Posted in South Dakota
November 21, 2017
The Heartbreaking Case That Was Solved 40 Years After Two Girls Went Missing In South Dakota
On May 19, 1971, two girls were on their way to a party when they disappeared without a trace. More than 40 years passed without any solid leads. Finally, in 2013 this case was solved. Take a look:
Cheryl and Pamella were good girls who didn't drink or use drugs, and they didn't typically attend parties on the weekends. On this night, they'd heard about a party at a local quarry and decided it might be fun.
Cheryl was driving her grandmother's car, a 1960 Studebaker Lark. Along the way, the boys took a wrong turn. By the time they got back onto the right road, the girls were no longer behind them. They figured that the girls had changed their minds and headed home. It turned out that those boys were the last people to see Cheryl and Pamella alive.
Police, family members and volunteers searched tirelessly for weeks, hoping to find some sign of the girls or the car. They had vanished without a trace.
Police, family members and volunteers searched tirelessly for weeks, hoping to find some sign of the girls or the car. They had vanished without a trace.
The car contained two bodies, and officials quickly identified Cheryl Miller and Pamella Jackson.
It might seem strange that the car would go unnoticed for so long in the creek, but it's actually not that unusual. In rural areas, it was common practice back then to submerge old cars or farm equipment along the banks of the creek to combat erosion. The sight of a sunken car would not have aroused suspicion.
Also, when the accident first took place, the car may not have been visible. In September, 2013, a drought left Brule Creek's waters much lower than normal, which may have led to the car's tires being visible when the fisherman found it.
Also, when the accident first took place, the car may not have been visible. In September, 2013, a drought left Brule Creek's waters much lower than normal, which may have led to the car's tires being visible when the fisherman found it.
One of the tires had very low tread, and police speculate that a blown or flat tire may have caused the girls to swerve off the road. Or, they may have had poor visibility out there in the dark, with dust kicking up from the car in front of them, and simply missed a curve in the road.
Pamella Jackson's father never gave up looking for her. He often drove along the rural roads near the quarry, looking for signs of the missing Studebaker. He died in 2013, just five days before the car was found.
Pamella Jackson's father never gave up looking for her. He often drove along the rural roads near the quarry, looking for signs of the missing Studebaker. He died in 2013, just five days before the car was found.
Take a look at this news conference from April, 2014, posted by AP Archive on YouTube:
Do you remember this heartbreaking case?
South Dakota has certainly suffered its share of tragedies. Just one year after the disappearance of Cheryl Miller and Pamella Jackson, there was a devastating flood in Rapid City.
