Disappearance of Beverly Potts
Beverly Potts | |
|---|---|
 Photograph of Beverly Potts | |
| Born | Beverly Rose Potts April 15, 1941 |
| Disappeared | August 24, 1951 (aged 10) Cleveland, Ohio |
| Status | Missing for 73 years, 4 months and 3 days |
Beverly Rose Potts (April 15, 1941 - disappeared August 24, 1951) was an American schoolgirl from Cleveland, Ohio whose disappearance at the age of 10 in 1951 became a famous missing persons case. Thea Gallo Becker, author of Legendary Locals of Cleveland, stated that it "remains one of the most haunting and heartbreaking mysteries in Cleveland history.".[1] James J. Badal, author of a book about Potts' disappearance, described her in comments on Amazon as "Cleveland's most famous missing child... the yardstick against which all (Cleveland) child molestations and child abductions are measured".[2] Elizabeth Potts, the mother of Beverly Potts, died in 1956, the father, Robert Potts, died in 1970 and Beverly's only sibling, Anita, died in 2006. There is a memorial marker to the girl situated next to the graves of her parents.[3]
Physical description
Potts was a white female with blonde hair and blue eyes with a height and weight of four feet eleven inches and ninety pounds, respectively. Unique attributes included that she walked with her feet facing outward like a duck, had a vaccination scar on her arm, another scar on her eyebrow and had a distinct kidney-shaped mole on her foot. She wore jeans, a white undershirt, a red shirt, navy blue jacket, brown loafers and a gold ring when she disappeared.[4]
Circumstances
On August 24, 1951 the girl went with her best friend Patricia Ann "Patsy" Swing to see the traveling entertainment show Showagon at Halloran Park in Cleveland's West Side district. Her best friend went back to her house but the girl stayed at Showagon.[3] Her parents had given her permission to stay for the entire event. She never returned to her house and a search was launched.[1]
Investigation
Area newspapers and radio stations covered the story. The police determined that the members of the Potts family had no culpability in the disappearance. Police interviewed students at the girl's school and tracked automobiles. Potts' disappearance sent waves of shock, panic and fear through the people of Cleveland, and many parents banned their children from going to Halloran Park.[3] Beverly Potts was never found, and there were no clues as to where she went. There are many theories suggesting reasons for her disappearance.[1]
Police interviewed a woman after discovering a letter in a house which stated that her husband had murdered Beverly Potts, but the woman stated that the letter was forged and that her husband had not killed her.[5] However, foul play is suspected in Potts' case.[4]
References
- ^ a b c Becker, Thea Gallo. Legendary Locals of Cleveland (Legendary Locals). Arcadia Publishing, 2012. ISBN 1467100293, 9781467100298. p. 53.
- ^ http://www.amazon.com
- ^ a b c Bibb, Leon. "Disappearance of 10-year-old Beverly Potts, who vanished 63 years ago, still haunts Cleveland" (Archive) Newsnet5. May 9, 2014. Updated May 12, 2014. Retrieved on September 7, 2014.
- ^ a b "Case File 162DFOH". www.doenetwork.org. The Doe Network. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
- ^ Cooper, Cynthia L. and Sam Reese Sheppard. Mockery of Justice: The True Story of the Sheppard Murder Case. University Press of New England (UPNE), 1995. ISBN 1555532411, 9781555532413. p. 318.
Further reading
- Badal, James Jessen. Twilight of Innocence: The Disappearance of Beverly Potts (True Crime Series). Kent State University Press, 2005. ISBN 0873388364, 9780873388368.