CA CA - Linda Lovell, 25, & Stephen Packard, 18, Westport, 10 June 1974

New Posts

burblestein said:
This is the sort of case that leaves one grasping for straws. I just finished reading Deadfall, in an attempt to see if John Annibel might have been a possible suspect for Linda and Steven's disappearance. Annibel, to summarize his history, lived in northern Mendo/southern Humboldt counties and was convicted of murdering Deborah Sloan (whose daughter Rachel also became a murder victim http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...docino-County-13-May-2013&highlight=Mendocino in 1998. He had also been a prime suspect in the disappearance of at least three young girls in the 1976 - 1988 period (including Georgia Pacheco
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...rt-Bragg-1-September-1988&highlight=Mendocino). My reasoning was that a serial killer would not restrain his violent nature for 10 years. However, as Annibel (born on 4 December 1957) was only 16 when Steve and Linda vanished, he seems a dubious suspect. Also, his MO seemed to be strangulation of lone girls/women, not couples. In other words, your basic woman-hating coward.
Click to expand...

(RBBM for clarity)

Exactly!
 
Just stopping by and thought I'd comment. My particular interest is Humboldt county, having lived there many years ago. So many have disappeared in the Emerald Triangle, so thanks for putting these Mendocino cases on WS, Burblestein. Good job!

Coleraine said:
Burblestein, I don't know if you've already seen this but I thought I'd point out that Linda's uncle has commented on Linda's record on the missingin.org site. He's looking for any up-to-date info on her case and offers to answer questions about her.

http://www.missingin.org/reg4904/linda_lee_lovell.htm
Click to expand...

burblestein said:
No, I didn't because I usually don't read comments. I just now submitted an email comment on the site, directed at her uncle. When approved, it should post. I have also already requested Linda's Missing Person Report from the Santa Maria Police. Next I will query other jurisdictions where she has been reported missing.

Another great catch by Coleraine!
Click to expand...

I don't see your comment, so I wonder if the site is still active.

I'm an avid comment reader myself and highly recommend it. :) Even though they can't usually be used on WS, they often bring up names and facts to research. I've learned a lot reading comments on Lost Coast Outpost (LoCO) over the years, even though I liken it to mucking about in a pigpen looking for a diamond. :D

Coleraine said:
I hope you hear from him. I know his post is from 2014 but perhaps he checks it from time to time. Sad news about Linda's mother, too, from the other comment by her cousin.
Click to expand...
BBM

It might be possible to contact him directly. I googled and found two possibilities in Arkansas. One in his late 50's and one in his late 70's. Even the younger one could be an uncle to a ten year old niece in a large family (Linda would be in her late 60's).
 
burblestein said:
This is the sort of case that leaves one grasping for straws. I just finished reading Deadfall, in an attempt to see if John Annibel might have been a possible suspect for Linda and Steven's disappearance. Annibel, to summarize his history, lived in northern Mendo/southern Humboldt counties and was convicted of murdering Deborah Sloan (whose daughter Rachel also became a murder victim http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...docino-County-13-May-2013&highlight=Mendocino in 1998. He had also been a prime suspect in the disappearance of at least three young girls in the 1976 - 1988 period (including Georgia Pacheco
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...rt-Bragg-1-September-1988&highlight=Mendocino). My reasoning was that a serial killer would not restrain his violent nature for 10 years. However, as Annibel (born on 4 December 1957) was only 16 when Steve and Linda vanished, he seems a dubious suspect. Also, his MO seemed to be strangulation of lone girls/women, not couples. In other words, your basic woman-hating coward.
Click to expand...
BBM

The Annibel family lived (and still lives I believe) on the same road above Myers Flat that we traveled to reach our property back in the day (1969-84). We lived about a mile apart, and although we didn't know them personally, we knew of them in passing. In fact, one of John's friends mentioned in Deadfall lived across the road from us.

Although I agree that JA is not a likely suspect given his age and MO, he did have an older sibling of dubious character (rumor). Thinking outside the box (aka grasping at straws :)), IF Linda and Stephen left Westport alive, it's only about two hours to Myers Flat on Hiway 101 if they hitched a good ride. Hidden Springs Campground, one mile south of Myers Flat on the Avenue of the Giants, would have been an idyllic place to stay. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that they might have stopped for supplies at the small store in Myers Flat, encountered the Annibels, hitched a ride toward the campground and disappeared. A first kill wouldn't necessarily have to fit the MO of later ones, but could serve as an "inspiration" for the rest.

Again, just grasping at straws. What a sad case. :(

http://nextcampsite.com/humboldt-redwoods-state-park-hidden-springs-campground/
 
Lilibet, it's as reasonable a scenario as anything thus far in this case.

Can you share any insights into Annibel(s) from your neighborly existence with them?
 
