GA GA - Mary Susan Humphrey, 23, Valdosta, 30 May 1980

[gatetrekker44]

I thought I would post this as one of the most enduring unsolved murders that I have some personal knowledge of. It occurred in Valdosta, GA on Memorial Day weekend in 1979. Mary was a newly assigned airman who I met when she reported to the AFB dental clinic after arrival. Since her dental record did not accompany her, I was responsible for creating a new one and making sure xrays were done and all info was charted as to missing teeth, existing fillings, etc. This record became extremely important because shortly after she arrived on base, she disappeared seemingly without a trace. In July of 1979, a hunter found human remains in a shallow grave wrapped in a bedspread. Since Mary had been listed as AWOL by the Air Force and reported to local authorities as missing, the body was brought to the base for possible ID. Xrays were taken and the remains were positively ID'd as Marys. Her skull showed evidence of massive blunt force trauma. Within a few weeks, a male airman was charged with her murder and spent nearly a year in jail before trial. He was subsequently acquitted(and he should have been, local LE was looking for a "quick" conviction to clear the case) and as far as I know, this case is still open and unsolved. During my time stationed at said AFB, I heard persistent rumors regarding the brother of an active-duty airman who went missing shortly after Mary disappeared and who was rumored to have been involved in her murder(he was NOT in the military!)-and who was known to have owned a bedspread similiar to the one her remains were found in. Please understand that any errors in this account are strictly my responsibility since it was over 25 years ago and memories can play tricks. And yes, this is the SAME Valdosta, GA where Nancy Grace's fiancee was murdered. I am interested in hearing any theories and/or additional info that may be out there.

 

[gatetrekker44]

Looking for anyone who lived in South Georgia-especially the Valdosta area when this murder occurred. Or anyone who was stationed at Moody AFB during this time frame. I firmly believe that someone out there has info that may finally resolve this case. Mary deserves to have her killer brought to justice. So check with your friends and family and see if anyone has any info!

 

[sharon25]

Did you contact the local police about the information? or did you ever inform anyone of the rumors that you heard? who knows, maybe no one has ever mentioned the guy you think could have possibly done this, to the right people.

good luck
sharon

 

[gatetrekker44]

This information did come out at the trial(as far as I can recall)-but since LE believed that they had the correct perp on trial, nothing was done. And by the time the airman charged was found innocent, this individual had been "in the wind" for months-and I don't believe LE made a big effort to locate him-after all, they had just been SERIOUSLY embarrassed by the acquittal of their prime supect who had been held in jail more than a year without bond before the trial started. And they had cost this young man his USAF career-I think they just wanted it all to "go quietly away". :behindbar



Bring Maura home!

 

[gatetrekker44]

Just giving a bump for Mary-hoping that someone out there in cyberspace may have some info!


Bring Maura home!

 

[gatetrekker44]

still hoping for info-anything would be great. Especially from military who were at Moody and remember this case!


Bring Maura home!

 

[gatetrekker44]

Hoping that some of the new sleuths may have some info.

 

[Innocent]

The male airman actually only spent nearly 3 months in jail. I was arrested on July 14th and the trial finished on October 9th. Some points of interest in this case are that the car supposedly used to transport the body to where it was found was never searched for evidence, and the last person to see Mary alive, who testified that she left his apartment in tears at 2:00a that morning because he refused to give her a ride home, was never investigated. Also of interest is that a former boyfriend of Mary's who was known to have "slapped her around" was also never investigated.

 

[GOLDHEARTNUMB]

I'm confused Innocent. Are you the individual that they charged?

Another Georgia woman was listed as AWOL from the Army in December of 1969 and has never been found as well. There is a thread for her here as well.

Interesting how the military will list them as AWOL and then sends a warrant out to the LE in their hometowns, but doesn't do very much to locate or to accertain why they are AWOL in the first place.

It would be nice to get some names or more information about this case.

 

[Jodibug]

Thank you for joining us, Innocent. I hope you stick around!

I look forward to reading more of your posts!

