Ilene Misheloff Abduction 1/30/89 CA

Distinguishing Characteristics: Brown hair, brown eyes. Misheloff wore braces on her teeth at time of her disappearance. Her ears are pierced. Misheloff has freckles on her cheeks and on the bridge of her nose, and a small lump on the inside of her left ankle. Clothing Description: A charcoal gray Espirit pullover sweater, a pink and gray skirt with horizontal stripes and black low-top Keds shoes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Details of Disappearance Misheloff was walking home in Dublin, California on January 30, 1989 at 3:00 p.m., after her classes concluded at Wells Intermediate School. Several classmates reported seeing Misheloff walking alone on Amador Valley Boulevard near Village Parkway and the Shamrock Shopping Center in the afternoon; she vanished shortly afterwards. She was taking a shortcut home, going through a wide alley behind a shopping center, a furniture store called the Sawmill, and Gallagher's Pub, then across the boulevard and through John Mape Park along a dry creek bed. Misheloff has never been seen again. She was carrying a dark blue backpack at the time of her disappearance. The backpack was later found abandoned in the creek bed in John Mape Park near where she was last seen. It was located after the area had already been searched; authorities believe someone may have placed it there after Misheloff's disappearance. Authorities announced that Timothy Bindner had a possible connection to Misheloff's case, as well as the disappearances of Michaela Garecht, Amber Swartz-Garcia, Tara Cossey and Amanda Campbell. A photo of Bindner is posted below this case summary. He maintains his innocence and successfully sued Campbell's hometown of Fairfield, California in 1997 for defamation of character. Bindner, a married sewage treatment plant worker, came to authorities' attention after he began sending birthday greetings to young girls in the East Bay area. One child's parents contacted authorities and handed over a letter Bindner had written to their daughter. The note was printed backwards and could only be deciphered by holding it up to a mirror. Bindner claimed he sent the cards as a kind gesture because the girls were "lonely." Bindner also visited the Oakmont Cemetery gravesite of Angela Bugay, a five-year-old girl girl who was abducted and murdered in Antioch, California in 1983. A photograph of Bugay is posted below this case summary. Bindner was never considered a suspect in her murder and another man has since been arrested in that case. Bindner approached many of the mothers of missing girls from the East Bay area offering his assistance, including Amber and Garecht's families. He introduced himself to Kim three days after Amber vanished. Investigators asked her to maintain a quasi-friendship with Bindner in hope of learning if he was connected to any of the girls' cases. She and authorities agreed that Bindner appeared to playing mind games with victims' loved ones and law enforcement. Many people theorize that he enjoyed taunting families into thinking that he may have been involved in the presumed abductions. He was once arrested for annoying two little girls whom he was trying to lure into his van, but the charges were later dropped. Bindner often drove around in a light blue Dodge van with a license plate that said "Lov You." Inside the van was wallpapered with many pictures of children. A photograph of the van is posted below this case summary. Bindner refers to himself as a "good Samaritan." He asked Linda Golston, a reporter for The San Jose Mercury News, to interview him at Oakmont Cemetery at 4:30 a.m. He played his favorite song on her car stereo, "Jesus, Here's Another Child To Hold." Bindner told Goldston that he thought of the missing girls as "his children." She asked him how he believed the abductions occurred and he said one child was submissive, but another fought back against her assailant. Bindner added that he was "guessing" about the girls' reactions. Bindner wrote a letter to a law enforcement agency in the late 1980s, stating that he believed the next girl who would be abducted from the area would be about nine years old. Garecht disappeared shortly thereafter; she was nine at the time of her abduction. Bindner also sent a holiday card to a profiler for the Federal Bureau Of Investigation (FBI) in 1990. The card depicted an image of a young girl holding up four fingers. Campbell vanished in 1991 at the age of four. Search dogs traced Campbell and Swartz-Garcia's scent to Bugay's grave. Authorities never had enough evidence to prove Bindner was connected to their cases, although he was known for visiting the cemetery on occasion. Bindner was given a heroism award by the California State Patrol after assisting victims in the 1989 San Francisco earthquake. He has never been charged in connection with any of the cases. James Daveggio has been considered as a possible suspect as well. He and his former girlfriend, Michelle Michaud, were charged with the 1997 abduction, rape and murder of Vanessa Swanson. Swanson's remains were discovered approximately five miles from the site of Jaycee Dugard's 1991 California abduction. Photos of Daveggio and Michaud are posted below this case summary. They were also charged with additional counts of sexual assault in unrelated cases in the mid-1990s. Michaud claims that she met Daveggio in 1996 and therefore was not involved in Dugard's abduction. There are striking similarities between Michaud and the female suspect in Dugard's case. Daveggio is also considered a possible suspect in Swartz-Garcia and Garecht's disappearances. Neither he nor Michaud has been charged in connection with any of the cases. Misheloff remains missing and her case is unsolved. She enjoyed ice skating at the time she disappeared. If you have any information concerning this case, please contact: Dublin Police Department 925-833-6670 OR 800-635-6306 Last updated October 22, 2005; age-progression updated. Charley Project

Missing girl haunts Dublin City takes to the streets to remember Ilene Misheloff, who vanished 16 years ago 02/01/2005 By Simon Read DUBLIN — It's been 16 years since Ilene Misheloff vanished after school while she walked across town to ice-skating practice. More than a decade later, Ilene's family holds out hope for her safe return. "We can't give up on our child," said Maddi Mishelhoff, Ilene's mother. "Every day you put your feet on the floor and say this is the day she's coming home." On Monday night, friends and family gathered for a candlelight vigil walk to commemorate the grim anniversary of 13-year-old Ilene's disappearance Jan. 30, 1989. The walk began at Wells Middle School, the school Ilene attended at the time. "We do this to make sure everybody knows we're still looking for her," Maddi Misheloff said. "If things ever get too much for me, I just stop and think about what it's like for her." Roughly 70 people showed up for the walk. Many carried glow sticks and signs that read "Help Bring Ilene Home." Mike Misheloff, Ilene's father, said the annual walk's turnout never fails to surprise him. "Every year I'm worried that people won't show up," he said. "And every year they do. When it's rained, people have come out to show their support." It's that support, Misheloff said, from which the family draws its collective strength. "We're strengthened by the fact that people do remember," he said. For the past two years, Dublin police Detective Michael Toms has been in charge of the investigation. "The information I have to work with is 16 years old," he said. "When new information comes in, I have to fit it into the investigation as it was 16 years ago." Dublin police still receive four to six new leads a year, Toms said. But there's been nothing that has yet pointed investigators to one specific person. "We don't have a No. 1 suspect — we're looking in all directions," Toms said. "But we do hope to receive that one piece of information." Walking with the procession was Pleasanton resident D.C. Martin, who attended Wells with Ilene and her twin brother, Brian, with whom he's still friends. "I know how much this means to Brian and his family," Martin said. "I think it's important that we all put the effort into helping bring Ilene home. It's important for the family to know that the community is there for them." Ronda Slack of Dublin is a crossing guard near the Misheloff home. She said she was prompted to join the walk because of her admiration for the family. "They've stayed very positive people," Slack said. "I really admire the way they deal with their situation." Maddi Misheloff said certain days can be "torturous." "You take everything you can with what little joy comes into your life," she said. "You use that to get you through all the rough patches." The walk concluded at St. Raymond's Catholic Church on Shannon Avenue, where a prayer service was held. Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Ilene Misheloff is asked to contact the Dublin Police Department at (925) 833-6673. http://www.insidebayarea.com/timesstar/ci_2547060

Posted on Tue, Jan. 30, 2007 Vigil marks 18th anniversary of Misheloff disappearance By Eric Kurhi CONTRA COSTA TIMES Bundled against a crisp night, more than 100 people held a vigil Tuesday to remember Jan. 30, 1989, when Ilene Misheloff was snatched off the streets of Dublin as she walked to an afterschool ice skating lesson. Every year since, her parents have held a vigil on the same day, on the same streets, walking two and a half miles from Wells Middle School to St. Raymond Catholic Church. It is approximately the same route Ilene, then 13 years old, was last seen walking -- westbound on Amador Valley Boulevard, heading for Dublin Iceland. Tuesday night, Maddi and Mike Misheloff were joined by friends and concerned residents of all ages, along with a police motorcycle escort. The family handed out glow-sticks before beginning the march to the church for a prayer service. The Misheloffs and their friends have never wavered in their hope that Ilene will one day return home. Dublin police Det. Nate Schmidt said it is possible that the vigil and media attention might trigger someone's memory. "Maybe it will generate three or four tips, and give us something to follow," Schmidt said. And longtime family friend Peter Cuevas said maybe Ilene could see herself on television or in the paper. "It could be that she doesn't remember, and something will jog a memory," he said. "You never know." Her mother and father publicize the case all year out of a Village Parkway office, the home of the Ilene Misheloff Recovery Effort. They send out hundreds of fliers each week, which include a computer-enhanced image of what she may look like as an adult. Ilene was 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 115 pounds when she disappeared. She has brown eyes, and at the time of her disappearance had shoulder-length brown hair and braces. The Misheloffs ask anyone with information about Ilene to call Dublin police at 925-833-6670 or 800-635-6306, or the FBI at 415-553-7400. A reward for information leading to Ilene's safe return was recently raised by another $5,000, bringing the total to $100,000. Mike Misheloff said he was encouraged when two boys were found earlier this month after being kidnapped in Missouri. "The looks on those families' faces when I saw them on TV!" he said. "Their feet were flying two feet off the ground." "And that's exactly what we're going to do when we get our sweetheart back," his wife softly said. http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews...ws/16584385.htm

Missing child's torch carried on by walkers DUBLIN: Vigil remembers girl who was reported missing 19 years ago By Roman Gokhman STAFF WRITER Article Launched: 01/31/2008 03:06:00 AM PST Neighbors, friends and complete strangers gathered in the cold Wednesday to walk two miles in honor of a girl who hasn't been seen for 19 years. In a show of community support for Ilene Misheloff's parents, about 70 people of all ages came together, as they have every year since Ilene disappeared walking home from school on Jan. 30, 1989. "It's a parent's worst nightmare, and they have been living it for the last 19 years," said Erica Dedon, a neighbor of Mike and Maddi Misheloff's. "We pray that they can get closure," said Mark Dedon, Erica's husband. Before she went missing, Ilene, then 13, was walking home from school on Amador Valley Boulevard. She never showed up to ice skating practice that afternoon. Dublin police investigators had little to go on. There was no crime scene, no witness reports and no signs of the girl's whereabouts. But rather than let the case fade away, Ilene's parents began leading a walk from Wells Middle School on Penn Drive, which Ilene attended, to St. Raymond's Catholic Church on Shannon Avenue. Scores of people have turned up every year, keeping Ilene's name in the public conscience. "Perhaps Ilene will see this and remember that we are still looking for her," Mike Misheloff said before the walk began. "Maybe it will give her the strength to get out of whatever tough situation she is in." The Misheloffs still hold on to hope that their daughter is alive somewhere. But not knowing is a heavy burden to bear, Mike Misheloff said. "Today was a difficult day," he said. "But you go through it, and it's good to see the support we have from the community." As people began to gather at 6:30 p.m., they hugged Mike and Maddi Misheloff, shared stories and huddled for warmth. Carrying signs bearing Ilene's photo, the marchers began the walk down Amador Valley shortly after 7 p.m. Every year the event draws someone new. This year it was the Misheloff's' veterinarian of 20 years, Don Gardner. "I've been watching the family all these years," Gardner said. "I thought it was my turn to give them support and let them know there are others out there who care." Gardner came with his 10-year-old son, his fiancee, Anna Wrenn, and Wrenn's two 11-year-old daughters, Sophia and Hannah. "I let the kids hear the story and (remind them) to be cautious on the street," he said. Sophia and Hannah said they wanted the Misheloffs to know that even if they never knew Ilene, they still cared about her. "I want to remember this little girl ..." Sophia began. "Who is now a grown woman," her mother added. To report information about the case, call the Dublin Police Department at 925-833-6670 or leave tips at 800-763-6306. Reach Roman Gokhman at 925-847-2164 or rgokhman@bayareanewsgroup.com. http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8127669?source=rss

California kidnap suspects probed over missing girls Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:12pm EDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Authorities on Tuesday returned to the Northern California home where kidnap victim Jaycee Dugard was held for 18 years, searching the grounds for evidence that could link her suspected abductors to two girls missing since the late 1980s. Investigators from two nearby towns said they were hunting for clues that could tie Phillip and Nancy Garrido, the married couple charged with snatching 11-year-old Dugard from a street near her South Lake Tahoe home in 1991, to the kidnappings of 9-year-old Michaela Garecht or 13-year-old Ilene Misheloff. Dugard, who is now 29, surfaced last month after convicted rapist and registered sex offender Phillip Garrido, 58, aroused the suspicion of police at a college campus while proselytizing and was questioned by his parole officer. The couple is accused of holding Dugard for nearly two decades in a squalid collection of tents and sheds behind their home near Antioch, east of San Francisco, where prosecutors say Phillip Garrido raped her and fathered her two children. Both Phillip and Nancy Garrido, 54, have pleaded innocent to 29 criminal counts that include kidnapping for sexual purposes, forcible lewd acts and rape. Police say Garecht, who was grabbed in front of the Rainbow Market in the town of Hayward on November 18, 1988, bore a striking resemblance to Dugard and that a sketch of the suspect had been likened to Phillip Garrido. "I'm hoping this will lead to a resolution," Michaela's mother, Sharon Murch, told reporters. "I know that if Jaycee Dugard can be found alive and come home after 18 years, then my daughter can be found alive and come home after 18 years." "Michaela, if you're out there somewhere within the sound of my voice, I just want you to know that we love you, we miss you, there's nothing that could possibly have happened over the last 20 years that could change that and we want you to come home," she said. Hayward Police Lieutenant Christine Orrey called it "one of the strongest leads we have pursued so far" in the Garecht case. Misheloff vanished on January 30, 1989, and a car found on the Garrido property appears to fit the description of a sedan she was seen getting into on the day she disappeared, police said. Forensic scientists have already concluded that a sliver of bone found on a property neighboring the Garridos' home was probably human, although further tests are required to establish that it is modern and not Native American remains, which are commonly found in the area. Phillip Garrido served 10 years in prison for the 1976 rape of another South Lake Tahoe woman. He was arrested in 1972 for drugging and raping a 14-year-old girl, but was never prosecuted because she refused to testify in court. (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb, editing by Anthony Boadle) http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE58E7WO20090916

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