An acquaintance and I were discussing the above headline a couple days ago. The name of the woman is not that important to this blog, and she had lived under an assumed name for decades, so I will not use her real name in this post. The important part of this discussion was my colleague's opinion that this case paralleled that of Kathy Munday, who disappeared at or near her husband's residence near Sanger, Texas in 2004, just after Christmas. Kathy's last known destination was her husband's residence. In fact, her car was found in his driveway; Kathy, however, was never seen again. To this very day her body has not been found.
My acquaintance remarked that it was actually a good thing Kathy's husband (whose name I refuse to write here as it does not even warrant that much attention) had his conviction overturned, because, based on the story of the Indiana woman being located four decades after she went "missing," there was reason to believe that Kathy might be found at some point, and might be found ALIVE!. Everyone hoped for that, but with the passing years that outcome seems unlikely to me, and I have several reasons to feel this way.
When we look at the Indiana case, we see some significant differences from Kathy's disappearance. First, the woman from Indiana DELIVERED her children to her parents for safekeeping, indicating she had done at least some planning in advance of her disappearance. Not only did she leave the children, the woman I will call LuAnn also provided her parents with a legal document in which she signed away her parental rights to her parents. Again, planning before she disappeared. LuAnn also spent several hours in her home town gathering supplies before she left. She also discussed with her parents, and with her peers, that she felt she was too young and irresponsible to raise three children alone. She did not return home after talking with her parents. Her parents never suspected foul play and told the police as much when they made the missing person report. Her friends never suspected foul play but were concerned that something MIGHT happen to her on the way to wherever she was going. LuAnn was possibly seen at least two more times in other states as she drove and hitch-hiked south. The trail went cold in Georgia, and there was not really that big of a search for her anyway, since she had obviously left voluntarily and had broken no laws in the process.
Contrast the above to Kathy's disappearance. First, Kathy went to a known destination with a known plan as well. Kathy's only plan was to meet her soon-to-be ex-husband and get the divorce papers signed, then return to her home and her children. Kathy, a school teacher, did not tell ANYONE that she was leaving Sanger. But she told SEVERAL people that she believed she was going to be very happy in her new life away from her abusive husband. Kathy DID NOT take her children to her parents or her in-laws. Why? Because she intended to come home THAT NIGHT. Unlike LuAnn, Kathy did not spend several hours collecting supplies for an expected road trip, nor did she provide a legal document turning her children over to her parents or husband. Nor did Kathy ever express the idea that she was not able or willing to care for her children. Kathy did not remove any money from her bank account - either the night she disappeared nor at any time afterwards. And most telling of all, Kathy's car NEVER left her husband's house.
Another difference in the two cases is that Kathy's husband was known to be very hostile to the idea of splitting half his wealth and property with her. This being the case, he would have been very aware of his final moments with Kathy, including watching her drive away from his house after he signed the divorce papers. This was a very important moment, albeit a NEGATIVE moment, and the reasonable person in this same situation would recall nearly every moment. These hours would be ETCHED into a person's mind for the rest of his life. But what would did he tell the police?
"Uhh...gee...I saw her drive away. I do not know WHY her car is BACK in my driveway." Or at least words similar to this.
No, I told my acquaintance, these two situations are vastly different. In the one case, a woman could not face the idea and the reality of raising three children out of wedlock, a very serious and stigmatic situation in the early seventies. In this case the mother planned her disappearance right down to the document giving legal custody of her children to her parents. And most important, there was no one with a motive to see her dead.
In the other case, no planning whatsoever to be gone more than a couple of hours. No messages to parents and friends that Kathy was leaving her children. No planning for expenses and supplies for a quick trip out of town. Instead, Kathy had every reason to return home. Her children were waiting for her. Once she had the papers signed, a new life was waiting for her. Financially, a windfall was waiting for her. Most of all, Kathy and her children would no longer face the possibility of abuse at the hands of her husband.
I hope that Kathy is alive and well somewhere, although why she would leave her children and her life behind is unfathomable to me. But Kathy Munday is most likely in a better place than this world, I suspect with her mother, and that belief brings comfort to Kathy's friends and loved ones.
These two cases are not similar in the least; therefore, I fear very much that Kathy has been dead for some time, and that a person knows exactly how she died and where her body is. Someday I hope that person does the right thing, but only time will tell.
Kathy will never be forgotten, and the light she brought to this world, to so many people, has not been dimmed in the least by the thing that was done to her.
My acquaintance remarked that it was actually a good thing Kathy's husband (whose name I refuse to write here as it does not even warrant that much attention) had his conviction overturned, because, based on the story of the Indiana woman being located four decades after she went "missing," there was reason to believe that Kathy might be found at some point, and might be found ALIVE!. Everyone hoped for that, but with the passing years that outcome seems unlikely to me, and I have several reasons to feel this way.
When we look at the Indiana case, we see some significant differences from Kathy's disappearance. First, the woman from Indiana DELIVERED her children to her parents for safekeeping, indicating she had done at least some planning in advance of her disappearance. Not only did she leave the children, the woman I will call LuAnn also provided her parents with a legal document in which she signed away her parental rights to her parents. Again, planning before she disappeared. LuAnn also spent several hours in her home town gathering supplies before she left. She also discussed with her parents, and with her peers, that she felt she was too young and irresponsible to raise three children alone. She did not return home after talking with her parents. Her parents never suspected foul play and told the police as much when they made the missing person report. Her friends never suspected foul play but were concerned that something MIGHT happen to her on the way to wherever she was going. LuAnn was possibly seen at least two more times in other states as she drove and hitch-hiked south. The trail went cold in Georgia, and there was not really that big of a search for her anyway, since she had obviously left voluntarily and had broken no laws in the process.
Contrast the above to Kathy's disappearance. First, Kathy went to a known destination with a known plan as well. Kathy's only plan was to meet her soon-to-be ex-husband and get the divorce papers signed, then return to her home and her children. Kathy, a school teacher, did not tell ANYONE that she was leaving Sanger. But she told SEVERAL people that she believed she was going to be very happy in her new life away from her abusive husband. Kathy DID NOT take her children to her parents or her in-laws. Why? Because she intended to come home THAT NIGHT. Unlike LuAnn, Kathy did not spend several hours collecting supplies for an expected road trip, nor did she provide a legal document turning her children over to her parents or husband. Nor did Kathy ever express the idea that she was not able or willing to care for her children. Kathy did not remove any money from her bank account - either the night she disappeared nor at any time afterwards. And most telling of all, Kathy's car NEVER left her husband's house.
Another difference in the two cases is that Kathy's husband was known to be very hostile to the idea of splitting half his wealth and property with her. This being the case, he would have been very aware of his final moments with Kathy, including watching her drive away from his house after he signed the divorce papers. This was a very important moment, albeit a NEGATIVE moment, and the reasonable person in this same situation would recall nearly every moment. These hours would be ETCHED into a person's mind for the rest of his life. But what would did he tell the police?
"Uhh...gee...I saw her drive away. I do not know WHY her car is BACK in my driveway." Or at least words similar to this.
No, I told my acquaintance, these two situations are vastly different. In the one case, a woman could not face the idea and the reality of raising three children out of wedlock, a very serious and stigmatic situation in the early seventies. In this case the mother planned her disappearance right down to the document giving legal custody of her children to her parents. And most important, there was no one with a motive to see her dead.
In the other case, no planning whatsoever to be gone more than a couple of hours. No messages to parents and friends that Kathy was leaving her children. No planning for expenses and supplies for a quick trip out of town. Instead, Kathy had every reason to return home. Her children were waiting for her. Once she had the papers signed, a new life was waiting for her. Financially, a windfall was waiting for her. Most of all, Kathy and her children would no longer face the possibility of abuse at the hands of her husband.
I hope that Kathy is alive and well somewhere, although why she would leave her children and her life behind is unfathomable to me. But Kathy Munday is most likely in a better place than this world, I suspect with her mother, and that belief brings comfort to Kathy's friends and loved ones.
These two cases are not similar in the least; therefore, I fear very much that Kathy has been dead for some time, and that a person knows exactly how she died and where her body is. Someday I hope that person does the right thing, but only time will tell.
Kathy will never be forgotten, and the light she brought to this world, to so many people, has not been dimmed in the least by the thing that was done to her.
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