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Armstrong, Paul H. December 17,1993; California 27 YO
Topic Started: Aug 24 2006, 09:11 PM (973 Views)
oldies4mari2004
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http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/a/armstrong_paul.html

Paul Henry Armstrong


Above: Armstrong, circa 1993


Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: December 17, 1993 from Merced, California
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: April 8, 1966
Age: 27 years old
Height and Weight: 5'9, 150 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Brown hair, brown eyes.
Medical Conditions: Armstrong had a broken leg and was on crutches at the time of his 1993 disappearance.


Details of Disappearance

Armstrong was last seen at his home on west 25th Street in Merced, California on December 17, 1993. His girlfriend saw him before she left for work at 7:45 a.m. Approximately an hour later, Armstrong's brother stopped by his house and found it empty, but Armstrong had left his wallet behind. He was supposed to meet his girlfriend for lunch later that day but did not keep the apartment. He has never been heard from again.
Just two hours after Armstrong disappeared, his co-worker, Steven Lombard, vanished from Merced. His pickup truck was later found abandoned in a local parking lot. The men were both employed as tow truck drivers for RTS Towing, but they were not close to each other and their loved ones do not believe they would have gone anywhere together. Investigators are unsure whether their cases are related.

Armstrong and Lombard are considered to be missing under suspicious circumstances. Armstrong reportedly believed his coworkers were engaged in illegal activity at the time of his disappearance, and Lombard had a dispute with his boss on the day that he vanished. Both men's cases are unsolved.



Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Merced County Sheriff's Department
209-385-7444
OR
209-725-3880



Source Information
County of Merced Sheriff/Coroner
The Modesto Bee
The Doe Network
The Carole Sund/Carrington Memorial Foundation



Updated 4 times since October 12, 2004.

Last updated September 14, 2006; name updated.
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monkalup
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Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


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monkalup
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http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/story/601927.html

Friday, Dec. 19, 2008
Merced detectives have no leads in 1993 case of two missing co-workers.
By VICTOR A. PATTON
vpatton@mercedsun-star.com
Andrea Davis remembers her younger brother, Steven Lincoln Lombard, as a 6-foot-tall athletic man with a light red mustache who spent his time panning for gold in Mariposa County.

He liked sub sandwiches and pizza, but there was nothing he liked more than his maroon and white 1965 Ford F250 pickup.

Fifteen years ago this week, that hard-working 33-year-old outdoorsman and another man, 28-year-old Paul Armstrong, vanished without a trace.


Unknown
Unknown - Paul H. Armstrong is missing along with Steven Lombard. Both subjects worked at the same business (both tow truck drivers) in Merced, California. Lombard's vehicle was found abandoned in a local business parking lot.

Unknown
Unknown - Steven Lombard is missing along with Paul H. Armstrong. Both subjects worked at the same business (both tow truck drivers) in Merced, California. Lombard's vehicle was found abandoned in a local business parking lot.


Law enforcement and the families of the missing men have remained perplexed ever since.

"We have no clues," said Davis. "He's not just the type of person to just walk away. And if he did, he was really, really scared."

This week, Davis and her family marked the anniversary of the men's disappearance by renewing their plea to the public, asking anyone with information about the case to come forward.

The holidays are an especially tough time for the family.

"We're not really handling it very well," said Don Lombard, 52, Steven's brother. "It's hard. We don't know what happened to him or anything else. But someone out there knows what happened and -- they need to come forward and break the case."

The men disappeared the morning of Dec. 17, 1993. The case is unusually strange because even though they both worked at RTS Towing, they weren't close friends.

Armstrong was last seen at his West 25th Street home by his girlfriend as she left for work at 7:45 a.m.

About an hour later, Armstrong's brother, Raymond, stopped by. He found the house empty, with Armstrong's wallet still there. That day, Armstrong also failed to keep a lunch date with his girlfriend.

About two hours after Armstrong was last seen, Lombard left his house on Langtry Avenue, west of Merced, to pick up his paycheck at the towing yard on Yosemite Park Way. He made it to work, although he was unable to get his check due to a clerical error, Don Lombard said.

He left work and had made arrangements to meet his wife, Louise, to go Christmas shopping. He never made it to that appointment, Don Lombard said.

The next morning, Lombard's truck was found in a K-Mart parking lot, said Don Lombard. The truck's keys were inside, along with a cup of coffee in the console holder. The truck's windows were rolled down, and the door was unlocked.

Merced County sheriff's spokesman Tom MacKenzie said the status of the case has changed in recent years from a missing persons case to homicide. Still, the case remains at a standstill, and MacKenzie said there have been no significant breaks in the case.

"They just disappeared. It's hard to say if it was voluntary or an abduction," MacKenzie said. "But somebody out there knows what was going on and what happened."

