TyronePA e-cafe - Tyrone Pennsylvania Community Forum

I am hoping to here from anyone who has anything to say about the dissapearence of Kathy from around 1964.

We were still treating it as an active case twenty years later when I left the Tyrone Police Dept.

Occasional tips still came in, and many of the newer officers - especially the part-time officers who were also college students at Penn State - looked at the case and circumstances with a paradigm shift to determine any other possibilities and solutions.

As time went by, the best hope was for someone who may have known what actually happened to Kathy to give a "deathbed confession" or otherwise reveal her whereabouts/fate out of conscience, bargaining if caught for some crime, etc.

Other possibilities would be that a body would be found years later during any construction or similar incidental activity. There were no indications of a "drifter-style" serial criminal or killer at that time in the surrounding areas or even nation-wide.

If she is still alive, technology (computerized) advances would possibly detect and reveal any "holes" in a new identity that would not have been well documented years ago.

As with many missing persons cases, time is a valuable element. It's been almost 40 years in this case.

I am trying to uncover any new theories and/ or leads about this. She was related to me through my mother's side (Harpster) How would you suggest I do this. Do you think the Tyrone police dept. would still have any records? I have also tried to contact the FBI because my mother told me that they were involved and searched the town.

I don't known what Tyrone PD's status is on the case; the last time I was in Tyrone and involved with any department activity was during the search for the young girl named Melody that was found murdered a few years ago. My only involvement, along with several other former/retired Tyrone PD officers, was that search only (I was home for a family vacation/reunion just as a coincidence). You may wish to consider contacting Chief Beachem (correct spelling?) if you haven't already done so.

Another resource would be the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at:

http://www.missingkids.org

They maintain a file on Kathy (File #NCMC601900) and a profile accompanied by an age progression picture of what Kathy would probably look like today. To view her file: access their main page, then go to the "Quick Search" feature. Check the "Female" block and enter "Pennsylvania" in the State selection, then the "GO" arrows. Kathy's file is on the 4th page.

The National Center also has a "contact us" feature on the bottom of each web page; they may be able to assist you further, make some recommendations, etc.

The National Center is quite competent and thorough. I had great cooperation with their forerunner organization, "Child Find" when I was a consultant to one of their affiliates many years ago. In the mid-80's, (after I'd left Tyrone PD for "bigger and better" things) I was asked by the late Sean MacTire (author of many books and academic articles on domestic violence, child-endangerment issues, terrorism, criminal profiling, etc) to review a particular high-profile case from Silver Spring , MD where a young girl had disappeared. Local authorities deducted it was a custody issue and were not effectively pursuing the investigation. Based on the details and recorded interviews of both parents (I still have the tapes), I contended it was a serial abduction. Although I provided some recommendations through Child Find for local authorities to pursue, AND Child Find supported and emphasized my contentions, the local authorities refused to do so.

About 3 years ago, serial child killer Hadden Clark was convicted of that girl's disappearance and her body located - EXACTLY by methods I'd recommended through Child Find over 15 years earlier. That case made national news, and is a prime example of how valuable the now-named National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and other organizations, along with the Amber Alerts, Code Adams, etc, are to local officials and agencies that were previously quick to make presumptions.

In the case of Kathy Shea, however, I didn't see any such rush to any judgments. All possibilities were considered from the start. Suspects were ruled out starting with family, neighbors, etc in an outward method, similar disappearance activity was considered by history and location, extensive searches of the entire surrounding area were conducted to include draining ponds, (Kathy disappeared in late winter, after hunting season), and the case remained active for at least 20 afterward.
The FBI office in Johnstown was involved, if I remember correctly. Like Tyrone Police records, it's hard to say what now may be on file - especially because everything then was on paper and all agencies have now computer-filed much activity. It may be archived in it's original paper form, on computer, a combination, or both ways at these agencies. Some information may still be confidential, and thus not released, in the case there is a possibility that someone may still be a suspect or may yet reveal information that could be corroborated to establish credibility if he or she claims to have factual knowledge of what happened to her...

Thank you for the information. I really enjoy reading about you accomplishments! Wow, just think if they would have taken your advice 15 years before? How many people would be alive. I did go to the website with Kathy's age progression picture. I have also found several newspaper reports on her (early 70's even) On Ancestry.com. Hey If you ever need a writer.... I freelance you can email me directly at ladysportster418@aol.com. Thanks again and visit me soon.

I guess the community is as tight lipped as they were in 1965! How embarrasing!

I think it might bring up some very bad memories for people,and therefore they are not willing talk.

Have you contacted the Tyrone news office or Perhaps the Altoona Mirror? They must have some archives.

Also, She would have graduated in 1977.Perhaps some of her classmates might be willing to share their memories.

Don't give up. Good Luck to you!

Maingirl- I do understand what you are saying about bringing up "bad" memories. However, How do you think Mr. Shea, Kathy's father, feels living with them every single day? Yes, this case is still open and Mr. Shea is still waiting for some resolve. I don't understand why /how the community could come together back in 65 to search, then just give up. Someone out there has got to know or remembered something. That is , other than the FBI going through everyone's garbage. Frankley, I do not know why no one cares. Every time my child goes outside I wonder about it. There are way too many cases that go unsolved in this area.

My post was a theory to why people were not talking about the issue at hand.

I don't remember saying that people should forget about her or that her family has not suffered greatly. I feel for her family and always have.

I would love to see this case solved. However after forty some odd years,I highly doubt we will ever know what happened to that sweet little girl.

I undersand, I'm sorry if I made it sound as if I thought you didn't care. I know the family has suffered. I was hoping that some other people in town would come to the forum and post (anonymously) some kind of info. you know? I do appreciate the disclosure on your part already, I'm unfortunatly not much help.

Hey there biker, when you come to town I'd like to meet you, this is not a come on so don't get too offended. More intrested in your mind and what you can recall. Thanks- harleygirl---

I have recently heard that there were several "ideas" floating around abut Kathy's dissapearence. One involving an uncle, one a payoff, one a man surfacing from woods with a shovel and looking strange. I have also found out that she was walking on North Ave. and only a very very short distance from the school. Maybe someone has also heard about these things and can help. Thanks!

I have not heard anything at all. Where did you hear your stories from? Local? I have lived in Tyrone all my life, where is North Ave. at?

I've heard the rumours you ahve heard as well JR as well as a few others. I am sure the law enforcement in the area at the time heard the same rumors and did some type of investigation and probably ruled them out. Who knows. I would have hoped by now that advances in science would have solved this via some missing person or something.

I think the best thing we can hope for in all of this that somewhere the kidnapped child is living somewhere, happy, with a family, and has no idea what happened to her years ago.

Does anyone remember how old Kathy was when she disappeared. She would probably be in her late 40's by now maybe? You would wonder if she were still alive if she ever suspected that her life was a lie. You hear all those horror stories that goes around. Sorta like an urban legend. Its amazing the things they do now when children go missing.