Mystery at Devil's Elbow -
Chapter Twenty-Four – First Week of December 1969
The next day, true to his word, Sheriff Carson met with Tammy Jenkins to give her the information on the skeletons. Tammy walked into the sheriff’s office and took a seat in front of his desk, while the sheriff stayed in his chair on the other side of the desk.
“Tammy, I want to thank you for keeping your part of the bargain.”
“I always try to keep my word, Sheriff.”
“As I always try to keep mine. I’m officially granting you an interview to discuss the skeletons this office found in a field at Devil’s Elbow.”
“Thank you, Sheriff. Is this on the record?”
“Yes, it is Tammy.”
“Can you confirm that several skeletons were found in a field in Devil’s Elbow?”
“Yes, I can confirm it. We found a total of six skeletons in shallow graves in that field.”
“Do you know why the skeletons were buried in that field?”
“We have some ideas, but we don’t actually have any physical evidence that definitely explains why the skeletons were buried there.”
“Do you think these women were the victims of crimes?”
“We don’t really have an answer to that because we only found the skeletons. However, after a thorough examination by the county coroner and a forensic anthropologist at the University of Missouri, no indication of a crime was found.”
“Is it true that you think some of the skeletons might be from girls who went missing from Devil’s Elbow?”
“Yes, it seems the skeletons are from girls reported missing from Devil’s Elbow over the last 72 years or so. We will probably never know 100% who each skeleton belonged to. But with the help of the county coroner, the forensic anthropologist from the University of Missouri, and the FBI, we can know the identifications with some certainty.”
“Can you tell me who you believe each was?”
“We believe one belonged to Mary Jones of Waynesville, Missouri. Another belonged to Linda Brown of Newburg, Missouri, another to Jackie Wilson of Laquey, Missouri, and one to Deborah Johnson of Success, Missouri. We believe two of the skeletons were of women who worked here but were from someplace else. Mary Gibson of O’Fallon, Illinois and Jane Goodwill of Logansport, Indiana.”
“What will happen to the skeletons of these women?”
“I’m glad you asked that because the county coroner, Doctor Glenn Bennett, is leading the effort to find relatives of these women to accept the remains and give them a proper burial.”
“Are there plans to return any of the skeletons to the field where they were found?”
“That’s not an option, Tammy. First, the field is not a graveyard, and second, we’d like to see these girls buried near other family members.”
“There’s a rumor that some of these girls had been missing for decades. Is that true, Sheriff?”
“We believe that’s true.”
“Can you tell me when the girls went missing?”
“Mary Gibson was reported missing in 1915. Jane Good was reported missing in 1916. Mary Jones was reported missing in 1926. Jackie Wilson was reported missing in 1935. Linda Brown was reported missing in 1929. Deborah Johnson was reported missing in 1947.”
“Many have commented that these were just girls, rather than women. What’s your opinion, Sheriff?”
“Well, the ages of these girls ranged from 19 to 21 when they went missing. You could refer to them as young girls or women.”
“There’s also a rumor that a woman that just recently went missing in Pulaski County, Victoria Abney, is connected to the skeletons. Can you confirm that connection?”
“That’s a difficult question to answer, Tammy. The woman is the same age range, but the FBI has concluded that she left on her own and may even have been a suicide.”
“Have you spoken with her family, Sheriff?”
“Yes, I paid my respects to her family. I can also tell you I’m troubled we weren’t able to give her family closure.”
“Sounds like you took her incident personal.”
“I take every missing person case in this county personally. These people are our family, our friends, our colleagues, and our coworkers. It’s really a loss for all of us.”
“Is there a message you’d like to leave with our readers?”
“I’d like to encourage anyone who knows of relatives of these women to please contact the county coroner, Doctor Glenn Bennett, and give him any information they have. He and his assistant, Ted Walker, are going to make every effort to reunite these woman with their families.”
“Thank you very much for this interview. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome. I hope your readers find the article interesting.”
“I think they will. It’s very refreshing to open up about a case like this and then ask for the people to help resolve it.”
“Basil tells me you have a job offer from the Kansas City Star.”
“I just accepted the job with them.”
“Congratulations. It’s always nice to see a local woman do well.”
“Thank you. Fact is, this is my last article in the Pulaski Journal.” She hesitated, her eyes wandering, “I’m gonna miss Pulaski County. This is my home.”
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