KY KY - Claude Shelton, 37, & Martha “Sue” Shelton, 27, Corbin, 1971

[Alleykins]

I don't know what to think,
But this new information with the correct date and information from the kids needs to be published by LE and socials as their theory into the disappearance:

My take is the following:

1.) If Claude and Sue stopped to help a stranded motorist, they were probably killed by this person. Person prepped the car in some way and pushed it into a lake. I like the You Tube video, but saying twice "three daughters" when it was "two daughters and one son is sloppy preparation." Check your facts.

2.) If Claude and Sue abandoned their kids as the writer of the article claims their children say, how did the children come to this conclusion over the couple being killed. Wouldn't there be a search by LE for Claude and Sue? They broke the law if they abandoned their kids! Where would they go as to never ever be seen again? Why did they do this?

3.) If they had an accident, even if it's 1, 2, or 3, the couple or their remains could be anywhere! What do you think?

Satch

This is a tough one. It's possible it's a combination of all 3. Like, they were planning to leave the kids, and met with foul play or an accident. Maybe they only wanted to get away for a day or two, or a week or two, and then met with an accident or foul play. How it appears to me is they left the house voluntarily, but whatever happened after may have kept them away involuntarily. Not sure if that makes sense.

I didn't pick up on any particular reason why the children thought they were abandoned. Did I miss it?

I'm also wondering if it's possible it was originally only Claude who wanted to leave. After all, what better position to leave your wife and kids in than with a couple of paychecks she could pick up at his work and a paid off trailer to help her get back on her feet? Only Martha may have caught on, and he gave her the option to come along. Or she insisted. Again, even though he didn't pick up his checks, he may have had some cash stashed for a getaway, and figured someone else could pick up the checks at his work to help pay for the kids' care.

Something similar happened to me and my sisters when we were toddlers, except without the nearly paid off trailer and paychecks waiting at my father's work. We were dumped off at our paternal grandparents' house for months until my mother came and got us. That's why I posit this.

Also, it's possible one or both of them are still out there, living their best lives. Or they lived their best lives and passed away years/decades later due to natural causes, and are buried in a cemetery somewhere under different names. So there would be remains, but identified ones. If they haven't done so already, maybe the remaining Shelton children could put their DNA out there on family DNA sites and see what shakes out. I hope their kids get the truth someday.

 

[Satch]

This is a tough one. It's possible it's a combination of all 3. Like, they were planning to leave the kids, and met with foul play or an accident. Maybe they only wanted to get away for a day or two, or a week or two, and then met with an accident or foul play. How it appears to me is they left the house voluntarily, but whatever happened after may have kept them away involuntarily. Not sure if that makes sense.

I didn't pick up on any particular reason why the children thought they were abandoned. Did I miss it?

I'm also wondering if it's possible it was originally only Claude who wanted to leave. After all, what better position to leave your wife and kids in than with a couple of paychecks she could pick up at his work and a paid off trailer to help her get back on her feet? Only Martha may have caught on, and he gave her the option to come along. Or she insisted. Again, even though he didn't pick up his checks, he may have had some cash stashed for a getaway, and figured someone else could pick up the checks at his work to help pay for the kids' care.

Something similar happened to me and my sisters when we were toddlers, except without the nearly paid off trailer and paychecks waiting at my father's work. We were dumped off at our paternal grandparents' house for months until my mother came and got us. That's why I posit this.

Also, it's possible one or both of them are still out there, living their best lives. Or they lived their best lives and passed away years/decades later due to natural causes, and are buried in a cemetery somewhere under different names. So there would be remains, but identified ones. If they haven't done so already, maybe the remaining Shelton children could put their DNA out there on family DNA sites and see what shakes out. I hope their kids get the truth someday.

Another factor,

Mental health reasons/medication side effects may have played a role in the decision of one of them, perhaps Claude, and Sue went along with the idea. I just thought of the combination factor of the couple wanting to get away, even temporarily and they had an accident and were killed. Meds or otherwise (drugs) could have played a role in their behavior.

People in the early 70's were much more independent and free-spirited in their decision making, which is why probably in the 1980's to especially early 2000's we would not even dream of leaving our kids in the middle of the night, much less do that. Even in 1971, their behavior is still certainly a stretch and suspicious. They could have at least left a note or something. We don't have an physical evidence to lead in one direction or the other. But back in 1971, families and couples were far less communicative about their problems and issues. If Sue and Claude (or either one) came from a hippie background or bohemian type of lifestyle, they might have thought that this was OK. Maybe they had second thoughts and turned back. It sounds like Sue needed convincing, but not that much. Maybe Claude wore the pants in the family, and Sue just acted and reacted doing what her husband expected her to do. ("Stand by your man.")

Regardless, it left three kids abandoned and possibly orphaned. How could the couple have gotten away in such a small town without being seen or heard from again? What about luggage , health/beauty supplies, food, clothes, and toiletries for a long journey? So many questions and no answers!

