Solved: Wanda Mays (no foul play) - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Todd Mueller · 01-23-2008, 03:28 PM

To Wanda's family: May this confirmation bring you peace and comfort. I am truly sorry for your loss.

Thanks to alabama2 for the info which led me to the article.

___________________________________________________________

Mysterious disappearance of local woman solved

Updated: Jan 23, 2008 03:19 PM CST

Investigators from the Marshall County Sheriff's Office say a woman who disappeared 22 years ago was not murdered.

Wanda Mays was last seen in May of 1986, causing many to speculate what happened to her.

During a press conference today, Sheriff Scott Walls announced that Mays' remains were actually found five years ago at the bottom of a 150 cliff in a wooded area near Cha-La-Kee Road in Guntersville.

It wasn't until recently that a lab in Virginia confirmed that the remains belong to Mays.

Family members said Mays, who suffered from a chemical imbalance, had a panic attack the day she vanished and ran two miles away from a relative's home and fell off the cliff.

The case is now closed and family members are planning to have a memorial service for her once the remains are turned over to them.

Edit: Updated article.

Todd Mueller · 01-23-2008, 03:40 PM

By the way, if I remember correctly, this is from one of the original pre-Stack specials. Just goes to show it's never too long to solve a UM case.

I wonder if they will ever explain the blood on the canoe?

RIP, Wanda.

crystaldawn · 01-23-2008, 06:14 PM

That does seem somewhat logical, meaning if she had panicked and started running in the middle of the night she didn't see the cliff and fell. So sad.

Kind of a grim thing to think about but I assume she didn't have any clothes on when she fell considering they found her nightgown on the dock.

Its kind of surreal to see these cases and theorize in your mind what might have happened for years and then one day just have the probable answers handed to you. I wonder if the new UM will update this one.

mozartpc27 · 01-23-2008, 06:24 PM

Quote:

GUNTERSVILLE - Marshall County Sheriff Scott Walls said this afternoon remains found in 2003 have been identified as belonging to Wanda Jean Mays, who disappeared nearly 22 years ago.

Walls said authorities believe she died accidentally. She apparently suffered a panic attack sometime after midnight May 12, 1986, he said.

Mays ran into the woods behind the home where she was staying and eventually fell from a 150-foot cliff more than a mile away, he said.

What exactly led them to the conclusion that she had a panic attack? Is there any evidene she had one, or are they just speculating? Surely, it could have happened, but that seems like an odd scenario. Do they have some other evidence they are withholding?

crystaldawn · 01-23-2008, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mozartpc27

What exactly led them to the conclusion that she had a panic attack? Is there any evidene she had one, or are they just speculating? Surely, it could have happened, but that seems like an odd scenario. Do they have some other evidence they are withholding?

I believe she had a history of them so its probably just an educated guess. I mean no one was with her after she left her uncles house so all they can really do is give the most likely scenario.

Todd Mueller · 01-23-2008, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mozartpc27

What exactly led them to the conclusion that she had a panic attack? Is there any evidene she had one, or are they just speculating? Surely, it could have happened, but that seems like an odd scenario. Do they have some other evidence they are withholding?

The article I found (first post above) says: "Family members said Mays, who suffered from a chemical imbalance, had a panic attack the day she vanished and ran two miles away from a relative's home and fell off the cliff."

I'm assuming the family wouldn't say that unless they had evidence to believe that was the case. Maybe they didn't play that up in the original broadcast, or they kept that quiet for their own reasons. If it wasn't conclusive I don't think the family would say something like that, IMO.

DarkDante · 01-23-2008, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mozartpc27

What exactly led them to the conclusion that she had a panic attack? Is there any evidene she had one, or are they just speculating? Surely, it could have happened, but that seems like an odd scenario. Do they have some other evidence they are withholding?

Given she either threw herself through a window or broke the window and then climbed through, shed all of her clothes before running around in the darkness before falling off a cliff - I can see an easy line being drawn here involving some type of panic attack or mental breakdown.

