As you may or may not recall, Tara Calico was a University of New Mexico student that disappeared on a bike ride in 1988.

Almost a year later a disturbing poloriod photo was found in the parking lot of a convenience store.

http://www.reddit.com/r/creepy/comments/2ezwfi/on_june_15_1989_a_woman_in_port_st_joe_florida/ck4rd8h

This is probably going to be lost in the comments, but that photo has haunted me for decades. I was working as a manager Egghead Software, and the police sent us a special packet containing that picture in our weekly managers mailings. The girl in the picture is wearing an Egghead Software tshirt. We sold those in all our stores. We were asked to look at her and see if we recognized her or the boy in the picture. The police were looking for any link or clue to help them id the children. None of us remembered anything or recognized them.

Sometimes in life, something happens, and you immediately think "this just got burned into my memory - I'm going to remember this for the rest of my life." This was one of them. Sitting at my desk, in the back office. Looking at that picture of the girl in the Egghead T-shirt. The terrified look of the boy, and the resigned look of the girl. decades later - with kids of my own now, I still remember exactly where I was sitting, exactly what I was feeling. And now I know exactly what their parents must have been feeling - to feel so helpless and know there was nothing I could do to rescue my child.

I'm going to go to my grave with that picture as clear in my head as the day I saw it.

Very interesting post. I wonder how many locations the company had by 1989 and where those stores were. Apparently the company had only been around for five years then.

Another very interesting post and what sounds, to me, like a very cogent theory:

Twenty years after her disappearance, Rene Rivera, sheriff of Valencia County, announced that he knew what happened to Calico. According to Rivera, boys who knew her from school drove up behind her in a truck and some form of accident followed. Calico later died and those responsible covered up the crime. Rivera states he knows the names of those involved, but that, without a body, he cannot make a case. He has not released whatever evidence has led him to this conclusion. No arrests have been made and the case remains open.[2] Calico's stepfather, John Doel, has disputed these claims, saying that the sheriff should not have made these comments if he was not willing to arrest anyone and that strong circumstantial evidence should be enough for a conviction.[2]

In addition, personally I don't see a very strong resemblance between the girl in the photo and Tara other than they are about the same age and have similar build and hair color which would match a million girls across the country.

^ That theory came about in 2009 or thereabouts and was discussed in length on here. I personally think the "accident" theory is really far-fetched. If they were following her, they were probably harrassing or accosting her and I don't think what happened was an accident.

I find it plausible that they were harassing her and accidentally killed her. I can see it: Tara's riding her bike and she's a decent looking girl. A not insignificant portion of mainly younger males think that the best way to swoon a young woman is to honk and yell and generally harass her. I believe I remember that she was listening to a walkman at the time so it's possible that she may not have returned the affections or simply, like my wife does when she walks to the store, ignored them.

The male ego is fragile thing and the unrequited horn honking/cat calling may set off an aggressive response. Maybe they/he tried to scare or impress her by driving closely to her. Maybe they chased her a bit, maybe they bumped her off her bike and she went under the tires or maybe they knocked her off her bike.

In any case, I can see a variety of situations that are not far fetched in which the young lady could have been killed when murder was not the objective.
In a panic he/they disposed of the body. New Mexico is a rather sparely populated joint. Try driving that stretch of I-5 between Deming and Lordsburg. That is one desolate joint and not too far away from where she went missing.

Far more plausible than that someone kidnapped her and a young boy and decided to take a photo of them bound and gagged and somehow let the incriminating photo fall out of their hands clear across the country from where she was snatched.

Far more plausible than that someone kidnapped her and a young boy and decided to take a photo of them bound and gagged and somehow let the incriminating photo fall out of their hands clear across the country from where she was snatched.

There is another pretty recent thread that goes real in-depth about all of this and I basically spell out my theory that the photo is a remnant from someone's kiddie porn collection.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=325404

I think the photo was either discarded accidentally, or, more likely, some sicko threw it out to mess with people's heads, as it is a disturbing picture.

The Egghead info is new to me though. Thanks for posting it. There is yet another thread about this case on Websleuths where some folks were trying to identify the characters on the shirts as possible clues to the childrens' identities.

