True Crime With Caledonian Kitty

 

The Ben Needham case has remained a heartbreaking mystery for almost 35 years. Ben's loving grandparents, Christine and Eddie, together with their two sons, Stephen and Danny, had decided to make a fresh start on the beautiful Greek island of Kos. The family called it their paradise and fell in love with the place the moment they first laid eyes on it. Their daughter Kerry and her little boy Ben soon moved out from England to live with Christine, Eddie and the boys. Life could not have been better. They were renovating a farmhouse and all the family would do their bit to help make it a proper home. Kerry began working at a hotel and would have Ben stay with her mother whilst she was away. 

The island was beautiful and so were the people but the Needham family all still worked in some capacity. As I just mentioned, Kerry was at work on the afternoon that Ben went missing. Ben was just 21 months old and already proving to be a bit of a character. With such an angelic face, you could imagine that his doting mother, father and grandparents had let him get away with all sorts of things. 

The island of Kos was beautiful and it was not unknown for Ben to run around and play outside especially when the adults were sometimes indoors talking or having dinner. The Needhams were a close family and they all adored Ben, he was such a happy confident boy at that time. The family were enjoying their new life living on the beautiful island which was a far cry away from the stresses of life back in England. Christine described their earlier time in Greece as paradise and a dream come true, which sadly quickly turned into a nightmare in which their lives would never be the same. 

That afternoon of the 24th of July 1991 that Ben just vanished without a trace was every parent and grandparent's worst nightmare. They searched high and low for Ben and could find no trace of him anywhere. Authorities were contacted and at first the police focused on the family as they had no leads and no clue as to where Ben had gone. News of the heartbreaking story soon reached the UK and everyone was shocked and praying for some good news but sadly it never came. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and soon it was years! Ben vanished without a trace, 35 years ago and it's so hard to believe. Every day his family have lived with the heartbreak of not knowing if he is still alive or sadly deceased. Was he abducted or did he fall down a shaft or a well somewhere? Nobody knows! The police have a theory that Ben had sadly died as a result of a tragic accident. His family believe that he was abducted by child traffickers or possibly a gypsy family. 

The Needham family have never given up their search for Ben and have spent countless years, hours and money trying to find out the truth of what actually happened to him. Despite the family being British the case has never gotten the level of publicity or attention as the Madeleine McCann case (3 year old Madeleine McCann vanished from an apartment in Portugal, whilst her parents were at a nearby bar on the 3rd of May 2007. Both of Madeleine's parents were Doctors. Countless investigations, media coverage and millions of pounds have gone into the ongoing search for Madeleine. Some members of the public believe the attention and financial support the case has gotten, to be unfair to other missing persons cases including in the case of Ben Needham). 

So, as I mentioned earlier, there was a mix-up with communication between the police and the Needham family in regards to the case being closed. Thank goodness the police are not closing the case because I'm sure there would be public uproar about it in support of Kerry and her family. 

It may have been 35 years and there has been various 'sightings' and tips from the public all over the world but a lot of these pieces of information have come to nothing. Kerry and her family refuse to give up hope. 

I have included some links below if you would like to know more about Ben's case or how you can contact his family if you have any information (no matter how small).

- The family requests that you send any information you may have to: helpfindbenneedham@gmail.com

- Help Find Ben Needham | Website 

- Help Find Ben Needham | Facebook

- Ben Needham | Missing People

Further Reading & Sources:

- Ben Needham: Article | Sky News

- Ben Needham | ITVX

- Ben Needham: Case Discussion | Reddit

- Disappearance of Ben Needham | Wikipedia

- Disappearance of Madeleine McCann | Wikipedia

- Ben Needham: Documentary | Youtube

- Kos, Greece | Wikipedia

- Child Trafficking: Greece | BBC News

- Appeal Search | Missing People

Let's keep Ben and his family in our prayers and hope that one day soon there are some answers. I think that it's inspirational and heartwarming how dedicated Ben's mother Kerry and her family are. The family have never given up hope and continue to keep Ben in everyone's thoughts. They truly are an amazing family and I always say that you should never give up hope, no matter how much time has passed. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my latest post and I hope you will join me in the next one. In the meantime, I hope to see you elsewhere on my Socials

As always please take care and stay safe until next time x 

*Please be aware that some of the details shared in this post are quite disturbing. I have tried, as always to be as sensitive as I can be with the details without taking away from the facts of the case. If you would like to discuss this post with me or any of the cases I have covered in this blog, please email me at jocaledoniankitty@gmail.com*

Having recently read the very honest, raw, detailed and fascinating book about the insanely talented late singer, Stuart Adamson (Stay Alive: The Life and Death of Stuart Adamson by Scott Rowley). I gained more of an insight into addiction, not that I didn't have experience of being around victims of alcoholism and substance misuse before. This book provided me with another way of looking at things in regards to someone who is an addict and the horrific disease that addiction is. Addiction is like a demon that takes over someone's mind and in some people it just doesn't let go and it doesn't matter how good looking you are, or how successful you are or the amount of money you have, addiction and alcoholism can happen to anybody at any time. 

