Remains of Kathleen Wrinkle Missing 1956 Found in Tennessee

[Nut44x4]

Again...I am not sure this is in the right place....move if need be.

Posted: 5:50 PM May 19, 2008
PARKSVILLE LAKE, Tenn. (AP) -- Divers have found submerged remains that may be those of a woman missing for more than 52 years.

The Bradley County sheriff's office said in a news release Monday that the remains appear to match those of Kathleen Wrinkle who disappeared in 1956.

Positive identification is pending at the Knox County Forensic Anthropology Department.

Wrinkle is believed to have left her home in the early morning of February 1956 planning to drive about 40 miles southeast to Copperhill to find a job in the then-booming copper industry when her car slid on an icy road and into Parksville Lake.

The missing persons case was reopened last summer, and several searches have been made of the lake.

http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/19079829.html

[TigressPen]

I hope her family can be found. :1222423:

[packy]

Some background on the story. Much more at link.

http://fromwhisperstor.6.forumer.com/a/kathleen-wrinklemissing22256tn_post25179.html

During the mid-60s, former Bradley County Sheriff Wendell Davis recalls working to solve an auto burglary ring which had been operating out of Chicago, Ill. According to Coultry, Davis recalled divers searching Parksville Lake looking for some of the stolen vehicles. Coultry indicated their search parameters were confined to certain vehicle models, but did note a number of other vehicles were in the lake. Those vehicles were older models and some were built in the same era as Wrinkle’s Chevrolet. In 1957, divers spotted a vehicle matching the description of Kathleen’s, sitting at the bottom of the lake. “We have located sections of the old road bed which still exist,” said Coultry. Kim Callan, a family member of Wrinkle’s, said she was officially declared dead in 1975. A. J. Sinor was the attorney who handled the declaration. According to Coultry, Kathleen’s mother would not accept her daughter was dead. “For years, her insurance provider attempted to pay Kathleen’s mother the death benefit. She refused to take the money,”

[Nut44x4]

A 50-year-old mystery solved?

Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee)

May 20, 2008 Tuesday

CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- A Bradley County investigator says that, after more than 52 years, Kathleen Wrinkle's family is "heading toward closure."

Sgt. Bill Coultry said Monday that divers found a car and personal effects over the weekend in Polk County's Parksville Lake, items that very likely belong to Ms. Wrinkle, who disappeared on Feb. 22, 1956. The divers also found a femur that experts said came from a young adult female, Sgt. Coultry said.

"The car fits the description, the personal items in the vehicle fit what we have on the victim. The forensic lab in Knoxville is going to have to tell us the rest," Sgt. Coultry said.

In a news release Monday, Polk County Sheriff's Department spokesman Bob Gault said divers found the car submerged in silt on May 9.

Divers turned the femur over to Polk County law enforcement officials, Mr. Gault said, and the divers were back in the water Sunday. Personnel from the Bradley and Polk sheriff's offices, the Benton Police Department, West Polk County Fire and Rescue Unit and volunteer divers worked together to recover additional remains and artifacts, he said.

Ms. Wrinkle's family never stopped wondering what happened, Sgt. Coultry said. It was at their urging that he reopened the case last year while he was on medical leave after being shot in the line of duty.

"The family is actually going to get to lay her to rest with the rest of her family; that's what we're looking for," he said.

Ms. Wrinkle was a clerk for Cleveland Water Works when she disappeared. At the time, authorities believed she was traveling to Chattanooga for a job interview, but she never arrived.

27 AT THE TIME

She was 27 years old when she disappeared, according to The Charley Project, an Internet site that profiles "cold case" missing people.

Sgt. Coultry said last July that he got the original case file from 80-year-old retired Cleveland police officer John Eubanks. The sergeant said he developed a theory that Ms. Wrinkle actually was traveling to a job interview in Copperhill, Tenn.

