Post by hi224 on Oct 7, 2020 22:15:41 GMT
Background
Patricia was born January 4, 1953 and was 25 years old in May of 1978. She was recently divorced from her ex-husband Bill Woodyard who ended the marriage after leaving her a note saying marriage wasn’t for him after about a year of marriage. After the divorce she had been living with her parents for about 6 weeks waiting until she could get her own apartment. She worked as a waitress at the Kapok Tree Inn for about a month and had just received her first paycheck. She goes by Patsy and may have still used her married last name of Woodyard.
Disappearance
On the night of Friday May 26th, 1978 Patsy went to her brother’s house and left a note saying she would drop by again since no one was there at the time. Afterwards, Patsy met with coworkers for drinks at the Ramada Inn Lounge. She arrived and sat around for about 25 minutes, sipped half her drink and excused herself to use the bathroom. The bathrooms were towards the front of the Lounge. She was seen leaving the Lounge at 11:30 pm and has never been seen alive since. She was close to her parents especially her mother and would always keep them informed on her whereabouts. Her parents contacted the Lounge after she failed to return home. They found out that she was only seen leaving and they proceeded to file a missing person’s report. She was last seen wearing a beige jumpsuit with pink, green, and yellow stripes and a brown shoulder bag.
Her car, a two door 1969 Chevrolet Malibu, was said to have been found a few days later at a Days Inn on US 19 in Tarpon Springs, Florida about 15 miles away from the Ramada Inn. Enough blood was found in her car to indicate a serious injury had been sustained. The blood was on the passenger seat and the floorboard and it appeared that someone had tried to wipe it up. They tested the blood and figured out it was Type O but could not determine if it was Type O Positive which was Patsy’s blood type. All the fingerprints found in the car belonged to Patsy and her family. The only other item found in the car were Patsy’s shoes.
Investigation & Suspects
A massive manhunt ensued using search helicopters, off-road vehicles, and hundreds of volunteers on foot. They searched the woods behind the Days Inn, the woods by Lake Tarpon, Dunedin Beach, and underbrush south toward Clearwater. Tarpon Springs and Clearwater police forces both worked together on this case. Her tires had gravel on them and it lead investigators to believe she may have been killed in a park in the very North end of Lake Tarpon and transported afterwards. No trace of her has ever been found and her family does not believe she left voluntarily.
A potential suspect at the time was a coworker Patty had dated a few times named Mike Swearinger. The police chief Blaine LeCouris at the time described Swearinger as “a real weirdo who had dreams too accurate to suit me”. Patsy’s sister, Diane Action now Diane Action-Rice, has stated that Patsy wanted to distance herself from him because he was possessive and considered him and Patsy an item even though Patsy did not see it that way. Patsy told Diane that she was afraid of what he would do to her if she ended things, Diane reassured her she had no reason to be afraid of him. Patsy told Diane on Wednesday May 24th that she told Mike she was not interested in seeing him on Monday May 22nd.
Mike claims he was driving back from a trip to Miami, Florida the night of the disappearance. He hitchhiked his way back and the driver who drove him was interviewed and their ride went to about 5am. The next day (The 27th) he told Patsy’s parents at their home that he saw a man driving Patsy’s car with her in it and he would go find her. The police questioned him extensively and he claimed that he had 3 dreams where he killed a girl and gave specific dumping locations out. Police checked these locations and found nothing. Mike’s fingerprints were found in the car but he had been in the car plenty of times since they dated. Mike moved out of Florida 3 weeks later. Many years later Mike became ill and on his death bed he was asked about the case again but claimed no involvement.
Her coworkers who were with her that night were all interviewed and nothing conclusive came out it. Her coworkers never attempted to look for her after she failed to come back and never showed any interest in the investigation. Police used the phrase “unwilling to give information” to describe the coworkers after the interrogations. Patsy was not particular close to any of these coworkers she went out with.
The divorce with her ex-husband was described as not amicable but not bitter. Immediately after the divorce he moved to Ohio. He was investigated by police and ruled as a suspect. He never contacted the family about the case.
