TN TN - Teresa 'Trenny' Lynn Gibson, 16, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 8 Oct 1976

[jetsfanjohn]

[QUOTE

His possession of her comb proves his guilt as far as I'm concerned.

][/QUOTE]

He also tried to screen phone calls back at her family home, I believe.

If she was abducted and killed, then yes I think he was involved.

If she wasn't abducted, I believe he at the very least created a situation which ended up with Trenny getting lost in the woods.

 

[Betty P]

[QUOTE

]

He also tried to screen phone calls back at her family home, I believe.

If she was abducted and killed, then yes I think he was involved.

If she wasn't abducted, I believe he at the very least created a situation which ended up with Trenny getting lost in the woods.[/QUOTE]

Has anyone been able to provide any validation, links, etc. that this friend of hers had her comb, answered the phone at her family's home after her death, etc.? It's all interesting, but we need some kind of verification. TIA

 

[MntnHiker]

I have not read the entire thread yet but I will. I just heard about this case on an episode of the Park Predators podcast. It really drew my attention because I've been to GSMNP, have hiked up to Clingmans Dome and have hiked the Andrews Bald Trail. I had no idea when I was there that someone went missing off this trail. It's been 7 years now since I visited, but I don't remember any good side trails off the Bald Trail, so as was reported, it seems where she went off the main trail was just woods.

I am wondering if she did go off trail to use the restroom like someone suggested or even just to explore something cool she saw. The podcast mentioned she wanted to be a landscape artist and was excited to visit the park to look at the plants. Maybe she kept walking, wound up on this road where they say her scent ended, and a man happened to be there or near there, saw her, and abducted her. He could have done it under the guise of "Let me drive you back to where your bus is." MOO

 

[theshadow45]

Trenny has been missing for 45 years today.

 

[JudgeJoe]

This is a great article regarding Trenny’s disappearance. Her brother, sister & father have all passed. I believe only her mom remains to see justice, if justice is possible.

To me, the stongest leads would be DNA & forensic genealogy from the beer can & cigs from GSMNP and the classmate who later had Trenny’s star sapphire ring & necklace. Gotta be a link there, imo. Sure hope a cold case team pursues that!
The mysterious disappearance of Trenny Lynn Gibson from Clingmans Dome in the Smokies — StrangeOutdoors.com

 

[Richard]

45 Years missing...


Teresa 'Trenny' Lynn Gibson, 16,
Missing since 8 Oct 1976

<modsnip - not an approved source>

 

[dogperson]

The article says a friend and classmate by the name of Kim Pouncey said she believed Trenny wanted to take off and that she thinks someone was waiting for her in the park. But the students weren't told where they were going until after they got on the bus. So the only way someone could have been waiting for her at the park is if they followed the bus there. It's not an impossible scenario but Trenny would have had to know which parking lot to meet the person in so she could ride away with them.

It struck me odd that Trenny's brother said she'd never spent an entire day away from her family before. That seemed unusual for a 16 year old girl. When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s it was very common for me and my teen friends to go on long day trips or to sleepovers or to summer camp and all kinds of things. I wonder if she was maybe kind of overprotected and sheltered? Or maybe just very shy and didn't stay at other people's houses ever? Her brother seems to have thought she might not do well away from home, considering he asked Robert to keep an eye on her. Maybe that's why her classmate Kim thought Trenny might want to run away; she may have had the impression Trenny didn't have the normal freedoms of a 16 year old. But in my personal opinion I don't think Trenny was a runaway.

I think Robert and the female classmate having her belongings is very suspicious and that the two of them, and possibly more students, were involved in whatever happened to Trenny.

 

[JudgeJoe]

The article says a friend and classmate by the name of Kim Pouncey said she believed Trenny wanted to take off and that she thinks someone was waiting for her in the park. But the students weren't told where they were going until after they got on the bus. So the only way someone could have been waiting for her at the park is if they followed the bus there. It's not an impossible scenario but Trenny would have had to know which parking lot to meet the person in so she could ride away with them.

It struck me odd that Trenny's brother said she'd never spent an entire day away from her family before. That seemed unusual for a 16 year old girl. When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s it was very common for me and my teen friends to go on long day trips or to sleepovers or to summer camp and all kinds of things. I wonder if she was maybe kind of overprotected and sheltered? Or maybe just very shy and didn't stay at other people's houses ever? Her brother seems to have thought she might not do well away from home, considering he asked Robert to keep an eye on her. Maybe that's why her classmate Kim thought Trenny might want to run away; she may have had the impression Trenny didn't have the normal freedoms of a 16 year old. But in my personal opinion I don't think Trenny was a runaway.

I think Robert and the female classmate having her belongings is very suspicious and that the two of them, and possibly more students, were involved in whatever happened to Trenny.

I agree- some of those students must know something- or saw something & might not even know it’s relevant.

Robert Simpson (walked with Trenny to Andrew’s Bald) had Trenny’s favorite (never without it) Stanley comb on the dash of his car. When Robert Gibson asked him about it, Simpson said Trenny gave the comb to him to keep for her. Was it just to carry on the hike?

Trenny wore her star sapphire necklace & ring the day she disappeared- later found with a sophomore girl at Bearden High School. She could not explain why or how she came to have them. Was this girl tied to any other classmate on the field trip? Sister? Girl friend? BFF? Cousin? I can’t find reference to her name. But she sure as h*ll knows how she got that jewelry! What did LE do to push for that answer at the time?

I’m thinking RS really is innocent. After Trenny left him on Andrews Bald, she caught up with Angela Beckner, Lisa Mikels & Bobbie Coghill. Then Trenny & Bobbie walked faster & caught up with Scott Troy & Anita Rounds. Supposedly this group sat down to rest, but Trenny kept going. When David Eastham caught up to this group, they could no longer see Trenny ahead on the trail. At this point, they were only ½ to ¾ mile from the Clingman's Dome parking lot/bus. And she never made it. Or she did make it, no one noticed & she was abducted right there in the parking lot. Either way, seems too many class witnesses who all say they saw her without Robert anywhere in sight.

Bobby, Scott & Anita said they saw Trenny turn right off trail before David joined them. What else do Bobby, Scott & Anita know? Does one of them have ties to the girl who had Trenny’s star sapphire jewelry?

Links upthread…

 

[Starbuck80]

He also tried to screen phone calls back at her family home, I believe.

If she was abducted and killed, then yes I think he was involved.

If she wasn't abducted, I believe he at the very least created a situation which ended up with Trenny getting lost in the woods.

Has anyone been able to provide any validation, links, etc. that this friend of hers had her comb, answered the phone at her family's home after her death, etc.? It's all interesting, but we need some kind of verification. TIA[/QUOTE]

I’m in contact with Trenny’s family and they are the ones who relayed the information about the comb and the phone call screening to me. It was Trenny’s brother Bob who discovered the comb on the dash of Robert Simpson’s car. I’m not sure if someone tipped him off about it, or if it was a coincidence that he found it. I will have to verify that with the family, as Bob has been deceased for more than 20 years now.

Trenny’s Grandmother was staying at the Gibson residence in Knoxville, while the majority of the family was in the Smokies searching for Trenny. Robert Simpson was coming by their house and was taking it upon himself to screen their phone calls.

 

[Starbuck80]

I agree- some of those students must know something- or saw something & might not even know it’s relevant.

Robert Simpson (walked with Trenny to Andrew’s Bald) had Trenny’s favorite (never without it) Stanley comb on the dash of his car. When Robert Gibson asked him about it, Simpson said Trenny gave the comb to him to keep for her. Was it just to carry on the hike?

Trenny wore her star sapphire necklace & ring the day she disappeared- later found with a sophomore girl at Bearden High School. She could not explain why or how she came to have them. Was this girl tied to any other classmate on the field trip? Sister? Girl friend? BFF? Cousin? I can’t find reference to her name. But she sure as h*ll knows how she got that jewelry! What did LE do to push for that answer at the time?

I’m thinking RS really is innocent. After Trenny left him on Andrews Bald, she caught up with Angela Beckner, Lisa Mikels & Bobbie Coghill. Then Trenny & Bobbie walked faster & caught up with Scott Troy & Anita Rounds. Supposedly this group sat down to rest, but Trenny kept going. When David Eastham caught up to this group, they could no longer see Trenny ahead on the trail. At this point, they were only ½ to ¾ mile from the Clingman's Dome parking lot/bus. And she never made it. Or she did make it, no one noticed & she was abducted right there in the parking lot. Either way, seems too many class witnesses who all say they saw her without Robert anywhere in sight.

Bobby, Scott & Anita said they saw Trenny turn right off trail before David joined them. What else do Bobby, Scott & Anita know? Does one of them have ties to the girl who had Trenny’s star sapphire jewelry?

Links upthread…

The girl who had the jewelry was part of the horticulture class and did attend the field trip. The family of Trenny does not want her name made public. I can tell you that she is deceased.

I have spoken to Bobbie, Anita and Scott. They were very forthcoming and I didn’t find them to be holding back anything. They are baffled as to what happened to Trenny, and they did not know her especially well because they were younger students, and Trenny tended to hang out with the older students.

 

[dogperson]

In light of other students having Trenny's personal belongings, I can't help but wonder whether some type of hazing/bullying incident took place that ended (possibly accidentally) in her death.

Trenny was supposedly wearing Robert's jacket when she disappeared. It would be interesting to know if he was ever seen wearing that jacket again.

 

[Starbuck80]

In light of other students having Trenny's personal belongings, I can't help but wonder whether some type of hazing/bullying incident took place that ended (possibly accidentally) in her death.

Trenny was supposedly wearing Robert's jacket when she disappeared. It would be interesting to know if he was ever seen wearing that jacket again.

From what I am told, the jacket disappeared with Trenny and did not surface again. At least, no witness reported seeing it.

 

[dogperson]

From what I am told, the jacket disappeared with Trenny and did not surface again. At least, no witness reported seeing it.

I had not heard of anyone seeing it again either. I was wondering whether she might have put her comb in his jacket pocket while she was wearing it. But if the jacket never resurfaced then it sounds like he and the girl with her jewelry possibly took these items from her. It doesn't sound like these were things she'd have parted with voluntarily so I can only assume they were taken forcibly from her or taken from her after she was no longer living.

 

[Starbuck80]

I had not heard of anyone seeing it again either. I was wondering whether she might have put her comb in his jacket pocket while she was wearing it. But if the jacket never resurfaced then it sounds like he and the girl with her jewelry possibly took these items from her. It doesn't sound like these were things she'd have parted with voluntarily so I can only assume they were taken forcibly from her or taken from her after she was no longer living.

I can sort of see the possibility of Trenny putting the comb in the jacket pocket, but there’s no way I can see her removing her ring. I’ve been told that a group of girls liked to trade jewelry at church, and wear each other’s for awhile, but Trenny did not participate in this activity. Her stuff was her stuff and that was it.

 

[Betty P]

I had not heard of anyone seeing it again either. I was wondering whether she might have put her comb in his jacket pocket while she was wearing it. But if the jacket never resurfaced then it sounds like he and the girl with her jewelry possibly took these items from her. It doesn't sound like these were things she'd have parted with voluntarily so I can only assume they were taken forcibly from her or taken from her after she was no longer living.

Would she have left these items on the bus?

 

[dogperson]

It seems like I recall reading somewhere in this thread that the ring was a recent birthday gift. Does anyone know if that's correct? If so, she'd only had the ring about two months because her birthday was in September. It was so new and special that I would expect her to have been very protective of it.

Were the students digging up any plant samples on this field trip? That's about the only thing I can think of that might induce her to take her ring off, to keep it from getting dirty or lost or scratched. If it were me and I wanted to take a treasured ring off during a field trip I'd probably ask the teacher to hold it for me for safekeeping.

I can't help thinking it was taken from her, either before or after something happened to her. And I think those who ended up with her belongings know what happened.

 

[jetsfanjohn]

It seems like I recall reading somewhere in this thread that the ring was a recent birthday gift. Does anyone know if that's correct? If so, she'd only had the ring about two months because her birthday was in September. It was so new and special that I would expect her to have been very protective of it.

Were the students digging up any plant samples on this field trip? That's about the only thing I can think of that might induce her to take her ring off, to keep it from getting dirty or lost or scratched. If it were me and I wanted to take a treasured ring off during a field trip I'd probably ask the teacher to hold it for me for safekeeping.

I can't help thinking it was taken from her, either before or after something happened to her. And I think those who ended up with her belongings know what happened.

I'd like to think that she gave them to Robert Simpson for safekeeping, but in my gut I can't really believe it.

I can see RS grabbing her comb and teasing her, thus making her storm off ahead of him on the trail, but how does he get the ring also, without grabbing it off her finger ? Not an easy thing to do.

As I mentioned before, whether or not foul play was involved, I believe RS was responsible for Trenny getting lost in the woods.

I think after they had lunch together, he 'spooked' her, by saying or doing something and she felt she had to get away from him quite subtly, but quickly, resulting in her taking what she thought was a short cut through the trees to get to the bus. This short cut either petered out, or she ended up on the wrong trail and got lost.

However, whatever about the comb, I can't explain away how she did not have the ring !!

 

[chaddylex]

Trenny's NamUs profile was modified yesterday. (not sure exactly what was modified)The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

She currently has 23 exclusions (well 22) one is on the list twice
UP6279 12/18/1996Fairfax VA
UP8419 01/16/2001 Isle of Wight VA
UP6149 01/22/1996 Halifax VA
UP4790 04/24/1981 Miami OH
UP1579 01/01/1985 Campbell TN
UP8579 01/25/1981 Hanover VA
UP6482 12/30/1979 Frederick VA
UP3153 04/19/1981 Will IL
UP3153 04/19/1981 Will IL
UP12683 06/06/2014 Newport News VA
UP8913 12/20/1976 Carbon PA
UP6661 02/03/1991\Stafford VA
UP6583 11/10/1979 Livingston NY
UP1882 06/02/1978 Robeson NC
UP6642 08/07/1986 Chesterfield VA
UP6796 11/18/1985 Alleghany VA
UP6629 02/03/1991 FrederickVA
UP8493 12/06/1993 Fairfax VA
UP1567 06/01/1987 Knox TN
UP6249 11/14/1980 Rockingham VA
UP6259 04/22/1981 Lawrence OH
UP5259 01/25/2004 Shelby TN
UP8427 07/17/1982 Washoe NV

 

[MajorHoople]

I'd like to think that she gave them to Robert Simpson for safekeeping, but in my gut I can't really believe it.

I can see RS grabbing her comb and teasing her, thus making her storm off ahead of him on the trail, but how does he get the ring also, without grabbing it off her finger ? Not an easy thing to do.

As I mentioned before, whether or not foul play was involved, I believe RS was responsible for Trenny getting lost in the woods.

I think after they had lunch together, he 'spooked' her, by saying or doing something and she felt she had to get away from him quite subtly, but quickly, resulting in her taking what she thought was a short cut through the trees to get to the bus. This short cut either petered out, or she ended up on the wrong trail and got lost.

However, whatever about the comb, I can't explain away how she did not have the ring !!

Missing in the Smokies: Teresa ‘Trenny’ Gibson

Trenny Gibson disappeared in the Smokies on October 8, 1976.

www.wate.com

Posted: May 6, 2022

"October will mark 46 years since Teresa “Trenny” Gibson disappeared in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The 16-year-old sophomore was last seen hiking in the Smokies with a group from Bearden High School in Knoxville on October 8, 1976. about 40 students were on the hike, according to reports.

Gibson was last seen by fellow students as the group hiked back from Andrew’s Bald to the Clingmans Dome parking area."

"Gibson was wearing a brown plaid jacket, a blue-and-white striped sweater, blue jeans and blue Adidas brand tennis shoes when she went missing. Some reports say she was wearing a diamond and star sapphire ring."

 

[Betty P]

Missing in the Smokies: Teresa ‘Trenny’ Gibson

Trenny Gibson disappeared in the Smokies on October 8, 1976.

www.wate.com

Posted: May 6, 2022

"October will mark 46 years since Teresa “Trenny” Gibson disappeared in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The 16-year-old sophomore was last seen hiking in the Smokies with a group from Bearden High School in Knoxville on October 8, 1976. about 40 students were on the hike, according to reports.

Gibson was last seen by fellow students as the group hiked back from Andrew’s Bald to the Clingmans Dome parking area."

"Gibson was wearing a brown plaid jacket, a blue-and-white striped sweater, blue jeans and blue Adidas brand tennis shoes when she went missing. Some reports say she was wearing a diamond and star sapphire ring."

Is there any solid evidence that other people have this ring or had it at some point after her disappearance? A photo? Where is the ring today? Any reports, ideas?