Snippet from a Guide for Survivors of Homicide Victims
I grabbed this document off the internet. It’s written for law enforcement, but has a lot of good information in it about what exactly goes into a homicide investigation. If you are advocating for a loved one, it might be helpful to take a look at this document. I know, for me, it gave me […]
The City of Souls
I rented a zippy Ford Fiesta and headed to Holy Cross Cemetery. It’s the oldest and largest cemetery in Colma, California, a small town — population 1,500 — thirty miles south of San Francisco. This was where Patty Vance was buried. I’d located her obituary at the library months ago, but was always too busy […]
What Would You Do?
I can’t help think about what Kris Barbrich said about reaching out to whomever I can to get some attention focused on Patty Vance’s case. Now is no better time to get the word out about cold cases. There are true crime television programs, podcasts, and websites that either highlight or are dedicated to […]
Take Action
If you happen to have a friend or family member who is a cold case, the waiting is one of the most trying aspects. In my case part of how I fill the time waiting to see if Patty’s case moves forward somehow is to take some sort of action. I visited her gravesite and […]
Help Is Available
If you have a friend or family member who is a cold case, chances are that you’ve spoken to law enforcement on one or more occasions. If for any reason you feel that you’d like additional support, I highly recommend seeking out the help of the American Investigative Society of Cold Cases (AISOCC). I can […]
Go Up The Ladder
When I explain to people that I’m writing a memoir about trying get my friend Patty Vance’s cold case dusted off, the responses I get range wildly. My mother couldn’t understand why I would want to write about a subject that would surely be “difficult and painful.” A teacher of mine, a poet I […]
The Cold Case Lottery
It seems that more people than I can count have told me that the chances of my friend’s cold case being solved are next to nil. I know they’re right, but people play the lottery. Maybe I am hoping against hope as the saying goes. Here’s the run-down on the state of cold cases […]
Don’t Quit
Kris Barbrich of the San Francisco Police Department’s Medical Examiner’s office was nice enough to meet with me on a half rainy day back early in May 5, 2017. I had some questions for him about Patricia Vance, but he was unable to tell me much. What he did say that was helpful was that […]
Researching a Cold Case
I thought I’d provide some notes on the steps I took when I initially decided to try to find out if my friends cold case is being given adequate attention. So if there’s anyone out there who’s interested is trying to gather information about a friend or family member who is a cold case I’m […]
Why Did I Start This Blog? By Patty MacDonald
This is the post excerpt.