Why Didn't UM Cover the "Springfield 3?"

[Thiussat]

I was just watching the show "Disappeared" and the most recent episode which aired last night was about the "Springfield 3." This is the case where three women disappeared from Springfield, MO in 1992. The three were Stacy McCall, Suzie Streeter, and Suzie's mother Sherill Levitt.

In case you aren't familiar with it (I wasn't), Stacy and Suzie, who had just graduated high school, were staying together at Suzie's house. Suzie's mother, Sherill, was also there. When none of the three could be accounted for the next day, a friend of the girls went over there and knocked (she was supposed to meet them that morning anyway). When she got no answer, she decided to go inside. Inside she found nothing amiss whatsoever: She noticed all three purses were there as well as the girls' clothes. Before she left, the phone rang; it was an anonymous male who started making sexual remarks, so she hung up and didn't think much of it at the time. Eventually a missing persons report was filed and the story took off from there. Over 30 officers worked the case and the FBI gave assistance. Even now, no bodies have been found and no arrests made, even though there is one very strong suspect and another good tip about other possible suspects.

For those of you who are ignorant of the case (as I was), I bet you noticed the date and location. It happened in Missouri in June of 1992, just a few months after Angela Hammond, Cheryl Ann Kenny and Gina Clark's disappearances. Hammond, of course, had her own segment and Kenney was discussed briefly during that segment. Clark and the Springfield 3 were not covered by UM. It's pretty interesting that all 5 women disappeared in Missouri within a 6 or 7 month time frame.

At any rate, since it didn't appear on UM, I won't go into any more detail. I was mainly wondering why UM wouldn't cover such a intriguing and bizarre case that happened in '92 at the peak of UM's hey day. I realize it would be impossible for them to cover all cases in America, but when you have 3 adults from the same house go missing at the same time, it had to be one of the more bizarre and noteworthy cases happening anywhere in America at that time.

Anyway, I am thinking about starting a thread about this case in the "True Crime Shows" sub-forum if anyone is interested.

[RobinW]

Okay, this article actually states that the case WAS featured on "Unsolved Mysteries". The exact words are: "By September 1992, Fox's 'America's Most Wanted', NBC's 'Unsolved Mysteries' and CBS's '48 Hours' all had run feature stories on the case".
http://scaredmonkeys.net/index.php?topic=7576.0

The Wikipedia page for the Springfield Three even mentions that they were featured on "Unsolved Mysteries" and I've seen it mentioned elsewhere as well. I know UM never did a full feature on this case, but does anyone recall seeing a "Special Alert" for it or something? Or this just inaccurate information that was posted on Wikipedia and has wound up spreading?

[ernmerica]

I saw the Disappeared episode as well and I was thinking the same thing, the mysteries in the story are right in UM's wheelhouse, especially the time it happened. From what I gathered from the episode it sounds like Cox is guilty, and those women are buried under the parking garage.


I don't understand why they don't dig that concrete up, the rumors are high profile, and if you have anything to do with the hospital (owner, employee, or patient), it must be on the tip of everyone's tongue. The best case scenario for the hospital is the police dig under the garage and no one is found. But what happens if they are found? "Oh yeah, we're taking you to a hospital where three women were buried under the foundation." Law enforcement needs to clear the air on the location, according to the analyst there are 3 anomalies that looks similar to what the ground looks like in a graveyard.

[browneyes106]

Originally Posted by RobinW

Okay, this article actually states that the case WAS featured on "Unsolved Mysteries". The exact words are: "By September 1992, Fox's 'America's Most Wanted', NBC's 'Unsolved Mysteries' and CBS's '48 Hours' all had run feature stories on the case".
http://scaredmonkeys.net/index.php?topic=7576.0

The Wikipedia page for the Springfield Three even mentions that they were featured on "Unsolved Mysteries" and I've seen it mentioned elsewhere as well. I know UM never did a full feature on this case, but does anyone recall seeing a "Special Alert" for it or something? Or this just inaccurate information that was posted on Wikipedia and has wound up spreading?

I also watched the Disappeared episode on The Springfield Three and it is a very sad and intriguing case. I also did some searched for information and came across the article you found and on a few other articles I remember seeing UM mentioned. I also don't ever remember a Special alert on this case. I think the information online could be inaccurate.

I was surprised that UM didn't cover this back then. My guess is that either the families of the three women or law enforcement didn't want to see a need for UM to be involved. Based on what I observed in the Disappeared episode it seemed there were a lot of conflicting matters in the first few months of the investigation due to people connected to the victims.