Thanks very much. I must have read that thread but for some reason didn't retain anything. Thanks very much for the link.

I think the photo could be child porn (great, now I'm on some NSA list!) or it could simply be a prank or kids just screwing around. The kids in the picture look like they could be siblings and I could see someone messing around like that to freak out their parents or something. In any case, I don't believe that it is related to Tara's disappearance.

In 1989 I was too busy being about 6 and having a crush on Cyndi Lauper to be messing around with computers. Was Egghead a popular or common thing? According to wikipedia they seemed to have tons of stores at big-box stores. I remember back when computers were for geeks an older cousin worked for a chain in Utah. It seems they had plenty of stores across the country.

WARNING - The photo of the boy and girl (from the Albuquerque Journal article) in the van is posted at the very bottom of this post below my comments and a couple other normal pics. Just want to let you know ahead of time in case you want to hurry and scroll past it if viewing it is too disturbing.

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I vaguely remember Egghead and Babbage's back in the early days of computers. Pretty sure I had an Egghead mousepad at some point. lol

In another thread about Tara, we were discussing the girl's shirt and trying to figure out what it said or what it could be (cartoon characters, disney shirt, etc) so this is new info to me that it's an Egghead shirt.

Here are some samples of the Egghead shirt to compare to the one the girl in the photo is wearing. They are gray with red lettering and have the little egghead cartoon guy under the writing.

From the angle we see in the girl's photo the red lettering would be up closer to her neck, impossible for us to read, but the design across her chest looks very much like the Egghead cartoon.

I wonder why the police knew of that lead at the time, but only asked Egghead employees if they recognized the children. If that info was more widely known, they could have cropped the pic to make it show less skin, if that was an issue, and other customers might remember seeing the kids in one of the stores.



http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/physical-object/2007/06/102673618.01.01.lg.jpg

http://www.defunkd.com/public/upload/images/product_images/big/VintageManiac_30581322761496.jpg

http://main.abqjournal.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/calico1.jpg

http://www.abqjournal.com/273917/abqnewsseeker/police-reopen-tara-calico-disappearance.html

Thanks very much for the photos. That indeed appears to be the same shirt.

I find it somewhat odd that a young girl in 1989 would seek and wear that shirt out. It looks more like she wore it at home or to sleep or that it wasn't hers.

I think the photo could be child porn (great, now I'm on some NSA list!) or it could simply be a prank or kids just screwing around. The kids in the picture look like they could be siblings and I could see someone messing around like that to freak out their parents or something. In any case, I don't believe that it is related to Tara's disappearance.

I used to subscribe to the prank theory. I think what killed it for me is the bruising on the boy's neck as was pointed out by someone on WS. Also, the location of the bruises makes it appear as if he was choked manually as the bruising is somewhat symmetrical and on the left and right side of the neck. A sick thought in any event.

I find it somewhat odd that a young girl in 1989 would seek and wear that shirt out. It looks more like she wore it at home or to sleep or that it wasn't hers.

Yeah, the Egghead shirt certainly adds a new dimension to the case. I'm not quite sure what to make of it. Sadly, if the photo is a remnant of kiddie porn, the shirt might not be her own.

Doesn't the boy in the photo have a similar shirt on? Just what exactly was Egghead software, and how could people buy these shirts? The poster says it was sold in "their stores", were these retail stores? I still don't see how the shirts make any difference in whether or not it was a prank...the children could have had parents that worked for the company, or a relative that worked for it.

I vaguely remember Egghead. I also kind of remember that Egghead cartoon design. I don't think I ever went into any of their stores, so I don't know whether or not they sold those shirts to the public.

This picture has always freaked me out. The theory that the boys following Tara accidentally killed her sounds most plausible to me, but that still leaves those poor kids in the picture. Ugh. That picture! I hope that one of these days, the FBI will be able to figure out the origin of it.

I'd say it's definitely possible that shirt isn't hers. It very long and almost completely covers her shorts. The sleeve on her left arm is very long, but the sleeve on her right arm is pushed up and initially gives the appearance of being the correct size.

