13-year-old Tracey Ann Patient lived with her parents, her older sister, Debbie, and her younger sister, Denise, in Henderson, Auckland, New Zealand. The family had immigrated from England to start a new life; one that her father believed would be more beneficial to the family.
On the 29th of January, 1976, Tracey’s mother agreed to let her go to her friend’s house for the evening. Debbie was heading to a Doobie Brothers concert at Western Springs and her mother thought it was only fair that Tracey would be allowed to do something fun too. Both Debbie and Tracey walked up the road together. “When she said ‘bye’ – she was just walking up the road slightly behind me, and I never turned around, I just went ‘oh, ok bye, see you later’ and went off,” Debbie said. “And I just so, so regret not turning around.” This was the last time that Debbie ever saw her younger sister. Tracey left her friend’s home on Chilcott Road that night at around 9:30PM; she called her mother before she left to let her know she’d be home shorty. Tracey, however, never made it home.
As 10PM rolled around, Tracey’s parents became worried. Debbie and her father climbed into his car and rode around the streets looking for Tracey and calling her name but to no avail. When they returned home, they called police to report her missing. It wasn’t like Tracey to just disappear without letting her family know where she was going so understandably, they thought the worse. The following morning, Debbie and Denise were patiently waiting in the living room for some good news when their father came home with a solemn expression on his face. He had the grim task of telling his family the news that every family fears: Tracey was dead. “Someone killed her,” sobbed John to his family.1
Tracey’s body had been discovered that morning by a woman out walking her dog. Simone Graham was alerted to the body by her pet doberman. At first glance, Graham thought that that Tracey was just sleeping. “There was a young woman, she was very slightly down a bank … she was slightly curled – she could have been asleep in a very loose sort of position – her knees were up, her legs were up but not hugging up to her chest and her head was bent over and she was facing towards my left and I could see the side of her face and her hair,” she said.2 However, upon further inspection, it was evident that she was deceased. Tracey had been strangled to death with her own pantyhose which had been wound tight around her neck with a stick. Afterwards, her killer dumped her body in a bush in the lonely Waitakere Ranges.
A team of 30 police officers was assembled and set up temporary headquarters in a local Scout Hall. Here, they pieced together Tracey’s last movements and scoured the area for any evidence which could lead to her killer. After Tracey left her friend’s home that evening, her friend walked with her to the corner of Great North Road and Edmonton Road where the Henderson police station was situated. From there, her friend walked back home while Tracey carried on walking towards her own home. What happened next continues to be a mystery to this very day. What is known, however, is that somewhere during that short, lonely walk home, she met somebody who would kill her. “I’ve always believed she was picked up by someone she knew who wanted to take advantage of her and things got out of hand,” said Detective Bruce Scott, one of the first on the scene. “She was probably killed in that car, because there was no evidence at the scene she had been killed there. She was not raped and there was no evidence of indecent assault.”3
With very little evidence or leads to go on, the case gradually went cold. The following month, however, a fresh lead gave the Patient family hope when a telephone counselling helpline received an anonymous phone call from a young woman who claimed she witnessed Tracey climbing into a brown car which was driven by a man in a brown suit. Several months later, a road map with Tracey’s name written on it was found in a Ford Thames van which matched a description of a van in the area at the time Tracey vanished. The van’s owner was cleared but he had purchased the van after the murder and investigators were unsuccessful in identifying the previous owner.
It wouldn’t be until the following year that another lead in the case came to surface. When Tracey was discovered, it was noted that her beloved signet ring was missing from her finger. In November of 1978, police received an anonymous call from a man claiming that her ring could be found in a wastepaper basket at an Avondale shopping mall. When police officers rushed to the scene, they found Tracey’s ring exactly where the caller had said it would be found. The caller also provided the number “126040″ and said that this number was related to the case. Police were unable to trace the call or decipher the meaning of the number. It was initially believed that this could have been the breakthrough to crack the case and lead to a suspect but once again, it was just another dead lead.
Over the forthcoming weeks, months and years, investigators continued to follow what few leads trickled in but the investigation was put on the back burner; there were other crimes that needed the investigators’ full attention. Nevertheless, police sporadically urged people to come forward with any information they may have that could lead to Tracey’s killer.
At one point in the investigation, police considered that Tracey may have fallen victim to an unidentified serial killer who targeted teenage girls in the 1970s. Mona Blades and Olive Walker, both 18, were also murdered in that decade. While there were similarities in the three cases, there was no evidence which could conclusively link them to one another. In 2010, a woman identified only as “Rose” came forward to claim that her neighbour’s 21-year-old son killed Tracey after he was released from prison. Rose, who was just 11-years-old at the time of Tracey’s murder, claimed that following Tracey’s murder, the neighbour’s car was cleaned, repainted and then sold. Rose also claimed that she saw the signet ring belonging to Tracey in her neighbour’s house and that she also heard a confession from the mother.4 Nevertheless, investigators said that Rose’s testimony was not credible.
In 2016, it was announced by Detective Sergeant Murray Free that police had resumed working on the cold case full time. Shortly afterwards, police publicly announced that they had new leads and that over 150 people called the Operation Tracey 0800 number with tips. A high percentage of those calls came from people suggesting what the number 126040 could relate to.
Another call came from a man named Gary Ross who called to relay what he had seen on the evening of the 29th of January, 1976. He said that he was on at 295 Great North Road – around 300m up the hill from where Tracey left her friend – when he spotted a man leading a young girl along by the elbow. “There was hardly anyone else in Henderson at the time, it was almost deserted and he was escorting her by the elbow, and she wasn’t struggling but he was hassling her along the road,” he said.5 Ross could recollect the evening with great detail, even remembering that it was a Thursday. He described the man as “middle-aged to elderly” adding that he was “wearing a hat.” Ross said that when he heard about Tracey’s disappearance on the radio the following day, he called police to tell them what he had seen that night. He said the person on the phone took down his details and said they’d be in contact but nobody rang back. He said that over the ensuing years, he tried to pass on the information several more times but the police never seemed interested in what he had to say.
Following Tracey’s murder, her family moved back to Britain. Her parents became the founding members of a support group named Parents of Murdered Children. Her sister, Debbie, told the Weekend Herald that the family never recovered but held out hope that one day, justice would be served. “Nothing will bring Tracey back or make our grief easier to bear. But nobody should get away with murder, especially the murder of a child,” she said.6 Over four decades have passed; more than 850 persons of interest have been profiled but as of yet, the killer of Tracey Ann Patient has evaded justice.
Footnotes:
- Sunday Star Times, 3 July, 2016 – “News”
- Weekend Herald, 30 January, 2016 – “Regret has Haunted Woman who Discovered Tracey Ann Patient”
- The Daily Post, 29 January, 2016 – “40-year-old Case not Forgotten”
- New Zealand Herald, 1 February, 2010 – “Man Questioned on 34-year-old Unsolved Tracey Patient Murder”
- Sunday News, 3 July, 2016 – “Cold Case – Witness: Cops Ignored Me”
- The New Zealand Herald, 28 January, 2012 – “36 Years Later, Hunt for Strangler Goes On”
Comments:
Thank you for writing this. This case was local to me growing up and it never gets much coverage. To this day I still think of Tracey. She was only a little bit older than me and I was so scared. I hope one day her family can have closure.
Thanks, Lucinda. I’m really sure why this case isn’t as well known as similar cases. There’s very little information online; no Wikipedia, even.
Thanks Lucinda and Emily. There used to be lots of info online but I suppose as years go by and other cases hit the headlines, Tracey’s case has receded into the background. The last time there was any coverage was when I did the interview in January 2016, the 40th anniversary of Tracey’s murder. I was devastated to hear yesterday that Grace Millane’s body has been found. I had been hoping and praying that she would be found alive and well. The fact that she was found in the Waitakeres, so close to where Tracey was found, has brought back… Read more »
Hi Debbie,
My condolences to you and your family. When I saw the news about Grave Millane, I immediately thought back to this case too…
It didn’t seem as though they re-investigated the case for that long in 2016 before halting the investigation once again. It’s a shame because it really seemed as though there were a good few leads to start with.
Thank you Emily. They had a team of about 11 officers working on the case full time for about a year (Nov 2015- Oct 2016). Prior to that they had officers working on it on and off on a part time basis over severall years. There were loads of leads and we are convinced that all of them were investigated. There are literally hundreds of files on the case. Someone knows who murdered a Tracey and, although obviously it will not bring her back, I am hopeful that one day someone will come forward.
so so sad. rip
All those leads and the New Zealand police remain useless. Henderson police are the worst.
i agree sebastian. outrageous . dispicable me aka gru the laaadddddd XD
so true freya
I find the killer incredibly cocky to have kidnapped her so near a police station. I agree it must have been someone she knew because she seemed to be running home and wouldn’t have stopped. Did she know that 21 year old ex-prisoner?
No, we didn’t know him.
After watching Sensing murder. It’s a shock that there has been NO arrest in this case! 1 of the Psychics gave his name, both stated he moved north & worked with large machinery…. Is now separated from his wife & 2 Son’s. Where are the Police??? Tracey deserves to RIP! And her family deserves Answers & Justice!
Psychics lol. Just ask a sly fox, maybe the answer is here somewhere.
1 one
2 to
6 s…………
0
4
0
If you know then let the police know
Slyfox I bet a lot of people know what that number means are you so clever you think you’re the only one Put your money where your mouth is and spill the beans and see how good you think you are by saying I’m the only one who knows what it means. Clever dick get a life and stop acting like an idiot you are
You DO know.
Maybe the killer is/was a police officer, which is why he has evaded captured. Quite possibly he was a young man at the time and is commenting on this story. 😐
S/F why would anyone think it’s a police officer they’re here to protect and serve they don’t harm little girls
Slyfox I’m sly as a fox kind of the same sound same meaning Did you do you think foxes are sly . Why did the police officer kill the young girl was he a slyfox or as sly as a fox what do you think fox as in fox. How did he or she manage to get her in their car without anyone seeing what happened aye fox they would have to be cunning as you say a fox sly fox or sly as a fox what a clever policeman to kill a little girl he must have betrayed his… Read more »
Big Ollie. How did they get away with it being so close to a police station he or she must have been a very clever person , What do you think
Without any further details, take a look at the concentration camp prisoner number 126040
It had to be a concentration camp number as opposed to a prisoner of war camp as the POWS did not get numbers tattooed on their arms.They has dog tags they wore around their neck with the camp number and their prisoner number The numbers were lower than the one mentioned. The concentration camps had prisoners from Europe.Hence someone mentioned the person who called may have had an accent.The POW camps were made up of England, Australia,New Zealand, Italy,and Russia, including Russian children who were forced to march from camp to camp The Russias were hated by the Germans and… Read more »
That would be a jew
I was watching a tv program about psychics involved with this case who new nothing they went to edzactly the spot she was found they said there was a ring Tracy took off and left in the car one of them also give a name on the same program police confirmed that name was a man living in the area at the time but has moved up north when at the area she was murdered the luscious lwpt saying the guy as gone up north he try to take some one else that night and lost her and stumbled up… Read more »
I thought the Psychics gave the police the killers name? It was blocked out on the tv show.
Yep, I feel still so so suspicious aswel. There are so many obvious signs. Feels like a group chat /road trip /meet up needs to happen to figure out how best get name out there and expose so the police will have no choice but to own it and apologise. I bet Jacinda would want this Justice too
I think it was someone that lived close to henderson some one that maybe even new of her from school they may have been about two or three years older than her had a licence driving around that night somehow got her to get into there car .
I wonder if the police at the time of finding Tracey got any sort of DNA from her clothes or the stocking that was used .
I’ve wondered that too….Surely they swabbed her mouth aswell as other areas as part of the investigation… On the sensing murder show they said she bit him… If they were to re test they may find the killers DNA
It’s a birthday date
😂😂😂😂 nope. You’ll never guess it. 66 years old and I’m probably the only 1 2 know the answer. I was 20 at the time. I left NZ in 2004. Kia ora!
Hey sly fox just want to ask you why this seems funny to you? You say you know but won’t give this family peace why? You seem to enjoy the game, even after all this time… or are you just bored
126040
Happy birthday to you Slyfox KIA Ora to you to why did you leave NZ for don’t you like Kiwis or were chasing little 13 year old girls somewhere else
Sly fox did your father kill tracey
Hey slyfox you are clever with numbers there , You just gave up the meaning of 126040 in your comments so are you the only one to know haha
1/66 years old that makes up the 6
2/1/2 know that makes up the 1/2
3/ 2004 that makes up the 004
so clever foxy you now have the number 126040 and yet you say you’re the only one haha highly intelligent aren’t you buddy
Hi Creepy crawley I see you posted on something that Slyfox posted The numbers do contain that magic 6 digit combination I wonder if Slyfox is the actually killeror just talking a load of shit for brains Creepy you are right when you say 66 makes up the 6 of 126040 the only one to know makes up the 1 2 and when the fox pissed of overseas in 2004 the 040 is in there as well the fox is one cunning little creep excuse the pun creepy crawley
Papakura.
Are there foxes living in PAPAKURA I thought they lived in forests have the dogs been chasing you foxy
PAPAKURA a suburb south of Auckland by around 25 to 30 klms what the hell does this suburb have to do with Henderson you foxed up numbskull
Her father did it.
What proof do you have, if any? Or is it just a uneducated guess?
Queer Charles is alive His Mother didn’t do it
I have always wondered if my father had something to do with her death cause I looked a lot like her and any chance he got he would beat me and we lived in ranui/Swanson not far from where she was left
Hello I tried asking some questions on another platform, but never got a response. I’m guessing the platform is now defunct. Here was one of my questions: I thought I remembered seeing on this forum that there was a suspect but the police had eliminated him because apparently he was incarcerated in Australia at the time. (I hope I didn’t just imagine that). I tried finding it again on the internet but with no luck. Does this sound familiar to anyone ? If that was the case I would just like to say that I have a little bit of… Read more »
Shadowman there have been reports of a suspect originally thought to be in a prison in Australia but an eye witness accounts of this person being in NZ IN January of 1976 so it’s a witness versus the police at present and nothing is getting done about it
Thanks Eion Husky. Would probably be better that they spoke to a cell mate rather than the Australian authorities. I’m not trying to disparage them. I know how hard they work and what kind of technology they are working with but rather than clerical records it would be good if they can get someone credible to say they actually saw the person in prison, or pulled old prison security footage etc. Also, the details of the case said the ring was found in purple tissue paper in a rubbish bin outside an Avondale Pharmacy? Does anyone know which pharmacy it… Read more »
etc.
The waste bin is directly outside the Avondale chemist. I’ve been familiar with the area for the last 25 years and nothing has really changed in the street, probably been the same for 15 years before then as well.
The chemist is across the road from a rough pub (Spiders bar) & near to the main roundabout where the cinema is, the area is busy in the evenings with a lot of takeaways. Also the Avondale Police Station is about a 5 minute walk from there.
I used to work in pharmacy back in the late 90s, was the chemist owner Digby Nelson ?
Shadowman there’s a justice for Tracey Ann Patient on Facebook you can sign up to be a member which there are nearly 460 people worldwide that belong on it
Hi Eion Husky. Thankyou for your responses. I really appreciate it. I am aware of the page but I don’t have Facebook so never could join it. Yes I compared old photographs to google street view and the streets do look basically the same. Perhaps I will get my friend to peruse the Facebook page and I can see what people are talking about. I’ve tried contacting the sister on another platform to see if she would like a Wikipedia page made too but got no response because I think the platform is defunct. (Serves me right for living in… Read more »
Hi Shadowman the case has been screwed up since day one where there were apparent sightings of Tracey outside 295 Gt North Rd inside the school grounds and at the Henderson shopping centre.Gary Ross was meant to have seen her being hustled along the street by a middle aged gentleman wearing a hat and reported it to the police the Friday morning after hearing about her murder and the police did nothing about it Then in March of 1976 a female rang and said she saw Tracey getting into a brown car with a man wearing a brown suit coming… Read more »
Hi Eion Husky, Yes, this is exactly what I’m talking about. I knew about Gary Ross and the female caller but did not know the other things you mentioned. There are so many pieces of information that have gotten lost or corrupted over the years and that is why I don’t want to make a Wikipedia page yet as it would immortalize the misinformation. You are right. We only know she was found 12 hours later on scenic drive. We don’t really know how long she was dead for or whether that area was part of the official search. I’ve… Read more »
Hello Shadowman the story from the beginning was Tracey was taken on Gt north rd by the police station right up to 2016 when they reported her further up Gt north rd outside 295 .They said she approached a couple walking their dog and asked the time but there’s conflicting reports as to where the couple with the dog were when Tracey asked the time One report was by the police station another later stated by her friend walking her home that night was by the roundabout on Edmonton road and another was on Gt north rd but on the… Read more »
Shadowman the police are not sure where she was killed Bruce Scott believed she may have been killed in the car but not certain As for race I’m 50/50 they’re either Māori or white because the Patient girls knew a few Māori people while over here that’s only if Tracey knew her killer or killers If not known to her maybe it will be a white person involved with higher statistics in murder cases
Hello Shadowman her time of death was put between 10.00 pm and 12.00 am so she was either murdered within 20 minutes or half an hour after been abducted or 2 hours after but this is just a rough estimate from the coroner because peoples bodies react differently and temperature vary person to person so she may of been killed 10 minutes after meeting her killer or 5 hours after they can not give an exact time of death. Also THE STOCKINGS WERE NOT HERS as has been reported to the public her older sister said she was not wearing… Read more »
Shadowman The stockings also may of co e from a female been present with the killer asking her to take them off in order to strangle Tracey so there’s 4 reasons why a stocking was present when she was strangled
Hey mate. Appreciate your continued comments. I won’t always be able to reply straight away but I do read this article from time to time. I’m doing the best I can to help solve this but its so hard with all the misinformation out there. Need to know if the description of the ring was public knowledge at the time or, if it was only stated that it was missing? Criminal profiles are never 100% and I’m not sure I have any business creating one, but I have my own thoughts, assuming the call was a legitimate call. This profile… Read more »
Wow! Impressive analysis despite having limited information to go by. Is there a profile website available that you can enter data and it does the work for you? I don’t mean for that to sound offensive by any means. you ought to consider joining crime intelligence, you’ve got what it takes for sure!
Hello Fun_director Thanks for the kind words, but I am under no illusion that I am an expert. I am a rookie 🙂 but have been reading up on criminal profiling. Mainly using textbooks and manuals. (Youtube is NO help with this). As for a website where you can put in the information: Not that I know of (but we are definitely heading in that direction) though interestingly enough, I tried putting my theories in an AI and it mostly agreed with me except for the sexual sadist part (it also was no help with 126040). The error there is… Read more »
Dammit. It didn’t acknowledge the spaces. Sorry to anyone who didn’t want to read that stuff.
Hi Shadowman. I agree whole-heartedly with fun director. You are obviously very familiar both with Tracey’s case and skilled at investigative techniques. Like Tracey’s family, I don’t won’t to believe that Tracey died at the hands of a sexual predator, yet there is a sexual element to Tracey’s case. We agree with you on a number of points. It is frustrating watching helplessly as the Police struggle to prioritise their limited resources to cold cases, knowing that someone out there knows something that would provide closure to Tracey’s family. And again fearing that our efforts may just duplicate Police investigative… Read more »
Hello Haha. Again I’m no expert but your kind words are appreciated. Not sure to be honest. To be fair, most if not all of my theories are probably wrong. Its just based on public information and published literature. However, if we assume that my hunter theory is correct (which it probably isn’t) then perhaps he could have pointed a firearm at her to get her in the vehicle. Yes, there appears to be a lack of defensive wounds but not necessarily a lack of evidence of a sexual attack. There needn’t be evidence of sexual assault in the usual… Read more »
Tracey may of known her killer that’s a good enough teason
With regards to Traceys ring- I believe the police released a sketch from her boyfriends description. This was made to the public within weeks of her murder. When you compare the sketch to the ring left in avondale, you’ll see it’s not quite the same. Whether that’s due to boyfriends memory failing him or the ring not having anything to do with the case is anyone’s guess
Hi Fun Director. A fascinating insight – we did not consider the possibility that the ring placed outside the Avondale urgent dispensary may not be Tracey’s ring. But if it was a plant to give the caller credibility, then why not use a ring that more closely matched the police sketch? In essence, your observation that the two rings differ could actually confirm that the boyfriend’s description was incorrect and that he could not remember either the shape of the ring or the initials. Did the family confirm the Avondale ring as being Tracey’s?
Really good points from both in my opinion. I suppose because the boyfriend did not buy the ring (he found it somewhere and then gave it to Tracey) that that could be the reason he couldn’t remember it. I dunno though. I can’t describe clothing items in any great detail that I wear on a regular basis so It probably was the ring that Tracey was wearing.
Sorry, to answer your question the family said it could be Tracey’s but they were not 100% sure if it was.
Hi Shadowman. Thanks for the update. The photo of the ring indicates it has been knocked around and well-worn. A second-hand ring is not going to have much significance to anyone except Tracey and the killer. Intrigued by your focus on the sexual element. Bruce Scott was adamant that there was no physical evidence of sexual assault. What makes you think it was sexually motivated?
Hi Nasri576041 Sorry its really hard to talk about this online as I don’t want to upset anyone (including myself). I know that seems silly to say given the name of this website but still. I believe Bruce Scott, and I’m not saying it was definitely sexually motivated. My concern is that people are ruling out sexual motivation simply because there was no physical evidence of sexual assault. My point is that the absence of physical evidence of sexual assault doesn’t mean that the offender was not sexually motivated. Sexual gratification particularly for someone with sexual sadist tendencies can come… Read more »
Hey Shadowman, I’m very interested on your other theories and like you I don’t think it’s a good idea to go into too much detail given the sensitive nature of what we’re discussing. Is there another way to communicate privately? I’m not overly tech savvy so I’m not sure it there’s a private chat through morbidology.
Hey Fun_director. I don’t think there is a private chat option either and I’m not all that good with tech. Someone else may have an idea. I’d prefer to remain anonymous too. If I create a document with my theories and suspects maybe I can give it to the sister and then she can pass it on to the police, or at least ask them to confirm some things. I figure they would listen to her more than me.
Shadowmand you mean: can a doctor tell if a girl has had sex for the first time
The only way to know whether or not someone has had sex is to ask. There are no physical examinations or tests that can reveal whether or not a person has had sex before. No, not even so-called “virginity tests.” Ahead, learn more about the unethical, medically imprecise, traumatizing practice of virginity testing.11 Aug 2022
Shadowman Has anyone looked at the theory that Tracey may have been molested by someone close to her and she was about to turn this person in she’d had enough of it The person life would be ruined for ever if caught and would certainly be a valued reason for killing her Their whole life would be ruined for ever if they were to be arrested by the police a child molester is the most hated criminal on the face of the earth If imprisoned and a lifer in prison got hold of him her their life wouldn’t be worth… Read more »
Hi Shadowman. Makes perfect sense. I have looked up the literature and the Shauna Howe case you referenced above. Your point about not including sexual motives (ie focusing on a single person or motive and under-weighting other lines of inquiry) is well-taken. There is a strong probability that the Police list of over 850 persons of interest does not encompass Tracey’s abductor – in fact Bruce Scott said exactly that. You have clearly spent a huge amount of time and effort thinking about this case, especially as you have taken your profiling to the next level by identifying and prioritising a… Read more »
Hello Nasri576041. To be fair I haven’t shared all of my thoughts with the Police. Just a few. I don’t want to spend a whole lot of time blabbing my theories to them without getting any confirmation that it will be read. It would be good if they could at least hear me out. But I doubt it. At this point I’ll only speak to them if the sister asks for the info or if they reach out to me. Perhaps at some point I will share some alternate theories on the phone call etc but for now I think… Read more »
Actually, does anyone know if the sister will be willing to read a document I prepare and then dialogue with me?
Cheers
Shadowman
Happy to help. The Avondale ring drop was in a rubbish bin outside the Urgent Dispensary. You are correct – there are 5 pharmacy listings in the 1976 Wises street directory. Nelson’s was at 1895 Great north rd. The Urgent Dispensary was at 1968 Great North rd. Bruce Scott confirmed that Tracey was moved after she died. There were no defensive wounds apart from a minor bruise in her hairline. All 13 year old kiwi kids in 1976 would respect authority figures, not like now. A reward of $50,000 was offered in 1976. Tracey went to St Michaels Church. But… Read more »
Thankyou. (haha, you actually went further back through my convo with Eion Husky that I needed but its good to have confirmation 🙂 ) Honestly, some of that info I couldn’t find anywhere so I appreciate that. I am passing on my information that involves actual names to the police and will be happy to give it to the sister but I feel its unwise to put the names out there. Any other theories I have I would be keen to run past the Morbidology community but at the moment I don’t have anything of note 🙂 Are there any… Read more »
Hi Shadow Man A theory is just speculation without supporting evidence. “Just tears in the rain”. The police have done a valiant job over the past 48 years and are now following up on new leads and persons of interest. Like you mention above, the Alicia O’Reilly case has highlighted new and exciting possibilities for solving these historical cold cases. A large amount of the information you seek is available online. And Emily’s write-up above is the best on the web – superb in fact. Debbie and her family have gone through a horrific experience and are… Read more »
Hello A Patient Friend Thankyou so much for your cogent and polite response. I agree there is a lot of information online. My original issue was the conflicting information but this forum has been very helpful and I am very grateful for the amazing people who have been kind enough to respond to my questions. (people such as yourself). I also acknowledge the valiant efforts of the police and know how busy and overworked they are. I spent the last 3-4 years working alongside law enforcement in two different countries, so I can vouch for their desire to help and… Read more »
A Patient Friend The police doing an excellent job now that’s debatable especially a witness sighting within 150 to 200 metres with in a crime seen and the person involved we all know who was never interviewed I’m honestly and and can imagine what Gary Ross must be thinking and what more he and his friend may have done except jump into bed with the police Even if the girl wasn’t Tracey NO ONE IN 48 years saw or heard what happened to her I would and certainly anybody who had a child taken and someone thinks they saw my… Read more »
d you mean: can a doctor tell if a girl has had sex for the first time
The only way to know whether or not someone has had sex is to ask. There are no physical examinations or tests that can reveal whether or not a person has had sex before. No, not even so-called “virginity tests.” Ahead, learn more about the unethical, medically imprecise, traumatizing practice of virginity testing.11 Aug 2022
