Case Details

Photo URLs:

This person was missing Missing Since 05/17/1979

Missing Since:

Missing Since 05/17/1979

Missing From:

Missing From Modesto, California

Classification:

Classification Endangered Missing

Gender:

Female

Race:

Race White

Date of Birth:

Date of Birth 04/20/1925 (99)

Age:

Age 57 years old

Height and Weight:

Height and Weight 5’2, 130 pounds

Clothing/Jewelry Description:

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Watkins has surgical scars on her lower torso. She wears eyeglasses with dark-colored plastic frames.

Details of Disappearance:

In May 1979, a nurse named Watkins disappeared from Modesto, California. She was last seen packing her car by her roommate. Before disappearing, she told friends she was leaving town, giving different reasons each time. She claimed she was moving in with her daughter in San Jose, but the daughter knew nothing about this plan. Watkins had recently sold her house for $28,000 cash, which she said she’d invest.

Two days later, her empty car was found. Days after that, her daughter received a letter saying she’d run off to get married. She was never seen or heard from again.

Police suspect James Toliver in Watkins’ disappearance, as well as several other missing women: Hester Chandler (missing since 1974), Jacqueline Cooper (missing since 1976), and Toliver’s own wife, Patricia (missing since 1978). Toliver, a gambler, was found dead of a heart attack in 1980 near Lake Tahoe. He had $98,000 in cash and a gun; a mile away, a woman named Florence Richina was found murdered, also with $98,000 missing from her bank account. Richina’s belongings were later found in Toliver’s home. There were rumors of a marriage between Richina and Toliver, but no proof existed.

While there’s no direct evidence linking Watkins to Toliver, the similarities in their cases and Watkins’ involvement in the dating scene make him a suspect. Police believe foul play was involved in all these disappearances.

Agency:

Modesto Police Department

Source Links: