MARGARET DODD (BETTER KNOWN AS MARGIE SO FROM HERE WE WILL CALL HER MARGIE) WAS BORN ON MAY 8, 1960, IN AKRON OHIO TO JOHN AND EVALYN DODD.
MARGIE MET HER HUSBAND KENT DODD WHILE ATTENDING CLASSES AT AKRON COLLEGE IN OHIO. KENT WAS THE BROTHER OF MARGIE ROOMMATE ENDA LEE DODD.
ON JUNE 2ND 1972 MARGIE AND KENT WOULD GET MARRIED.
THE COUPLE WOULD END UP MOVING TO BECKLEY. WEST VIRGINIA, TO BE CLOSE TO KENT’S FAMILY. THE COUPLE SUFFERED A MAJOR LOSS EARLY ON INTO THEIR MARRIAGE. DURING HER FIRST PREGNANCY, MARGIE SUFFERED FROM PREECLAMPSIA, AND LOST THEIR FIRST CHILD JUST FOUR DAYS AFTER DELIVERY. IN AN EFFORT TO MOVE FORWARD, MARGIE AND KENT PURCHASED THEIR FIRST HOME IN SHADY SPRING WEST VIRGINIA IN 1977.
MARGIE STARTED A NEW JOB AS A TELLER AT THE CARDINAL BANK IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE RALEIGH MALL, AND THE COUPLE STARTED TAKING CLASSES TOGETHER AT CONCORD UNIVERSITY IN THE MORNINGS. AFTER THEIR CLASSES, KENT WOULD DRIVE THE 39 MILE TRIP TO DROP MARGIE OFF AT WORK.
WHEN MARGIE’S SHIFT WAS OVER AT 8:30PM SHE WOULD WAIT FOR KENT’S SHIFT TO END AT 11:30PM. TO PASS THE TIME SHE WOULD HANG OUT AND SHOP AT THE RALEIGH MALL, SHE WOULD VISIT FRIENDS OR HANG OUT AT THE PUB.
MARGIE WAS A VERY FRIENDLY PERSON WHO LOVED TALKING TO VARIOUS PEOPLE WHILE PASSING THE TIME.
TO HELP BOTH HER AND KENT MARGIE WOULD END UP PURCHASING A GREEN 1977 CHEVY CHEVETTE. ALLOWING HER TO DRIVE TO AND FROM WORK.
SEPTEMBER 7TH, 1977 STARTED OFF AS A NORMAL DAY FOR THE COUPLE. THEY BOTH ATTENDED THEIR MORNING CLASSES AND AFTER, MARGIE LEFT FOR WORK.
FROM ARTICLES WE’VE SEEN THERE WAS SOME TROUBLE AT THE BANK THAT DAY. AN ALTERCATION WITH A MAN TRYING TO ENTER THE BANK ALARMED MARGIE ENOUGH THAT SHE CALLED THE POLICE. THE MAN IS REPORTED TO HAVE THREATENED MARGIE, SAYING THAT HE WAS “GOING TO GET HER FOR THIS”.
AFTER HEARING ABOUT THE ALTERCATION KENT DODD CALLED A FRIEND IN LAW ENFORCEMENT TO HELP MARGIE WHEN SHE GOT OFF AT 8:30, BUT THE OFFICER WAS CALLED TO A ROBBERY IN PROGRESS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN JUST AS MARGIE’S SHIFT WAS ENDING.
MARGIE’S SHIFT WOULD SEEM TO END WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT, AND SHE LEFT TO GO HOME.
WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING HOME, FOR REASONS WE STILL DO NOT KNOW TO THIS DAY MARGIE WOULD PULL OFF THE ROAD JUST 5 MILES AWAY FROM THE BANK. AT THE AMCO GAS AND SERVICE STATION IN BEAVER, WEST VIRGINIA.
IT’S BELIEVED THAT MARGIE MAY HAVE BEEN FLAGGED DOWN BY ANOTHER DRIVER - POSSIBLY SOMEONE SHE KNEW.
OR A PERSON PRETENDING TO BE A POLICE OFFICER.
AROUND 8:45 PM, PEOPLE WHO LIVED NEAR THE AMOCO STATION REPORTED TO POLICE THAT THEY HEARD A WOMAN SCREAMING. WITNESSES ALSO REPORTED TO POLICE THAT THEY SAW A WOMAN GET OUT OF HER CAR AND APPROACH ANOTHER PARKED BEHIND HERS.
JOHN COLE WAS BACKING OUT OF HIS MOTHER’S DRIVEWAY AROUND 8:45 PM THAT EVENING WHEN HE HEARD SCREAMING COMING FROM THE AMOCO STATION NEAR HIS MOTHERS HOUSE. HE TURNED TO SEE A MAN FORCING A WOMAN INTO A CAR. AFTER GETTING THE WOMAN INTO THE CAR, THE MAN WALKED TO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE WHERE HE RETRIEVED HER PURSE LYING ON THE GROUND. HE SNATCHED UP THE PURSE BUT LEFT A FEW ITEMS THAT SPILLED LYING ON THE GROUND. HE THEN RETURNED TO THE CAR WITH THE PURSE, PULLED BACK ONTO ROUTE 21 AND HEADED NORTH TOWARDS BECKLEY.
WITHIN 15 MINUTES, POLICE WERE ON THE SCENE, J. O. COLE AND SERGEANT H.H MEADOR BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE. ONE OFFICER INTERVIEWED JOHN COLE WITH THE OTHER CONTINUED THE SEARCH. COLE DESCRIBED THE ABDUCTOR AS A TALL, SLENDER MALE, WEARING BLUE JEANS AND A DARK JACKET.
JOHN’S 7-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER LORI WHO DESCRIBED THE MAN HENRY WINKLER.
OFFICERS IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A ROAD SEARCH OF THE SURROUNDING AREA. FOR THE NEXT DIX HOURS, FIVE STATE TROOPERS SEARCHED THE DESERTED ROADS OF RALEIGH COUNTY SEARCHING FOR THE MISSING VEHICLE. EVERY POSSIBLE ESCAPE ROUTE WAS PLACED ON WATCH, EVERY VEHICLE VAGUELY RESEMBLING THE CAR DESCRIBED BY COLE WAS STOPPED AND THE DRIVERS WERE QUESTIONED.
A SEARCH OF THE CAR LEFT AT THE CRIME SCENE DETERMINED THAT THE MISSING WOMAN WAS MARGIE DODD. THE POLICE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED HER HUSBAND, KENT. AT THE COUPLES SHADY SPRING HOME. UPON LEARNING THAT HIS WIFE’S CAR HAS BEEN FOUND ABANDONED, KENT RAN FROM THE HOME TO JOIN POLICE… LEAVING THE FRONT DOOR OPEN AND THE STEREO PLAYING. KENT WAS AT THE AMOCO STATION BY 9:30 PM
KENT JOINED STATE POLICE IN THE SEARCH FOR MARGIE. HOPE WERE HIGH THAT WITH OFFICERS GETTING TO THE CRIME SCENE IN 15 MINUTES AND HAVING THE VICTIM'S NAME WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSAILANT AND HIS VEHICLE THEY WOULD SOLVE IT THAT NIGHT.
HOWEVER, BY 4 AM AUTHORITIES WERE FORCED TO GIVE UP ON THE HUNT. TO THEM IT SEEMED LIKE MARGIE AND HER ABDUCTOR VANISHED INTO THIN AIR.
OFFICIALS WERE DETERMINED TO LEARN THAT HAS HAPPENED TO MARGIE WITHIN THE FIVE MILES FROM THE CARDINAL STATE BANK TO THE AMOCO STATION IN BEAVER.
