Right 2: Age progressed by NCMEC to 51 years; 60 years
Right 2: Age progressed by NCMEC to 51 years; 60 years
Name: Barbara Jean Monaco
Nickname/Alias: BJ
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: August 23, 1978
Location Last Seen: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Date of Birth: August 19, 1960
Age: 18 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 110 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown, shoulder length
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome; hairline fracture to left arm (10-12 years of age); blind in one eye (unknown which eye)
Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Available
Clothing: Yellow long sleeved shirt; blue jeans; brown belt; wooden clogs
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
On August 20, 1978, Barbara Jean drove to the beach from Derby, Connecticut, with her older sister. The girls registered at the Old Aloah Motel on 15th Street. They planned to stay for a week.
In the early morning hours of August 23, Barbara Jean left her sister and set out on foot for Peabody's where she had a date with a bartender. Somewhere along Pacific Avenue, she vanished. Witnesses told police they saw her get into a car.
The spring after her disappearance, an informant came forward, seeking a reward. He talked about local guys who drove Barbara Jean to a cottage near Oceana where they raped and strangled her. They dumped her body in the water, he said. The informant reportedly passed a police polygraph test, but prosecutors declined to offer him immunity in return for his testimony because they thought he was involved in the killing.
Agency Name: Virginia Beach Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Detective Kristy Curtis - Cold Case Homicide Unit
Agency Phone Number: 757-385-4241
Agency E-Mail: cchu@vbgov.com
Agency Case Number: 1978-085134
NamUs Case Number: MP947
NCIC Case Number: M278495193
NCMEC Case Number: NCMA1161976
NamUs
NCMEC
Richmond Times-Dispatch - Aug. 29, 1985
The Virginian-Pilot - Aug. 22, 2017
Added: Prior to 2011; Last Updated: 07/05/2024 - By: mc
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information is from the time of disappearance.
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