MO MO - Judy Tolane Wardrip, 29, Bethany, 10 Dec 1984

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Judy was last seen at 12:00 noon on 12-10-1984 at her place of employment, The Bethany Motel, in Bethany, Mo. She took no clothing, money or jewelry. Her Lhasa Apso dog was missing as well. Judy talks with a lisp and wears prescription eyeglasses.



https://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/mpphotos/A1001001A09H31B33024J901061.pdf

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/w/wardrip_judy.html

http://www.missingin.org/reg1658/judy_tolane_wardrip.htm
 
This is the obituary for her father from the St. Joe News Press. It lists Judy as a survivor. However, on the funeral home website for her father it lists her as both as a survivor and preceding her father in death.

BETHANY, Mo. - James "Tobe" Edward Wardrip, eldest of 11 children of James and Lois (Nelson) Wardrip, was born on September 29, 1918, and departed this earth on January 6, 2010, at the age of 91 years, four months, and six days.\r\nHe was married to Lula Mae Fountain in 1950. To this union two daughters were born: Janet Stratton and husband, Joel, of Bethany, Mo.; and Judy Tolane Wardrip.\r\nHe is survived by Merle Louella of the home, and step son, Danny; daughters, Janet and Judy; sister, Marilyn Jones of King City, Mo.; brother, Marvin Wardrip of the Phillipines; and a host of nephews, nieces, and good friends.\r\nPreceding him in death were his wife, Lula Mae in 1980; parents, James and Lois (Nelson) Wardrip; sisters, Irene, Louise, Josephine, and Geraldine; brothers, Joe, Clifford, Lee, and Uncle Carl.\r\nJim served four years in the U.S. Air Force. He was a carpenter. He drove a school bus. Jim built several houses in Bethany and he built the Bethany Skating Rink, later turned into the Bethany Motel, and operated it until he retired at the age of 62. He moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, for the next 16 years, returning to Bethany, Mo. in 1998 to be near his daughter, Janet.\r\nJames and Merle Louella returned to Texas to spend many happy years in the winter months for the last nine years. They loved to dance and listen to country music.\r\nHe shall be deeply missed by his family.\r\nFuneral Services will be 1 p.m. Saturday, January 9, at the Roberson Funeral Home, Bethany, Mo., with burial in Miriam Cemetery, Bethany, Mo.
 
The Disappearance of Judy Wardrip story with pictures of motel
The Disappearance of Judy Wardrip

Bethany, Missouri is a farming town that sits in Missouri’s northwest corner. The county seat of Harrison County, which touches the Iowa border, Bethany boasts a population of slightly over 3,000. While the population is small compared to the nearest large cities like Kansas City and Des Moines (both of which are over an hour away), Bethany’s population is big in comparison to neighboring towns such as Eagleville, King City, and Albany. Due to its size and unique location directly off major Interstate I-35 and Hwy 69, Bethany houses national restaurant chains such as Subway and McDonald’s and also features the only Wal-Mart within a thirty-mile radius.

Bethany also offers several places for visitors to stay, and in 1980, one of them was the Bethany Motel. A small establishment with only 18 rooms, it had previously been the Bethany Skating Rink. James “Tobe” Wardrip, a local carpenter, had built the rink and decided to convert it. The motel’s location was perfect—while outside of city limits, it was near Hwy 69. It proved to be a smart business decision.

Described by a family member as a “man’s man” who resembled cowboy legend Roy Rogers, Wardrip was an Air Force veteran who served during World War II. Wardrip ran the motel until he turned 62, when he chose to retire. It was then that he turned over all operations of the motel to his oldest daughter, Janet. Tobe had two daughters and his youngest, Judy, who went by her middle name “Tolane”, was living in Kansas City at the time. Having graduated from a community college in Kansas City, she was working at a large motel. She left her job and moved back to Bethany to help her sister manage the motel. With his daughters in charge, Tobe retired to Corpus Christi, Texas. It was there that his daughter Judy came to visit him for several days in December of 1984.

On December 9th, Judy returned to Missouri. Since being given control of the motel, Janet and Judy had found the job time consuming—the two young women were in charge of all aspects of the operation—from checking in guests to maintaining rooms. They alternated running the motel by working in shifts, which left little time for themselves. But in what spare time Judy did have, she maintained a relationship with her boyfriend, Irving Pavlak, a divorced welder who was several years her senior. Pavlak resided in Texas and although Judy’s father didn’t approve of Pavlak, the relationship continued. Judy also spent time riding her motorcycle and she loved animals. On the morning of the 10th, the petite blonde, dressed in a simple shirt and pants, returned to the motel to take her shift, bringing along her dog, a Lhasa Apso named “Moppett”.