LEAD BY BECKLEY CITY CHIEF OF DETECTIVES FRANK PACK AND STATE TROOPER PRESTON GOODEN, OFFICERS BEGAN TO QUESTION EVERYONE THEY COULD DETERMINE TO HAVE HAD CONTACT WITH MARGIE ON THE DAY OF HER DISAPPEARANCE.
THEY BEGAN WITH THE RECORDS OF CUSTOMERS AT THE CARDINAL BANK. OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THEY INTERVIEWED OVER 300 PEOPLE IN A DESPERATE SEARCH FOR CLUES.
KENT DODD WAS INVESTIGATED HEAVILY DURING THE FIRST WEEK AFTER THE ABDUCTION, BUT HIS ALIBI RULED HIM OUT AS A SUSPECT. DUE TO MARGIE’S FRIENDLY DISPOSITION, THERE WERE MANY PERSONS OF INTEREST TO INVESTIGATE, MANY WHO HAVEN’T BEEN FOUND OR HAVE CAME FORWARD.
MARGIE'S ABDUCTION WAS VERY CONCERNING BECAUSE THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL RAPES, KIDNAPPINGS, AND SISPICIOUS DISAPPERANCES IN AND AROUND BECKLEY AT THE TIME. A MAN WITH A CAR MATCHING THE SUSPECTS WAS REPORTED BY A TRUCKER AS SEEN TRYING TO FORCE ANOTHER WOMAN INTO THE CAR, AND POLICE WERE ABLE TO FIND THE CAR BY THE LICENSE PLATE, BUT DETERMINED THE CAR COULD NOT HAVE BEEN USED THAT DAY, AS THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN MOVED. MORE THAN A DOZEN WOMAN HAD BEEN BRUTALLY RAPED IN THE SURROUNDING AREA WHERE MARGIE WAS ADBUCTED FROM. THE RAPIST WAS EVENTUALLY APPREHENDED, BUT NO CONNECTION TO MARGIE’S ABDUCTION COULD BE MADE.
SEVERAL PSYCHICS CAME FORWARD CLAIMING MARGIE CAME TO THEM IN VISIONS. POLICE WERE IMPRESSED THAT THE PHYSICS APPEARED TO KNOW DETAILS ABOUT THE CASE THAT HAD NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC.
WITH NO CONNECTION BEING SEEN BETWEEN THE THREE PHYSICS POLICE DID NOTICE THAT THEIR VISIONS WERE EERILY SIMILAR. ALL CLAIMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN TWO MEN INVOLVED IN MARGIE'S ABDUCTION AND THAT SHE KNEW ONE OF THE MEN.
THEY ALL SAID THAT HER BODY WAS LYING WITHIN 5 MILES OF HER HOME. THAT THEY BODY WAS HIDDEN UNDER BRUSH, NEAR A BODY OF WATER AND THAT ARTICLES FROM HER PURSE WERE THROWN ABOUT HER. THEY ALSO CLAIMED THAT THE MURDERS TURNED NORTHWARD AT A TRIANGLE IN THE ROAD AND PROCEEDED TO AN AREA THAT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN THE SCENE OF CONSTRUCTION WORK USING HEAVY EQUIPMENT TO MOVE EARTH.
TO BE HONEST OFFICERS DID NOT PLACE MUCH FAITH IN THE SUPERNATURAL VISIONS, FRANK PACK WOULD REMEMBER THE PSYCHICS SHORTLY AFTERWARD WHEN HE RECEIVED AN ANONYMOUS PHONE CALL. THE CALLER CLAIMED TO HAVE FOUND A BODY WHILE PARKING WITH A WOMAN NEAR 4-H RESERVOIR (WHICH FROM RESEARCH I THINK IT’S LITTLE BEAVER STATE PARK).
HE SAID THAT HE COULD NOT FIVE HIS NAME BECAUSE THE WOMAN HE WAS WITH WAS NOT HIS WIFE BUT HE INSISTED THAT THE CALL WAS LEGIT.
AN INTENSE SEARCH WAS ORGANIZED UTILIZING THE COMBINED FORCES OF BECKLEY CITY POLICE, THE STATE POLICE AND AREA VOLUNTEERS. FOR SEVERAL DAYS OVER 500 OFFICERS AND VOLUNTEERS COMBED THE BRUSH, ROADWAYS, AND BANKS OF THE 4–H RESERVOIR SEARCHING FOR THE BODY OF MARGIE DODD. HOWEVER, THE SEARCH PROVED TO BE FRUITLESS.
HOWEVER, WHEN PACK RETURNED FROM THE SEARCH, HE FOUND A LETTING WAITING FOR HIM FROM A PSYCHIC IN OHIO. IN THE LETTER, THE PSYCHIC CLAIMED TO HAVE INCLUDED A MAP SHOWING THE LOCATION OF MARGIE’S BODY. THE X MARKED THE SPOT WHERE THE BODY LOCATION WAS DIRECTLY ON THE AREA 4-H RESERVOIR WHERE THEY HAD RECENTLY BEEN SEARCHING.
A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE ABDUCTION ON SEPTEMBER 29TH, MARGIE’S MOTHER WAS CONTACTED BY A MAN OVER THE PHONE CLAMING HIS BROTHER WAS HOLDING MARGIE HOSTAGE IN FOUR CORNERS, WEST VIRGINIA (THE CLOSEST THING I COULD COME TO FIND ANYTHING RELATED TO FOUR CORNERS WV IS FOUR CORNERS VIRGINIA.) THE CALLER ALSO SAID HE WOULD HAVE TO TRAVEL TO WEST VIRGINIA AND KILL HIS BROTHER SO HE COULD RESCUE MARGIE.
THE MAN CLAIMED THAT HE COULD RESCUE MARGIE FOR 15K. THE FBI TRACED THE CALLS TO PAYPHONES IN AKRON, OHIO, WHERE MARGIE’S PARENTS LIVED. THE CALLED WENT BY THE NAME “JOE BOB”, TOLD MARGIE’S PARENTS THAT HE WAS HOLDING THEIR DAUGHTER CAPTIVE IN A SLEAZY MOTEL IN AKRON.
AN FBI AGENT POSING AS MARGIE’S UNCLE MADE PLANS TO MEET UP WITH “JOE BOB” TO PAY THE RANSOM, WITH ANOTHER AGENT HIDING IN THE BACKSEAT OF THE CAR. THE AGENT PICKED UP AN AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE AND FOLLOWED HIS INSTRUCTIONS DRIVING AROUND AKRON. WHEN THE MAN BECAME A LITTLE AGITATED THINKING, HE SAW POLICE LIGHTS HE ASKED IF THEY WERE BEING FOLLOWED. HE TURNED TO THE AGENT AND ASKED IF HE EVER SAW A GUN AND WHAT IT COULD DO. WITH HIS HAND IN HIS JACKET POCKET, HE MADE A CLICKING NOISE. THE AGENT HIDDEN IN THE BACKSEAT REVEALED HIMSELF AND TOLD THE MAN TO DROP THE WEAPON WHEN HE WOULDN' T REMOVE HIS HAND FROM HIS POCKET THE OFFICER SHOT HIM. CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LET GO OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND GRAB THE MAN ASKING WHERE MARGIE WAS..
AFTER THE CAR WAS STOPPED THE OFFICERS REACHED INTO THE MAN'S JACKET POCKET AND FOUND AN INK PEN.
LATER IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE MAN PRETENDING TO BE “JOE BOB” WAS ACTUALLY A 26-YEAR-OLD EX CONVICT ON PAROLE NAMED JAMES WILLIAM HENDREE.
WHO WAS NO HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ABDUCTION OF MARGIE. HE ONLY LEARNED ABOUT HER ABDUCTION IN THE NEWSPAPER AND CLAIMED TO BE THE ABDUCTOR TO TRY TO EXTORT MONEY FROM HER DESPERATE PARENTS.
