FL FL - Jean Stewart, 16, Miami Lakes, 25 March 1980

Jean Marie Stewart
Missing since March 25, 1980 from Miami Lakes, Dade County, Florida.
Classification: Endangered Missing



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Vital Statistics

Date Of Birth: April 6, 1963
Age at Time of Disappearance: 16 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'2; 110 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian. Brown hair; brown eyes. Very small framed, but large busted.
Marks, Scars, Tattoos: Stewart has a scar on the underside of her right arm and a tattoo of a rose on her right upper arm.
Clothing: Stewart was last seen wearing jeans and a flowered shirt.
Dentals: She has protruding upper front teeth.


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Circumstances of Disappearance
Stewart was last seen in Miami Lakes, Florida on March 25, 1980. She was standing outside a 7-11 convenience store in Cypress Village at the time. Stewart was scheduled, and had purchased a plane ticket, to return to Pittsburgh PA (her hometown!) for a family wedding. It is not known if she ever arrived at her supposed destination.
The night before she was to leave, her friends had a going away party for her. A friend picked her up to bring her back to the house when she wanted to stop at the convenience store. The friend went in to make her purchase, as she had already removed her shoes. He was inside only minutes (there were no other customers) and when he returned, she was gone. Her purse, shoes and money were all still in the car. She never returned to the house to get money, ticket or other belongings. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance.



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Investigators
If you have any information concerning Stewart's case, please contact:
Miami Dade Police Department
Domestic Crimes Unit
305-418-7200
You may remain anonymous when submitting information to any agency.

Agency Case Number:
94502A

NCIC Number:
M-110831180
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

Source Information:
The National Center For Missing and Exploited



there are photos and age enhancements available here

http://www.doenetwork.org/153dffl


Jean Marie was my foster sister and we are still looking for her. March 2005 it will be twenty five years, and we still need some answers.

Jean's birth family in Pgh, Pa. was having a family wedding (Jean's sister). Jean was very excited about going "home" and seeing her family. She was also very excited becasue she was going home in "style. My family had bought her a whole new wardrobe, a round trip plane ticket, and several presents for her family. She also had a few hundred dollars in her room for pocket money for her trip. The night before she was to leave by plane from Miami, some local friends threw her a party. My brother took her, it was a couple blocks from our home.
She had a nice time, but wanted to leave the party early so she could be ready to go early in the morning.
My brother started to take her home and Jean asked him to stop at the convenience store that was on the way home. Jean had already taken her shoes off (a very common habit of hers. Her feet were heavily calloused as a result. She was barefoot more often the shod) so she asked my brother to go into the store and buy her cigarettes (I know! I know!) There were no other customers in the store and it took less than two minutes to make the purchase. When my brother returned to the car, Jean was gone. Her shoes, purse, makeup bag were all still in the car. Just Jean was gone.

This neighborhood is very upscale, we lived on the golf course. The Miami Dolphins all lived there, Don Shula, etc. Very nice neighborhood and very safe ( in theory). However, it is also close to an interstate 826 that leads to I95 within a couple of miles.

Jean left behind all her new clothes, her round trip plane ticket (worth a few hundred dollars if cashed in) her money, purse, makeup bag (something she took from room to room with her usually). There has never been another word from her, and she never made her family wedding.

The police seemed to think that Jean had run away at first, although that never made much sense to anyone of us. Why not take her money, at least?
Eventually LE decided she was endangered.

This area is the same area where Christopher Wilder took several of his victims, a couple years later. Christopher's first suspected victims were in Australia in the early seventies, but by the late seventies, he was living in Boca RAton, just north of Miami Lakes. Tiffany Sessions, Rosario Gonzalez are some of his suspected victims as well.

I don't know if Wilder was involved. What I do know is that Jean would not have left behind all her possessions. She was a frou-frou girl, always had her hair, nails, makeup just so. Definetly not the kind of girl who would enjoy roughing it on the road. Jean was so excited to be going home and showing her family how successful she was in Miami.

She was scheduled to take her driver's license test and my dad had promised to buy her a car. I just have never believed she would walk away from all this.

Any ideas anyone has would be greatly appreciated. This March will be 25 years, and I am hoping to get an article in the local papers regarding her disappearance. I have never stopped looking for her and I never will.Thanks for listening!

Lauran, I have sent you a private message, you can retrieve it here

With love and HOPE, Lanie

The new link for Jean at Doe can be found here

MPCCN

For The Lost

NCMEC bulletin

Printable flyer

Please post in local businesses and anywhere you deem appropriate, and thanks.

With love and HOPE, Lanie

I appreciate the help with the links. some of this computer stuff is way beyond my experience. Any ideas anyone has would be greatly appreciated...even if it is just theories and speculation. Lauran

monkalup said:

I appreciate the help with the links. some of this computer stuff is way beyond my experience. Any ideas anyone has would be greatly appreciated...even if it is just theories and speculation. Lauran

Click to expand...

