Amy Billig

[joshypiano]

Well, I've done a lot of reading on this forum about Amy Billig and was surprised to see that nobody went another route with this story.

To refresh your memory she was she young lady who went missing and there was a lot of thought that she was abducted by bikers and kept as a slave known as "Mute". Her mother was always out searching for her and always seemed to be just a few steps behind her. Nothing ever came of it and one the bikers allegedly involved claimed on his deathbed that she overdosed at a party the night she went missing and they threw her body into the Everglades to be eaten by alligators.

The part that surprises me is that no one has focused in on Henry Johnson Blair, the man who began harassing Mrs. Billig with phone calls after Amy disappeared. He did this for 21 years. His identity was unknown until he made a call from his cell phone which they traced. Prior to that he always called from a phone booth.

What I find particularly interesting is that Amy had written in her journal that she was thinking of running away to South America with a man named Hank. Henry Johnson Blair's nickname is Hank and he worked for the Customs Department and was required to relocate to South America at the time of Amy's disappearance. Another scary fact is that they discovered Amy's camera along a northbound highway after he disappearance. When they developed the film they found a photo of a white van identical in color and model to the one Henry Johnson Blair drove in 1974.

Henry Johnson Blair claims he never met Amy and harassed her mother due to alcoholism and mental problems. But I find it unlikely he never met her. It's seems pretty evident they knew each other and may have been involved.

Whether or not he abducted her or not is another matter but I'm surprised its an avenue that hasn't been explored more. I never really took the biker abduction thing at face value. It's seems more likely to me that Henry Johnson Blair might have taken her and killed her. He seems obsessive, and she was a very pretty girl. It might have ended badly.

Thoughts?

[themaninblack]

but what about the UK link? the investigator said she had a contact who had been offered a "girl" nicknamed "mute".

[chacha6581]

This case has always stuck with me. Her mother died without finding out what really happened to her. So sad.
Did the police ever give "Hank" a lie detector test or anything? The whole mute situation, well that could have been her too. I think that her diary is def. credible, as are the pictures that she took. I wonder if her friends new about Hank.

[Cori aka ChrisSCrush]

Too bad that guy in the UK didn't agree to buy her. You know, arrange a time, place, and price, then go to the cops, who might even supply the money. I'd almost rather think he was lying than that Amy or some other unfortunate person was left in that situation due to him not pursuing it aggressively enough.

[joshypiano]

Originally Posted by themaninblack

but what about the UK link? the investigator said she had a contact who had been offered a "girl" nicknamed "mute".

wow I can't believe I never saw this reply to the thread I started. I just thought no one responded. Ahem....it's a little late but here goes...

I really don't buy that story. How many times have we heard in missing persons cases that someone saw that person elsewhere and after the abduction, and were so sure of it. And much like the Kerri Lynn Nixon case it turned out to be false. Look, I've seen people on the streets who I thought were very dear friends of mine, only to discover it was someone else. Once in San Antonio I even thought I saw my mother, but it wasn't her.
Now I can only imagine in missing persons cases where the sense of urgency and hope for retrieval are heightened that it may become even more skewed.

If I am to believe the bikers story, if anything it just seems like the story by the bikers that she was abducted was just there to mess with Susan Billig, and draw suspicion away from the fact that
Amy was dead. Perhaps the bikers did know something about it. Perhaps she was killed by the bikers, or OD'd at a party they threw.

But in the end it just appears to me that there was little chance of her being absconded and remaining alive for that long, to end up where years later a man in England could "buy" her.

I also find the circumstances of the persona of that individual who was approached, being approached in that manner, at that location as being highly circumspect.


Yay 200th post!

[browneyes106]

I remember that story. It was really sad and I felt bad for her mom.

[Cori aka ChrisSCrush]

Originally Posted by joshypiano

If I am to believe the bikers story, if anything it just seems like the story by the bikers that she was abducted was just there to mess with Susan Billig, and draw suspicion away from the fact that
Amy was dead. Perhaps the bikers did know something about it. Perhaps she was killed by the bikers, or OD'd at a party they threw.

If the phantom phoner harassed Amy's mother for 22 years when he had absolutely no involvement, and he was a cop, it's not outside the realm of probability that bikers would mess with her whether they knew anything or not.

Originally Posted by joshypiano

I also find the circumstances of the persona of that individual who was approached, being approached in that manner, at that location as being highly circumspect.

Change that to highly suspect and I agree. Hardly a tough, greasy biker type, but more the type if he weren't so timid and plain pathetic, would go straight to authorities. Hardly "buyer" material.

Originally Posted by joshypiano

Yay 200th post!

Congratulations!

[ms_bates]

I've often wondered if the Hank from Amy's journal and the Hank who harassed her mother were the same person. I wonder if Amy's friends were ever asked about the "Hank" mentioned in her journal. I find it hard to believe that a teenage girl would have an older boyfriend and not mention it to some of her girlfriends. When I was 17, that would have been one of the most exciting things I could imagine!

