WA WA - Marcia Joyce, 28, Bellingham, 30 Aug 1978

[Iluminada]

Im wondering if her disappearece was promted so suddenly by the fact the Husband was going to the bank?
Perhaps it was either bail then or be there at Ground Zero when he came home with alot of questions?

We have, according to the husband, an empty bank account that would indicate that Marci had a plan to leave. I wonder if there was a packed suitcase for her and the children? Is there any other indication that she planned to leave her husband? Did she call any family members and tell them to expect her? How much money was in the account? If a woman is afraid of her husband she might go underground. I would think that she would have called family members and without them really understanding, say her goodbyes. Did anything unusual happen in the days before her disappearance? Did she ever leave home growing up without explanation? Did she have any emotional problems that the family was aware of?

If the husband planned to do away with her, taking all the money out of the account would show that she thought about leaving a few days in advance. Did he tell the police that other things were missing from the home or that she was acting peculiar? Did she leave on foot? Does he believe she was involved with another man? What makes him think this? Were they arguing in the weeks prior to her leaving?

 

[Iluminada]

The likelihood of a suburban housewife being abducted from her own backyard, particularly with her children at home is remote. For me to seriously consider this scenario, there would have to be evidence of a drug or gambling problem or a stalker ex-boyfriend. Bellingham is a nice suburb of Seattle.

Thanks for ur thoughts - question for you since you seem to know a little about the area.
1 - Bellingham now has population 80k. do you know if in the 70's it was more of a rural area? For example, would it be possible for her house to be rural enough to not be near close neighbors? One article did talk about a woman who lives in a house next to where Marci lived, so it couldn't be too rural. But think of the kids who have been kidnapped in broad daylight!

2 - Talking to a lawyer friend of mine. We both think that in order for someone to take that money out, it had to be a name on the account- either hubby or Marci. Given the size of the town at that time, would hubby take money out a few days before, and then pretend that someone else did? Remember he had to use the bank's phone or a pay phone. Tellers would surely find it odd he took money out and was then pretending that his wife did it. Which means he must've asked to see the bank slip when they tell him someone took the money out. Either it's her name on the slip, or its HIS, and that would sound an alarm to a bank teller.

3 - Let's say it's her name on that slip - did SHE take it out, or did someone who looked like her do it?? So here's my question. Can we see who hubby re-married? Has anyone seen a name?

I don't think this was random or a stalker. The missing money and the timing, the husband leaves to go to the bank and the wife turns up missing leads me to believe this was the husband or she left with someone she knew. Now how likely is it that she left with someone? Unlikely she left without her children.

I'd ask the husband what he didn't like about her and what he thought happened and why.

 

[kdgdid]

The likelihood of a suburban housewife being abducted from her own backyard, particularly with her children at home is remote. For me to seriously consider this scenario, there would have to be evidence of a drug or gambling problem or a stalker ex-boyfriend. Bellingham is a nice suburb of Seattle.

Thanks for ur thoughts - question for you since you seem to know a little about the area.
1 - Bellingham now has population 80k. do you know if in the 70's it was more of a rural area? For example, would it be possible for her house to be rural enough to not be near close neighbors? One article did talk about a woman who lives in a house next to where Marci lived, so it couldn't be too rural. But think of the kids who have been kidnapped in broad daylight!

2 - Talking to a lawyer friend of mine. We both think that in order for someone to take that money out, it had to be a name on the account- either hubby or Marci. Given the size of the town at that time, would hubby take money out a few days before, and then pretend that someone else did? Remember he had to use the bank's phone or a pay phone. Tellers would surely find it odd he took money out and was then pretending that his wife did it. Which means he must've asked to see the bank slip when they tell him someone took the money out. Either it's her name on the slip, or its HIS, and that would sound an alarm to a bank teller.

3 - Let's say it's her name on that slip - did SHE take it out, or did someone who looked like her do it?? So here's my question. Can we see who hubby re-married? Has anyone seen a name?

yes he is still married to her. Google his name plus gospel singer and her picture and name come up

 

[Kapua]

The likelihood of a suburban housewife being abducted from her own backyard, particularly with her children at home is remote. For me to seriously consider this scenario, there would have to be evidence of a drug or gambling problem or a stalker ex-boyfriend. Bellingham is a nice suburb of Seattle.

Thanks for ur thoughts - question for you since you seem to know a little about the area.
1 - Bellingham now has population 80k. do you know if in the 70's it was more of a rural area? For example, would it be possible for her house to be rural enough to not be near close neighbors? One article did talk about a woman who lives in a house next to where Marci lived, so it couldn't be too rural. But think of the kids who have been kidnapped in broad daylight!

2 - Talking to a lawyer friend of mine. We both think that in order for someone to take that money out, it had to be a name on the account- either hubby or Marci. Given the size of the town at that time, would hubby take money out a few days before, and then pretend that someone else did? Remember he had to use the bank's phone or a pay phone. Tellers would surely find it odd he took money out and was then pretending that his wife did it. Which means he must've asked to see the bank slip when they tell him someone took the money out. Either it's her name on the slip, or its HIS, and that would sound an alarm to a bank teller.

3 - Let's say it's her name on that slip - did SHE take it out, or did someone who looked like her do it?? So here's my question. Can we see who hubby re-married? Has anyone seen a name?

1. I only know that Bellingham has a reputation for being a nice place to live. My former employer had an office there and one of our salesmen who lived there described it to me. I have never been there. My point was that this is not a high crime area like East Oakland, for example. And I think that the least likely possibility, particularly given the draining of the bank account, is that she was snatched from her own home in broad daylight.

2. I totally agree. Draining a bank account would have required a signature. But we only have HIS word that the bank account was drained two days earlier. For all we know, small withdrawals could have been made over a longer period of time. Without corroborating records from the bank, I am reluctant to believe him. Do we know if the police talked to the teller who allegedly told Mr. Joyce that someone withdrew all of the money two days earlier?

3. If a large withdrawal was made, certainly a signature could have been forged by another woman. However, small withdrawals over a longer period of time would be less likely to draw the attention of bank tellers. I wonder if the bank archived the records using some ancient technology.

 

[Bark]

I can imagine a handful of possibilities at the moment, but the most likely two are:

1) Wife wants to elope with a new man -> Cleans out bank for money to skip town -> Name change, new marriage, new life.

2) Husband wants to get rid of wife -> Has someone clean out his bank before she "skips" -> Kills her -> Heads to same bank a few days later, feigns surprise -> Concludes that wife must have skipped out -> Keeps money hidden somewhere at home

 

[Leomoon80]

I don't have much of significance to add. The Northwestern Commercial Bank, according to bankencyclopedia.com, was merged into US Bank of Washington. With the merger and that branch closing in 1989, I don't know if the police would be able to get access to any records from 1978.

After the flurry of activity in 2009, LE and MSM seems to have gone quiet again.

I hope that other WSers have more to offer than me. Maybe members in Washington could ask around if anyone worked at that bank in Bellingham in 1978. In 1980 there were fewer than 46,000 people living there so it seems like someone might remember her.

Maybe her husband set her up - had her withdraw the money - and then went to the bank and pretended to be surprised when the money had been withdrawn. Back in the day when there were no cell phones to track people, he could have come home and done something to her when the kids were in the house, hidden her in the garage or trunk, or he might have used the money to pay someone to grab her.

Some time later (I can't find the exact time in any of the articles), he uses the money for an annulment, gets remarried and moves on.

Although I don't recall if the money was in their home. Sorry, I will go re-read the articles.

His description of her character, as someone who would abandon her children, is opposite of what the cousin and sisters describe.

But maybe she did have her reasons and left the family. I feel so sorry for Tony. I will say a prayer for him tonight.

To Marci Joyce’s family, the case is still an open wound.
“It's just always there. It's just this low grade chronic sadness about that you know. Every holiday you think of her, every holiday of when she turned up missing, it's just always there,” Nicks said.
Investigators recently went to Knoxville to talk to Tom Joyce again.
They are now looking anyone who worked at Northwestern Commercial Bank who might remember anything about the account in question.
If that applies to you, call the Whatcom County Sheriff's Department.
http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/new-efforts-to-unlock-womans-disappearance-30-year/nKbb2/

Another Christmas with a "low grade sadness" for Tony the son of Marci.