I must admit that since I began in WS I have changed my attitude towards Comments sections. I won't base anything I post on a comment, but I find them useful for suggesting new sources of info. It seems that the Emerald Triangle grapevine is sometimes more informative than supposedly more reliable sources.
 
burblestein said:
Lilibet, it's as reasonable a scenario as anything thus far in this case.

Can you share any insights into Annibel(s) from your neighborly existence with them?
Click to expand...

I think we could come up with almost any scenario except aliens that would work!

Mainly I just remember their name and knew they lived on Fruitland Ridge. We didn't have any interaction with them. My husband recalls them as being kind of a rough country family, but not from first hand knowledge, just reputation and nothing specific. Reading comments on non MSM sites about JA gives a similar impression with more details.

Where we lived was mostly populated by families who had lived there for many years. Some were solid country people and some were more lawless. Gradually, city people like us bought property and did the "back to the land" thing. We learned a lot from the old timers at our end of the road and they were all good neighbors. We didn't branch out and get to know people who lived further away from us like the Annibels (maybe a mile). But we knew the names of most of the families living in the area at first even if we didn't know them personally.

Ultimately, after 15 years we left for Oregon, mostly because of the increase in marijana growing and the danger it brought with it...some of it too close for comfort.
 
burblestein said:
I must admit that since I began in WS I have changed my attitude towards Comments sections. I won't base anything I post on a comment, but I find them useful for suggesting new sources of info. It seems that the Emerald Triangle grapevine is sometimes more informative than supposedly more reliable sources.
Click to expand...

Yes, the grapevine is great. I've even seen commenters help families of missing people know where to look. In at least one case they hit the bulls eye! I've pretty much given up on the Eureka MSM. All the alternative news sources like John Chiv (covers court news), The Northcoast Journal, Mad River Union, Kym Kemp and LoCO cover crime more thoroughly, and the comments round it out. Fortunately, the mods understand the poor MSM reporting in Humboldt. :)
 
Situation down here in Mendoland is bit different. We still have small town newspapers down here for MSM, and they have gone online as well. The Comments sections to these (kinda) MSM websites were the ones I was referring to. As well, there is LaCoNews online from Lakeport whose coverage sometimes extends over here. And, as you have noted, the inimitable Kym Kemp reports northern Mendo Cty news online. And yet out here on the fringes of both society and internet, we still depend on the world's oldest means of communication--gossip/rumor.
 
Stephen attended Princeton Day School in Princeton, NJ. He can be found in class and sporting teams photos (as can his father whom was head of the English department) at - http://www.digifind-it.com/princetonday/yearbooks.php#

His father passed away in 2011. If you google "George V. Packard" there is links to the books he wrote and various biographies.
 
Very interesting, katgirl. Do you have a better link to share? I tried this one, and found myself using a
Search function that turned up his dad, but I didn't spot him.
 
burblestein said:
Very interesting, katgirl. Do you have a better link to share? I tried this one, and found myself using a
Search function that turned up his dad, but I didn't spot him.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately the search function doesn't seem to search the names under class and team photos so I have attached screenshots. His siblings can also be found in the yearbooks, which is how I verified it was him. Screenshot_20180214-150820.jpgScreenshot_20180214-132756.jpgScreenshot_20180214-123518.jpg

Sent from my SM-T355Y using Tapatalk
 
burblestein said:
Very interesting, katgirl. Do you have a better link to share? I tried this one, and found myself using a
Search function that turned up his dad, but I didn't spot him.
Click to expand...
I also found a more indepth article, in a book by the same author as the 1977 New York Times piece, it's longer but mainly focuses on Steve's mother's life. Interestingly there is no mention of the June 10th departure date and instead states it was a sunny Saturday morning in June that the pair departed. Also that Steve's sister's boyfriend was electrocuted four days after Steve and Linda left, not four days before.

Perhaps, the June 10th date was an error and instead it should have been the 1st, which would tie in much better with the statement, both present in the NY Times article or the longer article by the same author, that Steve was writing home to his mother roughly every three days for three weeks, before the postcards stopped.

Sent from my SM-T355Y using Tapatalk
 
Linda received a Liberal Arts degree from the University of Montana-Missoula in 1970.

List of those who received degrees can be found here.
 
I came across this photo in the 1975 Princeton Day School yearbook, and I wondered if it could be Stephen. It's probably not, but it would be good to have a picture that shows his hair was lighter than it looks in the three photos that are on NAMUS etc.
80981cdaa645ea6a0fa41c24ec324325.jpg
7286bc14a8bd7c40d74c763380285311.jpg


Sent from my SM-T355Y using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

DNASolves

Who is Escambia County John Doe (1989)?

Staff online

Members online

... and 140 more.
Total: 4,409 (members: 141, guests: 4,268)

Online statistics

Members online
141
Guests online
4,268
Total visitors
4,409
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
592,386
Messages
17,968,259
Members
228,764
Latest member
GreyFishOmen
Back
Top