VOLUNTEER EFFORTS

Beginning last July, volunteer divers using sonar began hunting in 45 feet of water around the Parksville Dam. Diving through murk and probing in several feet of silt, they found many cars, but not Ms. Wrinkle's 1951 Chevrolet Bel Air, Sgt. Coultry said.

The searches continued, he said, and divers found 13 or 14 cars at that level and more farther down at 75 to 90 feet.

"Over the period of the last several months, they've been diving to each vehicle and they would let us know what they found," he said.

With no budget for this kind of work, everything depended on people who volunteered time and energy to help ease a family's pain, Sgt. Coultry said.

"It wasn't just me," he said. "There were a lot of volunteers that worked this, and a lot of the time was our own time."

FAMILY MEMBERS EXPRESS THANKS

Family members have not spoken to the media, but Sgt. Coultry said he was going to talk to them again Monday evening.

"What they expressed to me is thank you to everybody. Now we can put it to rest and close it. Now we can bring her home," he said.
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100020825&docId=l:794367457&start=1

[Faith]

Remains in lake may be long-missing Eaststate woman

Divers in East Tennessee have found submerged human remains that may be those of a woman missing for more than 52 years.

The remains appear to match those of Kathleen Wrinkle, who disappeared in 1956, a Bradley County Sheriff's Office news release said Monday. Positive identification is pending in Knox County.

Wrinkle is believed to have left her home on an early February morning in 1956 — planning to drive about 40 miles southeast to Copperhill to find a job in the then-booming copper industry — when her car slid on an icy road and into Parksville Lake.

The missing persons case was reopened last summer, and the Ocoee River reservoir — about 35 miles east of Chattanooga — has been searched several times.

Officials said they found the remains in a vehicle submerged in silt, in water about 45 feet deep.

They aren't revealing the exact location so that additional attempts can be made to recover other remains and artifacts.
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/NEWS01/805210426/1006

[packy]

They said there was no budget for that kind of work and so it all depended on volunteers. How good of them. A big thanks to those volunteers!

[TeeOne]

What a sad story with a small light at the end. So many years of not knowing what happened to the young woman. It puts a tear in my eye, but a slight smile on my face. :1222423:

[justinwmiller]

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=41F6A54F-19B9-E2E2-67F6A2E2FB109588

Didn't know so many people cared about my friends and I diving to help Ms. Wrinkle's family.
thanks for you all keeping up with the story.

Justin Miller
One of the 3 original divers to find remains.

[packy]

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=41F6A54F-19B9-E2E2-67F6A2E2FB109588

Didn't know so many people cared about my friends and I diving to help Ms. Wrinkle's family.
thanks for you all keeping up with the story.

Justin Miller
One of the 3 original divers to find remains.

Very interesting article and gives us a feel for what it involves when searching for remains etc.

Thank you for caring enough to do this despite hazards and becoming exhausted.

The family can put their loved one to rest now.

[justinwmiller]

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=9C5F2CB7-19B9-E2E2-67AC2846257F50F3

more updates on case being solved.

justin miller

[grammybears]

I sure hope these bones are Kathleens. This would surely give what is left of her family closure.

[Brianne]

I hope they are hers so that they can put her to rest...Her poor family.

[TigressPen]

I am so glad they have a family member to compare DNA with. The family can finally put her to rest. :1222423:

[Nut44x4]

'You can turn the lights out now Mama ... Kathleen's home'

"This case turned real interesting during the course of a week," said Sgt. Bill Coultry of the Bradley County Sheriff's Office. He spoke regarding the discovery of human skeletal remains which possibly belong to Kathleen Wrinkle.

Investigators do not believe foul play was an element in Wrinkle's disappearance.

In an exclusive interview with family members, the Banner learned a little about Kathleen, who disappeared without a trace in the early morning hours of Feb. 22, 1956.

Evelyn Wrinkle Caylor-Cross lived with her aunt Kathleen at the time of her disappearance.