If the police were able to figure out that her shirt was an Egghead, they must know what kind of shirt the other child is wearing. (I can't tell what it is, does anyone else know?) And if the police know what that shirt is, they must have done the same kind of investigation that they did with the Egghead stores, contacting retail outlets and trying to identify who may have purchased it, etc.



Just what exactly was Egghead software, and how could people buy these shirts? The poster says it was sold in "their stores", were these retail stores?

Yep, they were retail stores that sold software, games, computer related stuff like those great big 5 1/4 inch floppy disks as well as merchandise like coffee mugs and pens with their logo. I couldn't find an Egghead one, looks like this one is from Radio Shack. By the time the 3.5 disks came along, our local Egghead shop closed and I was getting my computer stuff at a different place that is now out of business and I can't even remember what it was called.

http://oldcomputers.net/pics/floppy8.gif

Maybe whoever was driving that commercial van worked in software or the IT industry? And thus had access to Egghead t-shirts?

Yep, they were retail stores that sold software, games, computer related stuff like those great big 5 1/4 inch floppy disks as well as merchandise like coffee mugs and pens with their logo. I couldn't find an Egghead one, looks like this one is from Radio Shack. By the time the 3.5 disks came along, our local Egghead shop closed and I was getting my computer stuff at a different place that is now out of business and I can't even remember what it was called.

Thank you for the info. Since they were a store similar to Radio Shack, it wouldn't be that uncommon for a girl and her brother to own shirts, would it?

I'd say it's definitely possible that shirt isn't hers. It very long and almost completely covers her shorts. The sleeve on her left arm is very long, but the sleeve on her right arm is pushed up and initially gives the appearance of being the correct size.[/IMG]

Having been a young person in the late 80s I can say that a lot of us wore really oversized shirts - even bigger than what she is wearing would not be weird at all.

It certainly is still possible that it wasn't hers though.

Thank you for the info. Since they were a store similar to Radio Shack, it wouldn't be that uncommon for a girl and her brother to own shirts, would it?

Nope, I don't think it would be rare or uncommon. I had an Egghead mousepad and someone the age of the girl in the photo might very well be interested in the new computer technology of the time.

A few years before Tara went missing (in 1988) my brother in law had a commodore 64 and sometime not long after he got that, he even had a phone modem thingie where you took the wall mounted phone handset and laid it on the device so the old style AOL sounds could communicate with the computer and he could get online. I didn't understand any of that at the time, tho. lol

IIRC, looking up info on Egghead the other day, I read that they started out on the west coast and had 200 or more stores in the US at their peak. I wonder if any were near where Tara lived and wouldn't her parents have a good idea if she owned a shirt like this or was into computers? I wonder if they've been asked about that.

Having been a young person in the late 80s I can say that a lot of us wore really oversized shirts - even bigger than what she is wearing would not be weird at all.

I'm a couple years older than Tara, but my memory is shot and can't remember much about 80s fashion except what Madonna was wearing. lol

I do recall that in high school, really long sweaters over jeans was popular in our area. In the early 90s, I remember having big tee shirts with big sleeves, even specifically women's clothing, not just unisex tees. Glad that's over because it was not a good look on me. :crazy:

Nope, I don't think it would be rare or uncommon. I had an Egghead mousepad and someone the age of the girl in the photo might very well be interested in the new computer technology of the time.

A few years before Tara went missing (in 1988) my brother in law had a commodore 64 and sometime not long after he got that, he even had a phone modem thingie where you took the wall mounted phone handset and laid it on the device so the old style AOL sounds could communicate with the computer and he could get online. I didn't understand any of that at the time, tho. lol

IIRC, looking up info on Egghead the other day, I read that they started out on the west coast and had 200 or more stores in the US at their peak. I wonder if any were near where Tara lived and wouldn't her parents have a good idea if she owned a shirt like this or was into computers? I wonder if they've been asked about that.

Thank you again for that information. I honestly had never heard of Egghead until reading about it in this thread. It does make sense for two children (I think the boy in the photo is wearing one too) to have a t-shirt from a company that sold computer games in the late 80's.

Computer games were not nearly as popular in the 80's as they are today. It was a relatively niche market back in the C64 era especially compared to the proliferation and popularity of computer games today.