Satch

 

[Alleykins]

Another factor,

Mental health reasons/medication side effects may have played a role in the decision of one of them, perhaps Claude, and Sue went along with the idea. I just thought of the combination factor of the couple wanting to get away, even temporarily and they had an accident and were killed. Meds or otherwise (drugs) could have played a role in their behavior.

People in the early 70's were much more independent and free-spirited in their decision making, which is why probably in the 1980's to especially early 2000's we would not even dream of leaving our kids in the middle of the night, much less do that. Even in 1971, their behavior is still certainly a stretch and suspicious. They could have at least left a note or something. We don't have an physical evidence to lead in one direction or the other. But back in 1971, families and couples were far less communicative about their problems and issues. If Sue and Claude (or either one) came from a hippie background or bohemian type of lifestyle, they might have thought that this was OK. Maybe they had second thoughts and turned back. It sounds like Sue needed convincing, but not that much. Maybe Claude wore the pants in the family, and Sue just acted and reacted doing what her husband expected her to do. ("Stand by your man.")

Regardless, it left three kids abandoned and possibly orphaned. How could the couple have gotten away in such a small town without being seen or heard from again? What about luggage , health/beauty supplies, food, clothes, and toiletries for a long journey? So many questions and no answers!

Satch

Very well aware, was raised in the 70s. My mother had no compunction sending us outside unsupervised as toddlers. She was also the same way in the early 80s, when my youngest sibling started school. At 5, she walked alone to and from school a mile away. Sometimes, I don't know how we all made it adulthood.

The Shelton children were older than we were when my parents left. At 11, the oldest was probably mature enough to watch the younger kids alone for a few hours. You have a point about the note, though. Maybe they didn't plan to be gone long and figured they'd stay asleep the whole time, so didn't think it was necessary. Or it may not have been part of their parenting style. I'd love to know why their children believe they were abandoned as opposed to other scenarios.

 

[OddOneOut]

Another factor,

Mental health reasons/medication side effects may have played a role in the decision of one of them, perhaps Claude, and Sue went along with the idea. I just thought of the combination factor of the couple wanting to get away, even temporarily and they had an accident and were killed. Meds or otherwise (drugs) could have played a role in their behavior.

People in the early 70's were much more independent and free-spirited in their decision making, which is why probably in the 1980's to especially early 2000's we would not even dream of leaving our kids in the middle of the night, much less do that. Even in 1971, their behavior is still certainly a stretch and suspicious. They could have at least left a note or something. We don't have an physical evidence to lead in one direction or the other. But back in 1971, families and couples were far less communicative about their problems and issues. If Sue and Claude (or either one) came from a hippie background or bohemian type of lifestyle, they might have thought that this was OK. Maybe they had second thoughts and turned back. It sounds like Sue needed convincing, but not that much. Maybe Claude wore the pants in the family, and Sue just acted and reacted doing what her husband expected her to do. ("Stand by your man.")

Regardless, it left three kids abandoned and possibly orphaned. How could the couple have gotten away in such a small town without being seen or heard from again? What about luggage , health/beauty supplies, food, clothes, and toiletries for a long journey? So many questions and no answers!

Satch

I have to 100% disagree with the differences in raising kids in the early 1970s versus the 1980s. I grew up in the 1950s to early 1970s. I've seen no change in the freedom kids have. To me, it all seems to depend on the parents. Most of the kids I grew up with did not have much freedom to go anywhere. We were always being told to stay in the yard, stay together walking to school, you better be where I can see you, etc. There were a few kids in the neighborhood that ran free with no parental supervision. Those were the kids that were usually getting in trouble. When I bought my house in the early 1980s, one of my biggest problems was unsupervised kids. They either wanted to hang around my house too much or were tearing up my flower beds, egging my car, etc. and many of my neighbors were complaining about the same thing.

 

[Satch]

I have to 100% disagree with the differences in raising kids in the early 1970s versus the 1980s. I grew up in the 1950s to early 1970s. I've seen no change in the freedom kids have. To me, it all seems to depend on the parents. Most of the kids I grew up with did not have much freedom to go anywhere. We were always being told to stay in the yard, stay together walking to school, you better be where I can see you, etc. There were a few kids in the neighborhood that ran free with no parental supervision. Those were the kids that were usually getting in trouble. When I bought my house in the early 1980s, one of my biggest problems was unsupervised kids. They either wanted to hang around my house too much or were tearing up my flower beds, egging my car, etc. and many of my neighbors were complaining about the same thing.

Agree,

I can see both sides of the argument. It may depend on family history, child-rearing/discipline methods, and the type of environment in which the family is raised concerning the beliefs of how parents are raising their kids, and the extent of freedom/independence they have/had.

Satch

 

[Betty P]

I feel so much sympathy for the Shelton kids for losing their parents so suddenly. It’s so sad they’ve had to struggle with questions as the years go by with no answers or clues.

That said, I’m guessing that having No rational explanation for your parents disappearance brings its own unique set of problems. It might be easy to assume they abandoned their children when there are no other answers or evidence.

JMO, it still doesn’t seem likely the parents abandoned them. Seems unlikely they would leave a loving family, with no warning, no money and just the clothes on their back. They probably didn’t even have enough money to buy gas to get very far. It’s also possible one of the children misunderstood a short phrase spoken by one of their parents that night. It could be the dad wanted to go get a sandwich and she wasnt sure if she wanted to come along.

I watched a few of those videos of AWP. In one, a young mom had disappeared on her way home for her son’s birthday party. Over the years the son also assumed she had run off because of the burden of being a single parent. When AWP located her car in a lake under a bridge she had driven across, they were all sad to realize she was there, even sadder when they pulled up what had been a new bike she had bought for her sons birthday. she had accidentally driven off the bridge on her way home to his party.

I hope the Shelton kids have answers some day. They deserve them, and I hope they can remember their parents with love.

 

[OddOneOut]

I feel so much sympathy for the Shelton kids for losing their parents so suddenly. It’s so sad they’ve had to struggle with questions as the years go by with no answers or clues.

That said, I’m guessing that having No rational explanation for your parents disappearance brings its own unique set of problems. It might be easy to assume they abandoned their children when there are no other answers or evidence.

JMO, it still doesn’t seem likely the parents abandoned them. Seems unlikely they would leave a loving family, with no warning, no money and just the clothes on their back. They probably didn’t even have enough money to buy gas to get very far. It’s also possible one of the children misunderstood a short phrase spoken by one of their parents that night. It could be the dad wanted to go get a sandwich and she wasnt sure if she wanted to come along.

I watched a few of those videos of AWP. In one, a young mom had disappeared on her way home for her son’s birthday party. Over the years the son also assumed she had run off because of the burden of being a single parent. When AWP located her car in a lake under a bridge she had driven across, they were all sad to realize she was there, even sadder when they pulled up what had been a new bike she had bought for her sons birthday. she had accidentally driven off the bridge on her way home to his party.

I hope the Shelton kids have answers some day. They deserve them, and I hope they can remember their parents with love.

I agree. I still think the key to finding them is the car. They didn't have any known resources that would allow them to go very far. JMO but I feel they are somewhere near their home. Something or someone happened to them. They and the car could be down a ravine, in an abandoned building, etc. I don't have a link so it is just rumor that I read about a case a few months back where a missing person's car was found on a used car lot many years later. It had been hidden in someone's garage and sold after that person died.

 

[Satch]

I agree. I still think the key to finding them is the car. They didn't have any known resources that would allow them to go very far. JMO but I feel they are somewhere near their home. Something or someone happened to them. They and the car could be down a ravine, in an abandoned building, etc. I don't have a link so it is just rumor that I read about a case a few months back where a missing person's car was found on a used car lot many years later. It had been hidden in someone's garage and sold after that person died.

I mentioned this before,

The number of cars that are submerged in water that are never found is staggering! If anyone wants to currently research this online to get the stats, please share. Maybe Claude and Sue left voluntarily. in the sense that nothing forced them out of the house. There was nothing that could have waited till morning. There was no evidence of abuse or neglect to the kids, Shelia said. Plus, they have never left the kids alone in this situation before.

Something or someone prevented them from returning home and this created a forced involuntary situation for the couple and their kids. A late night run or ride that turned tragic. You find the car, you find a ton of evidence. Maybe enough to solve this case, at least beyond a reasonable doubt.

Did neighboring states join Kentucky police in search of the car? Or did this never leave the jurisdiction of the little town of Corbin? Were law enforcement opportunities lost, or not followed up on due to the lack of urgency that people had toward the missing back in 1971? Remember in most federations in the USA, you had to be missing for 24 hours to be considered a missing person. I don't know what types of special amenities existed at that time for LE when children were left alone for extended periods of time.

Satch

 

[Alleykins]

I was just looking over their doe network pages.
Claude shows DNA and dental records available, but no fingerprints.
Martha Sue shows no identifiers available. Does anyone know if she has a DNA profile in CODIS now?

 

[nerosleuth]

I don't believe that the parents deliberately abandoned their children or were going anywhere that required an overnight stay.

I suspect that they went somewhere within an hour's drive by taking the rural back roads and either had an accident or met foul play.

I believe the parents voluntarily left their home but were involuntarily prevented from returning home.

 

[Youngwidowdes]

They’re from the town I live in. I have been intrigued by this case since I learned about it a few years ago. The trailer parked where they live and the place where Claude and Sue lived are both still open and ran by the same family as when they went missing. The Kings truck stop has since been torn down.

 

[Satch]

They’re from the town I live in. I have been intrigued by this case since I learned about it a few years ago. The trailer parked where they live and the place where Claude and Sue lived are both still open and ran by the same family as when they went missing. The Kings truck stop has since been torn down.

Welcome!
What do you think happened to the Shelton's? I learn towards an accident that prevented them from returning home.

Satch

 

[Youngwidowdes]

I’m leaning towards an accident. I have spoke to my family members that lived in Corbin, Kentucky during that time. They dated in the 70’S in Corbin people still left their doors unlocked. It was a safe little country town.