The recent statements by officials that no evidence was found in the Busch residence on Morningview Terrace in Bloomfield Village, MI, overlook the fact that the Montmorency Sheriff received a phone call on March 19, 1977, that Chris Busch was at the family cottage at Ess Lake (near Atlanta, MI) with young boys. Given the description of the call in police reports, the caller knew Busch was not to be in the presence of minors and was very concerned. Tim was missing from March 16 to 22. There should have been a search of the cottage in addition to the residence.
I am told the MSP would only search one location. The residence seemed the best bet because of what was found in the closet in the suicide photos (ligatures on the floor), as well as the drawing of the screaming boy all agree looks frighteningly like Mark Stebbins the first child known to have been kidnapped and murdered by these people. (Yes, I think more than one person was involved.) It also seemed like the best bet for finding dog hairs.
FOIA documents 01247-48 are from the FBI report on the 4-22-08 interview of Chris’ older brother, Charles Nels Busch. He advised the FBI that his parents had a Welsh Terrier with white hair, named “Tabitha,” that was at their house at the time of Chris’s alleged suicide.
Chris had his own dog, “Sam,” a light tan-colored Ibizan Hound Dog. According to Charles, Chris had brought Sam back from an island off the coast of Spain. This dog was also at the residence where Chris Busch was found dead. In fact, Sam and Tabitha were the dogs barking inside the locked home who alerted the maid on that fateful Monday morning that something was amiss. Charles advised that after Chris’ death, the parents took care of both dogs, that he didn’t know what happened to the dogs but that his parents were not the type to bury dead dogs in the backyard.
In this same report, Charles advised that Chris drove a small Chevrolet Vega “which was light brown or tan in color.” [Many other notations in the FOIA documents indicate it was in fact a blue Vega with a white pinstripe.] Charles “also believes Chris likely had another vehicle since he recalled the Vega as being an old car.” Chris also had a Triumph Bonneville motorcycle. [FBI Report dated 4-22-08, pages 57-58, FOIA pages 01246-47.]
Cathy, I’m pretty sure that some time back you wrote something to the effect that you thought this was the work of one person. That you didn’t want to look at the possibility that a group or club had perpetrated all these kidnappings and deaths. Well, whatever, I just want to say that my gut absolutely tells me that a number of people were involved. A pedophile club, if you will. And each had every reason to cover for each other. I work in an area where I am likely to rub elbows with adults who are in the act of kidnapping. LE estimates that there are quite a few ped rings in operation right now. And my opinion is that this evil “hobby” started to get big right after the indulgent 60s. I think Catholic pedophile priests are pivotal members.
Regarding your above post, wasn’t Busch spotted with kids at Ess Lake way before his suicide? Why in the hell would LE not check it out then? And when all was said and done why in the hell would they not check EVERY residence, EVERY location, EVERY auto for evidence? Makes me scream. I’m not expecting you to answer these inexplicable questions. I’m just royally pissed off.
Hi bitamoney–when I mentioned the possibility of it being only one person, this was my thought pre-2006 because I couldn’t fathom more than one person knowing and the word not eventually getting out. More players–more chance of someone talking. Turned out I was very, very wrong.
I pondered why a fat, rich dude would pack himself into a scrawny, aluminum block engine surrounded by thin tin-thus is the Vega. Named after a constellation, or something like that, and transported like sardines on the railway much like the Jews headed to Auschwitz.
Better options were available from Chevrolet at the time, and no doubt at little or no cost to the son of a GM executive.
Ex: Camaro, Malibu, Corvette, Monza,Nova, etc.
He apparently read a lot because a lot of books are everywhere in the photos. One would think he’d be smart. However, all his friends were not. Or, were some smarter than others and all that is told is about the dumber ones?
Did they check his work schedule? Where was he during the abductions? The reason I wonder is it sounds like they could care less for the names of the children they were abusing and to not know their names wouldn’t be unusual.
Cathy, thanks for the video.
2 questions i have so far as i have only watched half of it.
Any connections between harold lee busch or larry bugress t
Ok i got cut off mid question.