While I understand that it was common back then to wear a larger shirt I find the choice of a computer software business's shirt to be interesting. I think it was something that if it was hers that it wasn't something she would commonly wear out. I know my old female cousins, about the age of that girl, would sleep in oversize New Kids or Disney t shirts.

Slightly off topic, a few young ladies that have "spent time" with me have either slept in my old concert t shirts or made off with them entirely. What's up with that?

I should have added this information to the current Tara thread. Mods, could that happen?

Was the boy's shirt ID'd at all? I don't recall that it was.

Also, I do not see the bruising on the boy's neck that many others apparently can see.

Computer games were not nearly as popular in the 80's as they are today. It was a relatively niche market back in the C64 era especially compared to the proliferation and popularity of computer games today.

Computer games were a welcome distraction in my classrooms. They were like field trips, anything that got us away from doing any actual boring work was welcomed. Computers were a relatively new phenomenon back then and most people didn't have games because they didn't have computers. Nowadays, seemingly everyone has one. I think it's more of an issue of availability than popularity.

Now, the popularity of computer-related t-shirts was probably pretty low.

btw, I have fond memories of playing Oregon Trail. It was monotonous, frustrating and at the same time, thoroughly enjoyable.

I should have added this information to the current Tara thread. Mods, could that happen?

copy and paste.

Also, I do not see the bruising on the boy's neck that many others apparently can see.

I talked about this on the other Tara thread that's on page 1 right now. It may not be immediately visible in most of the smaller versions of the photograph that are on the net. But if you have a copy of the segment, pop it in your DVD player and play it on the big-screen. It's quite noticeable.

I don't think the boy is wearing an Egghead shirt. It looks to me like a drawing of an animal (dog/koala/bear?) in the top left area only.

I can't see the bruises, either.



btw, I have fond memories of playing Oregon Trail. It was monotonous, frustrating and at the same time, thoroughly enjoyable.



"WISEGUY182 HAS DIED OF DYSENTERY."

:)

"WISEGUY182 HAS DIED OF DYSENTERY."

:)

:lol:

http://i.imgur.com/D9cYaDVl.jpg

I will never look at blueberry waffles the same way again.

Oregon Trail. One thing that always pissed me off is how I'd shoot a thousand pound bison or whatever that thing was, and only be able to carry 100 pounds back. WTF, am I incapable of making several trips? And why don't the other people in the wagon get off their lazy behinds and help? :lol:

The trading post was equally absurd. Most days, nobody would trade with you. On the rare days you could find someone, they would want to exchange one set of clothes for like 1500 pounds of food or some other absurd trade in their favor.

It seems like I always went the Charles Ingalls route of the poor carpenter. Perhaps that was my downfall.

I talked about this on the other Tara thread that's on page 1 right now. It may not be immediately visible in most of the smaller versions of the photograph that are on the net. But if you have a copy of the segment, pop it in your DVD player and play it on the big-screen. It's quite noticeable.

http://i.imgur.com/F209YKZ.jpg

Anything that could be "bruising" could also be shadow.

Sorry bruv, aint seeing "noticeable" bruising.

http://i.imgur.com/F209YKZ.jpg

Anything that could be "bruising" could also be shadow.

Sorry bruv, aint seeing "noticeable" bruising.

by definition, shadows are dark. Not red, which is a lighter color.

Did you pop it in to your dvd player like I suggested? This is another pic on the internet.

I, sadly, lack the CSI imaging equipment which can magically turn grainy, lo-res photos/video into sharp and clear HD images (Zoom! Enhance! ENHANCE!!).

This image is clearer than the screen cap I can do.

Here's my screen cap:

http://s12.postimg.org/xy8lmv6l9/vlcsnap_2014_09_06_13h27m51s237.png

Is there an HD missing persons boxed set I am unaware of? The only UM that I have is...


Well...

http://s8.postimg.org/4cruq6x11/pirates_life_for_me_4.jpg


Anyway...

How could a DVD possibly give a better image than the scanned photo? I think that artifacts would show up being transferred between medias which could lead one to see things are are not actually in the photo. This is nonsensical.