She said Kathleen left a note explaining she was going to Chattanooga for a job interview.

Caylor-Cross told former Cleveland Police Department Investigator John Eubanks, (now 81-years-old) the occurrences of the evening before Kathleen's disappearance.

In an interview with Eubanks, Kathleen's teenage niece told of a 10 p.m. curfew. Evelyn went to bed the night before. When she awoke, Kathleen had already left the apartment and had written a note explaining the plan for their day.

"One other strange item was the fact that when her niece got up, all of their belongings had been packed as if they were moving," said Eubanks.

"So from 10 p.m. on Feb. 21, 1956, until around 5:20 the next morning, someone had packed all of their belongings. The niece did not indicate Kathleen had any plans for a move. The note explained to the niece that she was to go to school, then to Kathleen's parents home to eat and in her own words, Kathleen wrote, 'I will pick you up around 7 (p.m.) at the skate rink,'" added Eubanks.

The investigation has not revealed what may have happened to Kathleen who was driving a 1951 Chevrolet Bel Air, yellow with a black roof.

Divers located the car this past week and found remains inside as well as possible personal belongings Sunday.

"I was elated," Eubanks said Monday evening after Coultry informed him of the possible finding of Kathleen's car and remains.

"I commend Sgt. Coultry for staying with this case and I am hoping for a positive conclusion," added Eubanks.

"It is amazing," said the weeping niece.

Although the remains have not been positively identified, a number of items located inside the car could belong to either Kathleen or Evelyn.

Caylor-Cross said she had a small Kodak camera, possibly laying in the floorboard of the vehicle.

Investigators recovered a camera, nonprescription sunglasses and other items from Parksville Lake where the car was discovered.

"Kathleen was quite a person. She could be seen, but not heard. After her disappearance, I would go downtown shopping and people would call my grandparents and tell them they had seen Kathleen," said Evelyn. According to Caylor-Cross, she and Kathleen resembled each other.

Kathleen was described as having dark hair and standing nearly 6-feet tall. She wore jewelry such as broaches and was a neat dresser.

Evelyn lived with her grandparents before living with her aunt .

"My father was in the military and I had lived with them since I was born," she said.

Kathleen and Evelyn were together virtually all of the time.

It was a traumatic experience for the Wrinkle family when Kathleen disappeared, according to Caylor-Cross.

Kathleen's mother rarely left their home and when she did, she always left a key to the front door and the porch light on.

Although she is somewhat celebrating the news of the remains possibly being those of Kathleen, Caylor-Cross said she can be patient and await test results which will hopefully provide positive identification of the remains.

For 52 years, the family has waited for closure, even though Kathleen was declared dead in the 1970s.

"If no one had been interested in solving this, it would possibly not have been investigated as well," Caylor-Cross told Coultry.

The family is confident the discovery of skeletal remains and items recovered in the car will prove investigators have found Kathleen and her car.

"I am so appreciative of everything that has been done," she said.

"You can turn the lights out now Mama ... Kathleen's home," added Caylor-Cross.

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=06F471EE-19B9-E2E2-674632C79E5CE5CB

[Nut44x4]

Wrinkle, 27, disappeared from Cleveland, Tennessee on February 22, 1956. In 2008, authorities found a 1951 Chevrolet Bel Air in Parkersville Lake, with human remains inside. It will take DNA testing to conclusively identify the body, but it is of a young adult female, Wrinkle's loved ones identified personal items in the car, and authorities are all but certain the body is hers. She evidently had a car accident on the day of her disappearance and drove into the lake.
Source Information:
The Cleveland Daily Banner
Posed at:
http://www.charleyproject.org/resolved/resolved39.html

[packy]

All these years and a little more time and it will most likely be official that it is her.

[carrie_c]

I live in Cleveland, TN and this story has fasinated me. Does anyone know if the bones were ever identified as hers?

[TigressPen]

I live in Cleveland, TN and this story has fasinated me. Does anyone know if the bones were ever identified as hers?


I think the remains found inside the car were verified as hers.

[sarahhod]

Friday, Feb. 20, 2009 , 10:04 a.m.

1956 Bradley County missing persons case is finally solved

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Human remains found in Parksville Lake last May are those of Kathleen Wrinkle, a woman who disappeared on Feb. 22, 1956, according to a news release from the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office.
The release stated that Dr. Darinka Mileusnic, a pathologist at University of Tennessee in Knoxville, made the determination based on the investigation and forensic and physical evidence. The medical examiner ruled death was due to accidental drowning.
Divers in May found a car and personal effects that belonged to Ms. Wrinkle, who left home for a job interview and was never seen again. The divers also found a femur that was determined to belong to a young adult female, investigators said at the time.
Sheriff Tim Gobble credited Sgt. Bill Coultry of his department for reopening the cold case and a variety of people and organizations who helped locate the remains and make the identification.
“The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office was pleased to have played a small part in helping to solve a 53 year-old mystery. Our prayer is this brings some comfort to the family,” the sheriff said in the release.

http://timesfreepress.com/news/2009/feb/20/1956-bradley-county-missing-persons-case-finally-s/?breakingnews

[sarahhod]

RIP Kathleen.:1222423::1222423:

[Roamer]

My sincere condolences to her family.

[packy]

R.I.P. Kathleen.

[sarahhod]

Missing Persons Case from 1950s Finally Solved

February 20, 2009 - 10:19 AM
Derek Dellinger (ddellinger@newschannel9.com)
http://images.onset.freedom.com/wtvc/medium/kfdekf-kathleen.jpg (http://www.newschannel9.com/sections/article/gallery/?pic=1&id=975851)

Last May human remains were discovered in a vehicle submerged 45 feet deep in Parksville Lake. Today authorities confirm they are the remains of Kathleen Wrinkle who went missing in 1956.
Dr. Darinka Mileusnic, Department of Pathology at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville made the official determination. The medical examiner ruled death was due to accidental drowning.
Divers actually first began searching the bottom of Parksville Lake in the summer of 2007 in hopes of finding the car Kathleen Wrinkle was driving when she left home. She was driving a 1951 Chevrolet Bel Air. Divers actually located as many as seven different cars in the bottom of the lake just off shore from a steep bank along a curve on Highway 64. Due to the depth of the water and lack of visibility, divers had an extremely difficult time searching the vehicles and have returned to the area on several occasions.
It was May 9, 2008 when a group of volunteer divers discovered the vehicle submerged in silt and recovered a femur bone inside the vehicle that was turned over to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. From that time forward the BCSO, the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the Benton Police Department, as well as the West Polk County Fire and Rescue Unit and the volunteer divers, worked together to recover additional remains and artifacts.
Sheriff Tim Gobble also expressed appreciation to Sgt. Bill Coultry for his interest in reopening a cold case.
Gobble said, "The Bradley County Sheriff's Office was pleased to have played a small part in helping to solve a 53 year-old mystery. Our prayer is this brings some comfort to the family."
A private service is planned for family members.

http://www.newschannel9.com/news/solved_975851___article.html/1950s_case.html

[sarahhod]

Lady in the Lake: 1956 Missing Person Case Solved
http://wrcb.images.worldnow.com/images/9877876_BG1.jpg http://wrcb.images.worldnow.com/images/static/gfx/pxl_trans.gif http://wrcb.images.worldnow.com/images/9877876_BG2.jpg http://wrcb.images.worldnow.com/images/static/gfx/pxl_trans.gif http://wrcb.images.worldnow.com/images/9877876_BG3.jpg http://wrcb.images.worldnow.com/images/static/gfx/pxl_trans.gif http://wrcb.images.worldnow.com/images/9877876_BG4.jpg http://wrcb.images.worldnow.com/images/static/gfx/pxl_trans.gif

BRADLEY COUNTY (WRCB) - Dr. Darinka Mileusnic, Department of Pathology at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, has determined human remains recovered in Parksville Lake in Polk County are the remains of Kathleen Wrinkle based on the investigation and forensic and physical evidence. The medical examiner ruled death was due to accidental drowning.

