More articles on Martha Doe Roberts case

[crystaldawn]

There is an earlier thread with some newsbank articles concerning this case. A big thanks to Rapunzel for finding even more. I also wanted to mention on this thread (I just posted similar info on the UM book thread) that there is a book written about her case titled "Fatal Friendship: The Search for Doe Roberts" by Beecher Smith in case anyone is intererested. Here are the articles she found:

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FBI DISCOVERS CLUE TO EADS WOMAN'S '92 KIDNAPPING

DOE ROBERTS PROBABLY DEAD, SAY RELATIVES

The Commercial Appeal
August 5, 1993
Edition: FinalMetro
Chris Conley The Commercial Appeal
Section: Metro
Page: B1
Record Number: 00217195


The Memphis FBI has solved one piece of the puzzle surrounding
the disappearance of Martha 'Doe' Roberts last year.
''We have been able to establish who made the phone calls and he
knows that we know,'' agent-in-charge Robert Wright said Wednesday.


Roberts disappeared from her home in Eads last Aug. 7. Soon
after, Allen C. Roberts, the woman's husband, reported receiving a ransom
call from a man with a foreign-sounding accent.


Friends and relatives have also received calls from a man with
an accent, demanding money and making threats. The caller appears to be
the same man, and appears to be familiar with the couple and the area,
according to those who have received calls.


''We are continuing the investigation to see if there is a
direct connection between the person who made the phone calls and the
probable homicide of Doe Roberts,'' Wright said.


Wright would not say whether the FBI is questioning the caller,
but said his office is not yet ready to pursue obstruction of justice
and extortion charges.


Wright would not say whether he believed the caller also
kidnapped Roberts.


''There is a good chance that the disappearance of Doe Roberts
and the phone calls were perhaps unrelated,'' Wright said.


To this point, he said, there has been no proof put forward
that Roberts is still alive.


The investigation by the FBI and Shelby County Sheriff's
office, though less visible in the past months, ''has been intense from the
beginning and continues to be intense,'' he said. ''We're not going
away.''


Also Wednesday, a nephew, William Paul Knox, said that he and a
brother were contacted in early June by the caller and told to bring
an $85,000 ransom to a specific location and await instructions.
''That's as far as it got,'' he said.


Roberts, 65, vanished from the couple's 150-acre spread near
Eads. Hours later, Allen Roberts reported receiving the first call for a
$100,000 ransom.


Allen and Martha 'Doe' Roberts were married in 1948 and in 1961
started Holiday Auto Parts, which has expanded into six stores.


Knox said he believes the caller also kidnapped his aunt, and
has tried to implicate Allen Roberts to further his scheme. Several of
Martha Roberts's relatives said they do not believe the implications.
Roberts has strongly denied them. He could not be reached for comment
Wednesday night.


A federal grand jury began looking into the disappearance in
April, and has met at least twice. Allen Roberts has said he learned that
several friends had been called to testify, but he has not been
summoned.


Many family members, including Allen Roberts, believe Martha
Roberts is dead. They say they only wish her body would be returned for a
proper burial.


''It was a straight-up kidnapping on the front end, and I
believe they were startled when she died,'' Knox said.




Copyright 1993, 1994 The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN


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ROBERTS RIDDLE YEAR OLD, UNSOLVED

ODD CALLS FEED TORMENT OF SEARCH

The Commercial Appeal
August 7, 1993
Edition: FinalMetro
Chris Conley The Commercial Appeal
Section: Metro
Page: B1
Record Number: 00219073


Whenever the mystery of Martha 'Doe' Roberts's disappearance
fades from the minds of her friends and family, a voice on the telephone
brings it back.
''The case goes along for a while, then all the sudden things pop
up,'' said Malinda Lancaster, one of Roberts's best friends, who
received one of the baffling calls last December.


It was a year ago today that Roberts, 65, vanished from the
150-acre Eads home she shared with her husband, Allen.


The FBI has followed leads, digging up a small dump on the
couple's property, questioning friends, relatives, former employees. A
grand jury has convened to hear evidence in the case. Still the mystery
continues.


In the past year, a man has made dozens of calls to friends,
claiming to know what happened to Roberts and demanding money. The most
recent call was logged in June.


The day his wife disappeared, Allen Roberts reported receiving
a ransom call from a man who demanded $100,000 but didn't say where to
leave the money. Roberts said he received another call in October.


In some of the phone calls, the caller suggests Roberts hired
someone to kidnap his wife but had reneged on the deal.


''That is totally untrue and I resent it,'' Roberts said.
''(The caller) is trying to blacken my name. I am growing weary of the
crap.''


FBI officials said this week they know who the caller is and
are hoping to use that information to discover what happened to Mrs.
Roberts. Agent in charge Robert Wright said the FBI is committed to solving
the ''probable homicide'' of Mrs. Roberts.


Lancaster said she saw Mrs. Roberts last Aug. 4.


''She seemed in good spirits, not depressed or anything,''
Lancaster said.


Roberts was not driving because she had recently had cataract
surgery on both eyes. Lancaster picked her up that day for a luncheon.


Another close friend, Brenda Williamson, said she was with
Roberts last Aug. 3.


''She mentioned fears she had of people, not serious . . . some
business things,'' Williamson said.


''I still look in ditches. . . . I keep looking for her,'' she
said.


The caller told William Paul Knox of Southaven, a nephew of the
Roberts couple, to bring $85,000 to a certain location and await
instructions. Knox said the caller did not appear.


Knox, like other family members, believes Mrs. Roberts was
kidnapped and died shortly after, possibly in an asthma attack. He, like
others, resents the caller's implications that Allen Roberts is
responsible for his wife's disappearance.


''I told the FBI they were off base in suspecting him,'' said
Patsy Dunn, a niece of the Roberts couple.


Dunn also said she did not believe Doe Roberts would leave on
her own.


''She would not leave my mother suffering. She would not leave
her family hurting.'' Dunn's mother, Jewell, is Doe Roberts's sister.


Allen Roberts and Martha Eudora Jones were married in 1948, in
Olive Branch, Miss. She worked at the old Rogers Cafeteria downtown; he
installed insulation and weather stripping.


In the 1950s, they bought the Magnolia Grill on Union, but in
1961 they left the restaurant business and started Holiday Auto Parts,
which expanded to six stores.


Friends and family members described the Roberts couple as
generous benefactors. They did not have children, but they showered
attention on nieces and nephews. Dunn said Allen Roberts was hurt when she
turned down his offer to put her child through school.


Last Aug. 7, Allen Roberts reported his wife missing after he
said a caller threatened to kill her and demanded $100,000. The caller
hung up without further instructions.


The day before, Roberts said that a man identifying himself as
Sam Wagner from Indiana made an Aug. 7 appointment with Roberts to see
a Fayette County subdivision Roberts was developing.


Roberts now believes the call was made to draw him out of the
house.


He said the first ransom call came that evening. Roberts said
he also got a call in October from a man with a foreign accent. The call
was traced to a pay phone in Bartlett, he said.


Roberts said he was upset that many other people contacted went
to the FBI, and he was kept in the dark. ''They were told to keep
quiet,'' he said. ''I felt a deep resentment.''


Roberts said he has taken two polygraph tests and passed. The
FBI has not commented on the polygraphs.


''They asked me did I kill my wife. . . ,'' he said. ''It was a
direct question. The answer I gave was a negative answer, a truthful
answer.''


Roberts said the FBI searched his house with his consent two
months after his wife's disappearance.


''I didn't have anything to hide, anything to lose,'' said
Roberts who says he has not been subpoenaed to the grand jury.


Those who know Mrs. Roberts say they are continually reminded
of her absence. Members of the Top Spinners square dancing club, who
danced with the Robertses at the Eads Civic Club Center, have tried to
come to grips with her disappearance.


''We'll miss her; she really loved the community and did a lot
for it. It's been devastating, and made people more cautious,'' said
Yvonne Keough, secretary of the club.


Many of them will be there Aug. 11 for a private service for
Doe at the United Methodist Church in Eads. Allen Roberts is expected to
address the congregation.


''We don't, any of us, know what to think,'' Lancaster said.
''The whole case is real strange. I hope some day it will all come to
light.''




Copyright 1993, 1994 The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN


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PONDS DRAGGED FOR DOE ROBERTS

The Commercial Appeal
August 11, 1993
Edition: FinalMetro
Section: Metro
Page: B3
Record Number: 00223127


FBI agents and Shelby County Sheriff's Deputies Tuesday dragged
three ponds in rural Fayette County apparently in an attempt to find
the body of Martha 'Doe' Roberts.
Skin divers broke off their search at nightfall with no success.
The FBI would not say what prompted the search.


Roberts, 65, disappeared from her Eads home in east Shelby
County on Aug. 7, 1992, and has since been the subject of an intense
search.


FBI officials last week called the case a ''probable homicide''
and said they knew the identity of a man who has made ransom telephone
calls since her disappearance.


One of the ponds searched was near the property of Charles
Lord, who this year offered to act as an intermediary after one such call
to a local television station.


FBI Special Agent Ed Bradberry said ''the FBI is leaving no
stones unturned to resolve this case.'' He said the case remains a
priority. ''No arrests are anticipated in the near future,'' Bradberry said.




Copyright 1993, 1994 The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN


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NEIGHBORS RECALL MISSING EADS WOMAN

The Commercial Appeal
August 12, 1993
Edition: FinalNews
Section: News
Page: A9
Record Number: 00224154


Eighty-five members of the Eads community came together
Wednesday night for a combination tribute and vigil for Martha 'Doe' Roberts,
who has been missing for more than a year.
Allen C. Roberts, the missing woman's husband, led those who
attended a service at the Eads United Methodist Church in prayer and
recounted his life with Doe Roberts.


''She's not with me physically, but she is spiritually. . . .
Someday I will join her,'' Roberts said.


Doe Roberts, 65, disappeared from the couple's Eads home Aug.
7, 1992, without a trace. Friends and relatives have received purported
ransom calls, the FBI has described the case as ''probable homicide.''
Authorities have also said they know who made the telephone calls.


A friend of Doe Roberts, Brenda Williamson, said Wednesday
before the service, ''this community and church have been totally
devastated.''




Copyright 1993, 1994 The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN


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A CHRONOLOGY

The Commercial Appeal
August 27, 1993
Edition: FinalNews
Section: News
Page: A6
Record Number: 00239097


Here is a summary of the Martha 'Doe' Roberts case:


-- Aug. 7, 1992: Martha 'Doe' Roberts disappears from a
150-acre Eads farm she shared with her husband, Allen. A man demands a
$100,000 ransom for the woman or says he will ''split her head open,'' but the
caller hangs up without further instructions, says Allen Roberts, who
offers a $10,000 reward for information and safe return of his wife.

-- August 1992 through June 1993: A man periodically calls
friends and relatives of the Robertses to demand a ransom. In at least one
conversation, he says Mrs. Roberts is dead.


-- Aug. 4: FBI officials announce that they know who is making
the ransom calls. They do not identify the caller. Officials refer to
the case as a ''probable homicide'' for the first time.


-- Aug. 10: FBI agents and Shelby County Sheriff's deputies
drag three ponds in rural Fayette County apparently in an attempt to find
Roberts's body. One of the ponds searched is near the property of
Charles J. Lord, who this year offered to act as an intermediary after a
ransom call was made to a local television station.


-- Aug. 11: Eighty-five members of the Eads community come
together for a combination tribute and vigil for Roberts.


-- Thursday: Officials announce the arrest of Lord, a suspect
in the disappearance of Roberts. Lord, 59, is a retired comptroller of
the Defense Depot and was a friend of the Roberts family.




Copyright 1993, 1994 The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN


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DOE ROBERTS'S HUSBAND WAS SUSPICIOUS OF LORD

The Commercial Appeal
August 27, 1993
Edition: FinalNews
Lisa Jennings The Commercial Appeal
Section: News
Page: A6
Record Number: 00239096


Allen Roberts said Thursday it was no surprise when Charles
Lord was arrested for the kidnapping of Roberts's wife.
''Charles Lord is the only neighbor of mine who acted in a manner
that wasn't normal-like to me. He did and said things that were
inconsistent with normal thinking,'' Roberts said.


Sitting in the living room of the Eads home where his wife
Martha 'Doe' Roberts disappeared more than a year ago, Roberts, 66,
described his strained relationship with Lord.


The two attended Eads United Methodist Church and lived about
three miles apart. Between them, winding roads are lined with scattered
yellow ribbons marking the hope of Doe Roberts's return.


Authorities said Thursday they believe Lord made a number of
ransom calls to relatives and friends of the Robertses in the past year.
Roberts also said Lord tried to implicate Roberts in his wife's
disappearance.


In addition, Roberts said, Lord asked him for $25,000 in a deal
to bribe ''some underworld character'' for information about what
happened to Doe Roberts.


In November or December, Roberts said, Lord asked to meet with
him. They drove to Bartlett where the two men sat in Lord's vehicle in
a parking lot.


''I felt like Charles was enjoying playing FBI, it was real
secretive,'' Roberts said.


Lord said he had a ''secret service'' connection that had
contact with underworld characters who could be bribed for information about
the missing woman.


Early this year, Lord approached Roberts again. This time Lord
offered to put up $10,000 of his money for the deal.


Roberts said he would repay Lord, and give him the reward money
offered - but only if information on the disappearance was obtained.


Another church member, Mike Coward of Eads, was also present at
the second meeting.


''Charles offered the $10,000 in snitch money, but it never
materialized,'' Coward said. ''I never doubted anything (Lord) said.''


Lord ''admonished Allen to watch his behavior,'' said Coward,
who would not say why.


Roberts said he promised Lord he would not go to the police -
though he later reported the incidents to the FBI.


''When the FBI came down on me so hard, all bets were off,''
Roberts said.


FBI officials would not comment on the case.


Roberts said the two couples have had dinner together about
four times over the past six to eight years. They also did church work
together.


About three years ago, Lord told Roberts he was interested in
investing in a beer distributorship in Mexico, and that he was looking
for investors.


Roberts told Lord he wasn't interested. ''It sounded too good
to be true,'' said Roberts.


There was never any financial exchange between the two, said
Roberts.


Lord appeared to be living comfortably, he added.


''Judging from the man and his family, he had a pretty good
retirement income (as a former federal employee). I would assume they were
a frugal family and had saved some,'' Roberts said.


Lord lives on a dead-end road. The suspect's tree-shaded home
is surrounded by lily-filled ponds and latticework fences. Just down
the road a crime watch sign warns, ''Criminals Beware.''


Once Lord began ''suggesting'' to family members and friends
that Roberts was involved in his wife's disappearance, relations between
the two men cooled, Roberts said.


Roberts last saw Lord about three months ago at the local post
office, he said. ''We had a conversation, shook hands, and I left,'' he
said.


Roberts said he suspects others may be involved. ''I can't
conceive of one man carrying out this kind of preposterous endeavor.''


Coward said he did not know why Lord would kidnap Doe Roberts.
''I was shocked and dismayed. I considered (Lord) a friend,'' said
Coward. ''You don't expect things like that to happen in our community.''




Copyright 1993, 1994 The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN


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KIDNAP SUSPECT'S FINANCIAL WOES GOT FBI INTEREST

The Commercial Appeal
August 27, 1993
Edition: FinalNews
Chris Conley The Commercial Appeal Copyright 1993 Staff reporters
Jimmie Covington and Lisa Jennings contributed to this story.
Section: News
Page: A1
Record Number: 00239109


In recent weeks, the financial affairs of Charles Lord became
the focus of the investigation into the disappearance of Martha 'Doe'
Roberts.
Lord is expected to be charged today in the kidnapping and death
of Roberts, who disappeared from her Eads home last year.


Lord, 59, who rose to the position of comptroller of the
Memphis Defense Distribution Depot, filed a petition for Chapter 7 bankruptcy
on July 1.


He listed total assets of $128,300 and total liabilities of
$373,106, owed to 10 creditors, including some credit card companies.
Investigators are trying to determine how Lord spent the money.


Among the debts reported was an unsecured debt of $278,862 to
the defense depot credit union, a loan that has come under the scrutiny
of the FBI, according to law enforcement sources.


Lord receives $2,200 per month pension. He and his wife,
Sylvia, drive a 1989 Cadillac and a 1988 Mitsubishi.


Also under investigation is up to $70,000 that authorities say
has disappeared from certificates of deposit belonging to the Eads
United Methodist Church, where Lord is chairman of the finance committee.


FBI white-collar-crime investigators are reportedly checking to
see if any church money was used to pay off the defense depot loan.
The loan is said to have had a 14-to-16-percent interest rate.


Rev. James DeBardeleben, pastor of the church, would not
comment on whether the money is missing. He did say that as chairman of the
finance committee, Lord would have control over the accounts.


Sources say DeBardeleben was notified of the shortfall last
week after the FBI obtained financial records. A federal grand jury has
been meeting on the Roberts disappearance since spring.


''I'm sick,'' DeBardeleben said. ''I'm in a state of shock.''
He said he hoped he would not be blamed for the apparent discrepancies.


Allen Roberts, Doe Roberts's husband, said Thursday that Lord
approached him about three years ago to invest in a beer
distributorship. Doe Roberts, according to her close friends, said no to the deal just
months before her disappearance.


''It's a sad situation,'' said Brenda Williamson, a close
friend of Doe Roberts's. ''Right now it feels like it's happening all over
again.''


Bill Freeman, an assistant to county Mayor Bill Morris and
former commander of the defense depot, said he met Lord in the summer of
1978 when Lord was the comptroller.


He held one of two top civilian positions at the depot, said
Freeman, who was commander from 1981 to 1984 and deputy commander from
1978 to 1981.


Freeman said Lord was in charge of the accounting and finance
at the depot and ''later on picked up the responsibility of management
procedures and things of that nature. He had a very large
responsibility.''


Freeman said he attended a retirement party for Lord in August
1990.


''I was totally surprised and shocked (by the news of Lord's
arrest) and also very shocked to hear recently that he evidently had some
financial difficulty,'' said Freeman, a retired Air Force colonel.




Copyright 1993, 1994 The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN


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FAYETTE NEIGHBOR IS ARRESTED IN DOE ROBERTS KIDNAP, DEATH

The Commercial Appeal
August 27, 1993
Edition: FinalNews
Chris Conley and Rob Johnson The Commercial Appeal Copyright 1993
Staff reporters Lisa Jennings, Lawrence Buser and Quintin Robinson
contributed to this story.
Section: News
Page: A1
Record Number: 00239025


Authorities today expect to charge a Fayette County man with a
record of financial problems in the kidnapping and death of Martha
'Doe' Roberts who disappeared from her Eads home last August.
Charles J. Lord, who is an acquaintance of the Roberts family,
was arrested Wednesday night by Shelby County Sheriff's deputies and FBI
agents.


He is being held in the Shelby County Jail, where he has been
on suicide watch as a precaution, according to sheriff's officials. Lord
faces possible charges of murder, especially aggravated kidnapping and
extortion, according to his attorney Mark McDaniel.


Lord, 59, a former comptroller at the Memphis Defense
Distribution Depot, recently filed for bankruptcy. And authorities are looking
into missing money from Eads United Methodist Church - where Lord and
the 65-year-old Roberts were members - and a large loan that Lord
received from the defense depot credit union.


''We do have a confession,'' Shelby County Sheriff A. C.
Gilless said. ''And we have every reason to believe she's dead.''


Authories will resume the search today for Roberts's body in
the Wolf River, about two miles north of Piperton in Fayette County.
Thursday, a dive team combed the river beneath the Alec Spiller bridge on
Chulahoma about a mile north of Tenn. 57. The search began about 1:30
p.m. and was suspended about 4:30 when a thunderstorm moved into the
area.


Gilless said authorities went with Lord to the site Wednesday
night, where he told them he dumped Roberts's body over the bridge.


Roberts disappeared Aug. 7, 1992 from the 150-acre Eads home
she shared with her husband, Allen Roberts.. Sheriff's officials said
Thursday they believe Lord tricked Roberts into getting into his car by
saying that her husband had been in an accident. Officials also believe
Lord killed the woman the same day he abducted her and then dumped her
body into the Wolf River.


Soon after the disappearance, the woman's husband made a plea
for his wife's release. She had a life-threatening asthmatic condition
that required daily medication. The medicine was left behind, her
husband said.


Thursday, Lord's attorney said that ''medication had nothing to
do with'' Roberts's death. McDaniel said he could not comment on what
Lord told authorities.


''He's (Lord) cooperated completely,'' McDaniel said. ''We just
want to bring the matter to a head.''


Allen Roberts said Thursday he hoped the arrest would bring the
issue to a close.


''I might get an opportunity to feel real anger at someone,''
he said. ''I feel I really need to get mad. . . . I'd like to think
it's over now, if the good Lord's willing it'll be over. I'd like very
much to bring it to an end and put it behind me.''


Authorities would not comment on many aspects of the case.
Gilless would not say if Allen Roberts is a suspect.


''The case is still under investigation . . . we do not know
where it will lead us,'' he said. He would not discuss possible motives.


But authorities said Thursday they were looking into an
approximate $300,000 loan Lord obtained from the defense depot credit union,
and also the disappearence of roughly $70,000 from the church, where
Lord was a financial officer.


The loan was reflected in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition Lord
filed last month in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The petition listed $373,106
in total liabilities and $128,300 in assets.


A break in the case came three weeks ago when FBI officials
announced that they knew who had made a series of ransom demands in the
past year to friends and relatives of the Robertses. They would not
identify the caller. Thursday, Gilless said the caller was Lord, who is
married and has three children.


Two weeks ago, divers dragged three ponds for Roberts's body.
One of the ponds was near Lord's property.


Allen Roberts reported receiving a ransom call the evening his
wife disappeared. He said he received a second ransom call in October
from a man with a foreign accent. Roberts said the caller never told
him where to bring the $100,000 ransom.


Roberts said after the first ransom call, he was told to smash
his answering machine on the driveway.


Roberts also said he had received a call from a man identifying
himself as ''Sam Wagner'' the night before his wife's disappearence.


The man asked to see a home Roberts was developing in Fayette
County.


Roberts said he believed the call was designed to draw him out
of the house.


A friend of Doe Roberts, Brenda Williamson, said she went
through the Roberts home right after the disappearance in an effort to help
solve the mystery. Doe Roberts was wearing a pantsuit and black shoes,
as though on her way to a business meeting.


Doe Roberts had recently had cataract surgery, so she was
unable to drive herself.


Williamson speculated that Doe Roberts was with someone she
knew that day.


Lord's neighbors expressed shock following the arrest. ''It's
hard to believe it could be true,'' said neighbor Ray Schauboreck. ''He
seemed like a good guy. . . . He was active in the church.''


Lon Lancaster said, ''There wasn't any suspicion at all . . .
until lately'' when authorities dragged ponds in the area.


He said he and his wife had been to dinner at the Lord
residence lately and the subject had come up.


Lord, he said, did not seem overly concerned.


''I'm glad they're making what I hope is some possible
progress,'' said Bill Simmons, Allen Roberts's nephew.


''It'll never really be over, but if they find her remains we
can bury her and get on with life. . . . You need to bury your loved
ones.''


Simmons said Roberts plans to move from his Eads home, where
too much reminds him of his missing wife.


Roberts would not say where he was thinking of moving in order
to protect his privacy.




Copyright 1993, 1994 The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN


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DIVERS COMB RIVERBED FOR REMAINS OF VICTIM

The Commercial Appeal
August 28, 1993
Edition: FirstNews
William Thomas The Commercial Appeal Staff reporter Lawrence Buser
contributed to this story.
Section: News
Page: A1
Record Number: 00240029


A $20 bill, a small bag of animal bones and lots of clinging
river mud.
That was all that divers brought up Friday as they completed the
second day's search of the Wolf River where the body of kidnap victim
Martha 'Doe' Roberts is believed to have been dumped.


Although the search was suspended for the remainder of the
weekend, Ramona Swain, inspector with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office,
said it will be resumed Monday when more divers are lined up for what
has turned into an inch- by-inch examination of the riverbed.


The search began Thursday east of the Alec Spiller Bridge on
Chulahoma Road after suspect Charles J. Lord, a neighbor of the missing
woman, led authorities to the site and showed them where he said he
threw Roberts's body off the bridge.


''I think she's down there,'' said Pat Jones, the missing
woman's sister- in-law, who spent half the day Friday on the bridge,
watching. ''I don't think he (Lord) would have told them that if he didn't do
it. And if he did do it, he ought to pay for it. I'll just be glad when
all this is over.''


The bridge, which has a concrete banister about 2 feet high, is
in Fayette County, 2 miles north of Piperton. One entire lane was
blocked off Friday with yellow crime scene tape as officers stood by while
divers in full scuba gear criss-crossed the greenish-brown water below.


Since the victim's body may have been in the water for up to a
year, authorities had little hope of finding anything more than
skeletal remains.


And finding bones in such murky water, said forensic
anthropologist Dr. Hugh Berryman is ''like trying to find a needle in a
haystack.''


Year-old bones could be at the original location or scattered
far downstream, he said.


''It depends on whether the body was weighted, hung up on
obstructions or floating freely.''


Lt. R. T. Goodwin, who was in charge of the crime scene, said,
''We have no reason to believe that the body was weighted with
anything. Frankly, it could be anywhere. The river has been up and down, and so
we have searched the banks as well as the water itself.''


Friday's search was slow and methodical until shortly after 3
p.m. when the first bones were discovered at the base of an underwater
snag. Additional divers were summoned and the site carefully marked with
a yellow pole. At least five pieces of bone were brought up and placed
in a blue bag, which was then passed to medical experts on the bank.


