Chapter Seven:Kathy Kohm:Screaming at the Sky



 Chapter 7

   Soon it was April 12th. It was Palm Sunday and a week had gone by.  They launched the first Space Shuttle, Columbia that day.  The day before, President Ronald Reagan was released from the hospital and returned to the White House. “Rapture” by Blondie had fallen to number two and Hall and Oates new song “Kiss on My List” was now the number one song in the nation.  The t.v. news stories were all about people rushing to file their taxes before the April 15th deadline. They mentioned Kathy on the local news and in the papers and reminded people that she was still missing and to be on the lookout for her. People were concerned; but they were also going on about their business. High school kids were getting ready for proms all over the surrounding counties. The leaves on the trees were greening up. You could see time passing. Life went on.  Soon graduations would be happening and then it would be Summer break.  But Rosemary and Bill could not move forward.  They were stuck in an endless loop of sleepless nights and worry.  If they did sleep, after days of being up; they felt intensely guilty about it. 

    In the evening Bill would step outside and call out “Myrt!  Myrt!  Can you hear me Myrt?  Come Home!”  Rosemary wasn’t even embarrassed that the neighbors would hear.  The neighbors felt just about the same as Bill and Rosemary. The fear, desperation and misery of the situation was palpable everywhere. Everyone felt so helpless.  

   Parents all over Southern Indiana were keeping a closer eye on their children.  Neighborhoods that seemed safe before did not seem that way anymore.  Teachers were warning their students to stay away from strangers.  People began locking their doors for the first time in years. Some began kicking them for the first time ever, nervously digging through kitchen junk drawers looking for the house keys that they had never bothered with. It really was that kind of place then.  


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Laurie Jo Lopez and Gerald E. Bunche III: 1975, Gary

Image
    On the evening of April 6th, 1975, two teenagers went on a date. The eighteen year olds were Laurie and Gerald. They borrowed Laurie’s Mom’s car.  It should have been a fun night out. But, the two teens never made it home.    Laurie Jo Lopez graduated from Kankakee Valley High. She lived southeast of Gary, Indiana at 10 Windsor Drive, outside of Demotte, Indiana.    Gerald Ellsworth Bunche III was born on January 3rd 1957. He went to Lew Wallace High in Gary and lived at 1145 Whitcomb Street. He was the son of Erdell and Gerald Bunche Jr.  He was an active highschool kid. He played basketball and was pretty good.    Laurie Lopez was the daughter of Frank Lopez. Her mother’s name is not known to me. (Her mother is not listed on her death certificate and I was unable to find any information about Laurie’s Mom or possible siblings.) Laurie’s stepfather was Sgt. James E. Rodriguez.    I usually am ab...
Read more

Danny Rouse:Serial Killer from Indiana

Image
    Danny Rouse circa 1972 Danny Rouse 2006    I think he liked seeing the damage he had inflicted. I think that might be a central reason why he killed.       After he strangled and stabbed his co-worker, Stephanie Wagner, in 2006; he went to work the very next day. He walked right into that restaurant like nothing was wrong.  I think he wanted to be there to witness the reactions people would have when the calls started coming asking if anyone had seen Stephanie. I think he liked seeing the devastation.    After he shot Nellie Mikesells through her window in the fall of 1974, he broke into her home. He didn’t steal anything. Police theorized at the time that he broke in to see what his bullet had done.    He shot Lela Hildebrandt as she drove by one night in October 1975. The shot to the left side of her face would cause her to veer off the road and total her car. Her injuries were first thought to be ...
Read more