The image that I posted is the best quality image that I can find. I don't see bruising unless I cover one eye and squint the other an hour after swimming in a heavily chlorinated pool without my glasses.

http://s8.postimg.org/4cruq6x11/pirates_life_for_me_4.jpg


:rotflmao:

That picture is the best resolution of the polaroid I've ever seen. And there is no bruising at all on that boy's neck.

The only possible way I could imagine seeing bruising is if I had rendered the image into different formats and resolutions creating distortion and image artifacts. The photo that I posted is the best quality one that I have been able to locate.

The book is also an interesting choice, from what I have read V.C. Andrews seems to have written about rape, incest, and, family secrets. I tried to read the synopsis on wikipedia for the book but I can't follow it. Were her books popular with young women at the time?

That reddit post resonates with me simply because of the profound effect that it had on the Egghead employee at the time.

The book is also an interesting choice, from what I have read V.C. Andrews seems to have written about rape, incest, and, family secrets. I tried to read the synopsis on wikipedia for the book but I can't follow it. Were her books popular with young women at the time?

Yep, I'm a couple years older than Tara and have always loved reading. I usually read two or three books on different topics at the same time.

VC Andrews was very popular. I personally didn't like the subject matter of her books and quit reading the first one after less than one chapter, IIRC. I think the book was either Flowers in the Attic or My Sweet Audrina. But many of my friends and lots of my teenage acquaintances were into her books back in the 80s.

Go to any thrift store and look in the book section, you'll find books by V.C. Andrews. He/she was a very popular author.

Yes those books were very popular with teenage girls in the 80's. Think about it for a second, what seems more probable: the girl in the photo was messing around with her brother/s and in the middle of reading the book before the picture was taken, or some abductor went out of his way to buy a popular book for one of his kidnapped victims to read in the middle of their travels?

Yes those books were very popular with teenage girls in the 80's. Think about it for a second, what seems more probable: the girl in the photo was messing around with her brother/s and in the middle of reading the book before the picture was taken, or some abductor went out of his way to buy a popular book for one of his kidnapped victims to read in the middle of their travels?
I would say the former is more likely. OR the girl could have had the book on her when abducted (such as in a handbag or backpack), assuming she's not Tara Calico.

I still lean towards this not being a prank, but you all bring up very valid points. Why would no one in 25 years (besides Tara and the two different boys) have been suggested as the subjects in the photo? There are so many missing children from the 80s you would think other candidates would come to light. Unless their appearances were changed by the kidnapper (hair color/length), but still you would think their faces would ring a bell. I think I've read about other posters on Websleuths combing through the Charley Project to find matches and coming up empty.

Yes those books were very popular with teenage girls in the 80's. Think about it for a second, what seems more probable: the girl in the photo was messing around with her brother/s and in the middle of reading the book before the picture was taken, or some abductor went out of his way to buy a popular book for one of his kidnapped victims to read in the middle of their travels?

Seriously, I tried to read a synopsis and I couldn't. I just couldn't follow the convoluted story.
Most of my co-workers are female and about the age Tara is, I'll ask them if they recall the author.

The fact that the book was so popular makes the presence much less significant if one was to strain to connect the photo to Tara's disappearance.

I would say the former is more likely. OR the girl could have had the book on her when abducted (such as in a handbag or backpack), assuming she's not Tara Calico.

I still lean towards this not being a prank, but you all bring up very valid points. Why would no one in 25 years (besides Tara and the two different boys) have been suggested as the subjects in the photo? There are so many missing children from the 80s you would think other candidates would come to light. Unless their appearances were changed by the kidnapper (hair color/length), but still you would think their faces would ring a bell. I think I've read about other posters on Websleuths combing through the Charley Project to find matches and coming up empty.

I don't follow this logic.
"I have just kidnapped a girl. Now I will take a photo of her with some of her property in the foreground just to help out LE in finding me."
She appears bound but we don't know for sure. Assuming she is the victim of abduction and she was bound did the kidnapper hold the book up for her? Did she nod to indicate that she was finished with the page so the kidnapper could turn it for her?

I think the kids are too "generic" and their basic description could apply to way too many kids. I think I might see something that could be a scar on the girls right leg but it may not be. There's nothing that definitely ID's them and a good portion of their faces is covered with tape.

I don't follow this logic.
"I have just kidnapped a girl. Now I will take a photo of her with some of her property in the foreground just to help out LE in finding me."
She appears bound but we don't know for sure. Assuming she is the victim of abduction and she was bound did the kidnapper hold the book up for her? Did she nod to indicate that she was finished with the page so the kidnapper could turn it for her?


I don't think it's far-fetched that the girl would have the book in her belongings, but it almost looks posed in the picture, doesn't it? You'd think they would move it out of the way. Also, the only way I could see a kidnapped girl's book being right next to her is if they dumped out her bag looking for anything of value. You'd think there would be other stuff, then, if the book slipped in.

I don't think it's far-fetched that the girl would have the book in her belongings, but it almost looks posed in the picture, doesn't it? You'd think they would move it out of the way. Also, the only way I could see a kidnapped girl's book being right next to her is if they dumped out her bag looking for anything of value. You'd think there would be other stuff, then, if the book slipped in.

The reason I don't think a kidnapper would let his victims keep personal belongings, is because for the most part, they are about control. They want to control their victims. They want to erase any form of self identification they have. Giving them forms of leisure defeats this purpose. Just knowing what Jaycee Dugard went through makes it all the more unlikely, IMO, that this guy would be "kind" enough to let his victims not only read, but also play with squirt guns. Not to mention comfortable bedding for the back of the van.

I don't think it's far-fetched that the girl would have the book in her belongings, but it almost looks posed in the picture, doesn't it? You'd think they would move it out of the way. Also, the only way I could see a kidnapped girl's book being right next to her is if they dumped out her bag looking for anything of value. You'd think there would be other stuff, then, if the book slipped in.

I could easily imagine that she was reading it and reluctantly set it down to go along with some stupid prank so her little snotty brother would finally shut the hell up...

...or a million other reasons. Or a million lack of reasons.

I couldn't find anything that said that Tara went missing carrying the book. I know she had a walkman and a Boston tape (big ups for decent tunes!) but I haven't read that she had her copy in her possession at the time she went missing.

I know that you are not saying that the girl is Tara but I am curious why you believe this to be an actual photo of two kids held against their will.

Oregon Trail. One thing that always pissed me off is how I'd shoot a thousand pound bison or whatever that thing was, and only be able to carry 100 pounds back. WTF, am I incapable of making several trips? And why don't the other people in the wagon get off their lazy behinds and help? :lol:

The trading post was equally absurd. Most days, nobody would trade with you. On the rare days you could find someone, they would want to exchange one set of clothes for like 1500 pounds of food or some other absurd trade in their favor.

It seems like I always went the Charles Ingalls route of the poor carpenter. Perhaps that was my downfall.
Exactly! Also, why in the world couldn't someone come with me and help me get the rest of the food???

I would say the former is more likely. OR the girl could have had the book on her when abducted (such as in a handbag or backpack), assuming she's not Tara Calico.

I still lean towards this not being a prank, but you all bring up very valid points. Why would no one in 25 years (besides Tara and the two different boys) have been suggested as the subjects in the photo? There are so many missing children from the 80s you would think other candidates would come to light. Unless their appearances were changed by the kidnapper (hair color/length), but still you would think their faces would ring a bell. I think I've read about other posters on Websleuths combing through the Charley Project to find matches and coming up empty.
The look in their eyes tells me it's not a prank. IMO.

The reason I don't think a kidnapper would let his victims keep personal belongings, is because for the most part, they are about control. They want to control their victims. They want to erase any form of self identification they have. Giving them forms of leisure defeats this purpose. Just knowing what Jaycee Dugard went through makes it all the more unlikely, IMO, that this guy would be "kind" enough to let his victims not only read, but also play with squirt guns. Not to mention comfortable bedding for the back of the van.

Think of Kids like Shawn Hornbeck and and Ben Ownby who rode bikes, and played video games, etc. They never ran away out of fear. It can happen. They can control their victims with fear.

I think that we can agree that those cases, which are kind of a single case, are exceptional and not typical of a child abduction.

