Joan Has Gone Away

Lincoln Massachusetts was a relatively quiet and undisturbed place until October 24th,1961 when a loving wife and mother seemingly disappeared from existence. Born in 1930, Brooklyn, New York Joan Risch would later move with her family at the age of 9 to New Jersey. While the move was meant to be simple, tragedy struck. Shortly after settling in, Joan’s parents were killed in a mysterious house fire. While few details ever surfaced regarding supposed ‘foul play’, it’s widely believed that the death of the Risch’s was far from accidental, and while the house went up in smoke, Joan was blissfully unaware of the tragedy as she played at school.

Now orphaned, Joan would have a brief stint in foster care. Though, this too, didn’t last as Joan was reportedly sexually abused by her foster father before moving to live with her aunt and uncle. Though Joan barely knew of them, they would succeed in providing the care she needed in the remaining years of her early life. Consequently, Joan would go on to be quite successful.

Graduating from Wilson College with an English Literature degree, Joan would enter the publishing work force with fiery ambition. Starting as a secretary she gradually moved up the hierarchy when her career came to a halt. A young, vibrant, and handsome man named Martin Risch had caught her eye. He was equally ambitious and currently a publishing executive. Shortly after stumbling upon one another, the two tied the knot, and Joan would give up her ambitions to stay at home. Through the following years, Joan and Martin would have two children. A daughter named Lillian and a baby boy named David.

With a growing family, and Martin’s success, the family moved to Lincoln Massachusetts in 1961. But not long after arriving, tragedy would greet Joan for a third time. She would leave behind a daughter, son, and loving husband with a trail of blood in her wake.

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The morning is that of October 24th . Martin is heading out on business to New York leaving his wife and kids behind. With Martin gone, Joan starts the day like usual and after making breakfast for her children, she drops David off at her neighbor’s (Barbara Barker). Then, collecting Lillian, mother and daughter venture to the dentist. When the check-up is complete the duo heads to a nearby department store. While the Risch household is unoccupied both the mailman and milkman arrive for their deliveries. Neither see anything out of the ordinary, and soon go on their way.

Having completed their shopping, Lillian and Joan return home to pick up David from the Barker’s at around 11 am. Shortly after, the dry cleaner arrives to collect an array of Martin’s business suits. With the exchange complete, David is put down for his usual nap. At 1:00 pm, Barbara brings her four-year-old son, Douglas, over to play with four-year-old Lillian. Everything is normal for the Risches. Or so it seems.

At around 2:00 pm, Barbara spots Joan wearing a trench coat and holding something red as she walks briskly up the driveway. Though lack luster in detail, this would be the last confirmed sighting of Joan Risch. At 3:40 pm, Barbara, who had momentarily been watching Lillian, drops the girl off back home. Making sure the young Risch enters her home in one piece, Barbara doesn’t check to see if Joan herself is there. Assuming Lillian would be under the care of her mother, Barbara takes Douglas to run a handful of errands. Upon returning home at 4:15 pm, Barbara is greeted by Lillian once more. The young girl informs her neighbor that, “Mommy is gone and the kitchen is covered in red paint.” Taking Lillian by the hand, Barbara rushes to investigate what exactly the little girl means. Upon arrival she realizes that the “red paint” is in fact blood. The police are called at exactly 4:33 pm. Officer McHugh is the first to arrive at the scene. The state of the house is chaotic. He takes note of an overturned table, blood smears, a wastebasket in the middle of the floor, and the telephone missing from the wall mount. He finds it sitting idly in the wastebasket.

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At first, McHughes suspected that Joan had committed suicide, but when there was no body to be seen, his suspicions changed. McHughes would call for back up, starting the extensive case.

Countless officers reached out to nearby hospitals asking about an injured woman by the name of Joan Risch. Perhaps she’d had to leave the home in an emergency due to an accidental injury, but no leads came from the search. By now, the police had contacted Martin who took the next flight back from New York. As in most cases, Martin became the primary suspect, but his alibi checked out and he was more than helpful in trying to aid the investigation. As the Risch home was scoured inch by inch, more evidence came into view.

