Remembering Paula Ream

September 13, 2010 By Alice

Paula Ream

There is still no further information about the person(s) responsible for stealing Paula Ream’s remains and coffin. I did find this article though. It gives you some more information about Paula:

“Paula Ream had cerebral palsy. She loved car rides. She loved music and listening to “American Bandstand,” while sitting in a special chair her parents had made for her. Her three sisters carried her everywhere, as she never walked. She never talked either, but she laughed often.

Cass O’Dell, Fay Hamm and their oldest sister, Shirley Altman, 74, were all married at the time of the death of Paula, who was born 10 years after her next-oldest sister, O’Dell. “I quit school to baby-sit her for my mother,” Hamm said, crying. “She was like my baby.”

Hamm dated her husband, Dick, for several years before they married. He drove a car, which was a treat as the Reams did not own one. “As soon as she heard his footsteps coming in the house, she would laugh and smile,” Hamm said, recalling Paula’s reaction when her sister’s boyfriend would arrive for a date. “She couldn’t speak a word, but she knew she was going to go for a car ride.”Lancaster County Crimestoppers is offering a reward up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the person(s) responsible for the grave robbery. If you have any information that could help investigators, you can contact:

the Lancaster City Bureau of Police at 717-735-3300
Detective Sgt. Gary Mackley at (717) 735-3347, or
the Lancaster City/Lancaster County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-322-1913

Callers can remain anonymous and do not have to give their names.

Related

I am a true crime writer who analyses old, unsolved cases from the pre-DNA era. I try to raise awareness for those cases as they need renewed media attention. I only do research. I leave the active investigation of these cases to professionals.

My posts are about homicides, missing and unidentified people, wrongful convictions, and forensics as related to these cases.

On book reviews: I only review select works of true crime, crime fiction, and historical fiction/mysteries. The stories have to fit my website's theme and research. It remains my prerogative to not review a book.

My database has more than 300 cases listed by the victim’s last name. You will find a brief description there as well. My research and the database will always be free for the public to use. You cannot buy ad space on my website, ever.

All case suggestions that come in by email for writing considerations are added to my to-do list in the order in which they were received. Please be patient as my to-do list is very long. No case gets dropped from those lists and I will get back in touch.

Defrosting Cold Cases is NOT an organization. It is my brainchild.

If you have any questions about my website please check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, the about page, and the tabs in both menu bars. If you still cannot find the answer there, please contact me.

Thank you, Alice de Sturler

Category: ALL POSTS

On March 31, 2016, an evidentiary hearing was held to request touch DNA testing. On July 18, 2016, Judge Whitehead denied that request.

On November 23, 2016, an appeal was filed with the Florida Supreme Court. On April 21, 2017, the Florida Supreme Court denied the request for touch DNA analysis.

On May 8, 2017 a motion for a rehearing with the US Supreme Court was filed. It was denied November 13, 2017.

In the summer of 2019, the appeal for DNA testing to the Florida Conviction Integrity Unit was denied.