''The bag of bones excited everyone for a short period of
time,'' said Shelby County Sheriff A. C. Gillis, ''but it has been
determined they were animal bones.''


The sheriff went on to say that the search will continue,
meticulously. ''We're dealing with a time frame of a year, so we're not
going to be in that big a hurry. It may take several (more) days before
we're satisfied.''


Actually, the search slowed down considerably Friday. Officers
stretched a rope from bank-to-bank, which divers used as a guide as
they criss-crossed the river. Once a crossing had been made, the rope
would be moved a few feet downstream and the search would be repeated.


Perhaps the most surprising find was the $20 bill, which a
diver produced and passed to officers on the bank. It was not the only
unexpected discovery.


Earlier, divers discovered a small safe, which they brought up,
and a motorcycle, which they didn't.




Copyright 1993, 1994 The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN


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NEIGHBOR OF DOE ROBERTS CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING

The Commercial Appeal
August 28, 1993
Edition: FinalNews
Rob Johnson The Commercial Appeal
Section: News
Page: A1
Record Number: 00240134


Shelby County sheriff's detectives Friday charged a 59-year-old
Fayette County man with especially aggravated kidnapping in the
year-old disappearance of Martha 'Doe' Roberts.
Deputies charged Charles J. Lord based on a confession he gave
investigators Wednesday night, said Shelby County Sheriff A. C. Gilless.


Divers who searched the Wolf River Friday in an area where Lord
told deputies he dumped Roberts's body found bones that were later
determined to be from an animal. The search was suspended until Monday.


Lord is scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Monday in General
Sessions Criminal Court Division 10. He will be represented by attorney
Mark McDaniel.


The cause of the Eads woman's death remains a mystery despite
the charges filed Friday.


According to an affidavit filed by detectives Friday night,
deputies believe Lord abducted the woman and held her for ransom.


The affidavit said Lord signed a typed confession that he ''did
unlawfully and knowingly confine Martha 'Doe' Roberts so as to
interfere substantially with her liberty.''


Lord has confessed that she died while in his custody, the
affidavit says. It doesn't explain how. He was being held in the Shelby
County Jail Friday night without bail.


Especially aggravated kidnapping is a Class A felony that
carries a sentence from 15 to 60 years in prison and a fine up to $50,000.


Shelby County and federal investigators have been searching for
a trace of the missing woman since she disappeared Aug. 7, 1992.


Authorities said Thursday that Lord's financial records
suggested he might be involved in Roberts's disappearance. Lord, a retired
comptroller with the Memphis Defense Distribution Depot, filed for Chapter
7 personal bankruptcy July 1.


He was a family acquaintance of Martha and her husband Allen C.
Roberts, who attended Eads United Methodist Church where Lord was
chairman of the finance committee.


FBI white-collar-crime investigators are reportedly checking
the church's accounts, which could be missing up to $70,000.


As chairman of the finance committee, Lord would have had
control of those accounts, the church's minister, Rev. James DeBardeleben,
said.


Soon after Roberts vanished, a caller with a fake Asian accent
began making ransom demands to her husband and claimed to know the
woman's whereabouts.


Shelby County Sheriff A. C. Gilless said Lord is the person who
made those calls. Sheriff's officials say Lord told them he tricked
Roberts into getting into his car by saying her husband had been in an
accident.


Officials also believe that Roberts died the same day she was
abducted and that her body was then dumped into the river.


Several months before his wife's disappearance, Allen Roberts
said, Lord approached him about investing in a beer distributorship.


Allen Roberts said he turned Lord down.

[Hambone2421]

I just saw this case for the first time. Man, I felt terrible her Doe's husband in the segment. Poor guy was offering to pay the kidnapper for her return or for her body.

Thanks for the articles, crystaldawn! I found this little paragraph on Doe's FindAGrave section:

The disappearance of Martha Eudora 'Doe' Roberts in the summer of 1992 from the 150-acre farm near Eads where she lived with her husband held the Mid-South transfixed. Businessman Allen C. Roberts was a primary suspect in his wife's disappearance until, more than a year later, her body was found buried in the backyard of neighbor Charles Lord. Lord is serving a life sentence for murder. Allen C. Roberts died in 2005, but in the last years of his life, he collaborated with his second wife, Esther Roberts, and local author and attorney D. Beecher Smith II in writing "Fatal Friendship: The Search for Doe Roberts." Smith and Esther Roberts will be at the Wolfchase Barnes & Noble bookstore Saturday at 1 p.m. to discuss and sign the recently published book.

Unbelievably sad all the way around. I wonder what his motive was for killing Doe?

[MegtheEgg86]

I seem to remember in another thread someone had said she was raped before her death. If that's true, Lord has to be one depraved individual. Kidnapping your friend's wife to squeeze money out of him is one thing, but to rape and kill her?

I have no idea how valid that claim is, but I definitely remember it because it was so shocking.

[crystaldawn]

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

I seem to remember in another thread someone had said she was raped before her death. If that's true, Lord has to be one depraved individual. Kidnapping your friend's wife to squeeze money out of him is one thing, but to rape and kill her?

I have no idea how valid that claim is, but I definitely remember it because it was so shocking.

I found out some info on findacase about it and it is more disturbing than I ever imagined.

http://tn.findacase.com/research/wfr...0009.tn.htm/qx

Here is a description of the three different interview Charles Lord gave. I definitely believe the 3rd interview and I must say it sickens me!!

This case arose from the August 7, 1992, disappearance of Mrs. Martha Roberts from her home in Eads and the ultimate discovery of her remains almost thirteen months later, buried in the defendant's yard. After the disappearance, a series of telephone calls to the victim's husband and others was made by a man indicating that he was involved in the disappearance and wanted ransom. At one point, he stated that the victim had died.

Almost a year after the disappearance, the investigation focused upon the defendant, resulting from evidence that he was the caller. After assurances were given that the death penalty would not be sought, police interviews with the defendant were conducted on August 26, September 1 and September 2, 1993, each being recorded. In each interview, the defendant gave a different account of the victim's death.

