Who Is Buckskin Girl?

Among the unidentified deceased, there is a young woman whose remains were found along Route 55, in Miami County, Ohio. It was 1981, and she was found within a couple of days of her death. An artist reconstructed her image, and she got some media coverage, but none of the leads that were generated led to her identification. She was dubbed "Buckskin Girl" because of the her braids, and because of the handmade suede poncho with a purple lining she wore.

So who was this young woman, and how did she end up on a highway in Ohio? We will see if the cards can help answer those questions. I chose a horoscope layout for this reading.

In the first house, of ego and temperament, we get the Page of Pentacles. This describes a youngish person who is studious when it comes to learning, and who may have had a message or information for someone. Next, in the second house, of money and possessions, we have the eight of pentacles, reversed. We can see that somehow, the dynamic of lost employment or skills misused had a role in Buckskin Girl's murder.. The is followed by Justice, reversed, in the third house, of communication, business, relatives, and short journeys. It is starting to look as if Buckskin girl may have been a witness in a criminal case, and the defendant wanted to silence her; but let's move on, and see what the rest of the cards have to say.

In the fourth house, of home environment and property, we have the four of wands, reversed. Buckskin Girl was not killed by a serial killer, as has been suspected. This card, in its position in the reading, suggests that she was killed by someone she knew, and with whom she was comfortable; possibly a family member or a friend of her family. In the fifth house, of romance, pleasure, and children, we have the two of wands, reversed. This is domination by others. It begins to look as if Buckskin Girl refused to do or say something that someone wanted her to do or say, and she was killed for it. In house six, of everyday things and work relationships, we have the seven of pentacles, reversed. Lack of patience and anxiety over lost money or a lost job was part of the general background and picture, here.

The seventh house, of partnerships, gives us the three of swords, reversed, which is the first truly violent card I find in this reading. It reiterates the idea put forth earlier, by Justice, reversed, of Buckskin Girl having somehow compromised someone. Because the three of swords appears in the seventh house, we must wonder if it was someone close to her, related to her, or possibly married to her. The eighth house, of debt, karma, joint finances, wills and legacies, and sometimes death, reveals the six of cups, reversed. There is an element of clinging to something that is outworn here; or perhaps infighting over a will or an inheritance.

The ninth house, which governs long journeys, gives us the two of pentacles, reversed. The two of pentacles reversed of points to written communication. Buckskin Girl was, indeed, involved in some sort of family business that involved infighting over monetary assets. In the tenth house, we have the Tower, which is a card of disruption and of "the tables being turned". The tenth house is all about ambition and social standing; and it is also the the house that governs fatherhood. This gives us another reference to legacies and wills. Perhaps a stepfather found Buckskin Girl's claim to an inheritance to be too cumbersome. Next, in the eleventh house, we have a woman, the Queen of Pentacles. As she is upright in this reading, I will assume that she is kindly disposed toward Buckskin Girl. The eleventh house governs social standing, friends, wishes, and dreams. Perhaps the Queen of Pentacles is someone who wants Buckskin Girl identified and properly buried. The last card, in the twelfth house, is the Sun. This is the house of secrets and secret enemies, and the Sun is usually a good card. What we are being told, here, is that Buckskin Girl trusted the person who committed the murder. Also, we are being told that while it happened in a location that was remote enough to elude detection, it happened in broad daylight. A less trusting nature and some inhibition could have prevented this murder.

By and large, Buckskin Girl appears to have been the victim of a family member who wanted to dominate inherited assets. Somehow, her presence and her testimony made her a liability. There was written communication involved, indicating that the murder was planned, not spur of the moment. The presence of pentacles, which are the dominant suit in the reading, give us north as a general direction to look for her origins, but there is a bit of confusion connected to this, as a couple of the pentacles are reversed. I think it is possible that Buckskin Girl had recently moved, and was either looking for work, or was residing with someone who was looking for work. If you know anything about this young woman, or recognize her, please call the sheriff in Miami County, Ohio, at 937-344-3965.

Where Is Kathy Sue Wilcox?

Almost forty-three years ago, sixteen year old Kathy Sue Wilcox walked out of her family home in Michigan and never came back. She was billed as a "runaway" in a day and age when "runaways" were not taken too seriously, but she was never seen again. No one ever found out what happened to her.



We begin with the Page of Wands, reversed, crossed by the seven of pentacles, which is also read reversed. This is bad news, brought on by indecision and lack of progress in the investigation. An initial impression I get is that there is something that could have been discovered years ago, but wasn't, because the proper effort was not made.

Beneath this, we get the seven of swords, reversed. Sadly, it looks as if Kathy planned to leave home, for a bit. This is followed by the nine of swords, which is the expected worry and pain felt by her family. Above this, detailing the best possible outcome, we have the three of pentacles, which is the card of the tradesman. This tells me that there IS something that can be done, professionally, to locate Kathy. Unexpectedly, the six of wands follows, telling us that the case actually WILL be solved one day. The six of wands is generally good news, but it tells us to wait for "science to give us an answer". The Knight of Cups appears in the middle of the investigation.......he is upside right, so we must assume that he is kindly disposed toward Kathy. From him, we can expect well thought out ideas and propositions that will actually work. He is an adult, but not as old as most of the people who remember Kathy in Michigan. He either knows something substantial and can help the investigation, or knows how to put together clues in order to find Kathy. Next, we have the six of swords, reversed, describing the environment of the situation. This bothers me a bit, because it screams "standstill!" What is standing still? The investigation? Kathy, herself? This is really the only truly morbid detail in this reading.

Next, in the place of desires, we have the Sun. This tells us that no one who is involved, right now, in the search for Kathy and the investigation played a role in her disappearance. This is good; sometimes guilty parties pretend to search for missing people, in order to throw off police and investigators. Also, this card is telling us that somehow, pleasure in things like gardening, farming, and homesteading play a role in finding Kathy. The final card is the ten of cups, which almost never comes up to describe the lot of a missing person. This card is the definition of happiness, happy marriage, good family life, and soul completion. It is not what I expected. Perhaps Kathy is alive and well. I think it is a possibility. If she is not, she will be found, and her disappearance will be explained.

For clues to Kathy's whereabouts, both cards that usually tell us about location in a Celtic Cross reading about a missing person are "six" cards; the six of wands, and the reversed six of swords. Perhaps the message is "six through the forest, stop at the water." The two "sevens" also give us some clues. The seven of pentacles is often called the card of the farmer, because of its association with crops, trees, and waiting for fruit or crops to ripen. Perhaps there is a clue, therein. And the reversed seven of swords is simply careful planning.....Kathy had every intention of running away. Ultimately, south and west appear to be key directions.

The contact information for this case is in the poster above. Please; if anyone has personal knowledge of Kathy Sue Wilcox, call one of the numbers.

Where Is Melissa Lee Brannen?

 

Melissa Lee Brannen was last seen on December 3, 1989 in Lorton, Virginia, when she was five years old.  She had been at a holiday party held for residents of Woodside Apartments. A man named Caleb Hughes was found guilty of kidnapping Melissa, and while some very compelling evidence was found connecting him to her disappearance, she has never been found.

We begin with the two of cups, reversed, crossed by the Chariot, which is also read reversed here, as a foundation.  This refers to a very violent passion, followed up with nowhere to go; a description of some very decadent and forceful desires. The King of Cups is at the base; this is an adult male, who is sensitive and professional. Since he falls upside right, I will assume that he is kindly disposed toward Melissa, and is trying to find her. Next, also in the past, is the King of Pentacles, reversed. This is another adult male, and as he falls reversed, I must label him part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. When the King of Pentacles comes up reversed in a reading, it refers to man who abuses resources and other people, and abuses any authority granted him, as well. Look for this man to have had dark hair and eyes in 1989. 

In the realm of possibilities, we have the eight of pentacles. Generally, this card depicts a workplace or an apprenticeship position, but this hardly seems to fit the bill as an answer to where a little girl ended up after she went missing. It leads me to ponder whether or not the workplace of the King of Pentacles was properly searched. As it is in "possibilities" rather than actualities, I would be inclined to advise searching it again. The nine of cups, reversed, comes up next. This card describes a home with a lot of resources, and; sure enough, the suspect's home did turn up a lot of clues; but as the card falls reversed, all that was found was evidence, not Melissa. 

