The Vanishing of a Tough Woman
Valerie Brooks was a mother and a worker who didn’t scare easily. Back in 1990, she was working the night shift at a Thornton’s gas station in Versailles, Kentucky. It was New Year’s Eve when things went horribly wrong. A robbery occurred, $230 was taken, and Valerie was gone. Her body was later found in a rural construction area, and the investigation that followed was plagued by 1990s era mistakes, including a massive DNA mix up involving a serial killer that lasted for thirty years. Despite the setbacks, her family is still fighting for the remaining DNA to be tested with modern technology.
“Valerie would work usually alone at the gas station at night because she was a tough cookie. People really didn’t mess with her a whole lot.”
The Heartbreak of John Boy
In Charleston, West Virginia, the disappearance of Jonathan “John Boy” Woodward is a fresh wound for his family. Jonathan was a sweet, funny guy who struggled with addiction, a story that is far too common in the region. In January 2024, after being awake for several days, he walked away from his home without his phone or wallet. His clothes were eventually found near a water tower at the City Park apartments, but Jonathan himself remains missing. His mother, Ellen, still calls the morgue every single month just hoping for any kind of news regarding her son.
“He was described as just a very goodhearted person, sweet, just very happy-go-lucky and funny. He would give the shirt off his back to the people he cared about.”
A Stranger Buried with Dignity
The final case takes us back to 1972 and the story of the Beckley John Doe. This young man was hitchhiking when he was struck and killed by a drunk driver near the Fair Deal Market. He had told a witness who picked him up earlier that day that he was from Chicago, but he carried no identification. He was left unrecognizable and unclaimed. However, a local funeral director named Amos Quisenberry made sure the young man was buried with respect, paying for the expenses himself and placing a headstone that reads: “Unknown male known only to God”.
“The funeral director really did take good care. He tried to really take as good a care of this person as he could because he obviously knew there wasn’t anybody looking for him.”
Watch the Original Video If these stories moved you or if you think you might have information that could help the Kentucky State Police or the Charleston authorities, you need to see the full discussion. There is so much more nuance to these cases than a short article can cover.