In the first interview, the essence of the defendant's story was that he made a telephone call to the Roberts' home feigning interest in the purchase of some property in order to have Mr. Roberts leave the house. The defendant said that after Mr. Roberts left, he went to the house and told the victim that her husband had been in a serious accident. She left with him in his truck, ostensibly for the purpose of going to her husband. The defendant said the victim was very upset and collapsed. He said that he determined that she was not breathing and panicked. The defendant stated that he drove to the middle of a bridge and threw the victim into the river.
Generally, the defendant admitted that he had made the ruse for the purpose of obtaining money that he said he needed. He indicated that it was potentially a kidnapping that he had first considered some three to four months earlier. Also, he acknowledged making some ransom calls.
The authorities conducted an extensive search of the area where the defendant said he disposed of the body, but to no avail. They sought to have the defendant take a polygraph examination regarding the location of the body and he apparently disclosed to them that the victim's body was buried on his property. Late on August 30, the body was found buried in a pit behind the defendant's compost pile in the back yard of his residence. It was removed on August 31 and an autopsy was ultimately performed.

In the defendant's second interview on September 1, he said that the victim was having marital problems and that they became romantically involved. He stated that he got her husband out of the house on the morning of August 7 in order to talk to her more about her problems. He said that he went to her house and they had sexual intercourse. He related that when he mentioned something about needing money, the victim became angry because she thought that he was showing her affection to obtain money. He said that he was not sure what happened, but that he smothered her with a pillow for a brief time. He said he then panicked and put her in his truck with the idea of throwing the body in the river. However, fearing detection, he took her to his residence. The defendant said that he remembered that he had been "double digging" his compost pile and he placed her into the pit. He said that he dug a new pit every year. He said he put two bags of lime on the body and pushed dirt into the pit. He then shoveled sacks of concrete in. Later, he turned some earth and some leaves to cover the site. He said he made a "kidnapper type" call to Mr. Roberts.

In the third interview, the defendant stated that a lot of what he told the authorities in the previous interviews was false and that he wanted to tell the truth. He said that he was in dire financial straits and decided to kidnap the victim for ransom. Although he claimed that he did not consider the need to kill her to be a certainty, he acknowledged that he dug the pit behind his compost pile for burial purposes.

The defendant confirmed the truth of the ruses he recounted in his first statement which led to Mr. Roberts leaving the home and the victim getting into the truck. He took her to the garage apartment at his residence. He had previously prepared strips of rags and a belt with which he bound the victim to a chair. He placed duct tape over her eyes. He made her take sleeping pills and pain pills. After the drugs took effect, the defendant removed her clothes and placed her upon the bed, still bound. He burned her clothes after cutting off the buttons, metal snaps and other nonburnable items for separate disposal.

The defendant called Mr. Roberts in the midafternoon and demanded one hundred thousand dollars as ransom. He went back to the garage apartment and bound the victim to the chair, again. The defendant said that his wife, who was unaware of any of his activities in the apartment, told him that Mr. Roberts had called her to see if she had seen the victim. After the defendant's wife went to bed, the defendant returned to the apartment and placed the victim on the bed.

The defendant stated that the victim was still groggy. He said he began fondling her and had sexual intercourse. Afterwards, he gave her some more pills. Then he smothered her with a pillow. He said he placed her in the pit and covered her as he had previously described.

In this third interview, he acknowledged that he did not believe the victim's body would be found in as good a condition as it was. He admitted that his belief that the autopsy would uncover certain things led him to admit smothering the victim, having sex with her and her taking pills.

[crystaldawn]

If anyone wants to see the FBI Files episode about this case. Go on YouTube and search for FBI Files: Fatal Friendship.

Also when they found her body they did say that her hand was up in front of her face in a defensive position with fingers spread. Investigators think she wasn't dead when she was put in the grave.

[Hambone2421]

I watched the FBI Files episode on this case last night. Re-enactments on that show are terrible, by the way.

Anyway, the nature of this crime became so brutal once you find out what happened to Doe. The fact that she was likely buried alive is even more scary. The segment on the FBI Files does not come out and say that Lord raped Doe but it is hinted at it. What a complete waste of space this man was.

I know I read somewhere that Mr. Roberts passed away in 2005. He did re-marry after Doe. I thought that was nice to hear. He seemed like such a nice, loving man.

[crystaldawn]

Originally Posted by Hambone2421

I watched the FBI Files episode on this case last night. Re-enactments on that show are terrible, by the way.

Anyway, the nature of this crime became so brutal once you find out what happened to Doe. The fact that she was likely buried alive is even more scary. The segment on the FBI Files does not come out and say that Lord raped Doe but it is hinted at it. What a complete waste of space this man was.

I know I read somewhere that Mr. Roberts passed away in 2005. He did re-marry after Doe. I thought that was nice to hear. He seemed like such a nice, loving man.

I'm surprised they didn't mention the rape in the FBI files episode. He was convicted of that, to my understanding, and I assume that's why he made up the despicable story in the 2nd interview about him and Doe having an affair because he knew his dna would be found on her.

I found the end of FBI Files hard to watch with the interview with Mr. Roberts. He seemed like a such nice man. His pain was palpable.

[Hambone2421]

Originally Posted by crystaldawn

I'm surprised they didn't mention the rape in the FBI files episode. He was convicted of that, to my understanding, and I assume that's why he made up the despicable story in the 2nd interview about him and Doe having an affair because he knew his dna would be found on her.

I found the end of FBI Files hard to watch with the interview with Mr. Roberts. He seemed like a such nice man. His pain was palpable.

Completely agree, especially on Mr. Roberts. I also got very annoyed with Charles Lord. Wasting all of that time and putting those officers in danger by having them search snake infested waters for a body that's not even there. Also, it came off to me that the investigators were not even really looking at him as a suspect until he kept inserting himself in the case over and over again. He may have ended up getting away with it if he had just kept his mouth shut.

Is Charles Lord still alive? I couldn't seem to find anything on him online after a quick search. I did find this following comment under the comments section of Fatal Friendship: The Search for Doe Roberts. Take this for what its worth:

I know the Lord family personally, these sick people have praised Charles Lord for his great intelligence and how he had everyone fooled. The whole family except for the daughters, is twisted. Charles Lord's wife, Sylvia is very cruel and could have been involved based on what I know of her. I understand she has no relationship with her daughters, because they feel she was connected in some way. I believe none of them speak to one another.

[Hambone2421]

One thing I'm also curious about is, how long did he keep Doe before killing her? In the UM segment, a friend of hers named Melissa Lancaster was interviewed. She said that when the kidnapper called her in December 1992, she asked him three questions that only Doe would know the answer to, to prove she was still alive. Melissa stated that he would ask it to someone in the background and every question was answered correctly. I highly doubt she was still alive in December but part of me wonders if she was and if she did indeed provide the answer to Melissa's questions, to Charles Lord, who then relayed them to Melissa Lancaster.

[MegtheEgg86]

I just watched the FBI Files episode this evening. That Charles Lord was a mess of a human being. I also thought it was difficult to watch Allen Roberts' interview at the end. I can't imagine being manipulated and duped by someone like Lord--someone who was presumably a friend, trying to assist you in the effort to find your missing wife, only to find out he murdered her and strung you along for almost a year after the fact simply because he couldn't maintain his own finances.

Originally Posted by Hambone2421

One thing I'm also curious about is, how long did he keep Doe before killing her? In the UM segment, a friend of hers named Melissa Lancaster was interviewed. She said that when the kidnapper called her in December 1992, she asked him three questions that only Doe would know the answer to, to prove she was still alive. Melissa stated that he would ask it to someone in the background and every question was answered correctly. I highly doubt she was still alive in December but part of me wonders if she was and if she did indeed provide the answer to Melissa's questions, to Charles Lord, who then relayed them to Melissa Lancaster.

I personally lean toward Lord killing her the day she disappeared. Although Melissa Lancaster was a close friend of Doe by all accounts, I think Lord was probably capable of providing convincing answers to Lancaster's questions because he was clearly both an observant and manipulative individual.

I ordered the Fatal Friendship book on the case; I'll let y'all know when I crack into it.

[Hambone2421]

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

I personally lean toward Lord killing her the day she disappeared. Although Melissa Lancaster was a close friend of Doe by all accounts, I think Lord was probably capable of providing convincing answers to Lancaster's questions because he was clearly both an observant and manipulative individual.

Lord said that he tried to give her sleeping pills, hoping she would OD on them and die, but she never did. I figured he tried this for a few days but after he was unsuccessful multiple times, he killed her. I too believe she was likely killed shortly after he kidnapped her.

[MegtheEgg86]

I finished the book last night. It was truly one of the most unusual books about a UM case I've ever read. Expecting a standard small paperback, I was surprised to find a document-sized package in the mail. It's literally the size of a slim softcover textbook. The book itself was based largely on Allen Roberts' recollections as well as those of several of Allen and Doe's church friends. The church figures heavily, as Doe's killer, Charles Lord, was a prominent member and socialized with the Roberts very frequently. It was also written with the help and support of Allen's second wife Esther, who Allen met while Doe was still missing (that also figures prominently in the story).

I'll provide a more detailed update later to fill in a lot of the gaps from the UM alert, but I will provide the answer to what I'm sure a lot of us have been wondering for several years: what were those "three questions" the caller had Malinda Lancaster ask in the December 1992 call?

Q: What organization are we in together?

A: Extension Homemakers. (a civic group in Memphis Doe and Malinda were involved in at the time)

Q: How old am I?

A: 66, 67.

Q: What church do I belong to?

A: Eads United Methodist Church. She say you not been in two-three years, but she go.

All of the above answers were correct. However, the caller (Lord), Doe, and Malinda Lancaster were all members of the same church, and all saw one another socially on frequent occasion. Therefore, although the answers to Malinda's questions gave her pause, the information wasn't anything that wouldn't be known to most people in the Roberts' church circle.

[Hambone2421]

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

I finished the book last night. It was truly one of the most unusual books about a UM case I've ever read. Expecting a standard small paperback, I was surprised to find a document-sized package in the mail. It's literally the size of a slim softcover textbook. The book itself was based largely on Allen Roberts' recollections as well as those of several of Allen and Doe's church friends. The church figures heavily, as Doe's killer, Charles Lord, was a prominent member and socialized with the Roberts very frequently. It was also written with the help and support of Allen's second wife Esther, who Allen met while Doe was still missing (that also figures prominently in the story).

I'll provide a more detailed update later to fill in a lot of the gaps from the UM alert, but I will provide the answer to what I'm sure a lot of us have been wondering for several years: what were those "three questions" the caller had Malinda Lancaster ask in the December 1992 call?

Q: What organization are we in together?

A: Extension Homemakers. (a civic group in Memphis Doe and Malinda were involved in at the time)

Q: How old am I?

A: 66, 67.

Q: What church do I belong to?

A: Eads United Methodist Church. She say you not been in two-three years, but she go.

All of the above answers were correct. However, the caller (Lord), Doe, and Malinda Lancaster were all members of the same church, and all saw one another socially on frequent occasion. Therefore, although the answers to Malinda's questions gave her pause, the information wasn't anything that wouldn't be known to most people in the Roberts' church circle.

Thanks for posting this, Meg. You're right. Those three questions weren't specific to Doe. They were questions that Lord himself would know the answers to. I may end up getting that book. Out of curiosity, does it have any pictures or crime scene photos?

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by Hambone2421

Thanks for posting this, Meg. You're right. Those three questions weren't specific to Doe. They were questions that Lord himself would know the answers to. I may end up getting that book. Out of curiosity, does it have any pictures or crime scene photos?

You're welcome. The book doesn't have any many pictures--they are mainly 1980s and '90s vintage of Allen and Doe, and then Allen and his second wife, Esther.

The book was written in 2005 with the assistance of Beecher Smith, a Memphis attorney well-known for his probate work for Elvis Presley and his estate. Apparently, Smith was arrested two years later for possession of child pornography and was represented in court by Mark McDaniel--who, curiously, also served as Charles Lord's defense attorney during the Doe Roberts trial. Smith pled guilty, served a prison sentence, was released, and lost his license to practice law.

If you can get past that detail, the book might be worth getting (or even better: you can borrow it from me. Just let me know), because it is full of interesting information.

According to that account, Lord only became a suspect in the final months of the investigation. Allen Roberts himself was the prime suspect for nearly a year until Lord made one of his phone calls using his "fake, exaggerated Asian accent" to Doe's sister Jewell and demanded she bring $100,000 to a local motel. Jewell's number was unlisted, and the call came shortly after she had given the number to Lord's wife Sylvia.

Lord called one of Doe's nephews the same day with the same demand. He and another nephew called the FBI after a meeting at the same local motel was set for that evening in order for them to set up surveillance. Earlier, the then-mystery caller had given the men a list of names and numbers with the direction to call each of them and ask for information about Doe. The first two individuals were bewildered by the calls, both saying things to the effect that they had either told the FBI all they knew, or that if they knew anything more, they would call Allen and tell him before anyone else. The third individual on the list was Charles Lord. The nephews asked Lord if he had any information on Doe, whereupon he replied that he indeed did but would have to meet the two somewhere, stating that his phone was bugged. He promptly drove to the motel, stormed into the room, and wanted to know if the two had the money. Both were surprised. Neither had yet told Lord anything they had discussed with the caller, let alone that they had even received a call from him that day. Lord attempted to play this off, so to speak, and began criticizing Allen Roberts for not trying hard enough to get his wife returned. Lord kept demanding to change locations, and neither nephew felt at all comfortable enough with Lord to do that. This insistence on Lord's part eventually turned into a physical altercation with one of the nephews. He left soon after. By the next morning, the investigators had turned their attention to Lord.

According to the book, FBI special agent Jo Anne Overall and Shelby County investigator Ramona Swain (who was interviewed in the second, follow-up Special Alert segment) pressed very strongly on Allen Roberts--especially Swain, who remained skeptical of Roberts' innocence even after Lord became a suspect and was subsequently arrested. This was especially distressing for Allen and I can certainly empathize. The book describes several instances in which LE officers behaved insensitively. However, Allen began seeing a woman in the months after Doe disappeared and didn't make any effort to conceal the relationship--which infuriated Doe's close friends and raised a lot of the investigators' eyebrows. This woman was Esther, who eventually became Allen's wife and remained married to him for 11 years until his death in 2005.

Large chunks of Lord's third confession are included verbatim. It appears that not only was Lord a fraudster from several years back and in tons of debt as a result, he seemed to thoroughly resent the Roberts for being as resourceful as they were. Although the Roberts lived modestly, the couple had the financial means to own a 150-acre farm, build a community center in Eads (Doe's idea), put their many nieces and nephews through school, and travel. Furthermore, Doe was by all accounts a thoroughly kind, giving individual who actively pursued bettering her small community through her membership in several civic organizations. She made toys for sick kids in the hospital. She opened her home up to people when they needed a place to stay. She was kind and wonderful to her husband of 44 years. She was, in essence, the perfect wife. It seems that is also something for which Lord envied and resented Allen Roberts.

There is a macabre bit in which a mutual friend describes attending a gathering at Lord's house and being unaware at the time that while in the Lords' backyard that evening, she had actually been mere feet away from Doe's buried body.

In reading the book, I find it difficult to believe Lord's wife Sylvia was completely unaware of what her husband was doing. I think she knew he was at least making the phone calls.

[Hambone2421]

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

You're welcome. The book doesn't have any many pictures--they are mainly 1980s and '90s vintage of Allen and Doe, and then Allen and his second wife, Esther.

The book was written in 2005 with the assistance of Beecher Smith, a Memphis attorney well-known for his probate work for Elvis Presley and his estate. Apparently, Smith was arrested two years later for possession of child pornography and was represented in court by Mark McDaniel--who, curiously, also served as Charles Lord's defense attorney during the Doe Roberts trial. Smith pled guilty, served a prison sentence, was released, and lost his license to practice law.

If you can get past that detail, the book might be worth getting (or even better: you can borrow it from me. Just let me know), because it is full of interesting information.

According to that account, Lord only became a suspect in the final months of the investigation. Allen Roberts himself was the prime suspect for nearly a year until Lord made one of his phone calls using his "fake, exaggerated Asian accent" to Doe's sister Jewell and demanded she bring $100,000 to a local motel. Jewell's number was unlisted, and the call came shortly after she had given the number to Lord's wife Sylvia.

Lord called one of Doe's nephews the same day with the same demand. He and another nephew called the FBI after a meeting at the same local motel was set for that evening in order for them to set up surveillance. Earlier, the then-mystery caller had given the men a list of names and numbers with the direction to call each of them and ask for information about Doe. The first two individuals were bewildered by the calls, both saying things to the effect that they had either told the FBI all they knew, or that if they knew anything more, they would call Allen and tell him before anyone else. The third individual on the list was Charles Lord. The nephews asked Lord if he had any information on Doe, whereupon he replied that he indeed did but would have to meet the two somewhere, stating that his phone was bugged. He promptly drove to the motel, stormed into the room, and wanted to know if the two had the money. Both were surprised. Neither had yet told Lord anything they had discussed with the caller, let alone that they had even received a call from him that day. Lord attempted to play this off, so to speak, and began criticizing Allen Roberts for not trying hard enough to get his wife returned. Lord kept demanding to change locations, and neither nephew felt at all comfortable enough with Lord to do that. This insistence on Lord's part eventually turned into a physical altercation with one of the nephews. He left soon after. By the next morning, the investigators had turned their attention to Lord.

According to the book, FBI special agent Jo Anne Overall and Shelby County investigator Ramona Swain (who was interviewed in the second, follow-up Special Alert segment) pressed very strongly on Allen Roberts--especially Swain, who remained skeptical of Roberts' innocence even after Lord became a suspect and was subsequently arrested. This was especially distressing for Allen and I can certainly empathize. The book describes several instances in which LE officers behaved insensitively. However, Allen began seeing a woman in the months after Doe disappeared and didn't make any effort to conceal the relationship--which infuriated Doe's close friends and raised a lot of the investigators' eyebrows. This woman was Esther, who eventually became Allen's wife and remained married to him for 11 years until his death in 2005.

Large chunks of Lord's third confession are included verbatim. It appears that not only was Lord a fraudster from several years back and in tons of debt as a result, he seemed to thoroughly resent the Roberts for being as resourceful as they were. Although the Roberts lived modestly, the couple had the financial means to own a 150-acre farm, build a community center in Eads (Doe's idea), put their many nieces and nephews through school, and travel. Furthermore, Doe was by all accounts a thoroughly kind, giving individual who actively pursued bettering her small community through her membership in several civic organizations. She made toys for sick kids in the hospital. She opened her home up to people when they needed a place to stay. She was kind and wonderful to her husband of 44 years. She was, in essence, the perfect wife. It seems that is also something for which Lord envied and resented Allen Roberts.

There is a macabre bit in which a mutual friend describes attending a gathering at Lord's house and being unaware at the time that while in the Lords' backyard that evening, she had actually been mere feet away from Doe's buried body.

In reading the book, I find it difficult to believe Lord's wife Sylvia was completely unaware of what her husband was doing. I think she knew he was at least making the phone calls.

Wow, thanks for sharing. In the FBI Files segment on the case, it mentions the part about meeting the nephews at the hotel, but it didn't say anything about a physical altercation. In the segment in mentions that he tried to get Doe to OD on sleeping pills, but it didn't work and he smothered/strangled her. It never mentions rape but does allude to it. I assume the book gives a definitive answer on that?

I came away from that segment with the impression that Lord was an idiot. You can't kidnap someone you know, hold them for ransom and return them without being caught, which is what he claims he was going to do. Not only did he bungle the entire situation but he inserted himself in the case (as a lot of perpetrators do) when he had no reason to do so.