Still Missing: Rethinking the D.B. Cooper Case and Other Mysterious Unsolved Disappearances (3 page)

The month of November was gut-wrenching for the Lepsy family. There were no savings to tap into, so money was very tight. Jackie was depressed and heartbroken, making it very hard to get out of bed at times. The children were still in shock and dealing with the loss of their father in their own individual ways. Thanksgiving rolled around, and sister Suzanne came to Grayling with her new husband, Nino, and helped Jackie and the kids with dinner. Not only was Dick’s quirky personality and sense of humor missed, but also his delicious cooking. Everybody did their best to go through the motions, but it was extremely difficult to function.

Christmas came and went, still no Dick Lepsy. There were a few presents under the tree, though, provided by friends and neighbors who were aware of the Lepsy’s circumstance. Inch by inch and day by day, the Lepsy family picked themselves up and trudged on through life. They were getting acclimated to the idea that Dick may not be around for a while, but it was never easy. He was in their thoughts every day.

The years went by, and there was never any contact from Dick. The family speculated about his fate, heard rumors, asked questions, and most of all, learned to move on. Life stops for no one, especially the Lepsy clan. The children, all blessed with their father’s intellect and mother’s dogged determination, excelled at school, sports, and whatever else they set their minds to.

Jackie and the children continued to visit Dick’s family in Chicago, and his mother and sisters would sometimes visit Grayling. Every time they all got together, a discussion concerning “what happened to Richie?” was started. It always ended the same way, with eyes cast downward shrugs and slowly shaking heads. There were no answers.

On her lawyer’s advice, Jackie divorced the absentee Dick, and seven years after his disappearance, had him declared dead. If he was alive, she reasoned, he would at least try to contact his mother, who he adored, or his sisters, or at the very least, his children. The courts agreed and a death certificate was issued. Armed with the death certificate, Jackie filed life insurance claims against Dick’s life insurance policies, hoping to collect the money to help alleviate some the financial burden of raising four children alone.

The life insurance companies were less than cooperative in paying a settlement on Jackie’s claim. The insurance companies reasoned that if Jackie couldn’t provide a body, then she couldn’t really prove Dick was dead.

Daughter Lisa left home in 1975, at age 17, because everything in their house reminded her of her dad. There was a pervasive sadness there, an emptiness. Lisa found herself drowning in drugs and alcohol. At age 19, she decided to “straighten up” and went to college at Michigan State University, in East Lansing.

Around that time, Lisa received a letter from a friend, who recently had become a born-again Christian. The letter said “God wants you to know that you still have a father, you have a father in heaven. And even though you have lost your earthly father, you still have a father that cares about you.” Because of that letter, Lisa became a believer, a Christian, born again, just as her friend was.

Not long after this life-altering epiphany, Lisa developed a sense of forgiveness. She thought, “If you left, I forgive you. If something horrible happened to you, I hope you’re in your heavenly home.” Lisa is still hoping that one day God will give her the answers she is looking for.

Meanwhile, the insurance companies dug their heels in and court battles ensued. Jackie was ordered to give depositions regarding her knowledge of the facts of the case, and in her testimony, she not only gave tremendous insight into her knowledge of the case, but also a look into her personal life and thoughts.

On August 28, 1979, Jacqueline S. Lepsy was called to testify in the State of Michigan Circuit Court for the County of Crawford. She was being questioned concerning her claim on Dick’s life insurance. The following transcript is from the actual questioning during the deposition.

ATTORNEY: Tell us, please, your name.

JACKIE: Jacqueline S. Lepsy.

ATTORNEY: And where do you live, please?

JACKIE: 405 Maple Street here in Grayling.

ATTORNEY: Now, how old are you?

JACKIE: I’ll be 43 on the 20th of October of this year.

ATTORNEY: Now, are you presently married?

JACKIE: No, I’m not.

ATTORNEY: Were you married at one time?

JACKIE: Yes, I was.

ATTORNEY: To whom were you married?

JACKIE: To Robert R. Lepsy

ATTORNEY: And when were you married to Mr. Lepsy

JACKIE: I was married March 15th, 1955.

ATTORNEY: And whereabouts were you married?

JACKIE: In Chicago, Illinois.

ATTORNEY: Now, after you were married to Mr. Lepsy, did you continue to reside in Chicago.

JACKIE: No, only for a year.

ATTORNEY: And then where did you go?

JACKIE: Then we moved back here to Grayling.

ATTORNEY: To Grayling.

JACKIE: Uh-huh

ATTORNEY: Were you originally a Grayling girl?

JACKIE: Yes.

ATTORNEY: Born here?

JACKIE: Raised here, yes.

ATTORNEY: And lived here most of your life?

JACKIE: Yes.

ATTORNEY: Now, Mr. Lepsy, was he a native of this area?

JACKIE: No, he was a native of Chicago.

ATTORNEY: And, after you moved up from Chicago, did he continue to live here with you?

JACKIE: Yes, he did.

ATTORNEY: Now, what was Mr. Lepsy’s occupation after you married him?

JACKIE: He worked in grocery stores. He worked as a stock clerk. And then he went to a produce manager, and then he was a store manager.

ATTORNEY: Now, during your marriage to Mr. Lepsy, were children born to this union?

JACKIE: Yes, four.

ATTORNEY: What is the name, and how old is the oldest child, if living?

JACKIE: Richard. He’ll be 23 in November.

ATTORNEY: And where does Richard reside?

JACKIE: He resides in Norfolk, Virginia, in the Navy.

ATTORNEY: How long has he been away from home?

JACKIE: On, five years. Five years in August.

ATTORNEY: And the second child’s name?

JACKIE: Lisa.

ATTORNEY: And how old is Lisa?

JACKIE: Lisa will be 22 in November.

ATTORNEY: Is Lisa married?

JACKIE: No, Lisa’s going to college.

ATTORNEY: And where does she go to college?

JACKIE: In Lansing.

ATTORNEY: And has she been away from home—how long?

JACKIE: This is her third year down there.

ATTORNEY: And your third child?

JACKIE: David.

ATTORNEY: Is how old?

JACKIE: He’ll be 20 in December.

ATTORNEY: And where does he reside?

JACKIE: David resides in Grayling, but he hasn’t lived home for a year.

ATTORNEY: Is he married?

JACKIE: No, he isn’t

ATTORNEY: And the fourth child?

JACKIE: Christopher, who was 17 in March, who will be a senior in high school and is still living at home.

ATTORNEY: Now, during the marriage or at the present time, have you pursued any avocation or—rather a vocation where you have earned money contributed to the support of your family?

JACKIE: Yes.

ATTORNEY: As a what, please?

JACKIE: I was just a clerk here at the courthouse. And then I worked as a cocktail waitress for about three months. I couldn’t stand that anymore, so I went away to college. And I became an LPN, a licensed practical nurse. That was five years ago last December that I graduated.

ATTORNEY: And where are you employed?

JACKIE: At Mercy Hospital here in Grayling.

ATTORNEY: And you have been at Mercy how long?

JACKIE: Oh, it will be ten years next spring.

ATTORNEY: Did you work elsewhere prior to working at Grayling Mercy Hospital.

JACKIE: That’s the only hospital I’ve ever worked at.

ATTORNEY: Now, you’re on a regular salary basis?

JACKIE: Yes, I am.

ATTORNEY: And could you tell me, please, roughly what your salary is?

JACKIE: I make $5.71 an hour.

ATTORNEY: Do you work a forty hour week?

JACKIE: Yes, I do.

ATTORNEY: Now, directing your attention to the year of 1969. You were living here in Grayling at the time with your husband and children?

JACKIE: Yes, I was, at the present address.

ATTORNEY: Would you describe for us, please, your husband’s conduct at that time, his way of living?

JACKIE: He was just a regular working man. He used to put in his hours and come home, take a nap, eat his dinner, watch a little TV, go to bed. He had a motorcycle that he used to ride occasionally. We used to go out maybe once a week to a movie, have a drink.

ATTORNEY: Were you working at that time?

JACKIE: I didn’t work the whole time we were married.

ATTORNEY: Now, you have four children. And, in 1969, is it correct he was a store manager?

JACKIE: That’s correct.

ATTORNEY: For a store here in Grayling?

JACKIE: That’s correct.

ATTORNEY: What store?

JACKIE: Glen’s Market.

ATTORNEY: Now, was his salary—that was the only source of income you had?

JACKIE: That’s right.

ATTORNEY: Was that adequate to take care of your financial needs of the family?

JACKIE: It was fairly adequate. It was as adequate as a normal, middle-class family’s income is. You can always use a little more money, you know, but you get along.

ATTORNEY: Now, were you renting or buying a home at that time?

JACKIE: We were buying our home.

ATTORNEY: And are you still living in the home?

JACKIE: Yes, I am.

ATTORNEY: And are you still purchasing the home?

JACKIE: The home is paid for.

ATTORNEY: And how large a home is it, please?

JACKIE: Well, it has three bedrooms and a dining room and a living room and a kitchen and a small bath and a full basement.

ATTORNEY: Garage?

JACKIE: No garage.

ATTORNEY: Now, do you have any idea of its present value?

JACKIE: No, I don’t.

ATTORNEY: Where is it located, please? Does it have a street number?

JACKIE: 405 Maple Street.

ATTORNEY: Now, do you recall what you paid for the home?

JACKIE: It was either sixty-five or seventy-five hundred dollars, and I can’t remember which.

ATTORNEY: And about when did you start purchasing it?

JACKIE: We started to purchase it in September of ’67 or ’68. I’m not sure, I can’t remember.

ATTORNEY: Now, in ’69, were you having any trouble in making these house payments?

JACKIE: No.

ATTORNEY: Were you having any trouble with making any other time payments for the purchase of anything else or general bills, doctor bills, anything like that?

JACKIE: No, we usually—sometimes we were late, you know, but we usually made our payments okay.

ATTORNEY: Now, how would you describe your husband’s health in the year of 1969?

JACKIE: I guess he was a normally healthy 33-year-old man. He’d had a couple of surgeries prior, but he was fine.

ATTORNEY: What about his mental state at that time? Did he ever appear despondent or make threats as to what he might or might not do?

JACKIE: On occasion he was despondent.

ATTORNEY: And what would lead to his despondency? Do you know or remember?

JACKIE: I think it was just a combination of things, his job, and a family, and just normal everyday aggravations.

ATTORNEY: Well, are you suggesting your family life was not a happy life?

JACKIE: Not at all.

ATTORNEY: What do you mean “Combination of job and family”?

JACKIE: Well, you have the responsibility, you know, when you’re married and you have a family. You’re totally responsible for the welfare and well-being for that family. And sometimes I think that probably can—I know it’s a burden. I’ve had it for ten years.

ATTORNEY: Did your husband have difficulty accepting these responsibilities?

JACKIE: No more than normal.

ATTORNEY: Now, directing your attention to October—29, is it?

JACKIE: Yes.

ATTORNEY: --October 29 of 1969. What do you recall about that particular day?

JACKIE: Well, it started out like any other day. I went to work. Dick went to work. Then he called me at noon and said that—he said “Can you get a ride home for lunch, because I won’t be coming home for lunch?” And I said “Yes. Don’t worry about it.” And he said “Fine. I’m just going to go for a ride.” I said “Fine.” He said “I’ll see you at suppertime. I love you.” I said “I love you, too. See you at supper.”

ATTORNEY: Did he come home for supper that night?

JACKIE: No, he did not.

ATTORNEY: What did you do then?

JACKIE: Well, I waited.

ATTORNEY: And then what?

JACKIE: Well, since that time, I have never seen or heard anything of him.

ATTORNEY: You had no more communication with him?

JACKIE: No.

ATTORNEY: Did he give you any indication as to where he might go that day?

JACKIE: No.

ATTORNEY: I understand that he reportedly made a telephone call to someone from Traverse City at the store; is that correct?

JACKIE: That could be correct. I never had any communication with Glen’s Market on anything.

ATTORNEY: On anything?

JACKIE: No.

ATTORNEY: Now, did he have the family car with him?

JACKIE: No, he had the company car.

ATTORNEY: The company car. Do you know anything about where that was found?

JACKIE: I understand that it was found at the Traverse City Airport.

ATTORNEY: You had nothing to do with that?

JACKIE: I did—I was with the people that found it.

ATTORNEY: You were with them?

JACKIE: Yes.

ATTORNEY: Now, why did you go to Traverse City, which is some fifty miles away, when your husband didn’t appear?

JACKIE: Well, because a lady from the store had said that he had called from Traverse City. And this other friend of his and mine, the couple; the other friend worked at the store; and he said—we looked all over Traverse City. That was the last place looked, you know, was the airport. And so we just looked at the airport.