As for the bikers, there did seem to be strong leads there. But then again, they also found some girls in the biker circles who looked quite a bit like Amy, so it is possible it was all a case of mistaken identity to begin with.

Very puzzling case indeed. I highly recommend reading the book if you haven't. It is available on Amazon and is a great read, her mom went through so much to try and find her. http://www.amazon.com/Without-Trace-.../dp/0380814137

[DP1]

This was a case that always stuck in my mind.

About that guy Hank, the police have said that wasn't involved or something to that effect. But I think he had to have known Amy. Why else would he be making all those phone calls. Hell, why he made those harrassing phone calls I'll never know. America's Most Wanted as profiled this case and one of the investigators said they wish they had know about Blair twenty years ago.

[Cori aka ChrisSCrush]

Was anyone else rescued from the biker culture while searching for Amy?

[marlins3]

I believe there was a drug connection tied to her disappearance. If she disappeard with "Hank", I find it somehwat odd that she didn't tell any of her friends (she was supposed to meet them for lunch). Billig was involved in the Miami drug scene and wore roach clips in her hair.

[chacha6581]

It is crazy to think how reckless teens can be. When you grow older, you realize how many stupid things you did and all the ways you could have gotten hurt. I think she would have mentioned "Hank" to her friends as well. Remember that informant that was taking her mom to the biker bars? What happened with that? He died right?

[LaToyaBoy]

Originally Posted by joshypiano

Well, I've done a lot of reading on this forum about Amy Billig and was surprised to see that nobody went another route with this story.

To refresh your memory she was she young lady who went missing and there was a lot of thought that she was abducted by bikers and kept as a slave known as "Mute". Her mother was always out searching for her and always seemed to be just a few steps behind her. Nothing ever came of it and one the bikers allegedly involved claimed on his deathbed that she overdosed at a party the night she went missing and they threw her body into the Everglades to be eaten by alligators.

The part that surprises me is that no one has focused in on Henry Johnson Blair, the man who began harassing Mrs. Billig with phone calls after Amy disappeared. He did this for 21 years. His identity was unknown until he made a call from his cell phone which they traced. Prior to that he always called from a phone booth.

What I find particularly interesting is that Amy had written in her journal that she was thinking of running away to South America with a man named Hank. Henry Johnson Blair's nickname is Hank and he worked for the Customs Department and was required to relocate to South America at the time of Amy's disappearance. Another scary fact is that they discovered Amy's camera along a northbound highway after he disappearance. When they developed the film they found a photo of a white van identical in color and model to the one Henry Johnson Blair drove in 1974.

Henry Johnson Blair claims he never met Amy and harassed her mother due to alcoholism and mental problems. But I find it unlikely he never met her. It's seems pretty evident they knew each other and may have been involved.

Whether or not he abducted her or not is another matter but I'm surprised its an avenue that hasn't been explored more. I never really took the biker abduction thing at face value. It's seems more likely to me that Henry Johnson Blair might have taken her and killed her. He seems obsessive, and she was a very pretty girl. It might have ended badly.

Thoughts?

Why wasnt this mentioned in the segement?!?!

Personally I think Amy was abducted, raped and then murdered the same day. This whole thing about "owning" the women...this may happen but it is VERY rare. The biker that claimed he had info on Amy obviously was trying to get money from her (Amys mother). The time when he took Mrs. Billng to the bar and the "fight" broke out...total production number. It was all arranged. I dont care if he had crutches and bruises. I did feel sorry for the mother...this was a segement when it was total heartbreak. But the part when the man in Europe was approached by the biker who wanted to sell the girl. WoW! That was a one in a million shot...and then the news to travel that far and to make a connection to a case! WOWZERS!

[DP1]

I remember hearing about the entire Blair case on Inside Edition. I saw a commercial for it and watched. I was very surprised the harrassing phone calls were not mentioned on UM. UM has a tendancy to leave out details but I have a feeling it might have had to do with the harrassing phone calls still be an ongoing investigation. Maybe they knew they were closing in and didn't want to ruin things by speaking about it.

[ksm1967]

Originally Posted by DP1

I remember hearing about the entire Blair case on Inside Edition. I saw a commercial for it and watched. I was very surprised the harrassing phone calls were not mentioned on UM. UM has a tendancy to leave out details but I have a feeling it might have had to do with the harrassing phone calls still be an ongoing investigation. Maybe they knew they were closing in and didn't want to ruin things by speaking about it.

I get a bit frustrated with some of the information on UM too when it comes to details, but I will say that I understand leaving some of the information out if it's required for the investigation.
I have a hard time believing that someone would just call and harass the woman for 22 years just because he was a drunk and a mental case. It seems deeper than that to me. JMO...but it doesn't really seem right.