AFTER THIS THE PSYCHICS CAME FORWARD CLAIMING THAT MARGIE CAME TO THEM SAYING THAT “NO ONE CARES ANYMORE” WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS THE FURTHEST THING FROM THE TRUTH.
IN 1993, A COUPLE OF DEER HUNTERS HAPPENED UPON A HUMAN SKULL ON LITTLE BOLT MOUNTAIN. POLICE LATER DISCOVERS THE REST OF THE REMAINS, UNDER A LIGHT COVERING OF LEAVES. THERE HAS BEEN SOME COAL WASTE DISPOSAL IN THE AREA AS WELL AS SOME LANDSCAPING. THE REMAINS MIGHT HAVE BEEN COVERED MORE PREVIOUSLY, POSSIBLY PARTIALLY UNEARTHED FROM THE ACTIVITY. THE REMAINS WERE BADLY DECOMPOSED. ALONG WITH THE REMAINS WERE A DIRTY SWEATER, BELL BOTTOMS, HIGH HEELED CLOGS, AND A 70’S STYLE ENGAGEMENT RING. DESPITE THESE ITEMS, THE BODY COULD NOT BE POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AT THE TIME. EVEN THE DENTAL X RAYS WEREN'T ENOUGH TO MAKE A POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION.
OFFICER STEVE TANNER WITH THE RALEIGH COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT WAS INCHARGE OF THE INVESTIGATION OF THE WOMAN ON BOLT MOUNTAIN.
FROM THE REMAINS A SAMPLE OF DNA WAS ABLE TO BE DISTRACTED. FRANK PACK TOLD STEVE TANNER TO TEST FOR MARGIE DODD. HOWEVER, STEVE TANNER WANTED TO TEST FOR SUE FAYE ROOP A MISSING WOMAN FROM FAYETTE COUNTY. WHEN SHE FAILED AFTER MULTIPLE TESTS. TANNER MOVED ON TO OTHER MISSING WOMAN IN THE AREA…
IN 2017 SHERIFF SCOTT VANMETER PROMISED TO LOOK INTO COLD CASES. FRANK PACK ASKED SCOTT TO TEST THE DNA FOR MARGIE DODD.
SO, SCOTT CONTACTED KENT DODD AND HAD HIM COME IN AND LOOK AT PICTURES OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE FOUND WITH THE BONES ON BOLT MOUNTAIN. IT TOOK KENT 3 SECONDS TO CONFIRM IT WAS MARGIE.
WITH DNA FROM MARGIE’S BROTHER IT WAS FINALLY CONFIRMED 24 YEARS LATER THAT THE BODY ON LITTLE BOLT MOUNTAIN WAS MARGIE DODD.
IN NOVEMBER 2017 KENT DODD FILED AGAINST THE RALEIGH COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT, THE RALEIGH COUNTY COMMISION AND STEVE TANNER. CLAIMING NEGLIGENT AND INTENTIONAL OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS.
46 YEARS LATER IN 2023 PEOPLE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT MARGIE DODD AND HER CASE. THERE ARE REPORTS OF A SON OF A RALEIGH COUNTY MAN CONTACTING THE DODD FAMILY CLAIMING THAT HIS FATHER IS THE ONE WHO ABDICATED MARGIE AND MURDERED HER.
WE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IN RALEIGH COUNTY HAVE QUESTIONS AS TO WHAT HAPPENED TO MARGIE DODD AND WE BELIEVE THAT ONE DAY SOON WE WILL FINALLY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THE CASE, OF MARGIE DODD PLEASE CONTACT THE
RALEIGH COUNTY DETACHMENT OF THE WV STATE POLICE
AT (304)256-6700
RALEIGH COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
AT (304)255-9300
OR CRIME STOPPERS OF WEST VIRGINIA AT
(304)255-7867
OR AT CRIME STOPPERS WV . COM
YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL US AT MOUNTAINSTATEMYSTERIES304@GMAIL.COM
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