TX TX - Kelly Dae Wilson, 17, Gilmer, 5 Jan 1992

[roadrunnermt]

Thinking of you tonight Kelly wherever you may be. I pray your at peace.

Exactly how do evidence files just disappear? What kind of coverup would that be and by whom? This is key right here to solving.

Can someone help me request the case files through FIOA I believe?

 

[roadrunnermt]

 

[Samaritan]

Just wanted to post to mark 29 years gone today.

 

[dotr]

UPDATED, includes video. Jan 5 2021 rbbm.
VANISHED: 29 years since 17-year-old Kelly Wilson disappeared, the questions about her case persist | KETK.com | FOX51.com
''On January 5, 1992, Kelly Dae Wilson vanished in Gilmer at the age of 17.

The then-high school student was last seen leaving the video store where she worked in downtown Gilmer.

According to The Gilmer Mirror, she left work and drove to deposit her check at a nearby bank. However, she never made it home. ''

''Her stepfather found her car the next morning in the video store parking lot.

He called police after discovering her tires had been slashed.

Police said there was no sign of a struggle, but there was also no evidence to help officials locate her.

Wilson was last seen wearing cut-off blue jeans, a purple rugby shirt with red, gold and white insignia and brown loafers.


She was wearing a gold dome ring, gold emerald ring, gold diamond inset Mexican eagle coin ring, gold pinky ring, gold chain bracelet, gold watch and triangle earrings.''

''The latest age-progressed picture shows what officials believe Wilson would look like at 42-years-old.''

Kelly had blonde hair and had a retainer on her lower teeth.

 

[gebo0288]

Great. I read all the info i could find and now have a new case to obsess over. This one is beyond weird. I live close to Gilmer. I'm going to see if I can see how far the video store (which i'm sure is now closed) is to the bank. Is it possible she drove to the bank on a flat and then back to work?

 

[gebo0288]

I know that this is an old thread, but my parents lived in Gilmer and I was in Longview. I spent a couple of years living in Gilmer with my parents.

At the time of her disappearance, the video store was literally right around the corner from the bank. The video store was on the square and the bank on a connected street beside it.

I'm still not sure why she would have walked even though it was around the corner. I've made bank deposits for companies that I worked for. There is no way that I would have walked just because of the money I was carrying and safety reasons.

Of course she was 17yo and when you are that age you feel like nothing will ever happen to you or your friends. It happens to other people.

 

[J-Kat]

I lived in Longview at the time this occurred. Kelly's mother, Cathy, and I worked together. I, as well as many of Kelly's mother's co-workers, participated in the early searches that were conducted in the weeks after she disappeared. It appeared to be a poorly handled investigation from the beginning with little focus. Mostly the police seemed to be chasing gossip and rumors. Once the craziness of the "cult" investigation began, Kelly's disappearance was forgotten and it didn't seem that there was interest in her case any longer. Very sad. Cathy lost hope fairly quickly and she and the stepfather moved to Louisiana. Living in Gilmer was just too painful. I hope she has been able to move on and find some peace.

 

[tdv]

I signed up for this forum to talk about this case. I just watched another true crime story about a cold case, so my mind went to Kelly. That case had a body and DNA, but unfortunately this case has neither - unless Gilmer Police have evidence not disclosed to the public.

I recently realized that next January 2022 will be the 30th anniversary. I have thought about sending letters to multiple people in Gilmer to remind them of the 30th anniversary to encourage them to look into it more - police, journalists, people connected to courts, etc. It would be awesome if a billboard sized photo of Kelly from the Missing posters could be put on the wall of the former NTV building with, "Someone knows what happened to Kelly Wilson on Jan 5, 1992. It's time for closure for her family and the city of Gilmer," or something along those lines.

I have thought many times about appealing publicly to others interested in the case about trying to come together to talk about it, but there is the fact that the person(s) responsible are still at large - would that make me a target? I guess that would be stupid on their part, as that would make people sure that they are still alive and in the area, but it is scary to think about.

I would like to talk about the case from many angles. Would anybody be interested in trying to do a deep dive? It would start by laying out undeniable or generally excepted facts. If only one person says something about Kelly and that person is a potential suspect, then you have to question that and be willing to go down tangents where their statements may be false. Even if no one responds or seems interested I will probably post some things and maybe quote and respond to some prior posts already in the thread.

