PA PA - Debra Makel, 8, Rices Landing, 5 Oct 1973

When you think of the term "cover-up", one may think of the C.I.A, political scandals, etc. "Cover-up" is certainly one of the reasons this murder was never solved, and should you be thinking, " OMG!! There is absolutely ZERO chance that something like THIS could EVER happen in Rices Landing!!" Well, I would seriously urge you to reconsider that notion.

Its hard to convey convincing sentiment into a story like this, without the use of "names/relationships/personal histories", but,to name-drop here wouldnt be prudent, even though certain people have passed away.

"Misdirection", by certain parties was used prevalently, in everything surrounding this case. I cant even begin to stress the importance of the word "misdirection" in this case. As to the "misdirection" & facts of the hows, whos, whens & whys, well, thats for each individual to decide on their own.

A few things to consider:

* After concluding an exhaustive first day search of the wooded area behind the home of the girl, which ironically turned up no results of finding her, how many people inside of the search & investigation teams, actually knew the EXACT areas that were searched?

* Into the beginnings of the second day of searching, the girl`s body is found, exactly where many members of the search party looked, just the previous day. This alone weighs tremendously into the notion that, whomever planted her body knew exactly where they had already searched & as I believe, hoped they wouldnt comb over again. Atleast not in a timely manner, as to further add speculation to the overall timetable of the crime.

* How could the perpetrator(s) have known just WHEN to conveniently dispose of the body, right in the middle of an active murder-crime scene without being detected? I highly doubt they had ESP & an invisible cloaking device, therefore, "aid" was obviously provided.

* Dogs were used extensively through out the search, up until & after the finding of the body. No scent was apparently ever discovered. Strange. She obviously didnt just "land" there. Also, you must remember, she was found right along side of a dirt creekpath & there was no mention of ANY footprints being found. How is that possible? It wasnt possible. Footprints( & or scent, were OBVIOUSLY both found, yet, never mentioned) why?

* After the discovery of the body, which was found in the same place, that was combed over by searchers, just the day before with no results, the county coroner,whom was active with the case, was publicly quoted as saying,"I dont believe that."
Why would he publicly contradict all of the searchers who were actually THERE & said she was definitely NOT there, the previous day.Think about that.

* Who was in the best "position" to dump the body, in the night hours? It is mind-boggling to me, just how overlooked this is, by some. Your smack dab in the middle of a very smalltown, in the middle of a huge manhunt w/ the towns people being on high alert, due to fear, etc & yet, someone could just walk hundreds of yards into the woods, obviously w/ some sort of visual aid to see their way through the dark woods & no one sees anything. No cars parked along a road anywhere. Nothing. How is that possible? I would highly doubt the investigators just "shut-down" & turned a blind eye to everything, once the sun set for the night.

* All the created focus on the field behind the house during light hours & Why didnt anyone see anything? Misdirection. The inserted rumors of a murderous drifter, possible vendettas etc = Misdirection. Finding 2 persons who claimed to be "hunters" in the woods in the middle of the night, when it wasnt hunting season = Misdirection. Alot of what was printed in the paper, in my opinion. was mere background clutter.

* I always found it terribly disturbing that, some people "around" this case, were known/unknown "deviants", yet, it never was reported publicly via newspaper.You can bet your bottom $ that the investigators knew, though.

* Its a FACT that, investigators interviewed many locals about this crime ( notably a few "handicapped" people in the area) & while that may be protocol in any murder case, WHY would they pursue so many "dumb" avenues, when so many answers & REAL clues in the case, point towards everything else?

* This still "unsolved" open case "died" & vanished completely for 3 decades until some reporter came across a local, unsolved murder & decided to run a story. WHY wasnt it openly/publicly pursued for 3 decades? Why wasnt the body ever exhumed & tested w/ all the advanced DNA technology?