As far as the blood in the canoe, whose to say she didn't get into the canoe at some point allowing herself to bleed over it. The case is very tragic but hopefully Wanda's family can have some peace now.

justins5256 · 01-23-2008, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkDante

As far as the blood in the canoe, whose to say she didn't get into the canoe at some point allowing herself to bleed over it. The case is very tragic but hopefully Wanda's family can have some peace now.

I believe the canoe was found adrift on the lake so she must have been in it at some point. It would be interesting to know where the body was found in relation to where the search parties were looking. It seems odd that her body wasn't found sooner.

wiseguy182 · 01-23-2008, 11:14 PM

whoa, another shocking update. this was the first case I ever saw, so it's kind of nice to see this one updated: at least she didn't suffer, for too long anyways.

i think this further discredits 'eyewitness accounts' (there was at least one claiming to have seen Wanda after she died).

Huskerz85 · 01-24-2008, 03:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd Mueller

By the way, if I remember correctly, this is from one of the original pre-Stack specials. Just goes to show it's never too long to solve a UM case.

You're right......Karl Malden was the host of this one.

I'm glad to know that she wasn't murdered.......the end of that segment looked kinda grim with that one witness saying she saw Wanda in the back of a car with two men....

It's still sad though

alabama2 · 01-24-2008, 03:56 PM

THANK YOU.. WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE HER HOME AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A PLACE TO MOURN.

kadrmas15 · 01-24-2008, 04:24 PM

Wow, very sad indeed, my sympathies go out to the Mays family. Mozart, I myself have anxiety/panic disorder, and it can be at times a very bleak thing to have, where depressive and panicky episodes make you think irrationally and I dont want to speculate too much, but I think Wanda finally just snapped and wanted to end it all and she did it, it is just very sad and tragic. It was probably one of those things where if she would have just had sometime to think about it, that she wouldnt have done it.

I almost wonder if she had hypoglycmia? The reason I ask is, it was said in the UM segment that her anxiety/panic would get really bad if she tried dieting and anxiety and panic can be claused by low blood sugar.

alabama2 · 01-24-2008, 04:44 PM

I am very offended that you would suggest that she ended her own life.. Please do not speculate on something that you know nothing about. This is a sad enough time for us and do not need someone suggesting something and starting new rumours.

DarkDante · 01-24-2008, 05:13 PM

^ With all due respect and I mean that sincerely because I too have lost people in my life in circumstances that could be called tragic, this is a forum dedicated to the show "Unsolved Mysteries". What we basically do here is discuss, make conjecture, bat around theories and opinions regardings the cases one of which Wanda Jean Mays (who I assume is either a relative or a friend of yours) was featured on.

I am aware that you have just recieved confirmation of Wanda's passing and this is a sad time for you but you just might want to consider that coming onto a forum and reading comments from people who participate in the business of dissecting and discussing the cases might not be the best activity for you to engage in right now due to the fact that that it is a sad time for you. I assure you that nobody here (including myself) is cold hearted enough to intentionally want to cause you any further pain but discussing the cases and making conjectures is just the nature of this board and probably always will be.

alabama2 · 01-24-2008, 05:55 PM

There is a difference in discussing but to say someone snapped and did themselves in is another.

01-23-2008, 03:28 PM	#1
Todd Mueller Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 11, 2005 Posts: 1,626	Solved: Wanda Mays (no foul play) To Wanda's family: May this confirmation bring you peace and comfort. I am truly sorry for your loss. Thanks to alabama2 for the info which led me to the article. ___________________________________________________________ Mysterious disappearance of local woman solved Updated: Jan 23, 2008 03:19 PM CST Investigators from the Marshall County Sheriff's Office say a woman who disappeared 22 years ago was not murdered. Wanda Mays was last seen in May of 1986, causing many to speculate what happened to her. During a press conference today, Sheriff Scott Walls announced that Mays' remains were actually found five years ago at the bottom of a 150 cliff in a wooded area near Cha-La-Kee Road in Guntersville. It wasn't until recently that a lab in Virginia confirmed that the remains belong to Mays. Family members said Mays, who suffered from a chemical imbalance, had a panic attack the day she vanished and ran two miles away from a relative's home and fell off the cliff. The case is now closed and family members are planning to have a memorial service for her once the remains are turned over to them. Edit: Updated article.
	Last edited by Todd Mueller; 01-23-2008 at 05:30 PM.

