The Cold Case of Eleanor C. Parker (December 6, 1962 – missing Nov 10, 1981) is in need of more attention.
Eleanor Parker (18) graduated from Lee High School, had moved into an apartment with three other (female) roommates, and planned to attend Louisiana State University (LSU). She was last seen at her parents’ house on November 10, 1981. Since then she’s been missing. Police suspect foul play.
Her case was entered into NamUs on February 8, 2009. The file number is NamUs MP #1569. Her physical descriptions are listed as white, dark blond hair, and blue eyes. She was approx. 5’5″ and 115 lbs. Her dental records and DNA are on file. There are no known distinctive body features.
The last confirmed sighting was a visit to her parents’ home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on November 10, 1981. During that visit, Eleanor packed some winter clothes before heading back to her apartment. She never arrived there.
I wonder if Eleanor ever complained to either of these three roommates about being followed. Did she ever tell them that she was afraid? Were these three women cleared as suspects? In fact, who reported Eleanor missing? I have not found that online. After what time was she reported missing? Was Eleanor already active on the LSU campus? Had she met older students? Was she already part of any sorority or club?
After reading what is available in the public domain about Eleanor’s case I started to wonder more and more about her car and its content.
Eleanor worked as a store clerk at Goudchaux’s (a retail store). On November 18, 1981, Eleanor’s car was found at an apartment complex near her work. It seems to imply that she might have been taken while going to or coming from work. However, unless we know who last drove that car it might as well have been a clever ploy to just make us believe that.
If this car is still preserved (and I highly doubt it) it should be tested with the M-Vac for touch DNA on the interior.
Did Eleanor always park her car at that apartment complex when she went to work? If so, why did she not park directly near the store? Was that not possible? I have not found any information about this online. Also, if she always parked at the apartment complex it means that she had a routine. If someone was watching her that routine would have been one of her weak spots.
Online I found that a former female classmate (I assume from Lee High School) claimed that she had spoken to Eleanor on November 14, 1981, at the Cortana Mall. If this is true why did it take until the 18 to find her car? This goes back to the point when Eleanor was reported missing.
If she was reported missing right on the 10 the gap with the 18 is beyond belief. If someone goes missing the most logical places to look for them (or their means of transportation) are around the house, work, school, sport’s club, etc. Even if Eleanor was reported missing around the 14 then finding the car on the 18 is just as incomprehensible. It only confirms my belief that the car was left there by someone else.
Another detail that I do not understand is this: Eleanor was last seen completely dressed in maroon. Reportedly she wore a maroon colored plaid skirt, a maroon colored blouse, a maroon colored blazer, and maroon colored suede boots. The before mentioned friend who allegedly saw Eleanor on November 14, 1981, at the mall told the authorities that Eleanor was dressed that day in a gray Lee High football shirt (with a blue football in the center), jeans, and maroon boots. Now bear with me.
Was the maroon outfit found at her apartment? Was it in her car? Why do I wonder? Combine it with this piece of information: while visiting her parents, Eleanor had packed winter clothes. According to some news articles she had “tossed the clothes on the seat of her car and drove off in the direction of her apartment.” Who said or saw that Eleanor tossed them into her car? And where did she toss them? Seat or trunk?
When her car was found, there were “neatly folded clothes in the trunk.” Only, no news article describes whether those neatly folded clothes were the clothes she had picked up at her parents’ house or, if it was the complete maroon outfit in which she was last seen or, if it involved the more casual outfit the friend described who allegedly saw Eleanor in the mall. These details matter.
Ask yourself this too: how can clothes be neatly stacked and remain neatly stacked if that car was driven from the parents’ house to the spot where it was ultimately found? The driving would have caused the neat stacks to shift unless the clothes were packed into some sort of bag or otherwise held in place. Were any bags found in the trunk or elsewhere in the car?
Either way, if there were bags (and they are properly preserved) the handles should be checked for touch DNA as well as the folding creases of those neatly stacked clothes.
There is more online about this case. I have listed a few resources that I used for this post below. More will be posted later. For now, if you have any information in this case, please contact the Baton Rouge Police Department at 225-389-8617 or 225-389-3844. Agency Case Number: 83799-81. There is also a reward in place.
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Resources: