Mystery at Devil's Elbow
Chapter Fourteen – First Week of November 1969

“Sheriff, there’s a gentleman here to see you. He says he’s from the FBI,” said Maxine.

JD sat there for a moment. He was glad to hand off the latest missing person case to the FBI, but always hated the way they treated him like a local yokel. Yet, he would have to make the best of it.

“Send him in, Maxine.”

Bill Cooper was a tall, thin man with a flat-top haircut and a pin-striped suit. His shoes were highly polished, and he walked confidently.

“Hello Sheriff, I’m Special Agent Bill Cooper with the St. Louis FBI office.”

“Special Agent Cooper, very nice to meet you. Have a seat.”

“Sheriff, did the state police tell you I’ll be taking over the missing case of Victoria Abney?”

“Yes, got the call this morning.”

“Our primary interest, Sheriff, is the missing woman. But we would also like to see the information on the skeletons you found in a wooded area.”

“You think there might be a connection?”

“Don’t know yet, but we might be able to help with dental records to help identify them.”

“Did you hear about our Bigfoot sighting in the same area?”

“Sure did, and I’m inclined to believe your explanation on the radio. I think that’s a hoax. I’m not quite sure if it’s got anything to do with the kidnapping or the skeletons, but definitely a hoax.”

“Glad to hear you agree.”

“Victoria Abney was at the sandwich shop at Devil’s Elbow with her boyfriend?

“Yes, they had a sandwich there and took off in his car to go to lover’s lane. They were there about two hours when the woman remembered her curfew. Her boyfriend drove her back to her car. He dropped her off there and watched her drive off. He then drove the other way to his house.”

“Seems rather simple. Do you believe the boyfriend?”

“Yeah, the waitress at the sandwich shopped remembered them eating there. We also spoke to some other young people that saw them at lover’s lane. The night janitor of the sandwich shop even remembered a car dropping off a woman that got into her car and left. The janitor said the two cars went in opposite directions.”

“Sounds like confirmation. Are they both locals?”

“Yeah, both from here.”

“Should be an interesting conversation with the boyfriend.”

“Everything I just told you is in the file if you want to verify anything.”

“Sounds good. I’ll need a place to work.”

“Got an office for you right across the hall. Also, I had our deputies gather up all the evidence we had in both cases – the coroner’s report on the skeletons as well as a forensic anthropologist’s report. There’s a lot of information but no answers.”

“I’d be glad to look at all of it. I’ll also need to speak to the coroner.”

“I already spoke to him, and he said to stop by anytime,” JD said with a smile.

“I also understand that the local press has got a hold of this,” Cooper said, raising his eyebrows.

“The answer to that is yes and no.”

“What do you mean?” Cooper asked as he raised his hands in a gesture of confusion.

“Well, a local reporter ran with the Bigfoot sightings trying to ride the tail of the sightings in Pike County which you’ve probably heard of.”

“Yes, I’ve heard of them.”

“She learned some information about the skeletons and the missing woman and has done a great deal of research on her own. She doesn’t know much but has agreed not to publish any about a connection among the skeletons, Bigfoot, and the missing woman until I clear it.”

“Will she hold up her end of the bargain?”

“She’s a local woman who grew up here. Her family’s here too. I think she’ll keep her word.”

“That’s good to hear because if that story was printed, all hell might break loose.”

“Oh, one last thing. Here’s a key to the front door. In case you need to come in after hours.”

“Isn’t your office manned 24/7?”

“Yes, but sometimes they can’t hear when they’re in the back with the 911 operator or in the bathroom. This way you won’t have to wait. There’s always someone here, though, if you need them.”

“I brought one other thing for you, Sheriff.”

“What’s that?”

“I have a recording of the FBI Supervisory Special Agent in St. Louis supporting your analysis of the Bigfoot sighting. If you’d like to give it to your local radio station for them to play, it may calm the residents of your county down even more.”

“Thank you very much. I’ll take it down to the radio station tomorrow. We’ll get it on the air.”

“I look forward to working with you, Sheriff.”

“And I look forward to working with you.”

Cooper went to the office across the hall and began sifting through the piles of papers left on the desk.

“Could you use a coffee, Special Agent Cooper?” asked Maxine from the door.

“Yes, that does sound good. I take mine black.”

“Be right back with a cup.”

As Cooper was leafing through the papers, Maxine set a cup of hot coffee on the desk and disappeared back into the front office. Cooper was interested in all the information relating to the disappearance of the most recent woman. After reading the incident report, he pulled out a map of the local area. He identified the site he needed to visit first. It was the field behind the Fisher house and the forest farther down. He put a note on his paper that he also needed to speak to Deputy Bishop, who had found the scarf, and Mr. Pete Miller, who had knowledge of an old fishing road that no one else seemed to know about. Pete Miller had also taken the sheriff to where the missing girl’s car was. That placed his name on the suspect list.

Cooper drove out to the site where the scarf and car were found. He had a difficult time driving back into the forest with his car. This made him more curious than ever about Pete Miller. While at the site, he went through the sheriff’s file. He found the thumb and palm prints. All he could do was shake his head. There was no way these were real, much less from a human. He slid moved them to the back of the file.

He walked the area for over an hour looking for something the sheriff’s deputies missed but found nothing. He drove back to the road and parked near the area where the scarf was found. He spent another thirty minutes scouring the area for clues. Again, he found none. He took a chance on Pete Miller being home and stopped by to speak to him.

“Hello, can I help you?” asked Pete as he stood at the front door. He looked directly at a tall man in a suit he didn’t know standing on the porch in front of him.

“Hello, I’m Special Agent Cooper with the FBI. I was wondering if you had a few minutes to speak to me about the missing woman?”

“Sure, come on in. Why don’t we have a seat at the kitchen table.”

They both took a seat, and Pete handed Cooper a cup so he could help himself from the pot on the table.

“Your full name is Pete Miller?”

“Yeah, Peter Miller. No middle name.”

“Gotcha. Are you from around here, Pete?”

“Yeah, born and raised within ten miles of this area. My family is just down the road a few miles.”

“Is that how you knew about the fishing road that led to the missing girl’s car?”

“Yeah, I’ve used that road with my friends for years now. We originally made the road using our bikes. Later we drove our trucks down it.”

“Can you give me a list of those friends?”

Pete licked his lips. “Yea, I guess so. If it’s necessary.” He picked up a notepad from the end table. With a pen from his pocket, he began writing.

“Did you know the missing woman?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“How did you learn she was missing?”

“I’m a volunteer firefighter, and they called and asked me to be on the search team.”

“Did you touch the missing woman’s car or anything inside the car?”

“No sir, I didn’t even get close to it.”

“Why not?”

“I drove the sheriff out there, and he saw the car. He asked me to drive him over to it. When we got there, he asked me to get the search team and show them how to get back to the car. When I returned, the evidence technicians were all over the car, and Deputy Bishop asked me to look for tracks or footprints.”

“Did you see the car before the sheriff pointed it out to you?”

“No, I was watching the path, so we didn’t wreck.”

“Where were you the night that Victoria Abney went missing?”

“I was at home with my wife.”

“What’s your wife’s name?”

“Stephanie Miller.”

“Well, that’s enough for now. Thank you very much. May I contact you again if more questions come up?”

“Sure, glad to help.”

Pete showed Cooper to the door and handed him his list of friends. As Pete watched Cooper drive away, he felt sure he was a suspect.

Bill Cooper drove to the county morgue for his meeting with the coroner. He parked his car in front of the building and walked into the reception area. A man stood over the desk straightening papers.

“Hello, I’m looking for Doctor Bennett?”

“You’ve come to the right place. I’m Ted Walker, his assistant.”

“I’m Special Agent Cooper from the FBI.”

“Ah yes, the doctor’s expecting you to drop by. Follow me.”

Cooper followed Ted to the back room, where Doctor Bennett was cleaning up from an autopsy.

“Gimme a minute to finish cleaning up, and I’ll be right with you,” said Doctor Bennett.

After a few moments, they walked out of the back room and sat down in Bennett’s office.

“What can I do for you, Special Agent?” asked Doctor Bennett.

“Doctor, I’m investigating the missing woman Victoria Abney from Devil’s Elbow. I’d also like to hear about the skeletons found in the area. I need to determine if they have anything to do with the missing girl.”

“I wish I knew the answer to that question. We were called to the scene by the sheriff. Some local girls found a skull. My team went there, and we found over half the skeletal remains of a woman in her early-40s.”

“Had the skeletal pieces been moved?”

“Yes, it appeared to me that an animal had dug the bones up and chewed on a couple. It was most likely a dog. We have wild dogs in this area. It could have been a coyote.”

“Did it look like a body was placed there, or just the skeleton?”

“It appeared to me that a body had been laid in a shallow grave. The body decomposed, leaving the skeleton.”

“Was there any indication of the cause of death? Were any of the woman’s bones broken?”

“Since it’s only a skeleton now, I can’t tell how the woman died, but none of the bones appeared to be broken.”

“I understand you brought in a forensic anthropologist to look at the skeleton?”

“Yes, we’re used to looking at bodies. The answers the sheriff needed had to come from a forensic anthropologist.”

“How long did you estimate the body had been in the ground?”

“I can’t be precise, but I think the body was put in the ground a couple of years back, somewhere between two and three years ago.”

“I understand you helped the sheriff identify the body.”

“Yes, I did. The sheriff’s office identified a missing person named Mary Jones. She had gone missing in 1946 at age 20. Reported missing by her parents. The sheriff got medical and dental records for the woman. I can’t be positive, but it’s very likely the skeleton was hers.”

“Did you also work on the other skeletons found in that same area?”

“Initially. I led an effort to recover three new skeletons identified by the sheriff. As volunteers searched the area, they found two more skeletons.”

“What happened next?”

“Well, I’m not ashamed to admit this was way over my head. At that point, I got the forensic anthropologist to help again. Doctor Cynthia Hellyer teaches at the University of Missouri Columbia. She assisted us with the analysis of the first skeleton. It was she who oversaw the removal of each skeleton and transported them back to her lab in Columbia.”

“You’ve been very helpful. I think I need to speak with Doctor Hellyer.”

“I will walk you out to the door.”

“Can I contact you again if I have additional questions?”

“Certainly.”

Cooper also met with the missing woman’s boyfriend that afternoon whose story was exactly as the sheriff had relayed. The clerk and the night janitor at the sandwich shop both said the same thing. After a busy afternoon, Cooper drove back to the sheriff’s office, slowly tapping his hand on the steering wheel. Several times he repeated the information he had learned thus far out loud. At the sheriff’s office, he asked for Deputy Bishop, but Maxine said he wouldn’t be there for a few minutes when his shift started.

Cooper walked down to the break room, bought a soda from the machine and helped himself to a brownie from a plate on the table. He walked back down the hall and took the seat in front of his desk to wait.

“Knock, knock, you must be Special Agent Cooper?” Rodney walked into his office.

“Yes, and you must be Deputy Bishop?”

“Yeah, Rodney Bishop.” They shook hands.

“Are you from around here, Bishop?”

“Yeah, born and raised in the area.”

“I think you know I’m investigating the missing person report on Victoria Abney. I’d like to ask you a few questions about this case.”

“Sure.”

“Did you know about the fishing road that led to the missing woman’s car?”

“No, never heard of it. Those of us from Waynesville usually fish in the Roubidoux Creek, not the Big Piney like the boys from Devil’s Elbow.”

“Did you know the missing woman?”

“No.”

“How did you learn she was missing?”

“The supervisor told me when I came on shift that day.”

“I understand you accompanied the sheriff to check on a report of a large hairy creature.”

“Yeah, both of us went on that call.”

“I understand you found a scarf while on that call.”

“Yeah, we were walking back to the Fisher home from the area where the hairy creature was seen when I noticed a scarf on the ground. It was the same golden yellow with diamond shapes sown into the fabric as the one reportedly worn by the missing woman.”

“Did you touch the scarf?”

“No sir, I did not. I placed a yellow evidence flag in the ground next to it.”

“What do you think about this case? Is there something else I need to check on?”

“Yeah, there is one thing. When we found the scarf and the car, there was a strong musky odor. Several people talked about it, and no one ever smelled anything like it.”

“Really, I haven’t heard that before. Well, I’ll let you get on shift. If you think of anything else, please let me know.”

“Will do.”

That night Cooper sat in his hotel room thinking. Why was Pete the only one that knew about the fishing road that led to the missing woman’s car? Since Victoria Abney’s car was found with all her belongings, she probably just walked away and wasn’t taken against her will, but what about the prints? I don’t know what to think of them. If she was abducted, I need to replace her. The next morning Cooper grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel and then drove to Columbia to speak to Doctor Hellyer. He parked outside a three-story brick building. Once inside among the highly polished floors and numerous doors, he found a sign directing him to Doctor Hellyer’s office on the second floor. He could see through the door window that her office had a small reception office with access to her office through a second door. He opened the door and stepped in.

“I’m James Merryweather, Doctor Hellyer’s assistant.” They shook hands.

“Hello. I’m Special Agent Bill Cooper with the FBI.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Special Agent. Doctor Hellyer asked me to join the two of you since I did most of the research on the skeletons and developed the analysis and conclusions.”

“Sounds like we need you in the meeting then.”

“Hello, it looks like you two have met,” Doctor Hellyer said as she walked into the room.

“Yes, we have,” said Cooper.

“Let’s all take a seat in my office, and James can give you the run-down,” said Doctor Hellyer.

“Sounds like a good idea,” said Cooper.

“Let me begin by saying that these are the initial replaceings of the review of six skeletons found in and around the area of Devil’s Elbow, Missouri,” said James as he referred to papers in front of the other two.

“So, I can be clear, that includes one skeleton initially found, three others located by the same young girl, and then two others found while retrieving the three. Have I got it right?” asked Cooper.

“Yes, mostly correct. One skeleton was initially located and provided to us for analysis. One week later we were called to respond to three additional skeletons. Before we arrived, two additional skeletons were found.”

“Gotcha.”

“The first skeleton was partial, but we eventually found all of it. The next three were whole. The last two skeletons were partial. A review of all six skeletons indicated that they were all women, they were all in good health while alive, and there was no evidence of foul play.”

“That’s not conclusive, is it?”

“No, because we were only able to analyze bone.”

“Gotcha.”

“The women were buried in the ground approximately 20 inches deep without the use of a coffin or vault. This led to a rapid breakdown of all body parts except for the skeletons. There were no artifacts found in the graves.”

“What do you mean by artifacts?”

“Jewelry, belts, normal human possessions.”

“Gotcha.”

James provided all the data on the birth year of each woman, along with their ages at death and how long they were buried.

“This is where I become confused. These skeletons were buried there instead of a local graveyard.”

“We found that disturbing as well,” said Doctor Hellyer.

“Graveyards have been in the area since before the first skeleton was buried. So, there were ample locations to properly bury a body,” said James.

“Did you see any indication of ritual burial during your analysis?” asked Cooper.

Ritual burial is often used by serial killers who place their victims in a single location where they can return to the graves of their victims dig them up to relive their crimes.

“No,” said James.

“Was the hyoid bone broken on any of the skeletons?” asked Cooper.

“The sheriff asked that same question. The hyoid bone was present and unbroken in five of the six skeletons. In the sixth skeleton, the hyoid bone was completely missing. The other bones had chew marks, so the hyoid was probably taken by an animal,” said James.

What on earth could these skeletons have to do with the most recent missing woman? She seems to be at around the same age the others went missing. From what I’ve seen, it appears she walked away of her own free will. Could that have been what happened to these other women? If there’s a link, I need to replace out quick.

“Well, those are all the questions I have. Thanks for your help,” said Cooper.

“I hope this helps you replace Victoria Abney,” said Doctor Hellyer.

“I hope so too.”