Any connections between harold lee busch and larry burgress and the pedofile group off that island in north michigan?
I am starting to see harold lee busch in a different light. He might have been high up in all this stuff going on back in the 70’s. part of the money and power play issues. Didnt he send chris to that island?
Was sue bugress a lawyer for any of those sickos too?
When i look it up larry bugress started practicing in 1975. And now is a judge in potosky. Which is up near ess lake and such near that island too.
Now is a judge in Petosky? Great, he needs to give a deposition.
Cathy, an observation and additional reading of Dagner’s blog has left me wondering:
An art dealer was murdered in the area. The sketch on Busch’s wall was unframed. The closet (if it’s the one in the Busch home and not the cottage) is so far out of the scheme of things in the home his body was found and the flowery comforter on the floor looks odd. Was he in the midst of re-decorating? Who has 4 chairs in a bedroom? Looks staged. Even the photo in the kitchen appears staged and seems to spotlight the lazy-susan. The photographer may do advertising shots.
The conspiracy angle seems to keep only those in law enforcement and journalists in the loop. All others are willing victims. The paranoia intended to produce leads? Perhaps gossip?
Even Dagner only focuses on poor, poor John-jilted from an engagement, unwed, photographed near a crime scene, lives near parents, two passports, great at drawing maps, and willing to be grilled by her. Interesting enough, the map she draws appears to make a “Z” between John’s house and Busch’s. She even shows a piece of missing art work in his window years later.
She did mention she only wanted to write about serial killers. What did everyone else want to happen?
Later, John was burglarized. Some books were pawned at the Artists Book Store. (Who pawns books?) Was this burglary a ruse to investigate further into his “serial killer” mind?
How many in the area the children were murdered were burglarized? Did crime increase after these murders or decrease?
Jill Robinson (or Mehilich) was spotted with some bad looking dudes. Busch wasn’t mentioned. They were described as biker types.
Leaves me wondering if these murders weren’t contracted to garner information in the area.
Thinker Belle–The art dealer you mention is John McKinney. I haven’t even scratched the surface of what we have learned about him, but I will get to it. The photos of Chris Busch’s alleged suicide scene are from the parents’ house in Bloomfield Village, not the cottage. Yes, the photos are very bizarre if you look at them closely. Yet another blog entry, I’m afraid. Was John Hastings’ apartment burglarized and were his books pawned? Debatable. It was Jane Allen, age 14, who was last seen with bikers. She was abducted on August 7, 1976 (a Saturday), in Royal Oak, MI. Her body was found three days later in a river near Miamisburg, OH. Her murder occurred in between the murders of Mark Stebbins (2/76) and Jill Robinson (12/76), but was never really linked to the OCCK crimes (which of course means nothing).
It’s that weird letter that gets me. It’s as if they are trying to turn it into the Zodiac case in California. The bodies found near road signs. The kidnappings taking place near holidays or found near the time of a season change. Did anyone look at an old farmers almanac to see if the killer(s) may have predicted the snowfall? It almost smells as if they are hosting their own script.
The nursing home where Busch worked (or at least hung out) may have been under contract for prints or other furnishings as most are.That’s why I’m curious. Some people like to be around older people to hunt down antiquities, or at least broaden their information about them.
But, stealing books from Hastings. I found that rather strange. Most steal electronics, tools, firearms, perhaps records or 8-track tapes back then, but books? Unless he had a copy of something banned in America at the time-much like the Butcher Block Baby album cover the Beatles produced.
After reading some of her posts, I was reminded of a guy that lived near a woman I visited often. Most thought him queer he hadn’t married yet and was afraid for him…always trying to push him into their mold of what they thought he should be. He did marry, eventually, but the gossip lingered. And, cops often marry strange, delusional women (I’ve noticed) which explains why many have been divorced many times.
To keep the information on these murders to themselves appears to be a cottage industry in and of itself.
The only crime scene photo I’ve seen is the partially blacked out bedroom picture. Please tell me where I can see what you saw. Thank you.
I will have to post them.