Some human bones were found on a property in 2000. Patsy’s family submitted DNA back in 2004 to be tested but no results have come from this. The owners of this land have the same last name (Woodyard) as her ex-husband.
Theories
Barbara Barkley went missing May 29th, 1981 and her car was found across the street from the Ramada Inn Patsy was last seen in. Both women were 5’4 and disappeared on almost the same day albeit a few years apart. Sharon Harrer disappeared a year later on November 26, 1979 after being seen getting into a car with a man who called himself Robert Crawford. She was also a waitress at the Fantasm Club and had only worked there for 5 nights before her disappearance. Her and Patsy were both 5’4, 96-98 pounds, and blonde with blue eyes. This could possibly be a serial killer that was preying in Pinellas County.
Conclusion
The family was crushed and devasted by the disappearance. Her father would put up pictures of Patsy around the house, but it was too painful for her mom, so she did not do the same. Her parents divorced 3 years later, and both wound up remarrying, we don’t know if the disappearance played a role in this. Her sister was hospitalized for holding in her emotions regarding the disappearance. Doctors told her she was hours away from dying. She still dreams about her constantly till this day. Her parents have since passed away with no answer to Patsy’s whereabouts.
According to Diane she last spoke with investigators about the case a couple weeks before her 2017 interview on Unfound. They discussed some bones that were found. She said the investigation has shifted a lot from Mike to a guy she went out with in high school to possibly a serial killer over the years. The last news articles showing an active investigation were from 1979 and Diane’s comments are the only hint at a current investigation.
Who do you guys think was responsible for Patricia’s disappearance? Could it have been one of her coworkers at the Lounge that night? Maybe the obsessive coworker she dated? A random killer or a local serial killer? Do you think they lured her out or asked for a ride? Could it be tied to the other disappearances in the area?
Sources:
Blog About The Disappearance
Patricia's Charley Project Page
News Article
News Article
Unfound Podcast Interview With Diane Action-Rice
Sharon Herrer Charley Project Page
Patricia was born January 4, 1953 and was 25 years old in May of 1978. She was recently divorced from her ex-husband Bill Woodyard who ended the marriage after leaving her a note saying marriage wasn’t for him after about a year of marriage. After the divorce she had been living with her parents for about 6 weeks waiting until she could get her own apartment. She worked as a waitress at the Kapok Tree Inn for about a month and had just received her first paycheck. She goes by Patsy and may have still used her married last name of Woodyard.
Disappearance
On the night of Friday May 26th, 1978 Patsy went to her brother’s house and left a note saying she would drop by again since no one was there at the time. Afterwards, Patsy met with coworkers for drinks at the Ramada Inn Lounge. She arrived and sat around for about 25 minutes, sipped half her drink and excused herself to use the bathroom. The bathrooms were towards the front of the Lounge. She was seen leaving the Lounge at 11:30 pm and has never been seen alive since. She was close to her parents especially her mother and would always keep them informed on her whereabouts. Her parents contacted the Lounge after she failed to return home. They found out that she was only seen leaving and they proceeded to file a missing person’s report. She was last seen wearing a beige jumpsuit with pink, green, and yellow stripes and a brown shoulder bag.
Her car, a two door 1969 Chevrolet Malibu, was said to have been found a few days later at a Days Inn on US 19 in Tarpon Springs, Florida about 15 miles away from the Ramada Inn. Enough blood was found in her car to indicate a serious injury had been sustained. The blood was on the passenger seat and the floorboard and it appeared that someone had tried to wipe it up. They tested the blood and figured out it was Type O but could not determine if it was Type O Positive which was Patsy’s blood type. All the fingerprints found in the car belonged to Patsy and her family. The only other item found in the car were Patsy’s shoes.
