On December 6, 1974 Rhonda Susan King (22) was found dead close to her home in Detroit, Michigan.
According to police, Rhonda had been sexually assaulted. She had trauma on her head and neck most likely from having been beaten. The papers mentioned an autopsy but I have not found any information about the exact cause of death online.
She was found by someone who came home from work around 3am. They reported a partly dressed body near 13387 Buffalo Street, Detroit. Whether this person has been excluded as a suspect, is unclear.
Rhonda Susan King (1952-1974) was the daughter of Mrs. and Mr. Thomas Pape. I do not know whether her husband, James King, was eliminated as a suspect. Not accusing anyone but partners are the first people the authorities look at for suspects. Then, when they are ruled out, the pool of suspects spreads further.
Kelly, Rhonda’s daughter, still wishes to know what happened to her mother.
There is not a lot online about this case but I will keep digging. As Rhonda does not have a good digital footprint, she is the Case of the Month for June 2022. Please share her story and show Kelly that her mother has not been forgotten.
Gratitude to the Find-A-Grave community.
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In the series “Case of the Month” I highlight old cold cases. These posts are not an in-depth analysis and of course, more information can be found online and in newspaper archives.
We need to get these cases back in the mainstream media, to get people talking again, and if anything, to make sure that we do not forget the victims. Just because their cases are unsolved does not mean that we can forget about them.
With the advances we made in modern forensic sciences, we may have a chance to find clues that previous remained hidden because we didn’t have the technology. Now that we do, let’s review all these old cases once more.
I encourage you to share this post on your own social media platforms. By sharing these posts, the cases reach new networks, new connections, and new online news feeds. Maybe one day these updates will pop up in the right person’s news feed. This may be someone who can actually help advance the case and that is my goal.
Rest in peace, Rhonda Susan King.