The first card on the staff is the Hierophant, reversed. The Hierophant is all about orthodoxy and order, endorsing all that is socially approved. As he falls reversed here, the suggestion is to follow a mode that is not as traditional within the usual comfort zones, but to think and look "outside" of the box. In the place of environment, we have the Sun, reversed. This gives us an outside location, possibly a garden or an embankment with a wall. This is a place that is readily visible to the four "kingdoms" of nature: mineral, vegetable, animal, and human. It was once well manicured, but has not been maintained. As we get the number XIX from the sun, nineteen miles to the north or northwest is symbolized. We deal also with the number ten in the Wheel of Fortune, which comes up next, reversed. The symbolism on this card also deals with four "corners", or realities, if you will. In this case, we have Taurus the Bull, showing us earth, Leo the Lion, representing fire, Scorpio's eagle for water, and the Aquarian angel for air. Somehow, this symbolism plays a role in the location of Melissa. Four elements; four corners. The number of the Wheel of Fortune is X, so ten is key, but here, I think it is a placeholder or a descriptive number, such as part of an address or name. The final card is the ten of pentacles, which is also reversed. This card not only speaks of monetary loss when it falls reversed, but of a loss of family honor, as well. Someone who could help with Melissa's location has kept silent for the sake of "family honor", and has kept the secret for all these years! 

Because of the "earth" references, I expect that Melissa was buried, somewhere between ten and twenty miles to the north of where she was last seen. Anyone with information about this should call the Fairfax County Police in Virginia; 703-246-7800.

 

Who Killed Michelle Martinko?

Michelle Martinko was murdered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1979, at a shopping mall. To this day, her killer has not been caught. So we will see what the Tarot can tell us about the culprit, and a motive.

I used a horoscope spread for this reading. In the first house, we get the perpetrator, who is described here as the King of Cups, reversed. This is a man who is not only dishonest, but violent......as we already know. Look for him to have been a bit older than eighteen year old Michelle. Not much older chronologically, but more experienced. In the second house, which tells us about the means and resources by which this crime was committed, we see the six of wands. This means that the killer's most convenient tool was the ability to get Michelle's attention and trust. Had she simply ignored him, history might have panned out differently. Next, in the third house, of short journeys and communication, we have the ten of pentacles. This house also deals with memory and memories; and with inheritance. In the mundane aspect, this card's appearance here has me wondering if there is or was surveillance from a bank that could help; or perhaps, and employee from from a bank who saw something. In more personal terms, it is possible that there was some discussion between Michelle and her killer about money, gifts, or shopping. She wasn't robbed, so this will not lead us to the motive.

In the fourth house, we get some solid information about the killer. This house deals with the home environment and property, and the card that comes up is the eight of pentacles, reversed. The message is clear: whoever committed this crime was unethical in his use of his employment skills, and may have had trouble keeping a job. In the fifth house, of creativity and pleasure, we find the eight of wands. This is a bit sick and disturbing; it points to an individual who finds violence amusing. Also, it points to someone who really thought this murder would resolve something. Following this, in the sixth house, we get the seven of cups. The sixth house is all about mundane, everyday relationships and it also covers work relationships.....yet the seven of cups is about illusions and delusions. Could this killer have mistaken Michelle for someone who had wronged him? Or could Michelle have resembled someone he didn't like, or reminded him of someone against whom he had a grudge? This is pointing very strongly to the killer and Michelle possibly knowing each other as acquaintances, but Michelle not having done anything, at all, to arouse his paranoia.

The seventh house of partnerships gives us the ace of wands, reversed. Once again, we are directed to the killer's problems with employment and work relationships. Somehow, this played a role. In the eighth house, of death, legacies, karma, and debt, we have the Wheel of Fortune, which is lucky chance. So our killer had intentions of killing someone, and his opportunity with Michelle constituted "luck", inasmuch as he was concerned! Next, in the ninth house, of law, higher education, "the establishment", and long journeys, we have the Empress, which is the "mother" card in the deck. At the surface, this truly appears to add to the confusion, especially about the motive, but there are some possible interpretations. This is an influence or a person who is not only motherly, but productive. This is not Michelle, but the real reason for the killer's rage.

The tenth house deals with ambition and career goals, and in this house, we get the Star. This is inspiration, and some sort of assistance that the killer got; he had a very good enabler. In fact, it may have been his own mother, harking back to the Empress. That is why he hasn't been identified. In the eleventh house, of hopes, wishes, friends, and social life; we have the Sun. This tells me that the killer has been in plain sight for much of this time, undetected, socializing and living his life. In the twelfth house, of secrets and secret enemies, we have the four of cups, reversed. The four of cups reversed speaks of new relationships and moving on to new circumstances. Seeing it here, in the twelfth house of secrets and self undoing, it appears that the killer moved on, after killing Michell Martinko, and successfully covered his tracks.


Update: A man named Jerry Lynn Burns has been arrested and will go on trial in the murder of Michelle Martinko. He was found through DNA that was left at the crime scene.