 

[Saddays2]

Hey RoadRunner,

The source is included in my first line. I hyperlinked it in the "here".

From the source:
First mention of the Foster parents-
June 6, 1992 Wanda's children tell Marie Lappe ( foster mother ) of ritual abuse and killing babies

November 7, 1993 Under the care of foster parents ( James and Marie Lappe ) who had fostered Several of Wanda Kerr's children, the oldest son of Danny Kerr and Connie Martin is critically injured. ​When accused of abusing the child James Lappe told doctors that this child fell while running up and down the stairs which was how he regularly punished his foster children when acting up.

The next day after the injury, he is gone:
November 8, 1993 James Lappe commits suicide by gunshot.

And 2 days later so is his wife:
November 10, 1993 Marie Lappe commits suicide by drug overdose.

We miss our parents Jim and Marie Lappe everyday. People should really know that our parents went out of their way to protect these children and shower them with love like we had growing up.

 

[tdv]

We miss our parents Jim and Marie Lappe everyday. People should really know that our parents went out of their way to protect these children and shower them with love like we had growing up.

You are one the biological children of the Lappes? Do you have any thoughts or insights on Kelly's disappearance?

As far as me talking about going through possible scenarios of Kelly's disappearance, here's the start:

What if Kelly never left NTV alive that night?
What proof is there that she was alive when the store closed other than what owner of the store, Joe Henry, has said? Are there any other witnesses who have ever said they saw her outside of the store that night when the store closed? The guy who slashed her tire - did he actually see the two close and leave the store at the same time? If so, how much did he see of what Kelly did afterwards? I believe the store was open the next day. Did any of the other workers notice anything suspicious in the store? Was there furniture or shelving moved around? New boxes to cover something? I'm guessing the Gilmer Police Department did a thorough search of the premises at the time? What is Joe Henry's alibi for the night. Why are other members of the community sure of his innocence? One of the local people associated with the Gilmer Mirror and other newspapers was certain Henry was not involved. What makes them so certain? Is it just because of the person's demeanor most of the time that they can't think it could be them? If you watched much crime TV, people are capable of hiding their dark side. The Golden State Killer had a fishing buddy that could not believe it could possibly be his friend. BTK was faithful in church and ultimately got caught because he contacted police using the church's computer and it was traced back to him.

I think this night was also a Sunday night. Would First Baptist Church be getting out around the time that NTV closed? Could some of the members there recall seeing anything? There could be people from other churches or other activities that were passing through the square around this time? Did anyone see anything? Maybe they still remember something that seems inconsequential, but it may lead to something else.

I remember there was another video rental store 2 stores down called, Video 33. I'm not sure if they were open when this happened or not (opened as in if they existed as a business or open and had not closed for the night yet). If they were, were the people who worked there interviewed? That's pretty close proximity. I don't remember the layout of that store, but if they had visual on the sidewalk, they could have seen people coming and going that night. Most stores on the square would probably not be open on Sunday night, but I really have no way of knowing what stores existed at that time.

So in reality, are the only really concrete facts of this case that multiple people can confirm Kelly definitely worked that day? I guess, the other facts are that her car was still there in the morning, and a deposit was made at the bank. Is that really about it, as far as public knowledge? I have no idea if GPD has additional information not known to the public.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Kelly Dae Wilson lived in Gilmer, Texas, a city with a small-town feel and a population of less than 5,000, with her parents. The 17-year-old was a senior at Gilmer High School and worked at Northeast Texas Video.

On January 5, 1992, Kelly worked her shift alongside the store’s owner, Joe David Henry. At 8:30 pm, they both closed up and left; According to The Trail Went Cold podcast, Joe went home while Kelly drove to the bank around the corner to drop off the nightly deposit.

Northeast Video at 100 Buffalo St is now closed and an abandoned storefront sits in its placeGoogle Maps
According to local newspapers printed at the time, bank surveillance footage showed Kelly’s 1985 Dodge Charger in the drive-through but she never made it home. At 5 am the next morning, Kelly’s stepfather drove to Northeast Video in search of her. Instead, he found her car unlocked with the left rear tire slashed. Kelly’s purse and all of her belongings were inside but the keys were missing. She was never seen again.

30 years ago, a teen vanished after a late shift at the local video store. What happened to Kelly Dae Wilson? | Fatim Hemraj | NewsBreak Original

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The case was one that sent shock waves throughout East Texas, with twists and turns that damaged the lives of many.

On January 5, 1992, Kelly Dae Wilson vanished in Gilmer at the age of 17.

The then-high school student was last seen leaving the video store where she worked in downtown Gilmer.

According to The Gilmer Mirror, she left work and drove to deposit her check at a nearby bank. However, she never made it home.

Kelly had blonde hair and had a retainer on her lower teeth.

Her manager at the video store, Joe Henry, was the last to see Wilson that night.

“At first I thought maybe she just stayed out all night,” said Henry. “I really got concerned, because she was scheduled to work at noon. When she didn’t show up, I began to be concerned.”

Henry was among the first group of people investigators questioned. However, he had multiple alibis and was cleared after passing a polygraph test.

Many others were questioned in the case, but only one person would ever be charged.

Michael Biby, then 17, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief in the tire-slashing incident. However, he was never connected to the Wilson’s disappearance.

Police named a prime suspect, Chris Denton, Wilson’s boyfriend at the time. But, with no body having been located, he was never fully charged. Even up until his death from cancer in 2004, Denton never admitted to kidnapping her.

About two years after her disappearance, a shocking turn of events took place. Eight people, including Gilmer Police Sgt. James Brown, were arrested and charged in her disappearance and death.

False claims were brought up, saying the group kidnapped, raped and murdered Wilson, as part of a satanic cult ritual.

These claims were dismissed within months.

But, for some, the damage had been done and the question still remained…Where is Kelly Wilson?

In February 2017, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released a new age progression photo for the 25-year-old East Texas case.

The latest age-progressed picture shows what officials believe Wilson would look like at 42-years-old.

VANISHED: 29 years since 17-year-old Kelly Wilson disappeared, the questions about her case persist | KETK.com | FOX51.com

 

[tdv]

I lived in Longview at the time this occurred. Kelly's mother, Cathy, and I worked together. I, as well as many of Kelly's mother's co-workers, participated in the early searches that were conducted in the weeks after she disappeared. It appeared to be a poorly handled investigation from the beginning with little focus. Mostly the police seemed to be chasing gossip and rumors. Once the craziness of the "cult" investigation began, Kelly's disappearance was forgotten and it didn't seem that there was interest in her case any longer. Very sad. Cathy lost hope fairly quickly and she and the stepfather moved to Louisiana. Living in Gilmer was just too painful. I hope she has been able to move on and find some peace.

There is no one way for dealing with grief, but do you feel it odd at all that Kelly's mom would immediately move away? I've heard of parents of missing children keeping the same house for years after so their child would know where to come back to, even leaving their room exactly as it was the day they disappeared. Another angle I have spent time about is - what if the stepfather was involved? Do you know how her parents' relationship was? Were there any signs of abuse? Could it be that the stepfather had a temper that got out of hand and something happened? From then on he more or less held Kelly's mom hostage threatening to do the same to her if she ever spoke out about it. They could have an awesome marriage and be happily married to this day. I have no idea, I don't know them. I do wonder why they never try to put it out there that any kind of major anniversary has come and try to appeal to the local media to run the story again. If they already know what happened then they have no reason to do this. Remember, this is all hypothetical. Police may be privy to concrete alibis that eliminated any involvement of her parents. I can only go with what knowledge I am given and no disrespect to the family.

In my prior long post I talked about what if Kelly never left NTV alive. Let's go from the angle that she did and everything Joe Henry says is true. If Kelly was the person who made the deposit and drove her car back to the spot it was found in the next morning with a flat tire, then you would think she might have needed to seek help if she was unable to change her tire. This is pre-cellphone era. This means she has to make a phone call by either going back into NTV or find a payphone. At that time I am sure there were probably payphones on the Gilmer square. Did the Gilmer PD look up all phone records of NTV and the nearest payphones at the time? Did they question all employees of businesses in walking distance that would be open at that time on Sunday night? If her purse was truly there and the car was unlocked it makes you think she did not think she would be away from the car long when whatever happened to her. If she's leaving with someone you think she would carry her purse with her and lock the car. If she decided to walk to her house you would think she would lock her car if she decided to not walk with her purse. I'm not completely sure of her house's location as I have seen it listed at 2 different places, either one not terribly far away, yet it would be complete dark at 8:30pm in January and possibly really cold (I don't know how the weather was that day).

In regards to the bank deposit video - many years have passed and technology has increased - can this footage be submitted to the FBI or NASA (yes, in crime TV shows I have seen where NASA uses their technology to help with criminal cases) to see if any more detail can be pulled from it?

 

[roadrunnermt]

We are having a candlelight/prayer vigil for Kelly on the anniversary date of her missing in January 5, 2023, at 5:30-6:30 at the old NTV video store where she was last seen. Candles will be provided. Bring chairs if wanted, lighters, and prayers!

Candlelight Vigil for Kelly Dae Wilson

Please join us for a candlelight/prayer vigil for Kelly Dae Wilson on the missing anniversary date of her disappearance on Thursday, January 5, 2023. This will be 31 years she has been missing and...

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[roadrunnermt]

We are having a candlelight/prayer vigil for Kelly on the anniversary date of her missing in January 5, 2023, at 5:30-6:30 at the old NTV video store where she was last seen. Candles will be provided. Bring chairs if wanted, lighters, and prayers!

Candlelight Vigil for Kelly Dae Wilson

Please join us for a candlelight/prayer vigil for Kelly Dae Wilson on the missing anniversary date of her disappearance on Thursday, January 5, 2023. This will be 31 years she has been missing and...

fb.me

 

[roadrunnermt]

The original candlelight event accidentally got canceled. Here is the correct link. Candlelight Vigil for Kelly Dae Wilson

 

[GuyfromCanada]

JAN 4

It's been 31 years — 31 years of questions, 31 years of rumors and 31 years of pain for one East Texas town.
On Jan. 5, 1992, around 8:30 p.m., Kelly Dae Wilson, then-17, walked out of her place of work, Northeast Texas Video, with her manager Joe Henry.

She then got into her car to make go to a nearby bank to drop off the nightly deposit. She was never seen or heard from again.

More at CONTROVERSY, CULTS & COPS: Kelly Wilson still missing 31 years later

 

[Itoluso]

Listen to the podcast called Devils Town on youtube. I am not the creator of this podcast. You will hear how ridiculous these arrests and cult stories sound. Look closer at the prominent people of Gilmer and I am not talking about James Brown.
The police were charging people with kidnapping, rape and murder with no body and circumstantial (very) evidence. How did the investigators come to this conclusion? How do you determine "rape" with no body or evidence?
I don't believe her family had anything to do with her disappearance. However, I do question the motives of the people involved in this investigation, however, not Sgt. Brown. I did not know him.
Even the Kerr family property investigation was absolutely debunked even though a cadaver dog was used. They dug up the property around a tree and found nothing.
This whole sham was a coverup for something far more sinister.

 

[roadrunnermt]

I’m curious why you’re ruling out Sgt Janes Brown? I haven’t been able to clear him yet. According to the group on Facebook Michael Biby who slashed Kelly’s tire says that Sgt Brown paid him to slash the tire. There are three Facebook groups for justice for Kelly.

I really don’t think Chris Denton did anything to Kelly. I don’t know why. I knew him during our junior/senior years and just don’t think he could have done anything to Kelly but then again no one likes to think their friends or family could do something to the victim.

I’m curious what Kelly was doing during Christmas break at her dads house. Where are her friends and ex boyfriend’s from Natchitoches?

 

[Codye91]

Just started listening to the podcast "Devil Town". I am getting familiar with the location of the disappearance by doing a quick google maps search. So is the bank still around? Or was it in the grass lot on the other side of the street? On google maps if I type "215 Titus st" it comes up on the side of the building adjacent "across the street" but a little further down the road looks to be a bank but is in the 300s address wise!! Another question I have is "where was her car actually found parked"? Was it behind the video store or parked right in front on the square? So many questions but these will help me with my surroundings!!