Isn't it sad...

[CuriousMind90]

Isn't it sad that it seems, for so many cases and victims, and their families, there will never be any closure, no end? Look at Tara Calico. To this day, we still wonder where she is, what happened to her...Do the police? Or is she just a forgotten, dusty file in a police station? What about what remains of her family? Her mother's deceased, and she herself died without ever knowing any real answer about her little girl's fate.

I use her as one example, but there's so many to choose from; Some cases featured on UM, others not, that have remained unsolved, not closed, for decades or more. Look at Jack the Ripper's victims. Over a hundred years have passed and we still know nothing officially, not a who or a why; Even his victims and who they were in life remain largely mysteries to us.

It is a sad thing, I believe. But there is a light. We here, and others at other sites who keep bringing up victim's cases and remembering them, even though we didn't "know" them in life, are doing a good thing.

Even if their families have died or the police have forgotten them, we haven't. And in that small way, they're still "with us", and we're still "with them." Their lives and deaths, due to people like us, are not just forgotten moments in time. Even if some of these cases never get solved, there is some good in that--That we're keeping their memory alive, keeping others informed, perhaps even trying to solve their cases even if the police and their families have given up or forgotten.

It is a strange thing, that people we'd probably never have known otherwise, we know through their death. I don't mean that morbidly, or that it's a bad thing. But I think there are some of us who do have some sort of emotional investment in some or more of these cases or we wouldn't be here for so long.

It is a sad thing...but a good thing. Even though we'll never get the chance to meet in the flesh any of these people whose fate remains an "unsolved mystery", perhaps, if you believe in an afterlife, we will then, and perhaps, if there is an afterlife, they look down now on our care, wonder and memory for and of them with appreciation and happiness.

[dynoguy88]

If you go to the forbidden site and type in "Tara Calico," you'll see that she isn't a forgotten, dusty file in a police station. A high school friend of Tara's has made it her mission to find Tara's body and the men who killed her. There's a video of her interviewing one of the police officers who is still working the case after 15 years. They go out to highway 47 where Tara vanished on her bike ride.

Like I mentioned in the UM Locations thread, the police officers of Valencia County believe they know who killed Tara. They claim the killers were boys, now men. And their parents helped hide the evidence including burying the body and covering Tara's blood with sand. But the police are stuck and can't make any conviction without a body.

Despite how sad and haunting this case was, I think it's really great that the police haven't given up. And I'm not surprised. After 23 years, the Tara Calico case still haunts the residents of Valencia County. It's still reported about on the local news (clips also available on the forbidden site). So, I think it's great that she isn't a forgotten case file. But I get what you're saying about the sadness factor.

I always thought it was incredibly sad how the mothers of Tara Calico, Tammy Leppert and Nyleen Kay Marshall all went to their graves without ever finding out what happened to their daughters. I hope they are reunited now. But the pain they went through is something I wouldn't wish on any person.

[mah79]

Beautifully said, Curious Mind. You are right, it is important that we still remember the murdered victims, and the victims whose fates may never be known. IN fact, your post reminds me of a proverb that I once heard...on UM of all places, "to say the name of the dead is to make them live again."

On a side note, I found myself thinking about Anthonette Cayedito's story. I can't believe that tomorrow is 25 years taht she disappeared. April 6, 1986. I pray that she is found, or that one day we may learn the story of what happened to her, and I pray that her family may one day find peace and closure.

[RobinW]

Yes, in a really twisted way, the families of the victims featured on UM are almost the lucky ones because they've at least had the benefit of having their cases profiled on national TV where they've made such an impression on so many people that the victims will continue to be remembered after so many years.

Compare that to the thousands of cases where the victim's murder or disappearance got ZERO media coverage and even LE didn't seem to care. It's astonishing to find out how many victims prior to the 1980s were barely given any attention, have had their case files lost or destroyed by the police, and aren't remembered today by anybody except their loved ones. It's very depressing to look up a profile on Charley Project of a person who went missing 30 years ago and all it says is "few details are available in his/her case".

While I wouldn't wish this fate on anyone, at least the people featured on UM had an outlet to keep their memories alive.

[CuriousMind90]

I think we should beef up, financially, our missing person's units in the police (nation wide) and FBI. There has to be a way to create a gigantic, very efficient network involving both law enforcement and perhaps civilian investigators sharing information to solve unsolved cases; Focusing solely on unsolved cases. It's UM, ironically, that has inspired me to seek a career in law enforcement.

But I wish over time a better system could be created, to solve all of these cases or most eventually. That is my dream.

[RobinW]

Originally Posted by CuriousMind90

I think we should beef up, financially, our missing person's units in the police (nation wide) and FBI. There has to be a way to create a gigantic, very efficient network involving both law enforcement and perhaps civilian investigators sharing information to solve unsolved cases; Focusing solely on unsolved cases. It's UM, ironically, that has inspired me to seek a career in law enforcement.

But I wish over time a better system could be created, to solve all of these cases or most eventually. That is my dream.

I've always believed (and I know figures in the LE community have pushed for it too) that a 24-hour missing persons channel should be created. It would provide an opportunity for cases that don't get mainstream media attention to finally get their chance in the spotlight. With all the useless garbage that gets put on TV these days, I don't know why a channel like this that does nothing but help and benefit people couldn't be put on the air.

I guess the only downside is that a 24-hour missing persons channel could wind up being way too addictive and time-consuming for UM fanatics like ourselves .

[BlunderbussDeath]

Originally Posted by dynoguy88

If you go to the forbidden site and type in "Tara Calico," you'll see that she isn't a forgotten, dusty file in a police station. A high school friend of Tara's has made it her mission to find Tara's body and the men who killed her. There's a video of her interviewing one of the police officers who is still working the case after 15 years. They go out to highway 47 where Tara vanished on her bike ride.

Like I mentioned in the UM Locations thread, the police officers of Valencia County believe they know who killed Tara. They claim the killers were boys, now men. And their parents helped hide the evidence including burying the body and covering Tara's blood with sand. But the police are stuck and can't make any conviction without a body.

Despite how sad and haunting this case was, I think it's really great that the police haven't given up. And I'm not surprised. After 23 years, the Tara Calico case still haunts the residents of Valencia County. It's still reported about on the local news (clips also available on the forbidden site). So, I think it's great that she isn't a forgotten case file. But I get what you're saying about the sadness factor.

I always thought it was incredibly sad how the mothers of Tara Calico, Tammy Leppert and Nyleen Kay Marshall all went to their graves without ever finding out what happened to their daughters. I hope they are reunited now. But the pain they went through is something I wouldn't wish on any person.

If they know who killed Tara then the bigger question is who were those two kids in the creepy as hell Polaroid?

[browneyes106]

Originally Posted by RobinW

Yes, in a really twisted way, the families of the victims featured on UM are almost the lucky ones because they've at least had the benefit of having their cases profiled on national TV where they've made such an impression on so many people that the victims will continue to be remembered after so many years.

Compare that to the thousands of cases where the victim's murder or disappearance got ZERO media coverage and even LE didn't seem to care. It's astonishing to find out how many victims prior to the 1980s were barely given any attention, have had their case files lost or destroyed by the police, and aren't remembered today by anybody except their loved ones. It's very depressing to look up a profile on Charley Project of a person who went missing 30 years ago and all it says is "few details are available in his/her case".

While I wouldn't wish this fate on anyone, at least the people featured on UM had an outlet to keep their memories alive.

I agree with you the families of victims featured on UM are lucky in a way like you mentioned. They at least have an additional resource that may always be able to aid them as long as they keep searching for the truth about murders or missing loved ones.

[browneyes106]

Originally Posted by RobinW

I've always believed (and I know figures in the LE community have pushed for it too) that a 24-hour missing persons channel should be created. It would provide an opportunity for cases that don't get mainstream media attention to finally get their chance in the spotlight. With all the useless garbage that gets put on TV these days, I don't know why a channel like this that does nothing but help and benefit people couldn't be put on the air.

I guess the only downside is that a 24-hour missing persons channel could wind up being way too addictive and time-consuming for UM fanatics like ourselves .

I think a 24-hour missing persons channel would be a very good thing. I agree it would allow more missing persons cases to get mainstream media attention. I'm glad that Nancy Grace sometimes gives attention to missing adults and children. I even know I couldn't stand Montell Williams, there were several episodes on his show that profiled missing adults and Leah Roberts were also featured on one of the shows.

I think if a channel like that existed. They could repeat episodes of shows a few times a day.

[XiaoGouPi]

I'll tell you whats really sad.

No, it aint that some cases never get solved. It is only to be expected that certain cases will go unsolved forever, hence the term 'Unsolved Mysteries'.


Whats really sad is that some cases receive more attention than others. Some cases are simply do not get enough publicity. How would you garner for witnesses for the case if no one knows about it ?


And some cases actually have the authorities bringing in psychics to assist the investigation and even having the psychic doing a composite drawing of the possible suspects for the case.

Then why not use psychics for every other cold case ? Is it because this case has less publicity, the person who died here is less important than the one thats had more attention? Why the bias?


Now, thats genuinely ... SAD.

[ms_bates]

Originally Posted by XiaoGouPi

I'll tell you whats really sad.

No, it aint that some cases never get solved. It is only to be expected that certain cases will go unsolved forever, hence the term 'Unsolved Mysteries'.


Whats really sad is that some cases receive more attention than others. Some cases are simply do not get enough publicity. How would you garner for witnesses for the case if no one knows about it ?

Tell me about it. Don't get me wrong, I have a great deal of compassion for all victims of violent crime, but I got sick to death of hearing about the Caylee Anthony case. I wish the media would give more attention to colder cases, and cases of John and Jane Does. Maybe we could get some of these unfortunate souls identified if they got more national attention.