Amy had a lot of things going for her but her addiction to heroin ended up taking over her life. Her family were reportedly planning an intervention at the time she suddenly vanished from Ohio in November 2017. She was reported missing after she was supposed to have met up with a friend and never showed up. Despite the tireless efforts of her family and the police, Amy was nowhere to be found and it was an agonising mystery, especially for her daughter. Fast forward to the 26th of August 2022, a lady who was out in the woods looking for her dog's remains (that story in itself is also quite dark. This lady had an ongoing issue with a horrible neighbour who ended up killing her dog and she was under the impression that the evil man had dumped the dog's remains in that particular wooded area because, as she said, he was worried that she would sue him.) 

The lady stumbled across some bones which she assumed had belonged to her dog, she gathered the bones up and took them with her. The bones had been wrapped up with some sort of cloth material and had been in the woods for quite some time. The lady soon realised on closer inspection that the bones were indeed human and she contacted the police. Investigators examined the remains and the jawbone matched Amy Hambrick's dental records. The police were able to 100% confirm that these remains, sadly were what was left of Amy. 

With not much to go on or much evidence, the police had come to an abrupt halt in the case. Nobody knew what really happened to Amy, was it a bad drug deal gone wrong and she owed a debt to some dangerous people? Or did she have an overdose and whoever was with her, panicked and just put her body there? Nobody knows to this day what really happened, all we know is that this beautiful life is no more. Her daughter and her family are still doing all they can to keep Amy's memory alive and are never done asking questions, appealing for information and spreading the word about Amy. Somebody out there knows the truth. 

Amy was born on Christmas eve 1987 in Youngstown, Ohio, USA and her mother described her as the light of her life. Her family miss her so very much and one cannot imagine the pain they continue to go through with so many unanswered questions. It must have been difficult enough when Amy went missing but to find a tiny amount of her remains in that condition with no way to really know what happened, must be agonizing. 

Since the discovery of Amy's remains, her family were able to have a funeral for her but there has been no other update since (as of writing this post, May 2026).

A dear friend in the true crime community, John Lordan, focuses on missing persons cases. I know he has covered this case extensively so please subscribe to his channel and check out his coverage of this heartbreaking story. I know that Amy is no longer classed as a missing person but the circumstances surrounding her death are not explained. Someone out there placed Amy's body in a sheet and put her body in that location and the question is why? If this was an overdose then why not call a hospital? or contact relatives? We have no way of knowing if this was a murder? All anybody can do right now is keep spreading awareness, maybe someone may have seen Amy in the days leading up to when she went missing? maybe she was involved with someone at the time? Whatever information, no matter how small should be forwarded on to the family and authorities. 

There is a Facebook page which is run by her family: Help Find Me, I'm Amy Hambrick 

Check out John's channel and his coverage of Amy's case here

You can leave a little tribute to Amy on her memorial page if you would like to, here.

Let us hope and pray that the family of Amy will get some proper answers and the truth of what really happened to Amy will be revealed and the people responsible are held accountable. 

RIP Amy, you will never be forgotten.

Further Reading & Sources: 

- Amy Hambrick | NBC News

- Amy Hambrick Memorial

- Amy Hambrick | The Charley Project

- Amy Hambrick | Reddit Discussion Thread

- Amy Hambrick | People Magazine

- Amy Hambrick | New York Post

Thank you as always, for making it through another sad case with me. I really hope that some new information comes to light and at this point, it looks highly suspicious that nobody has come forward with anything. If the sad death of Amy was an overdose, a quick anonymous phone call with the correct information would have helped but someone (or a group of people) are out there right now staying silent. Why are they not coming forward? Hopefully there will be answers soon. 

I hope you will join me in my next post, in the meantime, I hope to see you on my Social Media Platforms!

As always, please take care and stay safe until next time.....x 

Yesterday (Tuesday 6th of May 2026) was quite an emotional day and it was the end of a journey in a lot of ways, for the family of little angel, Athena Strand. The legal journey had mostly come to an end but the heartbreak and loss of Athena, will never end. The picture above shows a beautiful little girl, cute as a button with an aura of vivaciousness, a little ball of light to all who knew her and you just knew that through the stories and memories of the people who loved her, this little cutiepie was going to have a bright future ahead of her. 

This picture was taken just days before she was horrifically snatched from her father and step-mother's porch. She is seen in this picture wearing the matching PJ's that she and her family would wear to be extra festive. It was a tradition for her family to wear matching PJ's to the run up to (and at) Christmas time. It was certainly an exciting time for Athena, she couldn't wait to celebrate Christmas with her loved ones.  

Nobody will forget the day that the news broke on the 2nd of December 2022, that a 7 year old girl had been kidnapped by a FedEx delivery driver in broad daylight in Texas, USA. This monster, Tanner Horner was 31 years old at the time and told the terrified youngster that he would harm her if she didn't do what he demanded. 

Athena soon found her self in the back of his delivery truck, terrified, confused with no way to escape. She was a tough little girl who fought with all of her might, against this huge, overweight demon. Before he abused and murdered her, he demanded she take off her shirt to which she replied no! He covered up a camera that was in the truck and then proceeded to carry out the most sickening attack and murder on a 7 year old child. He became frustrated when he couldn't carry out his abuse to the full extent, she fought back despite his efforts to get what he wanted. It took him an hour to kill Athena, she fought and she fought for her life against this pathetic, evil and disgusting monster. Eventually he was able to end her life completely. He drove to a location known very well by locals, the Trinity River near an area known as Bobo's crossing. She was nude. He had kept her trousers, underwear, socks and to this day, he has not revealed where he put her shirt. 

He just dumped this child's body and went about his business like nothing happened. He smoked a cigarette and sang along to 'Jingle Bell Rock' as it played on the radio. He made a phonecall to his boss to ask if he could keep the truck overnight because he had been sick in it and wanted to clean it up! He drove to a gas station where he obtained cleaning supplies and spent almost 30 minutes cleaning the truck. There was vomit, blood and faeces in the back where he had attacked and murdered Athena. Athena had been in so much terror that she lost control of her bowels. The details of what that beautiful little girl went through will haunt me forever. The monster thought that the audio in the truck was faulty as a he had been having issues with it before. He thought by covering up the camera that his sick crime could be hidden. He was soon proved wrong because the horrific nightmare was recorded piece by piece, loud and clear for anyone who was unfortunate enough to listen to it. That very night of Athena's murder he actually slept with his partner. It was a shock to learn that Tanner actually had a relationship and a son. He even used his son in an attempt to get sympathy by saying that he was scared he wouldn't be around to see his son or spend Christmas with him. 

This horrific tape was like a message from beyond the grave from Athena, it told her story, what he did. It showed how evil and sick this monster truly was and what she had gone through at his evil hands. This very tape was played to a packed courtroom a couple of weeks ago in a trial that lasted, almost five weeks. The trial was not to determine whether or not Tanner Horner was guilty, which was already a fact but there was a decision to be made about whether he was to spend the rest of his life in prison or be put to death. After nearly five agonising weeks, a traumatized and exhausted jury decided that Tanner Horner should get the Death Penalty. 

I know it's the same old story in regards to how long will he actually be on death row before the date of his death is finally carried out. We've seen it happen plenty of times where murderers have spent decades waiting for their final date. Others pass away before the final part of their sentence if carried out. We know the streets....and children, are safe with this monster behind bars but I also understand that people want to see proper justice done and don't approve of the fact that this monster is currently living off of tax-payers money. 

The courtroom was full of Athena's loved ones yesterday and even when the final decision was read out, (to which Tanner expressed no emotion, and didn't do throughout the trial) and Tanner was led away in handcuffs, the family stayed behind. There was a mix of shock, celebration and relief. It was some justice for Athena and her family and certainty that no other child could come to harm again at the evil hands of Tanner Horner. 

I don't know if you can ever say that Athena's loving parents, step-parents and family will ever have complete closure. I know it is difficult even when there is DP decision. The fact that he remains alive will bother the family and all who know the full details of this case. When he is finally put to death and the family know that he no longer exists in reality, then it might be the case that they can do some proper healing?

Tanner Horner hasn't shown a shred of remorse since the day that he was caught, he tried every lie and excuse in the book to try and lessen the punishment for his evil crimes. One minute he claimed that he was taking cocaine on the day that he abducted Athena, then he claimed to have ran her over with his truck by mistake and ofcourse, he claimed that he his actions were the result of him being Autistic and then another excuse that he had an alter ego named 'Zero'. I thought his Asperger's syndrome excuse was also appalling and a real disrespect to those who suffer from it. Asperger's syndrome does not cause someone to become a predator of children and a cold calculated murderer. He knew what he was going to do, he planned it, carried it out without breaking a sweat and then tried to cover it up whilst lying through his teeth time and time again. Not long after the murder he actually drove back to the area where he had abducted Athena just hours earlier and saw that there was a huge public and police presence. He had the cold and even more disturbing nerve to ask people what had happened and pretended that he was just an innocent delivery driver going about his every day business. 

His level of callousness was off the scale and luckily there was all this evidence there to show him up for who he really was. It won't surprise you to know that Tanner was a bad seed, from before he was even born there was severe problems in his family to do with sexual abuse and neglect. His own mother was abused as a young child by her step-father continuously and actually begged, not only him to stop but also begged and pleaded with her own mother to stop him. She even resorted to putting notices up on her bedroom door begging him not to come into her room at night. Despite the horrendous suffering of her own daughter, his grandmother accused the child of lying and married this paedophile instead. The sexual abuse had begun before their marriage and continued through their marriage, an utterly horrendous situation. So he was from that kind of family where there was no love, empathy or protection especially when it came to children. 

With such a messed up home life and the realization that his mother worked as a stripper and sex worker as well as everything else, it was never going to be easy street for Tanner. His mother had no real love for him and all of this caused him to be withdrawn. He claimed to have had Asperger's Syndrome but a lot of his behaviours that he was demonstrating at the time fitted in with more of a child who was being abused at home. His mother's choice of relationships didn't not fare too well for Tanner either and were said to have been violent. Tanner had been sexually abused by older men and he would also go on to sexually abuse young children he knew. There was a lot of disturbing behaviour and trauma before the horrific murder of Athena but that's no excuse. 

Athena's Uncle Elijah gave a powerful impact statement in court yesterday where the brave man, through tears, told Tanner Horner exactly what his evil actions had done to himself and his family. Tanner sat there, no emotion as usual, stared at Elijah and didn't even blink. Nobody else spoke. I think everyone was so exhausted and completely drained after so many years of hell that they just wanted to see that monster put back in handcuffs and sent to meet his maker which certainly isn't God (and that's my opinion). That was another tactic Tanner was trying to play with, he claimed to have found Jesus in prison. 

I do wish that these types of death penalty cases were carried out pretty quickly, as long as we know 100% that the person is guilty. My stance on this is, if it is without any doubt and the forensic evidence is there that a person is guilty of a horrific murder then it should go ahead without question and they should be denied appeals! If there is no solid evidence or any doubt then it should be looked at again. I also think that child killers who's DNA matches evidence found, that they should face an automatic death sentence no matter what state they are in, they should make an allowance for that. People can argue day and night about capital punishment but the do-gooders who are against monsters being executed have nothing to say when it comes to the horrendous abuse and murder of a child and they shouldn't. The murder of innocent people is bad enough but when it's a young child, that level of evil cannot be excused away and whoever has done such a thing does not deserve any type of sympathy or human rights. Child killers do not deserve even the basic of human rights. 

So, the most important person in all of this in this heartbreaking story, is Athena who will never get the chance to grow up, she'll never get the chance to play with those Barbie dolls that her step-mother bought her for Christmas. She'll never get to go to high school, attend her prom or pick a university and have her first dance at her wedding. Her life has been cut short in the most horrific way. As an adult, the idea of being held captive in the back of someone's truck and utterly terrorized is something that none of us dare think about, a 7 year old little girl actually went through all of that and the jury plus everyone in that courtroom had to sit there for an hour (can you imagine....A WHOLE HOUR OF HELL) listening to Athena beg and plead for her life as well as scream in horrendous pain whilst he shouted at the terrified child and called her disgusting names. Nobody can convince me that this monster did not deserve the death penalty and if it were up to me, I would ask for the most painful execution there is...why should he be comfortable on his way out of this world? Why does he deserve mercy? Why are there people out there who actually care about this monster's feelings? Those people don't live on the same planet as me obviously because all I can think abut is Athena and her family and what they've been going through. 

Tanner Horner will face the lethal injection and a date for this to be carried out is yet to be determined. I will update this post as soon as I have any new information on this case. 

For now, I hold the Strand family in my prayers as well as Athena. They are a strong family, the courageous way in which Athena fought for her life in her last moments was part of who she was, where she came from, her blood, her upbringing. Her parents did and amazing job raising her because everybody loved that little girl and to those of us who were not fortunate to have known her, the stories, the memories, the photographs that Athena's loved ones were so kind enough to share, really gave us an insight into who she truly was. A little 7 year old girl with bags of personality, a right little character and when her mother (who demonstrated such amazing strength on the stand whilst facing that monster....she didn't flinch, she stared him right in his face and told him what she thought of him. It was a very empowering moment and you could see clearly where Athena got her strength from) told the court about the heartbreaking day that Athena's grandmother passed away, she spoke of how Athena ran to get help. From a young age Athena was a very caring and bright child, she had everything she needed to go on and live a happy, successful life. Sadly we will never know what could have been but what we do know is that this little doll-like person was taken into all of our hearts and that is where she'll stay along with all the other angels: Amber Hagerman, Jessica Lunsford, Cherish Perrywinkle and so many others. They will never be forgotten. 

RIP Athena x

Please leave a nice message if you can, on Athenas's memorial page here! I think it would be a nice comfort for the family if they see all the love that is out here for them and Athena. 

Further Reading & Sources:

- Athena Strand: Article | Sky News

- Athena Strand | Find A Grave: Memorial

- Amber Alert | Wikipedia

- Elijah Strand: Article | People Magazine

- Tanner Horner: Trial Playlist | WFAA YouTube

- Tanner Horner: Discussion Thread | Reddit

- Tanner Horner: Article | CBS News

- Tanner Horner: Article | BBC News

- Tanner Horner: Article | The Independent

This post wasn't planned, I'm currently working on another case as we speak but I had to say something about this heartbreaking story. I have been following the case for quite some time and I know that everyone else who knows the case well, is still trying to get back to normal after yesterday's conclusion. It's been a very long, traumatic journey for Athena's family and my heart goes out to them. I appreciate (as always) the fact that you've taken the time to read this post, if you are new here or a regular reader, I just hope you know that you are appreciated and I hope you'll return for my next post as well as come and say hi on any of my socials.

As always, please take care & stay safe...until next time. 

Hey everyone, I just wanted to make a little post to share my thoughts and best wishes to a true legend in the True Crime Community...... John Lordan (LordanArts on YouTube). If you are a member of the True Crime community or are fan of his channel you will know amazing John is, the unwavering dedication, thorough research and dedication he pours into his work/content week after week, has never ceased to amaze me. 

John was sharing vital information about missing persons and cold cases from way back in the day before true crime became 'popular'. I remember his channel being one of the first to cover such content....John has been doing this a very long time. There are endless true crime channels on Youtube but John's channel still remains one of the OG's and is still one of the best! John cares deeply about the cases he covers, he cares about families finding their loved ones, he truly wears his heart on his sleeve. 

A few days ago John posted a video to his channel where he shared some very sad health news. I have shared the video below for you to please take a moment and watch. If you could leave a nice comment on John's channel (and subscribe if possible, if you haven't already done so) or anywhere else on his social media (you can find all of his links here!!) that would be amazing!

So here's to wishing John a speedy recovery and all the love and support in the world! If you see this post John, just know that all of your tireless work over the years, your dedication to helping spread vital information and awareness of missing persons and helping their families, has not gone unnoticed. You are an inspiration to us all and we can't wait to see you come through this tough journey, you will knock it out of the park, YOU'VE GOT THIS!!!! 

One of the absolute certainties in life, is that one day we are all going to meet our maker (ie: kick the bucket....say goodnight Vienna or just plainly.....pass over to the other side!). For a lot of people this is a depressing subject to talk about and for others they don't mind it. There's our individual thoughts on death, our own death and then there is the thoughts of our loved ones who are often left behind when our time comes. It can be very difficult for them, as it is for us when we lose someone we love. 

Grief can be one of the most difficult things in life that one can go through and there's no set pattern to it, you can feel fine one day and then spend the next day in a constant flood of tears. Everyone has their own way of coping and grieving. So the loss of a loved one on it's own can be a heartbreaking experience but when someone we love has passed away as the result of being murdered or taking their own life, it can be utterly devastating. On this blog I have written about many devastating, horrific deaths over the years and I find that more trauma for the families of victims is added, even more so, with how their deceased loved ones are treated after death. Some victims are buried somewhere remote, only to be identified many years later and their families have agonised over whether they are indeed alive or deceased. Some victims are identified straight away, sometimes within days of being reported missing but the state in which the bodies are found is horrific. Some people's remains are never identified. I've written about people who had to be identified by their tattoos because, sadly, only a torso or a leg was found. 

In this bizarre but disturbing post, I will be talking about a different kind of crime, a crime that was committed after someone had died of natural causes and to this very day, the case is unsolved. As I am a writer you will find it no surprise that I try to pay attention to what goes on around me and what is happening in the world and I often come across shocking cases that I have never heard of. Recently we had a scandal in the UK which involved a popular family funeral parlour. This family business, known as 'Legacy Independent Funeral Directors' had been in operation for decades in Hull, England. Generations of people from the local community trusted this company with their deceased loved ones. It was Legacy's role to help give some comfort and support to grieving families, help ease some of the stress, and provide their loved ones with a respectable, moving funeral service. 

Legacy's services were not cheap and some of the time the service they provided did ensure a decent funeral service but there were times that the conditions were so appalling that it ended up with a professional employee (who had worked in that area and role for decades) throwing in the towel but making sure that she contacted authorities to report everything that had been going on. It turned out that Legacy (owned by a man named Robert Bush) had been up to all kinds of disrespect. Relatives of the deceased were unaware that their loved ones were being mistreated. Others later found out that their relative was being cremated or buried elsewhere, forms were forged and personal items were stolen. Numerous bodies were cremated and ended up being thrown into a mass pit (we don't know the exact number of people who were placed there but 136 families so far, are believed to be connected to suspected victims who were dumped in that mass grave). Payments from families would be taken and then their relatives would be placed in the cheapest of coffins with the cheapest of flowers. A lot of the time, the reason that company was able to get around this was because customers were too upset and wrapped up in a very sad period. At a time of grief, you don't expect families to be thinking straight, it's understandable. 

The person to expose everything about Legacy, was an assistant that worked there and her identity to this very day has to be protected. I remember a few years ago (because this was all exposed fairly recently at the time of writing this, April 2026) when the story first broke on the news, there was the funeral parlour itself and another building connected to Robert Bush that was sealed off to the public and a helpline was put in place. Thousands of concerned relatives who had either dealt with Legacy in the past or were at that time dealing with them, were all frantic. People were worried sick about what was happening or what had happened to the bodies of their deceased loved ones and they couldn't get any answers. The whole case shocked the UK and it's been a very long investigation which finally came to a head this month. Robert Bush pleaded guilty to over 60 charges of misdealing with human remains, fraud, forgery, theft, storing corpses for months on end whilst forcing ridiculous charges to grieving families, blackmailing grieving families, and placing the wrong bodies in coffins for cremation or burial. The whole story with Robert Bush was horrific, what a horrible man who is now waiting to be sentenced. I will of course update when I find out any more news about this. 

I would love to say that the case with Legacy and Robert Bush was an isolated incident but dodgy funeral parlours and shady undertakers is sadly, no uncommon thing. It's really upsetting to think that on top of losing your loved one, you have to be extra careful with which funeral services you select to ensure that your loved one has the send-off that they truly deserve. You want your loved one to be treated with the utmost respect. 

You're probably wondering if the Legacy/Robert Bush story is what the focus of this post is about but it actually isn't, although it is connected. The story I want to share in this post is every bit as heartbreaking and disturbing and to this very day, is unsolved. 

This case comes from San Antonio in Texas, a beautiful young woman by the name of Julie Nicole Mott came into the world on the 15th of August 1989. Her parents Sharlotte and Tim, along with her brother Jon, simply adored her. The family were very close and even more so when Julie was sadly diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. It was touch and go whether Julie would make it through her childhood but like a trooper, she powered through and surprised everybody. Despite the difficulties she had to endure with CF (she spent a lot of time bedridden) she was determined to live her life to the full and one of her greatest passions was horses. Julie adored horses and again demonstrated how remarkable she was because she continued to power through and would take part in show jumping and loved horse riding. Her family couldn't have been more proud of her although they did try to get her to take things easy, Julie was determined to lead as much of a normal life as possible. Julie loved sports and enjoyed swimming too. She was very sociable and had a very tight group of friends who she adored and they adored her. 

I had a childhood friend who had Cystic Fibrosis and I remember him having a lot of time away from school. He seemed to always pick up very bad colds easily and I never really understood what it was all about back then. CF is a genetic condition that causes thick mucus to build up in the body and can make breathing difficult. There is no current cure for CF and it's often diagnosed in infancy where a lot of children sadly pass away due to complications with it, but there can be a more positive outcome as everyone is different. With careful lifestyle management, a lot of people diagnosed with CF can live up to their 30's. 

When my friend was well, he appeared to live a normal life, I remember him running past me one day on the walk home from school. He spent a lot of time at my Dad's house because his brother was best friends with my brother so I was used to seeing him. I moved to England and didn't see him for many years, I was shocked to find out that he had passed away. He was young when he died, he married young and had a child at a young age. Apparently he had known since his childhood that there was always that possibility that he wouldn't make it into adulthood. I find that heartbreaking and my heart goes out to anyone who lives with this disease, to know from a very young age that there's a possibility that you might not make your 30's, it's just too upsetting for words. Julie and her family were always aware of this and it astounds me that Julie, her family and my childhood friend, despite having this daunting situation in the background, they were determined to live life as normal as they could. 

Julie was popular and academically gifted as well as incredible at horse riding, she seemed to have the world at her feet as well as being a stunning looking girl. It's no surprise that a lot of the boys at school had a crush on her. She continued to have as much of a normal life as possible despite the CF becoming troublesome at times, she was always determined to press on. As the years went on she ended up in a six year relationship with a guy named Bill Wilburn. She moved in with him for some time and for a lot of the time in the relationship they were like love's young dream but it soon became clear that things with Bill were beginning to turn a bit sour as he was quite possessive and controlling, he also had his sights set on somebody else. He was very much a have his cake and eat it, type of guy. The pair ended up breaking up because Bill decided to chase after this other person but soon realised he'd made a huge mistake and was determined not to let Julie go. For over two years he practically harassed her, begging and pleading for Julie to take him back but she was not interested. 

Julie was determined to go on about her life and continued to enjoy horse riding, nights out with friends and spending quality time with her family. Sadly, now into her 20's, CF was becoming more and more difficult to deal with. Julie, her family and friends had hoped that this was just another episode and that she would power through like she had always done but things just continued to get worse. It was now clear, at the age of just 25 that Julie needed 24 hours a day professional care in a hospital setting, Nobody gave up hope and she fought and fought with all of her might. With such a traumatic and serious time in the Mott family's lives the last thing anybody needed was the constant harassment from Bill Wilburn. Bill continued to try everything he could to contact Julie in the hospital, he even harassed Julie's family. His constant phone calls would go on all through the night, sometimes up until 4 am. 

On the 8th of August 2015 just shy of her 26th birthday, Julie sadly passed away from complications due to the CF. As you can imagine, everyone was devastated. Her father Tim had arranged for a beautiful service to be held at his former employer's chapel, Mission Parks Funeral Chapel North. The funeral was held on the day that would have been Julie's 26th birthday. The service was beautiful, so many people came to pay their respects to a beautiful talented and incredible young woman who really lived each moment to the best of her ability and achieved so much in her short life. The family being fair and kind, allowed Bill to attend the service to pay his respects and say his final goodbyes to Julie. Bill was beside himself and had noticed that Julie was wearing a ring whilst he was paying his respects to her at the private viewing, He was tearfully happy, telling Julie's mother and brother Jon, ''She's wearing the ring I gave her''. Sharlotte didn't have the heart to tell him that the ring that was on Julie's finger was actually a gift that she had given her. 

As the service rolled on and finally was coming to an end, visitors were starting to leave but for some reason Bill was still hanging around. Some people may say that he was devastated and struggling to come to terms with saying goodbye, so he may have wanted to stay a bit longer. It ended up where he was the last person aside from some members of staff, that was still around when they were beginning to lock everything up. According to one member of staff, they locked the door behind them with Bill. Julie's body remained in the coffin and the lid was placed carefully down and sealed, ready for the next stage, which was the cremation. 

So as heartbreaking as this whole event was, you would expect everything else to go to plan so that Julie's ashes would be returned to her family. Her father Tim had paid a lot of money to make sure that his beloved daughter had the most beautiful service and that the wishes that she had asked for had been fulfilled. Things, however, were to take a deeply disturbing turn. When the staff were preparing to take Julie's body for cremation, they noticed that the coffin looked like it had been tampered with. On closer inspection, it was clear that someone had broken the seals to the coffin and when they opened it fully.....Julie's body was missing. 

Panic set in and the staff searched everywhere thinking she had been placed elsewhere, maybe there was some sort of mix-up and she had already been collected? All hell had broken loose and Julie's family as well as the owner of the funeral chapel, who called himself (and this is serious, not a joke from me) 'Dick Tips'. Apparently this guy's real name was Richard Tips but for some reason he thought it was perfectly ok to be called 'Dick Tips'. He insisted on being called 'Dick Tips'. Anyway, everything about Mr Dick Tips and his funeral chapel began to unravel and it got worse and worse the more information that was revealed. So, there was quite a number of incidences before what happened with Julie. Mix up of bodies at funeral services, people would go to view their loved one and find a completely different person in the coffin. There was an incident where the wrong person was in a coffin at a family service but the deceased unknown person was wearing the same clothes and jewelry that belonged to the actual person that the service was for. So basically they had taken the clothes and personal items off of one deceased person and by accident or sheer laziness, put them on the wrong person. There was reports of thefts, bodies being left in hallways, lack of security. The codes to all of the alarms and private entryways to the building had not been changed in years, which meant that previous employees (of which there were countless over the years) could easily just walk right into the building and help themselves to personal items belonging to deceased people in their coffins. Some people are buried with their wedding rings, expensive watches, sentimental items and sometimes, in designer clothing. The whole thing was a recipe for disaster and utterly terrifying to say the least. 

So Julie's body was now missing, somebody stole this beautiful young woman's body (feels so creepy saying it like that but that's the truth of the situation). All fingers automatically pointed to....you guessed it, the creepy obsessed ex-boyfriend, Bill Wilbur. He claimed to be innocent but his behaviour on the day of the funeral and the constant years of harassment didn't exactly paint him in a good light. To add even more fuel to the fire, Bill wouldn't stay away from the chapel and tried to trespass a few times, harassing and threatening employees. This behaviour was confusing everybody, what was he looking for if he did indeed, remove Julie's body from the chapel? Was he completely innocent and blamed the staff, convinced that they must still have her in there? Or was he looking for items that would help him preserve her remains? (that sounds very disturbing but we have had situations where this has actually happened before). 

Bill's behaviour has continued to throw up red flashing lights, he's so obsessed with talking about himself, talking about Julie, harassing people close to Julie including her brother Jon, who he had the nerve to try and pin the blame on previously. He was arrested at one point and charged with trespassing at the chapel but that's about it. Everybody think's he's responsible and know's where Julie's remains are but nobody can prove it. Julie's body was able to be removed from that chapel in broad daylight with nobody seeing or hearing a thing, no CCTV footage, nothing. No evidence to go on except for the previous and current behaviour of Bill Wilbur.

To this very day, Julie's body has never been found. All of the staff who were working at the time that Julie was taken, have all had lie detector tests and their alibis checked out. The Police still consider Bill Wilbur a person of interest but they can't do much without any proof. Bill has said he was open to having a lie detector test but for some reason this has yet to take place. 

Another detail that came to light was that cremations would often take place at outside contractors and these people, who also knew the codes, could just walk in whenever they felt like it. The whole set-up was an absolute shambles. Julie's family continued to hope that one day the truth would come to light but they still believe that Bill Wilbur is responsible. The family filed a lawsuit against Mr Dick Tips and his shady funeral home and they were awarded $8 million. 

It's an unbelievable and heartbreaking story, all of these years later and Julie has still to be found. Will the truth ever be known? We can only hope but I'm sure you will agree that our hearts and prayers are with the Mott family and Julie herself, who deserves to be laid to rest in a respectful manner, 

RIP Julie, may the truth come to light soon. RIP to all of the deceased who have been mistreated by both of these two horrendous 'establishments'. My heart goes out to Julie's family, to all the families affected and to anyone who is going through the loss of a loved one at this moment. And of course RIP to my childhood friend, Alexander x

Further Reading & Sources:

- Legacy Funeral Home | Court Documents | CPS

- Legacy Funeral Home: Article | Red Lion Chambers

- Robert Bush: Article | The Guardian 

- Robert Bush: Article | BBC News

- Hull, England | Wikipedia

- Julie Mott: Article | KSat News

- Julie Mott | Find A Grave

- Cystic Fibrosis | NHS

- Julie Mott | Reddit Discussion

- Julie Mott: Article | Express News

- Julie Mott: Article | IBT Times

- Julie Mott: Article | ABC13

I know this post was quite disturbing to read but as always, I appreciate that you've made it this far. Your support for my work is much appreciated. Hopefully you will join me in my next post, in the meantime, you can find me on my socials listed here

Take care, until next time....x