.
 
No worries. Thanks for clarifying, I was getting worried I'd missed something, because I really don't know what I'm doing.
But, how I read it, is that the common ancestors are TJ Mitchell and William Livings, no mention of their wives. Do you know for sure that the Mitchell family line they're researching sprung from both TJ and his wife, and not just TJ? I'm curious now.

I believe so. I don't want to say 100% yes but that was my impression.
 
I believe so. I don't want to say 100% yes but that was my impression.

Thank you. The reason why I asked is because when DDP listed common ancestors for one case, they listed both the spouses, meaning it was their issue, tied to their union. I realize this is is a different entity researching and their way of disseminating info may be different. But in this case, only the two men were put out there, which I took to mean whoever it was sprung from their loins specifically, not necessarily them & their known wives, or they would have said (I hope).
Because, according to one article, TJ Mitchell ran away at age seven and couch surfed, not sure for how long. Other articles & sources state he left home in his teens. No matter when he ran away, he had a lot of exposure in close quarters to young wives and mature daughters in his younger years, as he didn't get married until his early 30s. That's an awfully long time for a young man to stay chaste, just sayin.
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
72
Guests online
2,730
Total visitors
2,802

Forum statistics

Threads
590,011
Messages
17,928,948
Members
228,038
Latest member
shmoozie
Back
Top