01-23-2008, 03:40 PM	#2
Todd Mueller Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 11, 2005 Posts: 1,626	By the way, if I remember correctly, this is from one of the original pre-Stack specials. Just goes to show it's never too long to solve a UM case. I wonder if they will ever explain the blood on the canoe? RIP, Wanda.
	Last edited by Todd Mueller; 01-23-2008 at 05:38 PM.

01-23-2008, 06:14 PM	#3
crystaldawn Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 17, 2002 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,261	That does seem somewhat logical, meaning if she had panicked and started running in the middle of the night she didn't see the cliff and fell. So sad. Kind of a grim thing to think about but I assume she didn't have any clothes on when she fell considering they found her nightgown on the dock. Its kind of surreal to see these cases and theorize in your mind what might have happened for years and then one day just have the probable answers handed to you. I wonder if the new UM will update this one.
	__________________ Blog:www.lostnfoundblogs.com Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/s...nfoundpodcasts Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Lostnfoundpodcast

01-23-2008, 11:14 PM	#9
wiseguy182 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 11, 2006 Location: Wendy's salad bar Posts: 7,030	whoa, another shocking update. this was the first case I ever saw, so it's kind of nice to see this one updated: at least she didn't suffer, for too long anyways. i think this further discredits 'eyewitness accounts' (there was at least one claiming to have seen Wanda after she died).
	__________________ "Dottie had said, in the event I got transferred that she was not interested in going with me. I wasn't expecting her to go with me. And wouldn't have even wanted her to I guess."

01-24-2008, 03:56 PM	#11
alabama2 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 23, 2008 Posts: 10	THANK YOU.. WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE HER HOME AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A PLACE TO MOURN.

01-24-2008, 04:24 PM	#12
kadrmas15 Retired from Board 03/03/11 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 11, 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,910	Wow, very sad indeed, my sympathies go out to the Mays family. Mozart, I myself have anxiety/panic disorder, and it can be at times a very bleak thing to have, where depressive and panicky episodes make you think irrationally and I dont want to speculate too much, but I think Wanda finally just snapped and wanted to end it all and she did it, it is just very sad and tragic. It was probably one of those things where if she would have just had sometime to think about it, that she wouldnt have done it. I almost wonder if she had hypoglycmia? The reason I ask is, it was said in the UM segment that her anxiety/panic would get really bad if she tried dieting and anxiety and panic can be claused by low blood sugar.

01-24-2008, 04:44 PM	#13
alabama2 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 23, 2008 Posts: 10	I am very offended that you would suggest that she ended her own life.. Please do not speculate on something that you know nothing about. This is a sad enough time for us and do not need someone suggesting something and starting new rumours.

01-24-2008, 05:13 PM	#14
DarkDante Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 27, 2002 Posts: 1,569	^ With all due respect and I mean that sincerely because I too have lost people in my life in circumstances that could be called tragic, this is a forum dedicated to the show "Unsolved Mysteries". What we basically do here is discuss, make conjecture, bat around theories and opinions regardings the cases one of which Wanda Jean Mays (who I assume is either a relative or a friend of yours) was featured on. I am aware that you have just recieved confirmation of Wanda's passing and this is a sad time for you but you just might want to consider that coming onto a forum and reading comments from people who participate in the business of dissecting and discussing the cases might not be the best activity for you to engage in right now due to the fact that that it is a sad time for you. I assure you that nobody here (including myself) is cold hearted enough to intentionally want to cause you any further pain but discussing the cases and making conjectures is just the nature of this board and probably always will be.

01-24-2008, 05:55 PM	#15
alabama2 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 23, 2008 Posts: 10	There is a difference in discussing but to say someone snapped and did themselves in is another.