The house’s telephone book was open to several blank pages. These empty lines were intended to hold emergency contact numbers, but no one had written any. They were completely blank. In the wastebasket rested an empty liquor bottle that Martin claimed he and Joan finished off the night before. Yet, accompanying the liquor bottle were several beer bottles, none of which Martin recognized. The trench coat Barbara had seen Joan wearing earlier was left at the residence, and Joan hadn’t taken her purse. In fact, it was sitting neatly with slightly less than 10$ inside. This would be the equivalent of about 80$ in today’s currency. As a result, robbery was no longer considered.

As for the overturned table, Martin explained that it usually rested beneath the telephone in the kitchen. However, the piece of furniture was now tipped sideways in the middle of the hallway. A roll of paper towels also rested on the floor with a bloodied wad nearby. These were most likely used in an attempt to clean up the blood. On top of this, a pair of David’s coveralls and underwear were also seemingly used to wipe up traces of blood. Interestingly, the coveralls were pressed to the floor as if something heavy had been resting on them. Further investigation would lead to the discovery of three bloodied fingerprints, blood scattered inside and outside the residence, one drop on the first step leading to the second floor, two drops on the top step, and eight drops found in the master bedroom. Blood would also be found on the doorframe between the kitchen and dining hall, along with traces of blood on the telephone box. Furthermore, a drop of blood was found by the window in the children’s bedroom and a trail of blood lead from the kitchen to Joan’s car still parked in the driveway. On the car (a General Motors Chevrolet) were bloodstains on the right rear fender, the left side of the hood near the windshield, and the center of the trunk. Here, a wire coat hanger was found on the car’s roof. However, despite all the blood scattered about, there were no bloody footprints to be found. And while the blood type would later be revealed to match Joan’s, the amount of blood lost didn’t seem to be life threatening according to chemists. As for the fingerprints found earlier, they were unable to cross examine them with Joan’s because her prints weren’t in the database.

Now, despite the overwhelming evidence, there’s still more to look into before any true analyzation can take place. In fact, multiple sightings of a woman, potentially Joan, were called in during the following early and late night hours of the investigation. The first took place on Rt. 2A West, 200 yards from Old Bedford. The Woman reportedly matched Joan’s description though she had bloody bandages wrapped under her jaw and over the top of her head. She was described as walking aimlessly, hunched over, and seemingly tired. This sighting was roughly at 2:45 pm. The next sighting took place on Rt. 128 on the median strip on Waltham. There, a woman matching Joan’s description reportedly had blood running down her legs, walked in a disoriented manner, and appeared to be cradling something against her chest. The third and final reported sighting also occurred on Rt. 128, this time near Trapedo rd. The unidentified woman had a dark substance coating her legs, and she walked with her head pitched forward at an awkward angle with her hands shoved into her pockets.

Oddly enough, Rt. 128 was under construction, and many critics of this case call the sightings fake as no one got out of their cars to help. To them, it didn’t make sense for those who may have seen Joan to let her wander in an extremely dangerous area while disoriented. However, others don’t fault onlookers for remaining at a safe distance. No one wants to give a meandering and dazed woman covered in blood a ride home.

With these leads, clues, and sightings in play, the entire community worked tirelessly to try and solve the case at hand, but details and trails began to run cold. That is, until a local reporter found a peculiar piece of information. While checking out a library book, he noticed Joan Risch had also checked out the same book a few days prior. The novel was called, “Into thin Air that.” Its story was centered on a woman who mysteriously vanished not unlike what happened to Joan. Tipping off the police, Joan’s library records were investigated where it was found that 25 books on murder, crime cases, and disappearances, were checked out over the course of the year. Yet, when a close friend of Joan’s, Mrs. Morton, heard of this finding she was adamant that, “it doesn’t sound like Joan’s reading to me, or Martin’s at all.” Joan was known to have a much more sophisticated taste in literature.