The department took DNA samples from the men's family members, which were sent to a lab for testing. The DNA samples could be helpful if an unidentified body is found or if investigators receive new leads about their whereabouts.

The case has also been profiled on Jacque MacDonald's television show, "The Victim's Voice."

Although the detective first assigned to the case has since retired, it's now the responsibility of sheriff's Detective Lane Clark.

"We pretty much hit a brick wall. We've exhausted all investigative leads that we can," MacKenzie said. "That's why we're asking anyone with any information to call us."

Davis said the hardest part of Lombard being gone is not being able to call him and tell him "Merry Christmas."

She said knowing the truth about his disappearance goes far beyond having closure.

"We're not after closure. We're after justice. There's a difference," she said.

Sheriff's investigators are asking anyone with information about the case to call Clark at (209) 385-7472 or by calling the department at (209) 385-7445. Callers can remain anonymous.

Reporter Victor A. Patton can be reached at (209) 385-2431 or vpatton@mercedsun-star.com.
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/story/1233388.html
Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009
Family members still looking for answers in 1993 disappearances
Tow-truck drivers were gone without a trace on a December morning 16 years ago.
By VICTOR A. PATTON
vpatton@mercedsun-star.com
A man with an intense sense of humor -- and known for making an even more intense pot of coffee.

That's one memory Andrea Lombard-Davis, 52, has of her little brother, Steven Lombard.

Lombard-Davis recalled how she'd asked her brother once to make a pot of coffee. He ended up playing a practical joke on her -- making a pot so strong, it could pass as rocket fuel. "I had to do all I could to choke it down," Lombard-Davis recalled. "And he was smiling all the time."

These days, even though there are smiles when Lombard-Davis thinks of her brother, there's also many tears. Today marks the 16th anniversary of the disappearance of Lombard, 33, and another man, 28-year-old Paul Armstrong.

The men, who worked as tow-truck drivers for RTS Towing, disappeared without a trace the morning of Dec. 17, 1993. The men's families and law enforcement made a renewed plea to the public this week, hoping someone will step forward and provide information that will solve the case.

Merced County Sheriff's spokesman Tom MacKenzie said the case of the missing men remains an open homicide investigation. Still, MacKenzie said detectives aren't releasing any new information, to protect the integrity of the investigation.

The day of the men's disappearance, Armstrong was last seen at his West 25th Street home by his girlfriend as she left for work at 7:45 a.m. About an hour later, Armstrong's brother, Raymond, stopped by. He found the house empty, with Armstrong's wallet still there. That day, Armstrong also failed to keep a lunch date with his girlfriend.

About two hours after Armstrong was last seen, Lombard left his house on Langtry Avenue, west of Merced, to pick up his paycheck at the towing yard on Yosemite Park Way. Lombard made it to work at RTS Towing, although he was unable to get his check because of a clerical error, according to his family.

Lombard left work and had made arrangements to meet his wife, Louise, to go Christmas shopping. He never made it to that appointment.

The next morning, Lombard's truck was found in a K-Mart parking lot. The truck's keys were inside, along with a cup of coffee in the console holder. The truck's windows were rolled down, and the door was unlocked.

The Armstrong family was also struck with another tragic blow this year. Lucy Leora Armstrong. Paul's 73-year-old mother, died on July 27, without ever knowing what happened to her son.

She was survived by her husband, George Armstrong, and her children Steven Skeels, Albert Skeels, Audie Armstrong, Georgia Carrington, Sharon Armstrong, Aaron Haude and Leaann Haude.

Lombard-Davis, who now lives outside Tulsa, Okla., said her brother would have been 50-years-old this year -- and she still misses him dearly. Lombard-Davis said although she has "no clue" about what happened to her brother, she's sure there's "people that do."

"They know what happened, and (coming forward) would clear their conscious," Lombard-Davis said. "Guilt will kill you in a hurry."

Donald Lombard, 53, and his wife, Toni Lombard, 49, said they'd like to know what happened to Steven, so they could at least give him "a decent burial" and have closure. "It's still pretty traumatic. We were pretty close," said Donald Lombard, Steven's older brother. "There're so many rumors, but whoever is responsible will have to reckon for it. You don't go scot-free forever."

Sheriff's detectives are asking anyone with information about the disappearance of Paul Armstrong and Steven Lombard to call the department's Major Crimes Unit at (209) 385-7472. Callers can remain anonymous.

Reporter Victor A. Patton can be reached at (209) 385-2431 or vpatton@mercedsun.star.com.
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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Merced County Sheriff's Department Major Crime Unit
Detective Parsley or Sergeant Rick Marshall
209-385-7444
or
209-385-7551
Email 5710@co.merced.ca.us

Agency Case Number:
93-32772

NCIC Number: M-698209105

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Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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http://cbs13.com/local/merced.county.exhumed.2.1695641.html
Boy's Body Exhumed, 30 Years Later
More Local NewsMERCED, Calif. (CBS13) ¯ Click to enlarge1 of 1
The body of Aaron Wright was exhumed as part of an investigation into a series of disappearances.
CBS

The body of a six-year-old Merced County child has been exhumed as part of an investigation into a series of disappearances that have spanned decades, but the man authorities said is connected with the cases has flatly denied any involvement.

