Couple #2, Dead Man Found - Fell Off Boat

[englishman]

Oct 3, 2018 10:33:14 GMT almagata said:

Oct 3, 2018 8:47:20 GMT MJP said:

I've lifted the following from newspaper articles:

The man's name was Earl Sandridge (a merchant seaman since 1967). He was considered missing when he didn't show up on March 14 for the midnight watch on the 'Zeus', which was docked at Cheetham Annex.

The ship's master had sailors check the ship and local bars, and then subsequently notified US Navy Military Sealift Command Pacific officials in Oakland, CA. Naval Investigative Service personnel called Virginia police and hospitals to see if Mr Sandridge had been arrested or was dead but did not report him as missing.

The Zeus sailed to Norfolk on March 21 to pick up supplies and then proceeded on to its mission in the Atlantic.

Local authorities, including Navy and USCG officials did not know anything about Mr Sandridge being missing until his body was found on April 14 during the search for Keith Call and Sandra Hailey.

The article reported that, as of 23 April, an autopsy had not be completed. The local FBI officer said "We have no reason at this point to believe it was anything but a drowning."

Commander Richard Worthington (operations officer, Sealift Command) said "We really do care about our people but it would be ludicrous to call the police and make a missing persons report every time a sailor doesn't show up on a ship."

FYI the report notes that another crew member was also missing when the Zeus left Norfolk on March 21, but he was later found at home.

Zeus was a one of a kind ship for laying cable and operating unmanned vehicles in the very deep ocean.    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USNS_Zeus_(T-ARC-7)

With only 6 navy staff on the ship, you would think they would have missed 2 of the 6.  All the rest of the crew were civilian mariners and scientists.  That's a very odd Navy ship. 

I would expect more navy staff on a ship doing that kind of work, not like it's a cargo ship going from point a to b most of those even have 12-20 crew members.

[cleopatra]

Oct 3, 2018 10:33:14 GMT almagata said:

Oct 3, 2018 8:47:20 GMT MJP said:

I've lifted the following from newspaper articles:

The man's name was Earl Sandridge (a merchant seaman since 1967). He was considered missing when he didn't show up on March 14 for the midnight watch on the 'Zeus', which was docked at Cheetham Annex.

The ship's master had sailors check the ship and local bars, and then subsequently notified US Navy Military Sealift Command Pacific officials in Oakland, CA. Naval Investigative Service personnel called Virginia police and hospitals to see if Mr Sandridge had been arrested or was dead but did not report him as missing.
?
The Zeus sailed to Norfolk on March 21 to pick up supplies and then proceeded on to its mission in the Atlantic.

Local authorities, including Navy and USCG officials did not know anything about Mr Sandridge being missing until his body was found on April 14 during the search for Keith Call and Sandra Hailey.

The article reported that, as of 23 April, an autopsy had not be completed. The local FBI officer said "We have no reason at this point to believe it was anything but a drowning."

Commander Richard Worthington (operations officer, Sealift Command) said "We really do care about our people but it would be ludicrous to call the police and make a missing persons report every time a sailor doesn't show up on a ship."

FYI the report notes that another crew member was also missing when the Zeus left Norfolk on March 21, but he was later found at home.

Zeus was a one of a kind ship for laying cable and operating unmanned vehicles in the very deep ocean.    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USNS_Zeus_(T-ARC-7)

With only 6 navy staff on the ship, you would think they would have missed 2 of the 6.  All the rest of the crew were civilian mariners and scientists.  That's a very odd Navy ship. 

almagata,

When I first looked into this man who fell off a boat, I came across that article. When I read that, 

"Commander Richard Worthington (operations officer, Sealift Command) said "We really do care about our people but it would be ludicrous to call the police and make a missing persons report every time a sailor doesn't show up on a ship."

I thought that was messed up.  I also wondered how many AWOLs would they experience.  And that's when I thought the boat was filled with a ton of seamen, 40 + at least.  

Good find, MJP and Almagata, as usual!

Almagata and MJP, I love that you two are on this case. You both are the best when it comes to finding news articles.  

Cleo

[trabuco]

Jul 28, 2018 21:02:17 GMT cleopatra said:

I came across this article:  pilotonline.com/news/local/crime/article_3c3d2efa-6a64-506c-84ec-efc50916159d.html

Excerpt:  "Within minutes the boat radioed back: The body was a middle-aged black man. He turned out to have fallen off a boat a few days earlier."

During the search for Couple #2 (Cassandra & Robert), a man's dead body was found in the river.  It was stated that the man fell off a boat a few days earlier.

How do they know the man "fell off" a boat?  And does anyone know who this man was?

I recall reading about a third body being found in the search for Couple#4. Might have been something written by that author Blaine?

[MJP]

Oct 29, 2018 18:03:33 GMT trabuco said:

Jul 28, 2018 21:02:17 GMT cleopatra said:

I came across this article:  pilotonline.com/news/local/crime/article_3c3d2efa-6a64-506c-84ec-efc50916159d.html

Excerpt:  "Within minutes the boat radioed back: The body was a middle-aged black man. He turned out to have fallen off a boat a few days earlier."