There have been 90's several missing persons cases that were very high profile in certain areas back ins that UM didn't cover. A few years back on a E! program, I learned about the Jackie Levitz disappearance which happened in 1995 and I asked here if the case was featured and I found out it wasn't.

[browneyes106]

Originally Posted by ernmerica

I saw the Disappeared episode as well and I was thinking the same thing, the mysteries in the story are right in UM's wheelhouse. From what I gathered from the episode it sounds like Cox is guilty, and those women are buried under the parking garage.


I don't understand why they don't dig that concrete up, the rumors are high profile, and if you have anything to do with the hospital (owner, employee, or patient), it must be on the tip of everyone's tongue. The best case scenario for the hospital is the police dig under the garage and no one is found. But what happens if they are found? "Oh yeah, we're taking you to a hospital where three women were buried under the foundation." Law enforcement needs to clear the air on the location, according to the analyst there are 3 anomalies that looks similar to what the ground looks like in a graveyard.

I thought the same things you did about the parking garage. From the information I read online it seems that the Springfield law enforcement didn't take the analyst seriously with the scanning work he had done.

[Cursiorandcursior]

Actually this case was on "48 Hours" in 9/92, then sometime on Unsolved Mysteries, and finally America's Most Wanted about the end of December 1992. This would be the fourth program that has covered the case.

As one who has immersed myself in this case, it seems to me that there are only a select group of top suspects; Cox, Garrison, Carnahan and the three grave robbers. The first three are in the slammer for life and the grave robbers are essentially off the hook at this time. A wild card is Chris Revak who committed suicide while in jail in 2009.

I couldn't tell you why they haven't cored that garage floor. It does not require the floor to be destroyed. And for those who believe it impossible for them to be there, that would only be true if the garage was built before the women went missing. The garage came later. There is another well known site in town that has been mentioned as a burial site also concreted over. Many others believe the bodies were dumped in one of many caves and abandoned wells scattered throughout the Ozarks.

What I have never been able to figure out is the motive.

One thing that was brought to a head was that Stacy's father and Cox actually worked at the same dealership although not the one shown in the program. It was at Reliable Chevrolet, a huge dealership in Springfield. However, that is more likely than not a coincidence. I have speculated that if Cox did this he may have seen Stacy had she come to visit her father while at work. They did not do the same type of work so it is possible they didn't even know one another.

[Thiussat]

So, are you guys saying this was covered on UM? If so, can anyone give me the episode and air date? I am curious because I would like to go searching on the unmentionable site for it.

[Cursiorandcursior]

Originally Posted by Thiussat

So, are you guys saying this was covered on UM? If so, can anyone give me the episode and air date? I am curious because I would like to go searching on the unmentionable site for it.

It was but as to the date and time I don't know how you would get that information. I used to have it on tape along with the "48 Hours" and AMW but I lent it to someone else to run with the story. I don't know that any new ground was covered that isn't already known. "Air Alex" has virtually devoted its entire website to this case. A lot of bizarre stuff has been written over the years but some of it is probably close to the truth. Another website has had four long threads devoted to this one case. I'd do a "google" to get those links if you are interested in reading up on the case. Be prepared to spend weeks catching up with all that has been written about the case.

[crystaldawn]

I'm not sure it ever did air on UM. There have been a few cases where in print it says they were featured on UM but no one remembers ever seeing them. I do agree it does seem like a case that was right down their alley. It might have been a Special Alert type where they just quickly show their picture and mention the circumstances around their disappearance. It seems that a lot of those were only aired once.

Btw does anyone know if there have been any books written about the Springfield 3?

[Melanie85]

I don't recall seeing anything about it on UM. In fact, the first time I heard about this case was a few years ago when I was perusing around Charley Project and came across Suzie Streeter's profile.

I'm curious as to how so many people believe the women are buried under the concrete. I wonder how/where the rumor originated from and why so many people believe it's the truth. If their bodies were buried there before the parking deck was built, you would think they would have recovered the bodies once they began construction. After all, the gentleman that brought the GPS locater into the garage says that the three objects aren't buried too far under the concrete. Just seems odd and a little far fetched to me.

[browneyes106]

Originally Posted by Melanie85

I don't recall seeing anything about it on UM. In fact, the first time I heard about this case was a few years ago when I was perusing around Charley Project and came across Suzie Streeter's profile.

