Rozlin Rochelle Abell, age 18, and her sister Fawn Marlene Abell, age 15, disappeared from Bethany, Oklahoma on July 25, 1985.
They indicated that they were going out to look for jobs, but did not specify where they planned to look. Her brother recalls hearing one of them on the phone shortly before leaving the home on NW 59th, near Rockwell. He also states that he heard one of them say “Hurry up, they’re waiting for us down the street!” just before walking out the door. It is unknown who the girls were referring to.
One popular theory is that the girls were abducted by serial killer Royal Russell Long. It makes sense, as Long was known for abducting girls in pairs, often by offering them a job working at carnivals and fairs. He also is believed to have abducted Charlotte Kinsey and Cinda Pallett of Oklahoma City in September of 1981. Oklahoma City is not very far from Bethany.
However, after viewing this legal document, it would appear that Long was in custody in Wyoming when Rozlin and Fawn Abell went missing. Eerily, though, he WAS in the Oklahoma City area not long after. According to the document, he was extradited from Wyoming (where he was serving time for the kidnapping of Sharon Baldeagle and her friend) to Oklahoma City “on or about August 9, 1985” to stand trial for the kidnapping of Charlotte Kinsey and Cinda Pallett. He was acquitted, and transported back to Wyoming. So, while everything ELSE adds up, I think the fact that he was incarcerated rules out this theory.
Rozlin and Fawn’s half-sister did an audio interview with another missing person’s site, the video can be found here. (It is almost 20 minutes in length, so be sure you have a little time to listen.) This half-sister is older than Rozlin and Fawn. She has the same father as the missing girls, but a different mother. She believes that their father may have had some involvement in their disappearance. She claims that he was very abusive, and that she herself was kidnapped by their father at a very young age. Their father is now deceased.
According to a news article, a family member who wished to remain anonymous contacted police and asked if any remains matching the girls were found at the Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge at Lake Overholser. No such remains have been reported. (UPDATE: Although the article states the family member wished to remain anonymous, the accompanying video interview with the detective clearly states that this family member was the brother of the missing girls. This was not a tip, but an attempt by their brother to follow up. In response to this call, the detective, who was unfamiliar with the case, searched for a report, only finding one on Fawn. Both girls were believed to be missing voluntarily at the time, and since Rozlin was an adult, no report was filed on her.)
In researching this case, I came across another blog, in which some comments were left. As always, comments like these are always considered unverified, but interesting and possibly true nonetheless.
There is a comment from someone claiming to be the grandchild of Royal Russell Long, but more pertinent is an anonymous comment that reads: “We all want this solved. Fawn did call home. I wonder if there would be phone records. I’ll call the dective [sic]”
Did Fawn really call home after their disappearance? It’s possible. It sounds, from their sister’s interview, like they had plenty of reasons to run away. But, then, where are they? Would they have gone this long without contacting their siblings, even after finding that their father had died? Would they have changed their names and adopted completely new identities? There has been no activity on Rozlin’s social security number since July 1985.
There are a few possibilities here. It’s been said that the two sisters were known to hitchhike. I wonder who they spoke with on the phone before they left. There were no cellular phones in 1985, so if they were waiting down the street, it would suggest that there was a location down the street with a pay phone, or that the person(s) they were meeting lived down the street. Or, I guess they could have made arrangements previously to meet at a “down the street” location at a certain time, but if that were the case, and someone was supposed to pick them up, why not just come pick them up at the house? (UPDATE: In the same video referenced above, the detective adds “at the corner” to the end of “They’re waiting for us down the street”) Looking at Google street view, the entire street appears to be residential; I didn’t see any location where a pay phone would have been.
On a side note, there is a Facebook page for Rozlin and Fawn. Per a newspaper article, it was set up by their friend, Michelle Caudle. Michelle stated in the article that she had lived with the Abells for a time during her childhood. She described Rozlin as a “spitfire”, and having a short temper, while Fawn was more mellow. I noticed that the page had not been updated in a couple years, and wondered why, when it had been regularly posted to in the past. I found that Michelle Caudle died in December 2015. RIP Michelle, and thank you for all you did to help find these missing girls.
Above: Fawn Abell
Sources:
If you’d like to support the efforts of Whereabouts Still Unknown, please use the links below. Donations are not expected, but are greatly appreciated and will help the site continue!
Whereabouts Still Unknown 