A Sister Forever

In the world of missing and unidentified a blessing is often a curse. Often in working with the family members of the missing you grow close to them and you feel their pain. I do not know how it is possible to transfer the feeling of loss from one soul to another, but it is just that.

One person whom I have grown very fond of over the past few years is Laura Allen Hood of Arkansas. I met her in person only once, shared hours on the phone and exchanged a zillion e-mails. Her search for her brother has become my own as well.

Gathering Fragments of Data
Laura's brother, Anthony Ross Allen has been missing since 1978 -- vanished at the age of 16. Laura has done just about everything imaginable to find her brother. All the proper reports have been filed to no avail thus far.

In 1996 a tornado destroyed a records storage facility and valuable records were lost, hindering the ability to look back for clues when the case was re-opened in 2004.

Originally his disappearance was looked at as a runaway situation. Weeks turned into months and month into years...many years. Tony would be in his mid 40's by now. A fact that is hard for the family to wrap their minds around. How could they even imagine him aged past 16 years old? My oldest son is now 16, the mere thought of being in the shoes of the Allen family makes my heart skip a beat.

A Tough Possibility
Of course it's the hope of everyone with a missing loved one to find them somewhere alive and well. But could "Tony" be among the unidentified deceased?

There were possible matches for Tony -- like a John Doe found in Matagorda County, Texas. Both Tony and John Doe are listed on the Doe Network and hopefully soon to be included in the NamUs system.

The Texas John Doe originally caught Laura's eye because the date that he was found and the physical description matched. But, not having any reason to think he would have been in that area of the country, and the estimated age on his file, she did not pursue it as a possible match immediately.

Later on, Laura got word that Tony "might" have gone to Texas. This turned her attention once more to the Matagorda County John Doe. She soon also found out from the medical examiner that the original estimated age on file for the John Doe was wrong, and he was no older than 20. That made it seem even more possible. The next step -- a DNA comparison between the two.

See the Texas Department of Public Safety's listing and picture for Matagorda John Doe -- also copied below:

Case Number: U8708004
Agency: Matagorda County Sheriff's Office
Date Found: 6/28/1980
Estimated Date of Death: 6 - 18 months
Cause of Death: Unknown
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: 23 - 28 (verbally revised - no more than 20 years old)
Height: 5' 11" - 6' 1"
Weight: 120 lbs. - 140 lbs.
Eye Color: Unknown
Hair Color: Brown
State Found: Texas
Country Found: USA
Clothing: Blue jeans, T-shirt with "Old Fords Never Die" on it and glasses.

Mis-Match
The match between Tony Allen and Matagorda John Doe were ruled out by DNA after several agonizing months. So the family still seeks the whereabouts of Tony -- and now Matagorda John Doe has become part of their quest as well.

Laura states,Though he was not a match for Tony, or our family, but the good thing that came out of that long wait, is knowing that because we did that, that young man's DNA is now entered into CODIS, and if his family goes that route, if they choose to go that route, they'll get a match.

See the vital statistics for Anthony "Tony" Ross Allen -- also copied below:

Date of Birth: February 7, 1962
Age at Time of Disappearance: 16 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 6'1" - 6'2"; 135 lbs
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Marks, Scars: Small mole on his cheek close to his nose
A cyst on his calf and water on the knee
Dentals: Available
DNA: Available
Clothing: Wore Levi jeans, size 28x34 (or 35)
Shoe size 10.5 or 11

Lifetime Commitment
Laura once described her search as "facing ghosts from the past" -- a haunting that has been a part of her entire adult life. She still looks twice at strangers that remind her of Tony, still hoping for a miracle.

Though DNA has ruled out any genetic connection between Anthony Allen and the Texas John Doe, and they are not circumstantially related, Laura will keep both together in her heart and on her mind. Far from giving up -- the search continues -- a sister forever.

Someone out there holds the key(s) to these two cases, will you help turn that key and unlock the mystery?

If you have any information on the topics I post, then please leave me a comment, email me at SleuthTheTruth@gmail.com or call my Tip Line at 206-279-9993.
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