But having discovered such a peculiar coincidence, the public was quick to poise their first theory: Joan had staged her own disappearance. Some argue she was too fed up with the house-wife role after having a taste of success in a publishing career, and many followers of the case sympathize with this theory. During Joan’s time at home it wouldn’t have been uncommon for her to feel bored, restricted, and generally oppressed. As were many women during this time period. However, I find this a very unlikely theory. Particularly after finding Martin’s say on the matter, “She would have fought like a tiger to protect the kids.” Furthermore, the theory seems to jump to conclusions as it was developed during the early stages of the investigation.

Now, looking past the idea that Joan could have vanished of her own accord, let’s take a look at one of the only suspects of our case. A neighbor, Robert Foster, who worked for the National Park Service. Part of his job required him to travel door to door through neighborhoods promoting a new project that would preserve the town’s historical appearance. However, many women claimed that Robert had a habit of overstaying his welcome and made them rather uncomfortable. Yet, Robert Foster had an alibi. Foster’s boss was out having lunch with him at 1:00pm before Foster left for a property appraisal at 3:00pm.

With Foster’s alibi checking out, police turned to another unidentified man. After searching through numerous newspaper archives I discovered that a Hudson Man may have been responsible for the crimes at hand. He reportedly washed the windows of the Risch household, but when the search for suspects began “The Hudson Man was not located immedietaly,” and it was never “determined whether or not this man actually did work at the Risch home,” (Lowell Sun Newspaper). Unfortunately, with little cause to detain the Hudson Man, police were forced to drop him as a suspect leaving investigators, and the public, empty handed.

As the trail ran cold once more, frustrations mounted. Droney, the man in charge of handling the Risch investigation is quoted saying, “We know people are withholding information from us which is vital to finding the key,” of the case, (Pitsfield Berkshire Eagle). Who he was hoping to goad into admission is unknown, but it’s clear that Droney knew someone had information they just weren’t willing to share. What’s more, the Lowell Sun newspaper would soon reveal that relations between Droney and the FBI were tense. Droney, desperate to close this looming case, accused the FBI of remaining too distant, unhelpful, and ultimately useless. However, Joan’s case wasn’t considered a federal crime leaving the FBI with little room to work.

Still, time pressed on amidst this stalemate and theories continued to blossom. Some proposed the idea that Joan had a failed abortion. This theory was mainly supported by the coat hanger discovered atop Joan’s car, her frantic behavior moving up the driveway, and the potential sightings of Joan on the day of her disappearance with blood running down her legs. However, the coat hanger could have easily come from a few different places. One being that it belonged to the trench coat that Joan was wearing earlier. She may have set it aside or dropped it and placed it atop the car to come back for later. The hanger could have also come from the dry cleaner who collected Martin’s suits. Perhaps he’d dropped it, it had fallen off a suit, or maybe it’d been stuck between the clothes. It wouldn’t be unlikely for a working man in a hurry to simply collect the object and set aside. Not to mention that the coat hanger held no evidence of blood or other bodily fluids. And from all accounts, those who knew Joan insisted that she was a loyal and loving wife. Having an affair wasn’t something in her nature and given the fact that she had two very young kids there simply wouldn’t be time to maintain such relations.

Now, the third theory is rather simple in nature. Based off the sightings along route 128 people believe Joan had fallen into a construction pit, had attempted to hide or find shelter, and was simply covered up without anyone knowing. She’d be hard to spot, and no construction worker is intentionally looking for a woman in a trench. Not to mention that construction sites are, simply put, dangerous. She could have injured herself while traveling dazed through the work area, fainted, fallen, or simply lost too much blood and collapsed. As far as logic goes, I find this theory much more likely than staging a disappearance or attempting an abortion. But how Joan got to the route-and why- are difficult questions to answer. After being taken from her home she could have been dropped off and left to wander. Perhaps she fended off the attacker and sought help only to become delirious over time. Or maybe Joan’s injuries clouded her judgment to the point that she wasn’t aware of her location.

Yet, despite the intrigue of these theories, my archive searches revealed a detail lost over time. One that brings some interesting questions into mind. An edition of the Fitsburg Sentinel published a forensic finding often left out of case studies centered on Joan’s disappearance. What they discovered was, “…a skull believed to be that of a woman,” which, “was uncovered 16 miles from the Risch home.” Despite this, no other body parts were found. With a potential lead in hand, investigators attempted to ID the female victim. She had tufts of reddish-brown hair that was nearly the same color as Joan’s but “examiners were doubtful” about the identity “without official dental record comparisons.” While Joan had been to the dentist before vanishing, it was for her daughter’s appointment, and her records would have been outdated by the time the skull was found. Not to mention, that’s without taking into consideration the damage done to the skull overtime. But despite the shortcomings of this lead and lack of official identification, it brought into question another case. That of George Edgerly.

George Edgerly was accused of murdering his wife, Elizabeth Edgerly, in 1959. Approximately two years before Joan vanished. Both cases took place within a twenty-mile radius, and the Middlesex county police force was in charge of investigating George’s case as well as Joan’s. At this time (1959), Droney was appointed the district attorney, and he would have multiple run ins with George; a repeat criminal. Interestingly, Droney would take on an assistant, Mr. Kerry, who also worked the Edgerly case as well as the Risch case. But before we head too far along in the Edgerly investigation let’s look at the geography of the case.

See, George worked in the Lowell area, a place located approximately 20 miles from Lincoln Massachusetts where the Risch’s lived. He was the boss of a General Motors Chevrolet Division that rests approximately 14 miles from the Risch household. Before this, George worked at Grand Butler which was also 14 miles away from the Risch household. If you recall, the skull was found 16 miles from the Risch residence placing the evidence in the middle of our twenty-mile parameter. With that in mind, let’s look at some potential parallels between George’s life of crime, and Joan’s mysterious fate.

The night of his wife’s death, or murder if you will, George was out with Elizabeth’s family drinking heavily. He and his wife were amidst a lengthy argument regarding Elizabeth’s having an affair. She was reportedly pregnant at the time with another man’s child. George, enraged by this, sought different ways to solve the perceived problem. However, he and Elizabeth had been fighting particularly bad that night, and Elizabeth’s brother, Mr. Hawkins, has been quoted saying he thought George was “going to kill them.” In fact, George was known to be easily incensed, violent, and unpredictable. Mr. Hawkins’ worry wasn’t unfounded, and when Elizabeth suddenly disappeared, George never reported her missing.

Suspected foul play lead to a deep investigation that would eventually turn up Elizabeth’s body, dismembered, limbless, and headless. It became known as the torso killing. After much time, investigators would later locate Elizabeth’s limbs but never her head. Now, you may have picked up on the ‘headless’ situation, and recalled the skull discovered during police searches for Joan Risch.

What had stumped investigators so early, despite the aforementioned dental records, was that they couldn’t determine if they had discovered a piece of Joan or a piece of Elizabeth. The geological profiles overlapped too much to be certain. Not to mention that both women had similar traits including hair color. But the peculiarities don’t stop there.

If you recall, Joan drove a General Motors Chevrolet car. While I left this detail out until now, witnesses claim to have seen a two tone Gneral Motors Chevrolet car in Joan’s driveway only a handful of minutes before she vanished. Who was the owner and boss of Geneal Motors Chevrolet division? George Edgerly. Was it the closest General Motors Chevrolet Division to the Risch household? Yes. While it may seem to be a coincidence, and that may very well be the case, some reports say that a suspicious looking man was driving the General Motors car. Indeed, the man could have been anyone, but let’s look at another of George’s cases.

Although this case takes place approximately 14 years later, the circumstances surrounding it developed over an extended period of time. While still in charge of General Motors, George Edgerly would eventually be put on trial for the murder of Frank Smith, his employee. Like Joan, Frank Smith was a family man, dedicated to his work as much as his home life. What placed him in Lowell Massachusetts was a job by General Motors’ parent company. Suspected fraud was taking place, and Frank Smith was enlisted to investigate what exactly was taking place in Lowell’s General Motors. He travelled near and far acquiring insight and details. Whether he was talking to co-workers, customers, or mechanics, it didn’t matter. Frank was keen on doing his job though he wasn’t aware of the situation’s gravity. George, however, was. His livelihood was at stake.