Conclusion:

Its a no-brainer that certain "people", amongst other parties involved in this case, KNOW damn well who was responsible & it just could not be proven, and/or were protecting a sadistic variety of certain "interests". I personally feel the truth would not be allowed to surface, by the powers that be, but,in the same breath, there is so much background scenery that I couldnt post here, thats paints such a more in-depth, broader scope of the case ( factual happenings surrounding the many involved in the case, that you would never read about in any newspaper) & without all that, its just pointless to paint a canvas of "mystery" & leave many to still speculate about so much, when theres really no reason to. I strongly feel that, every stone perse, was overturned & the truth of what really happened, was discovered, but, "hidden" as well.

The bottom line is this, if you were to speak with anyone who was actually "in the know", in terms of the real facts, aspects & investigation of this case, they`ll all recite to you the same "culprit". The REAL question is/was, WHY wasnt the assailant convicted? Some will say, they just couldnt prove it, others will say, "they" had friends in the right places & circumstances in their favor.
 
I live in the Jefferson area. Only about 5 miles from Rices Landing and found out about this case roughly 6 years ago. Went to CalU Library and did a little research about it. When I brought this murder up to some people in Rices Landing I was told not to pry too much. When I asked why I was told a story of a woman who was trying to get Unsolved Mysteries to look into the case. Well she received some messages on the machine that weren't polite. I guess one of them said something like... Don't go opening this can of worms or you may end up just like Debbie. Noone would tell me the name of the lady who received the messages, but I was told that another message said not to go to the police. Which she never did.

Now whether or not what I was told is factual, I don't know. What I do know is that this little girl died and it seems as though solving her murder just isn't at the top of anyones list and never has been. Sad case and I hope someday the truth finally comes out.
 
It's so nice to hear from little Debra's friends and neighbors. Thank you for your input. Your stories really put a living human angle to this case. I'm so sorry for your loss.

It seems with all of the time passed, people may be willing to talk again.
This case seems to be a cover up if I ever heard one.... But why??
It does not seem random. Could it have been some sort of retaliation against Debra's parents or a family member?

The craziest thing I've heard is that they knew where to find the body because of a "vision".... What?? Was this person ever investgated. It seems to me this must have been a small town police department without (I hate to say this) enough know how or experiance with real cases. Were they so much in their own little small town bubble that they thought they didn't have to follow the rules?

Sorry, but this case just angers me... What a beautiful little girl she was.
I hope there will be justice for her.
 
We're working on putting together a short documentary on this case.Sifting through old news clippings now.I have several people to talk to...one who has intimate knowledge..stay tuned...
 
Some disturbing evidence has surfaced which might put a face to Debra's murderer.
This is only a few days old, but some interesting things have come to light about that time frame in Rices Landing.
My friend is going to contact the State Police with what she has. Will post later.
 
How sad that this little girl's killer has not been caught in all of these years. And to think that people know who it was, well...... I hope that these new findings can bring this killer to justice and soon. :twocents:
 
Some disturbing evidence has surfaced which might put a face to Debra's murderer.
This is only a few days old, but some interesting things have come to light about that time frame in Rices Landing.
My friend is going to contact the State Police with what she has. Will post later.


Can't wait to hear about this new evidence. This killer has gotten away with murder for long enough.
 
What a waste of a life and a lack of true injustice. This poor girl is raped and murdered. As if that isn't bad enough people seem to KNOW who the perverted killer is but won't do a thing to bring him to justice. 30 years and no justice; just a child's cry echoing in the stillness and a crowd standing with their hands over their ears.

It makes me angry when a crime is covered up, whether by LE or by anyone who knows what happened. But especially a crime involving a child. How many more children were raped and/or murdered by the person who got by this time?! HOw many lives were ruined because of all the covering up that is being done?

You know in the large picture covering up for someone because they have money/name/fame or whatever the reason shouldn't trump truth. Look at the unsolved crimes from 100 yrs ago or longer. Some should have been solved at the time but clearly cover-up or plain negligence is involved or just a conspiricy of silence. Yet here we are 100 yrs later and what was the point? The life of the person/s still cries for justice but what seemed so important for silence then has faded into the past and means nothing now.

Just like in little Debra's case. Time is passing and soon it will be apparant that the reason for the coverup is gone....all the drama of the time-the frantic at-the-time cover-up now unnecessary and relegated to it's proper place. And still this little girl waits for Justice. How unfair for her and all the other/s who remain unsolved.
:banghead:
And especially unfair to the others this pervert attacked-and we all know there were more. If Justice had been done at the time, any that came after wouldn't have had to suffer.

I just get so sad to think of the waste it all is.......
 
Some disturbing evidence has surfaced which might put a face to Debra's murderer.
This is only a few days old, but some interesting things have come to light about that time frame in Rices Landing.
My friend is going to contact the State Police with what she has. Will post later.
Kol....Have you found anything out? Was anything new brought to light in Debbie's case? Debbie is my cousin and I would love to see this case finally get solved!
 
You posted quite some time ago there was new and disturbing evidence being taken to the state police. What became of that? There has to be justice one day for Debbie Makel. I was just a little kid when this happened and it has stuck with me all of these years. The answer is out there. I hope what your friend presented was taken seriously if it is credible.
 
Anyone know how we can get folks moving on this case!! Unsolved Mysteries? 20/20? Anything!! Somebody out there has to NOT be afraid to solve this case!! :(
 
Today has been 39 years since Debbie's body was found.We're planning on doing an extensive story on our blog with interviews and actual news articles.Stay tuned...
 
Tragic and fascinating case... I'd like to read your blog, chippertheripper.

I wonder what position the killer holds in the community, for that much fear and threat to be hovering over the case?

And also, I wonder what happened to the 'new evidence' - and why the poster of that information never got back to WS as they said they would.
 
..."Cover-up" is certainly one of the reasons this murder was never solved...
The bottom line is this, if you were to speak with anyone who was actually "in the know", in terms of the real facts, aspects & investigation of this case, they`ll all recite to you the same "culprit". The REAL question is/was, WHY wasnt the assailant convicted? Some will say, they just couldnt prove it, others will say, "they" had friends in the right places & circumstances in their favor.


I am reminded of some old song lyrics:

... I remember Sam.
He was the villiage Idiot,
And though it seems a pitty it
Was so.
He liked to burn down houses just to watch the glow.
And nothing could be done,
Because he was the mayor's son. ...

From the song, "In My Home Town" by Tom Lehr
 
I have started the preliminary timeline and have several people lined up to interview about the case for the short film we're doing.If anyone has insight or ideas they would like to share please email me at swpare@gmail.com. Any memories,photos or stories will be appreciated and credited if used (unless otherwise requested).We want to take a hard look at the case while maintaining respect toward those involved.
 
When you think of the term "cover-up", one may think of the C.I.A, political scandals, etc. "Cover-up" is certainly one of the reasons this murder was never solved, and should you be thinking, " OMG!! There is absolutely ZERO chance that something like THIS could EVER happen in Rices Landing!!" Well, I would seriously urge you to reconsider that notion.

Its hard to convey convincing sentiment into a story like this, without the use of "names/relationships/personal histories", but,to name-drop here wouldnt be prudent, even though certain people have passed away.

"Misdirection", by certain parties was used prevalently, in everything surrounding this case. I cant even begin to stress the importance of the word "misdirection" in this case. As to the "misdirection" & facts of the hows, whos, whens & whys, well, thats for each individual to decide on their own.

A few things to consider:

* After concluding an exhaustive first day search of the wooded area behind the home of the girl, which ironically turned up no results of finding her, how many people inside of the search & investigation teams, actually knew the EXACT areas that were searched?

* Into the beginnings of the second day of searching, the girl`s body is found, exactly where many members of the search party looked, just the previous day. This alone weighs tremendously into the notion that, whomever planted her body knew exactly where they had already searched & as I believe, hoped they wouldnt comb over again. Atleast not in a timely manner, as to further add speculation to the overall timetable of the crime.

* How could the perpetrator(s) have known just WHEN to conveniently dispose of the body, right in the middle of an active murder-crime scene without being detected? I highly doubt they had ESP & an invisible cloaking device, therefore, "aid" was obviously provided.

* Dogs were used extensively through out the search, up until & after the finding of the body. No scent was apparently ever discovered. Strange. She obviously didnt just "land" there. Also, you must remember, she was found right along side of a dirt creekpath & there was no mention of ANY footprints being found. How is that possible? It wasnt possible. Footprints( & or scent, were OBVIOUSLY both found, yet, never mentioned) why?

* After the discovery of the body, which was found in the same place, that was combed over by searchers, just the day before with no results, the county coroner,whom was active with the case, was publicly quoted as saying,"I dont believe that."
Why would he publicly contradict all of the searchers who were actually THERE & said she was definitely NOT there, the previous day.Think about that.

* Who was in the best "position" to dump the body, in the night hours? It is mind-boggling to me, just how overlooked this is, by some. Your smack dab in the middle of a very smalltown, in the middle of a huge manhunt w/ the towns people being on high alert, due to fear, etc & yet, someone could just walk hundreds of yards into the woods, obviously w/ some sort of visual aid to see their way through the dark woods & no one sees anything. No cars parked along a road anywhere. Nothing. How is that possible? I would highly doubt the investigators just "shut-down" & turned a blind eye to everything, once the sun set for the night.

* All the created focus on the field behind the house during light hours & Why didnt anyone see anything? Misdirection. The inserted rumors of a murderous drifter, possible vendettas etc = Misdirection. Finding 2 persons who claimed to be "hunters" in the woods in the middle of the night, when it wasnt hunting season = Misdirection. Alot of what was printed in the paper, in my opinion. was mere background clutter.

* I always found it terribly disturbing that, some people "around" this case, were known/unknown "deviants", yet, it never was reported publicly via newspaper.You can bet your bottom $ that the investigators knew, though.

* Its a FACT that, investigators interviewed many locals about this crime ( notably a few "handicapped" people in the area) & while that may be protocol in any murder case, WHY would they pursue so many "dumb" avenues, when so many answers & REAL clues in the case, point towards everything else?

* This still "unsolved" open case "died" & vanished completely for 3 decades until some reporter came across a local, unsolved murder & decided to run a story. WHY wasnt it openly/publicly pursued for 3 decades? Why wasnt the body ever exhumed & tested w/ all the advanced DNA technology?

Conclusion:

Its a no-brainer that certain "people", amongst other parties involved in this case, KNOW damn well who was responsible & it just could not be proven, and/or were protecting a sadistic variety of certain "interests". I personally feel the truth would not be allowed to surface, by the powers that be, but,in the same breath, there is so much background scenery that I couldnt post here, thats paints such a more in-depth, broader scope of the case ( factual happenings surrounding the many involved in the case, that you would never read about in any newspaper) & without all that, its just pointless to paint a canvas of "mystery" & leave many to still speculate about so much, when theres really no reason to. I strongly feel that, every stone perse, was overturned & the truth of what really happened, was discovered, but, "hidden" as well.

The bottom line is this, if you were to speak with anyone who was actually "in the know", in terms of the real facts, aspects & investigation of this case, they`ll all recite to you the same "culprit". The REAL question is/was, WHY wasnt the assailant convicted? Some will say, they just couldnt prove it, others will say, "they" had friends in the right places & circumstances in their favor.

IMHO it is reprehensible that anyone would have ANY knowledge of this murder, or the murderer and not be willing to come forward to, make sure justice is served, as well as give peace to family members and friends.

If there has been a long term threat of violence against anyone willing to talk or who wanted the case investigated, I say to the people of the community, but for the grace of God, go you and I. What would you want and expect from friends and neighbors if it was your daughter that was killed in such a brutal fashion?

Justice seems to be hard to come by far too often in our country.
 
Some disturbing evidence has surfaced which might put a face to Debra's murderer.
This is only a few days old, but some interesting things have come to light about that time frame in Rices Landing.
My friend is going to contact the State Police with what she has. Will post later.

Updates ?
 
Clippertheripper!! Anxiously awaiting your short film and seeing what folks have to say! I'm soooo praying for some answers.
 
I'm in the middle of doing heavy research on this case right now. Are there any locals or members who knew Debra or her family currently here on WS?
 

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