New Evidence in Four Decade Old Disappearance

Earlier this week, a car was recovered from a creek in South Dakota when a fisherman saw one of the vehicle’s tires protruding from the water. The car pulled from Brule Creek, a Studebaker, is believed to be in connection with the disappearance of two teens that occurred over four decades ago. The two seventeen-year old girls, Cheryl Miller and Pamella Jackson were last driving a 1970 beige Studebaker Lark on the night of May 29,1971.

Investigators recovered a hubcap and license plate, matching the car once owned by one of the victim’s grandfather, from the scene. It was not disclosed whether or not remains were found in the Studebaker as a further excavation is underway. The unsolved disappearance of Miller and Jackson remains within South Dakota’s cold case unit. The girls’ remains have not been found yet nor has the person or persons responsible for their disappearance. Two men, already serving a jail sentence, were separately indicted for the forty-two year old disappearance but both were later proved to be false confessions. 

            Cheryl Miller and Pamella Jackson were not much younger then me when they disappeared forty-two years ago. Their unsolved disappearance was probably brutal on their families because not knowing is worse than knowing what happened. The girls’ remains stay undiscovered which just leads to questioning whether they are dead or alive. The fact that remains have not been found all this time probably gives some hope of the possibility the girls, who would now be nearly 60, are still alive. But four decades is a long time, hope of their return has probably diminished as the years went on.

The new evidence that has recently come to light must give the girls’ remaining family members confidence that cold case will be solved. Justice for the two teens is long overdue. If it were not for high spring water levels followed by a drought, there would not have been a crucial break in this South Dakota cold case. Hopefully the new evidence will lead investigators to the person, or persons, responsible for the disappearance of Cheryl and Pamella.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/car-believed-connected-1971-case-found-sd-20349719