On the night of Frank’s death, he, George, a co-worker named James Dolson, and Jackie Shanahan all spent a long night at the bar. After becoming extremely drunk, the group left the bar behind. Once outside, Edgerly produced a pistol and asked Frank if he “wanted to go for a ride,” (Murder In Three Acts). James Dolson claims to have witnessed George shoot Frank in the head and dump his body in the Danvers River after they completed a long drive to a secluded area. After that, George turned on Dolson and stabbed him.

Not long before this murder, however, George Edgerly and a group of his friends raped a prostitute in the Merrimack area. Like Smith, George had become heavily intoxicated before committing this crime, and drove the prostitute into a wooded area before assaulting her. While this case is perhaps the least detailed of the three, it continues a common theme. One that is also applicable in Joan’s case.

With Elizabeth, Frank, and the prostitute, George was heavily intoxicated before committing any of his crimes. Then, each victim was taken in his car. Elizabeth was driven off to who knew where before being murdered, Frank was driven to a secluded area sometimes reported as being behind a cabin, and the prostitute was taken to the woods. There, each met their individual fates. What’s interesting though, is recalling the evidence in Joan’s case.

Aside from the bottle of liquor Joan and Martin had finished, numerous unidentified beer bottles were found in the Risch’s waste basket. Then, the odd looking General Motors car, with a strange man driving it pulls out of the driveway and Joan is suddenly missing. Just like the other three cases there is the presence of alcohol, and the need to move locations swiftly via car. Not to mention that a man is involved in all three, and perhaps even in Joan’s case.

However, it’s important to note that George Edgerly’s car has never been described. Strangely enough, even the prostitute, his only surviving victim, never gave any details on the vehicle. But despite these similarities and odd parallels, I was unable to find a direct motive for Edgerly to be involved in Joan’s case. This is partially due to a lack of documentation on both cases. Though I do have a proposed theory of my own that may explain why Edgerly would be involved with Joan’s disappearance.

If you recall, Martin Risch was the executive of a local newspaper. Every edit and publication passed through his fingertips. Edgerly, involved in fraud for years would have a right to fear Martin Risch. If his dirty work were to make it to the papers he’d surely be arrested and tried. Which inevitably happened, but that’s beside the point. Martin, like the Lowell Sun newspaper executives in 1976, would pounce on the story. It’s the type of local drama you can’t pass up. That being the case, George may have expected Martin to be home when he arrived at the Risch household. Perhaps holding a case of beer. Yet, Martin wasn’t home. Instead, he’s met with Joan who invites him in. George continues with his plan to talk and butter up the Risches in case his criminal work ever does come to light. Maybe gain some favor with them. Have an ally amidst the storm. So, whether Martin is there or not doesn’t matter. Joan would be sure to tell him all about her encounter with George, because at the time, he'd been acquitted for the murder of his wife. As far as legalities went, George was any other innocent man.

So, he invites Joan to have a drink. She obliges, but like with his wife, George gets a little too tipsy. Things get uncomfortable, tense, and dangerous even. What triggers George’s easily ignited temper could be anything. He let’s loose, and the deed is done. Joan vanishes.

But if this theory, as much as it is circumstantial, and admittedly speculative, doesn’t seem plausible. Let’s recall that George doesn’t always need a motive to fly off the handle. Perhaps he had a small motive with his wife, and a motive with Frank, but the prostitute for him was just ‘fun.’ He had no qualms with her, yet that didn’t stop him from acting on anger and impulse.

So, whether or not you think that George could very well have been involved with Joan’s disappearance, or that it’s simply a strange coincidence that so many parallels exist- I want to know your theories. Do you think Joan vanished on purpose, was it a failed abortion, or did she simply fall into a work site and never wake up? Or, do you have a theory of your own that’s never been heard before? Don't be afraid to comment down below.