I'm curious as to how so many people believe the women are buried under the concrete. I wonder how/where the rumor originated from and why so many people believe it's the truth. If their bodies were buried there before the parking deck was built, you would think they would have recovered the bodies once they began construction. After all, the gentleman that brought the GPS locater into the garage says that the three objects aren't buried too far under the concrete. Just seems odd and a little far fetched to me.

I found this webslueth thread and early in the thread one poster mentions that one theory, was that a laborers working on the complex preyed on the women because the hospital is close to the home that Sherill and Suzie lived in.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8961

There are other threads on WS and I'll read them here and there today because I have some downtime with my job right now. In this thread one poster named Ken claims to have a vision of Stacey McCall and there was a link that detailed it but it seems to be a dead link and this poster said he corresponded with Robert Cox. But the poster has a "Bannded" tag on his avatar so something seems fishy there.

[Cursiorandcursior]

Originally Posted by crystaldawn

I'm not sure it ever did air on UM. There have been a few cases where in print it says they were featured on UM but no one remembers ever seeing them. I do agree it does seem like a case that was right down their alley. It might have been a Special Alert type where they just quickly show their picture and mention the circumstances around their disappearance. It seems that a lot of those were only aired once.

Btw does anyone know if there have been any books written about the Springfield 3?

The only book ever written that I am aware is a fictional novelette by June Spence. This is the link but it may require you register. Instead go to google and type in "june spence missing women." It has the entire work that will come up to read.

http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/s...e-missing.html

It did in fact air on UM as I saw and recorded it on tape.

[Kane]

Originally Posted by Cursiorandcursior

It did in fact air on UM as I saw and recorded it on tape.

Was it a segment on the case per se, or was it shown as part of a segment (i.e., "special alert" or some other segment that primarily focused on another case)?

[ernmerica]

Originally Posted by Melanie85

I don't recall seeing anything about it on UM. In fact, the first time I heard about this case was a few years ago when I was perusing around Charley Project and came across Suzie Streeter's profile.

I'm curious as to how so many people believe the women are buried under the concrete. I wonder how/where the rumor originated from and why so many people believe it's the truth. If their bodies were buried there before the parking deck was built, you would think they would have recovered the bodies once they began construction. After all, the gentleman that brought the GPS locater into the garage says that the three objects aren't buried too far under the concrete. Just seems odd and a little far fetched to me.

The guy with the ground penetrating radar scanner first surveyed it well after its construction. I don't know about other people but the "Disappeared" episode was where I first learned details of this case. You would find the reason they think they are in the garage very odd, actually now that I am running through it in my head, I may have missed something, or there is a hole in the story.

One of the main suspects, Robert Cox, when questioned about whether he had anything to do with it I believe vaguely and suspiciously denied it, but said he is convinced they are dead and they are buried in a shallow grave somewhere around Springfield. They asked why he thought that and he said he had something like a "gut feeling".

The part I forget is how they got to this specific hospital. Right now I am reading online there were numerous tips leading to this hospital, which coincidentally bears the same name as the suspect, Cox South Hospital.

Convinced of the location, Baird, a lead investigator in the case contacted Rick Norland, a consulting engineer who worked on a number of big projects including Ground Zero in New York City. On June 16, 2006 while performing the scan he discovered what he said appeared to be three graves under the concrete at the Cox South Hospital Parking Garage on Bradford Parkway in Springfield.

[Cursiorandcursior]

Originally Posted by browneyes106

I found this webslueth thread and early in the thread one poster mentions that one theory, was that a laborers working on the complex preyed on the women because the hospital is close to the home that Sherill and Suzie lived in.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8961

There are other threads on WS and I'll read them here and there today because I have some downtime with my job right now. In this thread one poster named Ken claims to have a vision of Stacey McCall and there was a link that detailed it but it seems to be a dead link and this poster said he corresponded with Robert Cox. But the poster has a "Banned" tag on his avatar so something seems fishy there.

I know who you are talking about and his banning came as a result of his "visions" and other paranormal postings.

The laborer angle has to do with so-called concrete workers who may or may not have participated in the concreting over of the women at two alleged slabs in Springfield. That has been speculated on forever. I really don't know one way or another. Plausible but unproven.

If I could suggest where to look it would be the following: 1) Cox, 2) Garrison, 3) Carnahan, 4) the three grave robbers, 5) wild card - Chris Revak. There might be a connection between 1, 2, 3, and 4.