 

[GOLDHEARTNUMB]

gatetrekker44


Have you tried posting on military.com ? You might want to search a little through it's site. I found it helpful when my Dad was looking for people he had been in Germany with while he was in the Army.

 

[Innocent]

Yes, I am the individual they charged. There were 5 of us at the time that took polygraph tests. According to the state's "expert" I was "being deceitful", and the judge in the case allowed my results, and only mine, to be used in court. According to the experts my defense team had to bring in, who had administered a few thousand more tests than the state's expert (40,000 for one, 20,000 for the other, compared to less than 200 for the state's expert) there were 2 others who registered as being untruthful, while they interpreted my results to be inconclusive at best. Those other 2 test results were not allowed by the judge in the trial, but mine was. Currently no state in the country allows polygraph tests to be used as evidence in a criminal trial, because the results are very subjective to interpretation by the professional administering the test. The entire evidence presented in the trial consisted of the fact that Mary and I had been dating and broke up the day before she went missing, and, of course, the polygraph test results. There was no physical evidence linking me to the crime, and, in fact there were witnesses who placed me 50 miles away at the time she was last seen. The trial lasted 1 week and the jury deliberated for 1 hour before returning a not guilty verdict. I didn't even have time to sit down and get nervous during the jury's deliberations before they called us back in for the verdict. This cold case is currently being actively investigated, as it is the only unsolved murder case in the history of Berrien County, GA. I am hopeful that soon this case will be solved and the murderer brought to justice.

 

[GOLDHEARTNUMB]

Thanks for the clarification Innocent.

 

[Trino]

Wow. I'm overwhelmed by the case. Innocent, I truly believe you are innocent, and I'm very sorry this cost your career. Thank God that a jury acquitted you.

 

[ctman]

in 2007 I was contacted by the OSI and GBI in regards to this cold case I was interiviewed in my home about an individual who they liked for the crime. At the time of the trial he was my roommate . I was an airman at Moody AFB but had arrived there after the murder and met this individual after as well I cant seem to find much about the case on the internet
The GBI contacted me in late 2007 while they were in the middle of interviewing this man I knew asking if i could remember anything else they told me he would submit to a dna test and lie detector i have not heard from them since

 

[ctman]

I was contacted by GBI and OSI inregards to this case I was aquinted with a suspect in this case. They are opening up this cold caseWould anyone have info inregards to it

 

[ctman]

I was contacted by GBI and OSI inregards to this case I was aquinted with a suspect in this case. They are opening up this cold caseWould anyone have info inregards to it

in 2007 I was contacted by the OSI and GBI in regards to this cold case I was interiviewed in my home about an individual who they liked for the crime. At the time of the trial he was my roommate . I was an airman at Moody AFB but had arrived there after the murder and met this individual after as well I cant seem to find much about the case on the internet
The GBI contacted me in late 2007 while they were in the middle of interviewing this man I knew asking if i could remember anything else they told me he would submit to a dna test and lie detector i have not heard from them since

 

[Richard]

At least Mary's body was found, making this a murder case rather than just a missing person case. When a serviceman or woman simply is missing, they are declared a deserter and unless they are later found, no VA or military benefits can be paid to the family.

Sounds like they are still trying to solve the case. It would be nice if they can for the sake of Mary's family.

 

[Richard]

I have been unable to find any further information about this case. Does any one know the exact spelling of the victim's name and the exact date of her murder?

 

[Bluecat]

http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=8643150&clienttype=printable

According to the above article, her full correct name is Mary Susan Humphrey.

An excerpt:
Mary Susan Humphrey was last seen by friends on Friday, May 30, 1980 in Valdosta, Georgia after leaving Grego's, which was a popular night club in the 80's, with a male she met that night. Humphrey was a Moody Air Force Base Airman First Class assigned as an air traffic controller who lived off base near Walker's Crossing. Humphrey left the bar and went to the man's apartment off Forrest Street in Valdosta. The man told officers that Humphrey wanted to go home around 3:00 a.m. and she left his apartment walking down Forrest Street near Park Avenue.

This article is 2 years old...she is not listed in their unsolved homicides.