Investigation & Suspects
A massive manhunt ensued using search helicopters, off-road vehicles, and hundreds of volunteers on foot. They searched the woods behind the Days Inn, the woods by Lake Tarpon, Dunedin Beach, and underbrush south toward Clearwater. Tarpon Springs and Clearwater police forces both worked together on this case. Her tires had gravel on them and it lead investigators to believe she may have been killed in a park in the very North end of Lake Tarpon and transported afterwards. No trace of her has ever been found and her family does not believe she left voluntarily.
A potential suspect at the time was a coworker Patty had dated a few times named Mike Swearinger. The police chief Blaine LeCouris at the time described Swearinger as “a real weirdo who had dreams too accurate to suit me”. Patsy’s sister, Diane Action now Diane Action-Rice, has stated that Patsy wanted to distance herself from him because he was possessive and considered him and Patsy an item even though Patsy did not see it that way. Patsy told Diane that she was afraid of what he would do to her if she ended things, Diane reassured her she had no reason to be afraid of him. Patsy told Diane on Wednesday May 24th that she told Mike she was not interested in seeing him on Monday May 22nd.
Mike claims he was driving back from a trip to Miami, Florida the night of the disappearance. He hitchhiked his way back and the driver who drove him was interviewed and their ride went to about 5am. The next day (The 27th) he told Patsy’s parents at their home that he saw a man driving Patsy’s car with her in it and he would go find her. The police questioned him extensively and he claimed that he had 3 dreams where he killed a girl and gave specific dumping locations out. Police checked these locations and found nothing. Mike’s fingerprints were found in the car but he had been in the car plenty of times since they dated. Mike moved out of Florida 3 weeks later. Many years later Mike became ill and on his death bed he was asked about the case again but claimed no involvement.
Her coworkers who were with her that night were all interviewed and nothing conclusive came out it. Her coworkers never attempted to look for her after she failed to come back and never showed any interest in the investigation. Police used the phrase “unwilling to give information” to describe the coworkers after the interrogations. Patsy was not particular close to any of these coworkers she went out with.
The divorce with her ex-husband was described as not amicable but not bitter. Immediately after the divorce he moved to Ohio. He was investigated by police and ruled as a suspect. He never contacted the family about the case.
Some human bones were found on a property in 2000. Patsy’s family submitted DNA back in 2004 to be tested but no results have come from this. The owners of this land have the same last name (Woodyard) as her ex-husband.
Theories
Barbara Barkley went missing May 29th, 1981 and her car was found across the street from the Ramada Inn Patsy was last seen in. Both women were 5’4 and disappeared on almost the same day albeit a few years apart. Sharon Harrer disappeared a year later on November 26, 1979 after being seen getting into a car with a man who called himself Robert Crawford. She was also a waitress at the Fantasm Club and had only worked there for 5 nights before her disappearance. Her and Patsy were both 5’4, 96-98 pounds, and blonde with blue eyes. This could possibly be a serial killer that was preying in Pinellas County.
Conclusion
The family was crushed and devasted by the disappearance. Her father would put up pictures of Patsy around the house, but it was too painful for her mom, so she did not do the same. Her parents divorced 3 years later, and both wound up remarrying, we don’t know if the disappearance played a role in this. Her sister was hospitalized for holding in her emotions regarding the disappearance. Doctors told her she was hours away from dying. She still dreams about her constantly till this day. Her parents have since passed away with no answer to Patsy’s whereabouts.
According to Diane she last spoke with investigators about the case a couple weeks before her 2017 interview on Unfound. They discussed some bones that were found. She said the investigation has shifted a lot from Mike to a guy she went out with in high school to possibly a serial killer over the years. The last news articles showing an active investigation were from 1979 and Diane’s comments are the only hint at a current investigation.
Who do you guys think was responsible for Patricia’s disappearance? Could it have been one of her coworkers at the Lounge that night? Maybe the obsessive coworker she dated? A random killer or a local serial killer? Do you think they lured her out or asked for a ride? Could it be tied to the other disappearances in the area?
Sources:
Blog About The Disappearance
Patricia's Charley Project Page
News Article
News Article
Unfound Podcast Interview With Diane Action-Rice
Sharon Herrer Charley Project Page