The family extends its deep appreciation to each person that has been involved in the investigation since Wrinkle was last seen on February 22, 1956.
On May 9th, 2008, divers found the rusted remains of what appeared to be a Chevrolet Bel Air in Parksville Lake in Polk County.
That's the same kind of car that Wrinkle was last seen driving. Inside, divers found skeletal remains that were later determined to be that of a young female.
That discovery lead divers back into the water ten days later where they found more remains, some clothing and a Kodak camera.

http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9877876



(http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9877876#)

[lost indie]

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=41F6A54F-19B9-E2E2-67F6A2E2FB109588

Didn't know so many people cared about my friends and I diving to help Ms. Wrinkle's family.
thanks for you all keeping up with the story.

Justin Miller
One of the 3 original divers to find remains.

That is very cool Justin. Thanks for bringing closure to Kathleen's family....

[PolkaDot]

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=41F6A54F-19B9-E2E2-67F6A2E2FB109588

Didn't know so many people cared about my friends and I diving to help Ms. Wrinkle's family.
thanks for you all keeping up with the story.

Justin Miller
One of the 3 original divers to find remains.



WOW ! ! ! :hifive: to those that reopened case and to you and your friends for finding her ! ! !

[Nut44x4]

I agree...BRAVO! I get goose bumps reading this story. Such a beautiful woman...

[annalyzer]

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=94AB2D5B-19B9-E2E2-67BB33A902B21245

Forensics determine remains are Wrinkle

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/articleImages/resized/Wrinkle2_med.jpg
Kathleen Wrinkle

Friday, Feb 20, 2009

And on the 53rd year, she will be placed to rest.

That is the thought of Evelyn Wrinkle Cross -- the niece of Kathleen Wrinkle, who disappeared 53 years ago Sunday.

Wrinkle was driving her 1951 Chevrolet Bel Air on Feb. 22, 1956. She was on a job search and was thought to have been traveling to Chattanooga, but apparently went toward Copperhill.

Wrinkle began her trek early in the morning, leaving before sunrise. For some reason she changed her mind and began to drive around the narrow and very treacherous route along Highway 64 which winds through the mountain to copper country and a utility company which she hoped could use her services.

But Kathleen never made it to Copperhill -- and she was never seen nor heard of again.

Cause of death has been determined as accidental due to drowning, according to Sheriff Tim Gobble who released information from Dr. Darinka Mileusnic of the Department of Pathology at the University of Tennessee.

In May 2008, volunteer divers recovered remains from a Chevrolet Bel-Air. The following week, they retrieved additional

bones and personal effects believed to be those of Wrinkle. Benton Police Department, West Polk Fire and Rescue, Bradley County Sheriff's Office and others played a pivotal role in searching for answers and the eventual recovery of the remains.

According to Dr. Mileusnic's investigation, the determination was made the remains recovered "are the remains of Kathleen Wrinkle based on the investigation and forensic and physical evidence.

"The family extends their deep appreciation to each person who has been involved in the investigation since Kathleen Wrinkle was last seen. The Bradley County Sheriff's Office wishes to thank the FBI DNA Unit and National Missing Persons Unit, Ernie Boyd and Lee Mason, retired employees of Kodak, Cliff Frommer, photographic specialist with the Broward County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Unit, Dr. Murray Marks, associate professor of the UT Department of Anthropology and his assistant John Bethard and Dr. Mileusnic as well as the Benton Police, Polk County Sheriff's Office, West Polk Fire and Rescue and Bradley County Fire and Rescue," said Gobble.

"I also express appreciation to Sgt. Bill Coultry for his interest in reopening a cold case," he added.

"The Bradley County Sheriff's Office was pleased to have played a small part in helping solve a 53-year-old mystery. Our prayer is this brings some comfort to the family," said Gobble.

Kathleen Wrinkle's remains are to be released to Ralph Buckner Funeral Home and Crematory today.

Visitation is planned for Saturday evening from 5 until 7 p.m. with a public memorial service immediately following at the funeral home. Kim Randolph and Eric Botts of the funeral home have been instrumental in making arrangements for the service, according to family members.

Burial will be held privately at Hopewell Cemetery on Sunday.

Evelyn Wrinkle Caylor-Cross expressed her deep appreciation to all who had a part in finding her Aunt Kathleen, whom she affectionately called "sister."

[sarahhod]

Recovered remains ID'd as long-missing woman

Associated Press - February 21, 2009 3:15 AM ET


CLEVELAND, Tenn. (AP) - Officials say human remains found last year at the bottom of a lake in an isolated section of East Tennessee have been identified as those of a woman missing since her car ran off an icy road in 1956.
The Bradley County Sheriff's Department said in a news release Friday that the human remains recovered from Parksville Lake were those of Kathleen Wrinkle.
The medical examiner ruled she died from accidental drowning.
Wrinkle is believed to have left home on an early morning in February 1956 planning to drive 40 miles to Copperhill to find a job in the then-booming copper industry when her car slid on an icy road and into the lake.
The missing persons case was reopened in 2007, and several searches of the lake were made.
Officials last year said they found the remains in a submerged vehicle. Wrinkle was driving a black & yellow 1951 Chevrolet Bel Air.


http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9880784

[foxfarmboxers]

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=41F6A54F-19B9-E2E2-67F6A2E2FB109588

Didn't know so many people cared about my friends and I diving to help Ms. Wrinkle's family.
thanks for you all keeping up with the story.

Justin Miller
One of the 3 original divers to find remains.

God Bless You and Your Friends and all the volunteers that worked tirelessly to bring closure to this family. :1222423:

[carrie_c]

Here is her obituary:

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/index.cfm?event=obit.view&id=94744042-19B9-E2E2-6736E66E55D30262

[justinwmiller]

It was nice to have meet the Cross family, those related to Ms. Wrinkle, all the friends who went to school with Kathleen, and John Eubanks, who was the original investigator.
Greg Kaylor, who is the Banner Editorial Assistant, made a nice article to close out the story. Hope you all enjoy.
Justin Miller

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=AE7D4A33-19B9-E2E2-67EA321C661F44E6

[sarahhod]

It was nice to have meet the Cross family, those related to Ms. Wrinkle, all the friends who went to school with Kathleen, and John Eubanks, who was the original investigator.
Greg Kaylor, who is the Banner Editorial Assistant, made a nice article to close out the story. Hope you all enjoy.
Justin Miller

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=AE7D4A33-19B9-E2E2-67EA321C661F44E6

What a wonderful article. Beautifully written. Thank you for sharing.

God bless You Justin.

This bit really got me. :1187603408.CR.Mothe
A simple grave marker reads: Finally at Rest Feb. 22, 2009.

"You can turn out the lights now mama -- Kathleen's home."

Finally at peace now Kathleen. :1222423::1222423:

[Amusedtdth]

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=41F6A54F-19B9-E2E2-67F6A2E2FB109588

Didn't know so many people cared about my friends and I diving to help Ms. Wrinkle's family.
thanks for you all keeping up with the story.

Justin Miller
One of the 3 original divers to find remains.

It is people like yourself Justin and the others like you that restores my faith in humanity. Coming together as a team and working tirelessly in adverse weather conditions to help those that you've never met says that there are still people in this world that can and do care of others. All of you are truly heros in my book.
Thank you for all you do!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RIP Kathleen ~ :1222423: