Sorry, I've never heard of this case before. Maybe some data exists at Way HQ, such as Corps sponsorship or class participation, that would offer helpful information.
This is really a cold case. We have almost nothing, and decades for memories to fade.
The only things I can say are from what I can read here and in those links. That's little enough...
She was either killed by someone who knew her personally and had a lot of emotion about her, or she was killed by a serial killer. It's either one or the other because of the nature of the facial wounds. They were completely unnecessary to kill her- in fact, someone trying to just kill someone would really interfere with the attempt if they stopped to hit someone in the face. The facial injuries were either done by someone who knew who she was and was angry enough at her SPECIFICALLY to kill her AND want to punish her by damaging her face...
or by a serial killer. A serial killer could be trying to vent the anger and vengeance they feel to some specific OTHER person by projecting that person onto their victims. By targeting someone completely innocent, they imagine they're punishing the specific person they are thinking of.
The thing is, we don't have a list of who would want to kill her to rule out, or even close friends to question, if they'd even remember anything clearly by now.
The other thing I have is that twi pushed hitch-hiking as a way to get around. We've seen people here claim they personally never had a problem with it (all guys, what a coincidence) and did it before twi and a LOT more once they joined. The police have been looking at the possibility she was hitch-hiking and her killer picked her up and then killed her. If the police are correct- and they may be- then if she never joined twi, she might have survived. She would neither have been in that area, nor so sanguine about hitch-hiking.
That's everything I've got.
Raf, you have knowledge I don't, is there anything you can add to this, or to what I said, even to discount some of it?
Somewhere, deep in the data files of The Way, it would seem there were be information pertaining to this young lady, especially since we know it was a common practice for Wierwille to keep files of personal information on young women. (Birth to Corps, for example) No, I'm not saying Wierwille was involved in this. I'm only saying that there may be information in the files that could prove useful.
There were a lot of twigs in that area in 1981. It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that she had visited one of those local twigs back then.
Could you send me a PM? I run the Who Was Buckskin Girl? Facebook page, and I've followed her case for over 3 years. I also know nearly nothing about The Way. I would really appreciate it if you could contact me :)
"Buckskin girl"--labelled this because she could not be identified at the time, for the unique deerskin poncho she was wearing.
I am starting this thread to jog anybody's memory for the time of April, 1981, that might have had contact with her that was connected with The Way International at this time.
I can confirm that Marcia King was in my fellowship in Pittsburgh, PA for a few weeks shortly before her homicide in late April 1981, but went back to headquarters in New Knoxville, Ohio.
So she might have ended up in a similar situation of living arrangements and fellowship in the area of Troy, Dayton, Sydney,etc., before her murder. Someone may have an important bit of info for the authorities to track down. As she was found in the Troy area, that is only about 40 miles south of New Knoxville.
I did not see the news reports at the time, which if I did, she could have been identified at the time instead of being a "jane doe" and now a cold case trying to catch the murderer.
Please pass any information around, especially on social media and other forums that former Way believers could read and post.
Thank You
Don, OMG how sad to hear that a young person died in such a horrible way!! I hope the murderer is found, and goes to Prison. I didn't know the victim, but I know from experience, how painful the loss of a child is to a family.
The video below from a local Dayton news program confirms that Marcia King was involved with TWI back in 1981. The segment concerning Marcia begins at 5:26.
Always sad when there is a premature death. Doubt it was anyone at TWI but maybe she'd been hitching to or from HQ.
Found myself wondering how the newsies got permission for the shots of the fountain - the reporter appeared to be actually well on grounds. As to the road sign, well, it's at the roadside.
MIAMI COUNTY, Ohio - It's been one year since authorities in Ohio identified the murder victim in a 37-year cold case as Marcia King, a resident of North Little Rock.
King had also been called 'The Buckskin Girl' due to the unmistakable jacket she was wearing when her body was found along a rural Ohio highway in 1981.
"This case has really just been about technology; it's been a complete mystery," Chief Deputy Steve Lord of the Miami (OH) County Sheriff's Office said by phone on Wednesday.
Authorities announced King's identity in April 2018, following confirmation through extensive research and forensic evidence.
Since then, investigators have been able to build a timeline that put King in the Little Rock area about two weeks before her death.
Lord says detectives have spoken to at least six people in Arkansas in connection to the case.
"We've had a lot of success of getting people identified and getting information."
According to the timeline that investigators have established so far, it's believed King boarded a bus in the Little Rock area on April 6, 1981, traveling to Louisville, Kentucky.
Detectives say they have evidence that puts her in Louisville on April 10.
They believe she was killed on April 22 and officers found her body on April 24.
"Primarily, her mode of transportation was hitchhiking," Lord says.
"Trying to track her and keep an accurate timeline has been challenging."
Lord also revealed that it's believed King was heavily involved with a religious organization called The Way International Ministries, which is headquartered in Ohio.
A 1995 news articleby the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette featured a Little Rock-based chapter of The Way and highlighted a woman who compared The Way to a cult.
Lord says The Way has been cooperative in King's murder investigation.
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waysider
Sorry, I've never heard of this case before. Maybe some data exists at Way HQ, such as Corps sponsorship or class participation, that would offer helpful information.
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WordWolf
This is really a cold case. We have almost nothing, and decades for memories to fade.
The only things I can say are from what I can read here and in those links. That's little enough...
She was either killed by someone who knew her personally and had a lot of emotion about her, or she was killed by a serial killer. It's either one or the other because of the nature of the facial wounds. They were completely unnecessary to kill her- in fact, someone trying to just kill someone would really interfere with the attempt if they stopped to hit someone in the face. The facial injuries were either done by someone who knew who she was and was angry enough at her SPECIFICALLY to kill her AND want to punish her by damaging her face...
or by a serial killer. A serial killer could be trying to vent the anger and vengeance they feel to some specific OTHER person by projecting that person onto their victims. By targeting someone completely innocent, they imagine they're punishing the specific person they are thinking of.
The thing is, we don't have a list of who would want to kill her to rule out, or even close friends to question, if they'd even remember anything clearly by now.
The other thing I have is that twi pushed hitch-hiking as a way to get around. We've seen people here claim they personally never had a problem with it (all guys, what a coincidence) and did it before twi and a LOT more once they joined. The police have been looking at the possibility she was hitch-hiking and her killer picked her up and then killed her. If the police are correct- and they may be- then if she never joined twi, she might have survived. She would neither have been in that area, nor so sanguine about hitch-hiking.
That's everything I've got.
Raf, you have knowledge I don't, is there anything you can add to this, or to what I said, even to discount some of it?
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waysider
Somewhere, deep in the data files of The Way, it would seem there were be information pertaining to this young lady, especially since we know it was a common practice for Wierwille to keep files of personal information on young women. (Birth to Corps, for example) No, I'm not saying Wierwille was involved in this. I'm only saying that there may be information in the files that could prove useful.
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Infoabsorption
There were a lot of twigs in that area in 1981. It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that she had visited one of those local twigs back then.
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Harbor girl
Hi Don,
Could you send me a PM? I run the Who Was Buckskin Girl? Facebook page, and I've followed her case for over 3 years. I also know nearly nothing about The Way. I would really appreciate it if you could contact me :)
Thanks,
-N
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Grace Valerie Claire
Don, OMG how sad to hear that a young person died in such a horrible way!! I hope the murderer is found, and goes to Prison. I didn't know the victim, but I know from experience, how painful the loss of a child is to a family.
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Infoabsorption
The video below from a local Dayton news program confirms that Marcia King was involved with TWI back in 1981. The segment concerning Marcia begins at 5:26.
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Twinky
Always sad when there is a premature death. Doubt it was anyone at TWI but maybe she'd been hitching to or from HQ.
Found myself wondering how the newsies got permission for the shots of the fountain - the reporter appeared to be actually well on grounds. As to the road sign, well, it's at the roadside.
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Rocky
Ohio cold case develops new timeline, puts murder victim in Arkansas two weeks before death
MIAMI COUNTY, Ohio - It's been one year since authorities in Ohio identified the murder victim in a 37-year cold case as Marcia King, a resident of North Little Rock.
King had also been called 'The Buckskin Girl' due to the unmistakable jacket she was wearing when her body was found along a rural Ohio highway in 1981.
"This case has really just been about technology; it's been a complete mystery," Chief Deputy Steve Lord of the Miami (OH) County Sheriff's Office said by phone on Wednesday.
Authorities announced King's identity in April 2018, following confirmation through extensive research and forensic evidence.
Since then, investigators have been able to build a timeline that put King in the Little Rock area about two weeks before her death.
Lord says detectives have spoken to at least six people in Arkansas in connection to the case.
"We've had a lot of success of getting people identified and getting information."
According to the timeline that investigators have established so far, it's believed King boarded a bus in the Little Rock area on April 6, 1981, traveling to Louisville, Kentucky.
Detectives say they have evidence that puts her in Louisville on April 10.
They believe she was killed on April 22 and officers found her body on April 24.
"Primarily, her mode of transportation was hitchhiking," Lord says.
"Trying to track her and keep an accurate timeline has been challenging."
Lord also revealed that it's believed King was heavily involved with a religious organization called The Way International Ministries, which is headquartered in Ohio.
A 1995 news article by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette featured a Little Rock-based chapter of The Way and highlighted a woman who compared The Way to a cult.
Lord says The Way has been cooperative in King's murder investigation.
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Twinky
That'd be a first.
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