Janet had enrolled in a photography class in Kansas City and left early on the morning of the 10th. She spent the day there and did not return to Bethany until later that night when it was time to take her shift at the motel. Upon arriving, Janet went to look for Judy. After not finding her in the office she began to search the rooms. It was not long until she realized that Judy was missing—something that was out of character for Judy. Judy was not one to leave the motel for long periods of time. The weather in Missouri in December can be bitterly cold, and Janet doubted that Judy had left to take Moppett for a walk. While the sisters sometimes took breaks to go out and get something to eat, Judy’s car was still in the parking lot. Her purse, the 38 caliber Smith and Wesson the women kept, and money in the cash drawer were still in place. The only trace of Judy, along with her belongings, was a half a cup of coffee in the room that Judy had apparently been cleaning. The television was still playing in the room.

Janet contacted the local sheriff’s office. In the following days, several searches were conducted. Police searched the motel freezers, the adjoining lake, and questioned the motel guests, none of whom seemed to offer any clues about Judy’s disappearance. No one had heard anything that was out of the ordinary that day such as Judy screaming or her dog barking. There was no sign of any struggle on the motel property. It was as if Judy had taken her dog and simply disappeared.

Upon hearing of Judy’s disappearance, Tobe returned to Missouri. He became sick on the plane, overcome at the thought of his daughter missing and cried all the way from the airport to their home in Bethany. Over the next several days, he would distribute thousands of posters around northwest Missouri, hoping that someone could give some type of clue as to what happened to Judy. He felt that she would not leave of her own free will and that she must have been abducted.

While Tobe circulated flyers, Janet was left to manage the motel alone—something she at times felt was unbearable. To make matters worse, at the time of Judy’s disappearance, Judy was involved in a lawsuit related to a traffic accident that had occurred in Kansas City. At the time of the accident, Judy was not insured. Though Judy was missing, the defendant in the case chose to press on with litigation. Janet was forced to reach a settlement.

Days turned into weeks, and there was no sign of Judy. Several scenarios were tossed around. Had someone travelling on Hwy 69 (nicknamed by truckers the “Ho Chi Minh Trail”) taken Judy when they stopped at the motel? If so, why would the dog have been taken as well?

Though Judy’s mother had committed suicide a few years prior after suffering from depression, Judy showed no signs of being depressed. While the holidays were near, Judy had recently bought Christmas presents for her friends, which appeared to show she had every intention of celebrating the holidays.


Janet Stratton is now nearly 70 years old. Nearly thirty-four years after her sister’s disappearance, she still struggles with not knowing what happened to Judy. While she feels Judy must have been taken by someone she knew (because there was no sign of struggle and Judy’s dog also went missing), there are no definite answers. She has never been contacted by anyone offering any type of information. The only one to call and check to see about Judy’s case was her boyfriend. Pavlak called Janet a few days after Judy went missing. She has not heard from him since.

The sisters were close, and Janet feels that if Judy had left to start a new life she would have contacted her long before now. Also, with her purse and identification left behind, it would have been difficult for Judy to start her life over.

Tobe Wardrip died in 2010, never knowing what happened to his daughter.

Judy Wardrip
Judy-Wardrip-.jpg

Source: Janet Stratton
The Harrison County Sheriff’s office still considers this a missing persons case. At the time of her disappearance, Judy was 29 years old. If you have information on this case, please contact the Harrison County Sheriff’s office at (660) 425-3199.
 
In April 2022 Harry Greenwell was identified as the man responsible for the murders of 3 hotel clerks at hotels along the i65 between 1987 and 1990. He was also identified as the attacker of a woman in Minnesota in 1991. The identification was by DNA from the offences and DNA genealogy. He had died in 2013. Police have said he is suspected of being responsible for other cases (but have not named them). He had a criminal record across the mid west so, whilst the known murders were on the i65 there is no reason to think this would have limited his activity. He was also active long before the first murder, having a record going back to the mid-60s when he was circa 20. He had been released from a prison sentence for burglary in 1983 so was free in 1984. The only problems with Greenwell as a suspect are the money being left since his motives included robbery and that the three known victims were not missing but rapidly found. But that does not preclude other unknown victims who may also be missing or that something may have happened to interrupt him before he found the money.
I am not sure he is the man, but he certainly bears investigation - specifically where he was and what he was doing at the time.
 
In April 2022 Harry Greenwell was identified as the man responsible for the murders of 3 hotel clerks at hotels along the i65 between 1987 and 1990. He was also identified as the attacker of a woman in Minnesota in 1991. The identification was by DNA from the offences and DNA genealogy. He had died in 2013. Police have said he is suspected of being responsible for other cases (but have not named them). He had a criminal record across the mid west so, whilst the known murders were on the i65 there is no reason to think this would have limited his activity. He was also active long before the first murder, having a record going back to the mid-60s when he was circa 20. He had been released from a prison sentence for burglary in 1983 so was free in 1984. The only problems with Greenwell as a suspect are the money being left since his motives included robbery and that the three known victims were not missing but rapidly found. But that does not preclude other unknown victims who may also be missing or that something may have happened to interrupt him before he found the money.
I am not sure he is the man, but he certainly bears investigation - specifically where he was and what he was doing at the time?
 

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