 

[Leomoon80]

Marci's husband says he is moving back to the Northwest (2011 article) to enjoy his grandchildren after 14 years :
http://cristfamilymusic.com/archives/1709

 

[wintermute]

I may just be giving the husband way too much of the benefit of the doubt, but I don't think an annulment/remarriage w/in 18 months is that surprising... especially (1) if he thought his wife ran off with his money and (2) he had young kids to care for (especially back then, it may have been the norm for people to think he needed to get them a "new mom" ASAP).

I agree with you, SeaEclipse. If I thought that my spouse had cleaned out our bank account and had abandoned our family, I would have wanted to end the marriage and move on with my life ASAP.

 

[Leomoon80]

True, not IF the actual truth is as he explained it to be. I'd like to see those bank records, but have no idea if the police did or not.

Guess I'm not so trusting having watched so much on I.D. .

 

[jillnicks]

Thank you for posting. I just stumbled upon this site. Marci was/is my sister.

 

[jillnicks]

Tom filed for custody of the children on 9/20/78 and for dissolution of mariage on 3/23/79.

 

[kdgdid]

Thank you for joining the thread.
I hope you find answers to her disappearance.
Do you believe she left or did something happen to her?

Tom filed for custody of the children on 9/20/78 and for dissolution of mariage on 3/23/79.

 

[Leomoon80]

Tom filed for custody of the children on 9/20/78 and for dissolution of mariage on 3/23/79.

Boy, he sure moved fast

 

[jillnicks]

I am certain she did not leave. She was a completely devoted mother and she never would've left her children. I have always thought something else happened to her. It was interesting that Tom left a few days after her disappearance & said he was going to take her flyers & post them in Canada. Who knows what he actually did during that time. The kids were promptly moved out of the house & taken to his parents home. They never returned to their house again. This always struck me as weird. Wouldn't your inclination be to stay home in case she returned?!

 

[kdgdid]

absolutely if my spouse was missing I would stay in the home in case and would start looking for them
Did he not marry again very shortly after he divorced?
.

I am certain she did not leave. She was a completely devoted mother and she never would've left her children. I have always thought something else happened to her. It was interesting that Tom left a few days after her disappearance & said he was going to take her flyers & post them in Canada. Who knows what he actually did during that time. The kids were promptly moved out of the house & taken to his parents home. They never returned to their house again. This always struck me as weird. Wouldn't your inclination be to stay home in case she returned?!

 

[jillnicks]

He did marry shortly after Marci's disappeared. Interestingly she looked very similar to Marci. He had Tony's birth certificate changed to his new wife as his mother.

 

[kdgdid]

I find that odd. did he have this done for both children or just the son?
How is that possible if Marcia is considered missing. She could not consent to an adoption.
A friend of mine was on ancestry this weekend and found the daughter's husband's family tree.
We both found it creepy in his tree that Marcia's date of death is listed as the day she went missing?

He did marry shortly after Marci's disappeared. Interestingly she looked very similar to Marci. He had Tony's birth certificate changed to his new wife as his mother.

 

[ellemo]

I find that odd. did he have this done for both children or just the son?
How is that possible if Marcia is considered missing. She could not consent to an adoption.
A friend of mine was on ancestry this weekend and found the daughter's husband's family tree.
We both found it creepy in his tree that Marcia's date of death is listed as the day she went missing?

I don't think that is creepy at all. If she went missing last year, then it would be creepy. But after decades with no contact, the assumption is that she is dead. And if this is the daughter's husband's tree, then it was created by someone with no emotional connection to the woman. If I had someone in my family tree who went missing, I would probably do the same thing.

 

[jillnicks]

OMG seriously!?! Wow. No words....I can tell you that there has been a lot of "character assassination" by those people in Tom "camp" which includes Marica his daughter, her husband and her husbands father who is Tom's best friend. It's heart breaking. My family knows better and Tony knows better and I believe the LE also know better. Listing her date of death as the day she went missing is very telling.......as far as Tom goes.

 

[kdgdid]

That is sad that the children became involved in this as they were so young when their mother went missing.

OMG seriously!?! Wow. No words....I can tell you that there has been a lot of "character assassination" by those people in Tom "camp" which includes Marica his daughter, her husband and her husbands father who is Tom's best friend. It's heart breaking. My family knows better and Tony knows better and I believe the LE also know better. Listing her date of death as the day she went missing is very telling.......as far as Tom goes.