The ring is apparently in lock up at the Henderson Police Station there’s at least two or three people who should be able to identify this ring why aren’t the police showing the ring found in the Avondale bin to people who can confirm it it was Tracey’s or not Otherwise in another 48 years people will still be here scratching their heads was it’s Tracey’s ring or not come on ACTION needs to be taken NOW a simple look of this ring to certain people will confirm it either way WAS IT TRACEYS OR NOT for perk sake something… Read more »
Shadowman Another reason for having stockings in the vehicle a previous love encounter with a female could of quite easily her taking off her stockings and forgetting to put them back on after what girls and boys do To use stockings as a premeditated action has never been heard of before or since Tracey’s passing Why if premeditated did the killer stop these killers will continue until caught there were no more girls of Tracey’s age and these killers stick virtually to a well thought out plan in I say THEIR MINDS HE SHE would of killed another young girl… Read more »
Hi Shadowman personally I don’t think the person involved was carrying stockings around in a car to deliberate strangle 13 year old girls He apparently got a huge buzz in his ball bags by ringing and taunting the police so we would of seen I hate to say this more 13 year old girls strangled with stockings The killer yes may of had them in the car after buying stockings for his WIFE. MOTHER. SISTER. DAUGHTER and we’re a convenient vessel for the killer or killers to use. If a female was present when Tracey was been killed another source… Read more »
Shadowman a killer as a hunter he surely would of used his gun on Tracey to kill her A gun to that type of killer is they become like one identity if a hunter he would of killed Tracey with that gun
Hi Shadowman Tracey was not found in a remote location she was discovered 3 feet down a bank where cars can drive through from a dam carpark to the main Waitakere rangers road Scenic Drive At least 5 houses being from about 50 to 60 metres up to 140 metres on the opposite side of the spot to where she was found So the killer or killers left her to be found the question is WHY 1/ was it to taunt the police and her family 2/ A person not physically capable of moving a body because of age disability… Read more »
Good analysis on your behalf Shadowman one thing you’re forgetting is that this type of person wouldn’t of stopped doing this sort of thing I would say 90 per cent of these god forgiven dipshits would of killed more 13 to 16 year old girls and most likely he or she or both working together most not all would be blonde in nature The only way these shitwits stop is like YOU SAID THEY HAD A GOOD CASE OF THE DYINGS or they would eventually GET CAUGHT Unless he or she or both decided this is not the occupation they… Read more »
HI shadowman he or she most likely knew the area but the place where Tracey was found was very close to the main Scenic Drive area and only a matter of 10 metres from that actually road plus only down a bank of a metre or two Plus the reports that Simone Graham ran back to her house of this report saying it was 120 metres away that’s a load of bs her front gate to where Tracey was found would be closer to 45 to 50 metres away plus there is another 3 to 4 houses on scenic drive… Read more »
Offender was local Shadowman Where Tracey was found is not a remote location It’s off a road in the Waitakere rangers of the name Scenic Drive There is a carpark for persons who track walk down to the dam so cars are parking there mainly during daylight hours but people do park there during evening hours as well From the carpark this is in 1976 there was a small graveled driveway of around 50 to 60 metres long that went from the carpark onto Scenic Drive Tracey’s body was discovered around 10 metres in from the scenic drive end and… Read more »
Shadowman 5 months ago Reply to Eion Husky Hey mate. Appreciate your continued comments. I won’t always be able to reply straight away but I do read this article from time to time. I’m doing the best I can to help solve this but its so hard with all the misinformation out there. Need to know if the description of the ring was public knowledge at the time or, if it was only stated that it was missing? Criminal profiles are never 100% and I’m not sure I have any business creating one, but I have my own thoughts, assuming the call was a… Read more »
Shadowman how are you You asked the question would Tracey have gone with a complete stranger She from gathered information was known to have hitch hiked on several occasions so the answer r to your question would have to be YES To for her to hitch hike that distance of approx 6 to 700 metres very doubtful but what goes through a 13 year old girls mind if she’s panicking or had been threatened by someone a possibility but not very likely Also that’s the importance of knowing what side of GT NORTH RD. she was on which I have… Read more »
Hi SHADOWMAN haven’t seen you on here for awhile how are you going on working and finding answers to what happened to young Tracey There is a person on here this SITE under the name SLYFOX can you go through his comments and give me your opinion on what his mind set is very interested to know what he’s trying to tell us One comment he makes is that he’s the only one to know what 126040 means He or she said that as from last year 2023 that he/she was 66 years old the only 1 2 know and… Read more »
Hi Eion Husky. Yes I do have 4 potential candidates on who SLYFOX is. Two would involve peoples name’s which I can’t divulge on here. One name has already been given to police so it is up to them to follow up. I will try message on Sunday.
Take care
Shadowman.
To Shadowman thanks for replying he also if you read his or her comments mentioned as to being a young man at the time and may of or still is a police officer at the time and commentating on comments on this site there has been speculation way back when this dreaded situation started that a policeman or a son was involved any crime committed to the tune of MURDER is disgusting it becomes even more so if police are involved truely outrageous Thanks for replying SHADOW man
Hi Shadow man thanks for replying also on SLYFOX comments he mentioned of being a police officer or maybe still is at the time He said he was a young man also and commenting on this story There has been local theories that a policeman or a policeman’s son was involved To put it mildly it’s bad enough an actual member of the public commits a crime it becomes a lot worse if a sworn police officer or a son of a policeman’s involved Be interested on your thoughts about this scenario Regards Eion H
Hi Eion Husky, The remaining 2 options are pretty unremarkable and nothing nobody else would have thought of. 1.) He is just your run of the mill internet troll and doesn’t have anything else going for him in his pathetic life and therefore comes on here to troll people genuinely interested in seeing this case solved as it is his only source of human connection. 2.) He is somehow involved and was possibly the young 21 year old man that the informant known only as “Rose” mentioned when she came forward. Not sure why people think that a police officer… Read more »
Hello Shadowman Thankyou for replying I think the possible reason for the policeman’s theory has something to do with power company linesman There we’re apparently 2 linesman working on a power pole in the vicinity of 295 GT NORTH RD on the night this tragic event took place These sightings I think but not 100 per cent sure came out in the 2016 re opening of the case si this maybe why the norm was changed from Tracey been on the school side of Gt North RD to now being on the opposite side which 295 is on From apparently… Read more »
Shadowman The public put forward the police theory has Tracey getting into a car with a person in authority There we’re at least 2 to 3 police officer families living in the same street as the Patient family at the time one actually was their next door neighbour On one of the videos recorded by police and showed to the public you actually see DET MURRAY FREE stating we have interviewed some 850 suspects including 2 policeman put forward as suspects by the public The main reason I feel is police are in authority position and Tracey would do what… Read more »
Hi Eion Husky Yes, I can’t really be clear on where Tracey was last seen. At this point my only confidence is at the point that her friend walked her up to (as in we at least know this to be true). If the linesman sighting and the sighting of the couple walking their dog is legitimate and considered to be true by police then that would probably mean that looking into the Ford Thames vehicle might not be a good use of my time. (I’ll still do it but I have little to work with presently). Yes a traffic… Read more »
Thanks for getting back Shadowman There is also conflicting reports if the call was recorded or not If it was the police have been very foolish for not releasing this call to the public A lot of cases have been solved by voice recognition and I say IF THE CALLER wasn’t trying to put on a false voice then as stated this call should of been made PUBLIC Tracey asked the couple walking the dog apparently when she was by herself but her friend reckons she was with her when she asked them the time so conflicting statements all the… Read more »
Hi Eion Husky Yes. I see what you are saying. I haven’t ruled out 2 people or a female. I’m guessing the couple walking their dog came forward and said that Tracey asked them the time? Like it wasn’t just a witness or the friend who saw that and reported it. If we don’t know who they are then that’s gonna cause some problems in my opinion. I’m hoping it was not a police officer as that’s gonna make this a fair bit harder to solve. I’m still not clear sorry from what you wrote. Did the caller say 126040… Read more »
Hello Shadowman
The caller said I will say this once and once only the ring is in the Avondale rubbish bin and that the number 126040 was a connection to the case I know a person who knows the male of the couple walking the dog the night Tracey was taken and they are both still alive Regards the HUSK
Hi Eion Husky (The Husk 🙂 )
Okay. Assuming the call was legitimate then that’s really encouraging. Lets hope the police follow up.
Cheers
Shadowman
I should clarify here that I was not volunteering to convert the cassette to mp3 with my dinky little machine :). That should only be done by a professional or by a digital forensics team, not a civilian. I only mentioned the machine to state that I know what they look like but have never used it so can’t vouch for how well they work 🙂
Shadowman it’s Eion here just checking in on how things are going with you have you come up with anymore theories on what happened to young Tracey Take care hope to hear from you again regards Eion
Hi Eion. Hope you are well.
At this stage there is not much more I can do. I’ve passed on my info to the police. Its up to them to follow up. I’m sure they will. They are likely just overwhelmed with other stuff, but I trust they are getting my messages.
Take care
Shadowman
To Shadowman good hearing from you you’ll doing a great job let’s hope the police find something in your research into this terrible happening and someone or someone’s get what’s coming to them Take care my friend
Hi Shadowman how are things going .People are suggesting the killer was carrying the stockings in their car why do people think this is the case The only logical conclusion would be someone wanted Tracey killed and she was vulnerable that night for them to do it .So in theory that would go under the title SHE KNEW HER KILLER . The concert ie DOOBIE BROTHERS would of been a perfect alibi for her killer to use as a way of saying they were not in the area of the time of her abduction Question how would they have known… Read more »
Never understand why gary ross didnt intervene or follow car or get number plate etc -psychic deb weber did the case and came up with there was no one else around to witness it. She also came up with killers name that started with a G? Interesting that the “witness” was named Gary though
Hello Monique Everyone has to remember Gary had a friend with him also that night who unfortunately passed away some years ago I agree if he and his friend were concerned they could of followed from a distance behind the hatted man and the girl they saw been hassled along the road This however doesn’t rule out the incompetence of the police for not following up on what Gary was trying to tell them what they had seen The area where this all took place was approx 150 to 200 metres from where Tracey and her friend departed ways at… Read more »