Oregon Trail. One thing that always pissed me off is how I'd shoot a thousand pound bison or whatever that thing was, and only be able to carry 100 pounds back. WTF, am I incapable of making several trips? And why don't the other people in the wagon get off their lazy behinds and help? :lol:

I usually drowned half my crew trying to get the wagon across the third river.

My own most common cause of death? A snake bite.

Good times.

a Boston tape (big ups for decent tunes!)

That was always my sentiment as well!



I don't know about the way that photograph was found, y'all. I still get a nagging feeling that somebody intentionally placed it where it was found. That's all it is, of course--a feeling--but it's there nonetheless.

Also, wiseguy, I feel you on that Oregon Trail trading post.

Anyone else remember those Tombstone pizza commercials, where the guy is getting ready to be hung and the ask, "what would you like on your tombstone?" and he says, "pepperoni and cheese"? Well every time I died on the Oregon Trail, I put pepperoni and cheese as my epitaph.

That was always my sentiment as well!



I don't know about the way that photograph was found, y'all. I still get a nagging feeling that somebody intentionally placed it where it was found. That's all it is, of course--a feeling--but it's there nonetheless.

Also, wiseguy, I feel you on that Oregon Trail trading post.

I feel the same way about the discovery of the Polaroid. It's almost like someone wanted it to be found. If the photo was a hoax, perhaps the kids who perpetrated it thought it would be funny to have someone find the photo. Maybe they were going for shock value. Obviously, they didn't consider or realize the ramifications. As you said in another post, we are missing the context of the photo, so our minds fill in the gaps.

I don't think my school had Oregon Trail, and I never did play it so I'm feeling a bit left out. I do recall playing Adventures in Math and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Fun times...

Exactly! Also, why in the world couldn't someone come with me and help me get the rest of the food???

even if they did, there was a good chance the food would get stolen or ruined by fire or get spoiled in the river. The game was frustrating as hell (and thoroughly enjoyable).

I don't think my school had Oregon Trail, and I never did play it so I'm feeling a bit left out.

I'm pretty sure my son's school had it but he was in first grade (1993) and they played something different. I was the computer lab volunteer mom so I am feeling pretty dang OLD here! :(

When I was in school we didn't even have xerox machines, we had mimeographs with that weird smelling blue ink. lol

I'm pretty sure my son's school had it but he was in first grade (1993) and they played something different. I was the computer lab volunteer mom so I am feeling pretty dang OLD here! :(

When I was in school we didn't even have xerox machines, we had mimeographs with that weird smelling blue ink. lol

Awww, don't feel bad, TracyLynnS. :)

If it makes you feel any better, I (32 years old) know the machines you are talking about. I remember one of the first schools I went to had such a machine because I recall the very distinct smell of the ink.

I always crack up at that scene in the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High where someone is handing out freshly printed worksheets and the kids all take a deep inhale upon receiving their copy. It always made me wonder if the fumes could give you a buzz or something.

The most overlooked aspect of this case is the tape.

Let me tell you something. There may be kids that conduct pranks out there, nobody is denying that. But I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a kid (let alone 2) that is going to put a gigantic piece of tape over their mouths. Most kids don't like the feel of peeling off band-aids, they sure as hell aren't going to like the feel of a big piece of tape being ripped off their mouths, which would have happened at some point (if this were a prank). It would have hurt like hell. Not to mention how uncomfortable it would have felt just having it on in the first place

The pranks kids pull don't tend to be this elaborate. I mean, think about it. They have to put the tape on, pose for the picture, get someone else to take the picture, make sure it turns out right, plant it at the convenience store, and avoid detection for 25 years. A lot more complicated than the simple "soap somebody's windows" or its equivalents.

Some people have speculated the tape on their mouths is a type of film tape. Which is easily applied, and easy to come off.

Am I the only one who thinks this could have been the work of some kids who were on a long car trip with mom and dad and were bored? There could be a third child there taking the photo.

Am I the only one who thinks this could have been the work of some kids who were on a long car trip with mom and dad and were bored? There could be a third child there taking the photo.

no, numerous people on here have suggested that.

I lean towards the kids playing around on a road trip theory. It's the book sitting next to her. If her hands are bound behind her back, how could she read a book? Does that mean her hands are unbound sometimes? It just doesn't make logical sense for it to be there.