During the search for Couple #2 (Cassandra & Robert), a man's dead body was found in the river.  It was stated that the man fell off a boat a few days earlier.

How do they know the man "fell off" a boat?  And does anyone know who this man was?

I recall reading about a third body being found in the search for Couple#4. Might have been something written by that author Blaine?

Are you thinking of Steve Lewis, who was found in the York River on 25 May 1988?

There was also sightings of a body (29 May) and a head (30 May) in the York River.

[cleopatra]

Oct 29, 2018 18:03:33 GMT trabuco said:

Jul 28, 2018 21:02:17 GMT cleopatra said:

I came across this article:  pilotonline.com/news/local/crime/article_3c3d2efa-6a64-506c-84ec-efc50916159d.html

Excerpt:  "Within minutes the boat radioed back: The body was a middle-aged black man. He turned out to have fallen off a boat a few days earlier."

During the search for Couple #2 (Cassandra & Robert), a man's dead body was found in the river.  It was stated that the man fell off a boat a few days earlier.

How do they know the man "fell off" a boat?  And does anyone know who this man was?

I recall reading about a third body being found in the search for Couple#4. Might have been something written by that author Blaine?

Trabuco,
I recall reading about a 3rd body, too. The remains were off the logging road and near where Daniel Maurer and Annemarie Phelps were found. It also mentioned the area was a turkey hunting grounds, and that turkey hunters found the couple.

I don't remember where I read it, but I'm going to look.

Cleo

[trabuco]

In the article there is a picture of a Tidewater newspaper. You can read the words in the picture describe the third body being found.

blainepardoe.wordpress.com/2017/07/16/visiting-the-crime-scene-at-of-the-fourth-and-final-of-the-colonial-parkway-murders-new-kent-county/

[cardinal]

In February of 86',two men were killed in Chesapeake, Virginia and dumped in the 64 median 3 miles east of rt.155 where Phelps/Lauer were found.

[cardinal]

Yes Trabuco and Cleo.A few days after discovering Phelps and Lauer,another set of hunters found a murder victim on the 64 eastbound shoulder of the highway. The body was severely decomposed but not as in bad condition as Phelps and Lauer. The race and sex of the victim could not be determined. The victim was wearing light colored blue jeans, tennis shoes and a light jacket. Source: A Special Kind of Evil by Blaine Pardoe and Victoria Hester.

[cardinal]

This body was found a mile east of the Rt.155 exit on 64 East.

[cardinal]

Also,in May of 89', a New York City man was found shot to death off a 64 exit ramp just further east of New Kent County where Phelps and Lauer were found. This location was in James City County which houses the illustrious and mysterious Colonial Parkway.

[cleopatra]

Oct 29, 2018 23:17:09 GMT cleopatra said:

Oct 29, 2018 18:03:33 GMT trabuco said:

I recall reading about a third body being found in the search for Couple#4. Might have been something written by that author Blaine?

Trabuco,
I recall reading about a 3rd body, too. The remains were off the logging road and near where Daniel Maurer and Annemarie Phelps were found. It also mentioned the area was a turkey hunting grounds, and that turkey hunters found the couple.

I don't remember where I read it, but I'm going to look.

Cleo

No. It was it was not in Blaine's book. So that means we came across it somewhere else.

[trabuco]

Oct 30, 2018 3:56:01 GMT cleopatra said:

Oct 29, 2018 23:17:09 GMT cleopatra said:

Trabuco,
I recall reading about a 3rd body, too. The remains were off the logging road and near where Daniel Maurer and Annemarie Phelps were found. It also mentioned the area was a turkey hunting grounds, and that turkey hunters found the couple.

I don't remember where I read it, but I'm going to look.

Cleo

No. It was it was not in Blaine's book. So that means we came across it somewhere else.

I know where I saw it and I posted the link.

[cleopatra]

Oct 30, 2018 5:44:37 GMT trabuco said:

Oct 30, 2018 3:56:01 GMT cleopatra said:

No. It was it was not in Blaine's book. So that means we came across it somewhere else.

I know where I saw it and I posted the link.

Where is the link?

[trabuco]

Oct 30, 2018 8:00:06 GMT cleopatra said:

Oct 30, 2018 5:44:37 GMT trabuco said:

I know where I saw it and I posted the link.

Where is the link?

upstream in this thread.

[cleopatra]

Oct 30, 2018 0:56:56 GMT cardinal said:

Yes Trabuco and Cleo.A few days after discovering Phelps and Lauer,another set of hunters found a murder victim on the 64 eastbound shoulder of the highway. The body was severely decomposed but not as in bad condition as Phelps and Lauer. The race and sex of the victim could not be determined. The victim was wearing light colored blue jeans, tennis shoes and a light jacket. Source: A Special Kind of Evil by Blaine Pardoe and Victoria Hester.

This other dead person found, could have been the accomplice...