I've received your message on e-mail and when I hit reply, I get this message

Hi. This is the qmail-send program at yahoo.com.
I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following
addresses.
This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out.

<xxxxx.xxxxxx.com>:
(*advertiser censored*.*advertiser censored*.*advertiser censored*.xx) does not like recipient.
Remote host said: 550-"The recipient cannot be verified. Please check
all recipients of this
550 message to verify they are valid."
Giving up on *advertiser censored*.*advertiser censored*.*advertiser censored*.xx.

Please contact me again at this address
HelpForTheMissing@yahoo.com OR MissingProfiles@yahoo.com
OR Kelly at Kelly.Jolkowski@projectjason.org and make sure we have another way to contact you (a phone number, perhaps) to network Jean's case, in case the e-mail does not go through again.

Thanks for contacting me, I'll be looking for your e-mail.
Many prayers for Jean, and for answers and soon.

With love and HOPE, Lanie

http://www3.fdle.state.fl.us/fdle/mpersons_res_detail.asp?item_seq=182846

Please note: for some reason, the FDLE site lists Jean's info as being entered in 1998. I assume that is when they entered the infomation to their website, not when she was listed as missing. She was reported missing the same evening she disappeared. We were not required to wait the "mysterious" 24 hour period back in 1980.

monkalup said:

http://www3.fdle.state.fl.us/fdle/mpersons_res_detail.asp?item_seq=182846

Please note: for some reason, the FDLE site lists Jean's info as being entered in 1998. I assume that is when they entered the infomation to their website, not when she was listed as missing. She was reported missing the same evening she disappeared. We were not required to wait the "mysterious" 24 hour period back in 1980.

Click to expand...

Most of the missing person websites only go back to the late 1990's. Of course some of the organizations like NCMEC have existed much longer. More and more older cases are being entered into those data bases daily. There are still many old missing persons, unsolved cases, and unidentified bodies which have not been entered into any website.

One of the big disparities is that some websites, like the DOENETWORK will only enter a Missing Person Case after seven years have gone by. Another is that "solved" cases tend to be filed away and forgotten, when knowing about some of them could shine light on some of the "unsolved" ones.

Richard said:

Most of the missing person websites only go back to the late 1990's. Of course some of the organizations like NCMEC have existed much longer. More and more older cases are being entered into those data bases daily. There are still many old missing persons, unsolved cases, and unidentified bodies which have not been entered into any website.

One of the big disparities is that some websites, like the DOENETWORK will only enter a Missing Person Case after seven years have gone by. Another is that "solved" cases tend to be filed away and forgotten, when knowing about some of them could shine light on some of the "unsolved" ones.

Click to expand...

Doenetwork now has a sister site, North American Missing Persons network. that will cover more recent cases.

I do agree that there are clues to be gleaned from some old solved cases...especially those possibloy involving serial killers like Christopher Wilder, who's total victim count remains unknown, and several of his suspected victims remain missing.

This Doe has been one of those thought perhaps to be Jean. An interested retired LE from the area has gone through stacks of reports of the missing and Jean remains on his short list as a possible match. So far, we are getting nowhere in getting these two compared, although both LE depts are aware of the possibility.

http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/183ufmn.html

What do you think? The calloused feet would fit...as would much of the rest of the stats. :-(

Do the clothes match up?? And the jewelry?
Obviously the perp could've lied.

Julie said:

Do the clothes match up?? And the jewelry?
Obviously the perp could've lied.

Click to expand...

The "inside" info on this guy was that he agreed to confess to killing Miss Blue Earth in exchange for being transferred back to prison in MN, where he wanted to be. He faced no addition time for this crime. he had plenty of reason to tell stories regarding this case.

lanie, you and the rest of the kind souls here inspired me. And gave me the courage to try this. I have created a website for Jean of her own. it is not complete, but I wanted to share. thank you all for your kind words of advice and support.

http://jeanmariestewart.freeservers.com

I hope you can find the answers you are looking for. 25 years is a long time to wonder. It seems that she just vanished in the blink of an eye. I can't see why the police thought she ran away unless they just assumed that since she was a foster child that she was unstable but that doesn't seen to be the case. How long did it take for her case to go from runaway to endagered? Is her family in Pittsburg involved in the search as well? Are there any suspects at all besides Wilder? Did you brother notice if anyone was following him and was anyone at the party questioned? Sorry for all the questions, there were just a few things I was wondering about.

BTW, good job on the website for Jean! It will help get the word out.

Nice website Monkalup.
How weird is this? She just disappeared into thin air in 2 minutes?? Did she have a boyfriend or anything?
Your brother or the clerk didn't hear any tires screeching or anything?
I believe whoever took her was someone she knew, maybe she got out of the car to walk over to theirs to talk to them and they snatched her. Maybe an ex boyfriend or something. Did the police talk to the people at the party? Maybe something went on there??

2sisters said:

I hope you can find the answers you are looking for. 25 years is a long time to wonder. It seems that she just vanished in the blink of an eye. I can't see why the police thought she ran away unless they just assumed that since she was a foster child that she was unstable but that doesn't seen to be the case. How long did it take for her case to go from runaway to endagered? Is her family in Pittsburg involved in the search as well? Are there any suspects at all besides Wilder? Did you brother notice if anyone was following him and was anyone at the party questioned? Sorry for all the questions, there were just a few things I was wondering about.

BTW, good job on the website for Jean! It will help get the word out.

Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the kind words. and no problem with the questions. I am just thrilled to get people wondering about her.

The main reason that I think LE believed she had run away was her impending trip. She was living with us because her family was going through some difficulties. She wasn't technically a foster child, that is she was not in the system. She was living with us with the persmission of her birth family and my mother had medical rights, etc. But that very "unorthodoxy" may have led LE to believe she was unahppy with us. She truly did not seem to be.

It took several years for Jean's status to change from runaway to endangered...foul play suspected. About the time that she would have been an adult.

Her family in Pgh was involved in the search actively at first. I have not heard from them in some time, and unfortunately LE no longer knows how to reach them either. It is more than possible that her parents have passed away, but she did have several younger siblings. Unfortunately much of Jean's original file with LE has gone missing as well. We had foolishly given them all the photos we had, and they are missing as well. I keep hoping something will turn up...


Years ago, True Detective magazine featured Jean on the upper corner of the front cover, with her first age enhancement photo. I lost my copy in Hurricane Andrew, but if I caqn find another copy, there is an article in that edition that quotes her folks and gives more information about them. I keep looking for that as well.

LE has never shared any theories with us as to suspects. Wilder comes up because of the timing, location and circumstances are so similar to his crimes. There are so many similar missing girls from South Fla during this time frame that it is hard to believe there was not a serial killer, or more than one, involved.

Yes, everyone at the party was questioned, in case Jean had said anything to anyone. There were only six people there, it was a small going away party for Jean. She was in good spirits and n o one said they saw/heard aything out of the ordinary. Indeed, they all reported that she was excited to be going home and was bragging that she was going to show off her new clothes, etc. She was really quite pleased that she had been doing so well, and was very much looking forward to going home to visit.

We had discussed with her the possibility of her remaining at home. We told her she was welcome to do whatever she liked, and gave her a round trip ticket so that she would know she was welcome to come back to us. She told us then that she wanted to go back to visit in Pgh but that she did not want to stay there. She was looking forward to finishing her driver's ed course and getting her license.

The party was just a couple blocks from the store, and a couple more blocks to our home. My brother noticed nothihg, but within minutes if her disappearance, we were all out looking for her. I come from a very large family and within ten minutes, there were a dozen of us out looking, in separate cars.
This shopping plaza is well lit, near the entrance to the country club. and rather busy. This would make it seem that it woulb be hard for someone to lurk, but the golf course would make it easier for someone to hide near by. Jean disappeared around 9 PM.
Sorry for going on and on. I hope I answered your questions. Thank you again for your interest! Lauran

Julie said:

Nice website Monkalup.
How weird is this? She just disappeared into thin air in 2 minutes?? Did she have a boyfriend or anything?
Your brother or the clerk didn't hear any tires screeching or anything?
I believe whoever took her was someone she knew, maybe she got out of the car to walk over to theirs to talk to them and they snatched her. Maybe an ex boyfriend or something. Did the police talk to the people at the party? Maybe something went on there??

Click to expand...

We had only been in Fla for about six months. There was no hint of any boyfriend, other than her crush on my brother, perhaps. And yes, all the party goers were questioned and cleared, as was my brother. I have often wondered if it wasn't someone from her school that she would not have been afraid to approach, but as far as we could ever discover, they were all as freaked out as we were. The proximity to the highway is a problem in terms of a getaway route and in terms of noise. You got so used to hearing cars you paid no attention. It is a good theory that it may have been someone she knew, or someone who used a ruse. She was young and inexperienced. she was also one of those "pretty" girls who fuss over their looks and might have been easy prey for a ploy like Christopher Wilder and many others have used. "you look just like a model...can I take your picture?"

monkalup,

Are there any other pictures of Jean available?
(besides the age progressed)

zzziiinnnggg said:

monkalup,

Are there any other pictures of Jean available?
(besides the age progressed)

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, we gave LE every p hoto we had way back when. it never occured to us to keep copies. Indeed, over the years when I would come across another, i wold send to LE. Over the years, they have been lost, they tell me.

I currently have every friend I still know from that time looking through their photo albums on the off chance they have a photo somewhere. Still looking.

There were additional photos published in a True Detective Mag at one point, but I lost just about everything like that in Hurricane Andrew.

Understand that over the years, there have been at least ten different officer I have had contact with in Miami-Dade LE.

Thanks for looking, Lauran

I made another atempt. This one is easier to read, I think. But I must wait seven days to add a guestbook to the site. Let me know what you think. and thanks for all your support. You guys are great! Lauran

http://www.freewebs.com/searchjeanstewart/index.htm