When Aaron Larson Wright drowned in a neighbor's pool nearly 30 years ago, his stepfather, Randal Wright, was babysitting. Since then, a total of three people associated with Wright vanished in the past two decades.

"It seems like everyone he comes in contact with is gone," said Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin.

Ten years after Aaron died, two drivers for Wright's tow truck company mysteriously disappeared. Authorities consider them victims of homicide, but the bodies of Steven Lombard and Paul Armstrong have never been found.

Detectives questioned Wright, but he was never a suspect.

Last year, Wright was the last one to see his soon-to-be ex-wife Karen before she vanished from the couple's Mexican vacation home. Wright was questioned in the case, but again, he was never named a suspect.

"He's a common denominator in the death and three persons disappeared," Sheriff Pazin said.

Randal Wright told CBS13 the investigation is without merit and a frustrating attack on his character.

"You can put all these things together and say, 'Oh my God, look at that!'" Wright said. "I knew all of those people, there's nothing I can do about that… but to say I am a guilty person because I have had bad things in my life? Give me a break?"

Authorities said there is no evidence Wright was responsible for the incidents, and little Aaron's body may be the only chance for answers.

The remains have been buried for three decades, and investigators say they don't know what evidence they'll find.

"I'm not going to be Pollyann-ish and say this is going to be CSI, and there's going to be the magic piece of evidence," Pazin said. "The investigation won't get any better with the passage of time."

Wright is not a named suspect in any of the cases.

"There is nothing that I have done here. They are reading and trying to see if I will do something stupid and make some mistake," Wright said, adding, "I very well could be doing that by talking to you."

The coroner began an autopsy on Aaron today, but there is no word if it has yielded any new clues.

Wright was arrested last year on unrelated perjury charges, and is out of custody on bail.
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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Body of boy reburied after last month's exhumation
Child was stepson of man whose wife has been missing.
By VICTOR A. PATTON
vpatton@mercedsun-star.com
The body of a 6-year-old boy exhumed from a local cemetery by Merced County sheriff's detectives was reburied Friday.

More than two dozen family members of Aaron Wright gathered at Evergreen Funeral Home and Memorial Park for the brief ceremony. Relatives of the boy wept as they each shoveled a mound of dirt onto his tiny casket.

The child, who drowned in 1982, was the stepson of Randal Wright, a former Merced tow truck company owner whose wife, Karen Rene Wright, has been missing since February 2009.

Randal Wright has never been considered a suspect in the death of his stepson, his wife's disappearance, or the unsolved 1993 disappearance of two drivers who worked for his company. The boy's drowning was determined to be an accident 28 years ago.

Last month, Merced County sheriff's investigators said they were taking a new look into the boy's death, particularly to determine whether scientific advances not available in 1982 reveal new clues.

Sheriff Mark Pazin on Friday said an examination of the body has been completed. Still, he said additional tests remain and no new information about the boy's death is available. Pazin said the decision to exhume the boy was "difficult," but added it was done "in the pursuit of justice" with support from Judy Larson, who is the boy's mother and Wright's ex-wife.

Randal Wright wasn't present at the hour-long ceremony Friday. He spoke to the Sun-Star in May, saying he wasn't present when his stepson drowned and had no involvement in his death.

Nicole Mazur, a 26-year-old cousin to Aaron Wright, said her family stood by Pazin's decision to exhume the boy. "The sheriff's office ensured us that every step would be taken to take care of Aaron and be as respectful as they could," Mazur said.

Even though many years have passed, Mazur said members of her family are still mourning. "It's sort of brought back up the grief of losing a child, for my aunt," Mazur said. "It's hard to lose anybody, let alone a 6-year-old child."

No suspects have ever been named in Karen Wright's disappearance, although sheriff's investigators have called Randal Wright a "person of interest" in that case. She disappeared in San Felipe, Mexico, in early February 2009.

Two tow truck drivers who worked for Randal Wright's tow truck company, Steven Lincoln Lombard, 33, and Paul Armstrong, 28, vanished Dec. 17, 1993, after filing workers compensation claims against his company. No one has been named as a suspect in the men's disappearances, which is now considered a double homicide case.

Randal Wright has steadfastly denied any involvement in either the disappearance of his wife or the two drivers who worked for his company.

In another case, Randal Wright is scheduled to report Friday to the Merced County Main Jail to begin serving a six month jail sentence on auto theft and embezzlement charges.

Reporter Victor A. Patton can be reached at (209) 385-2431 or vpatton@mercedsun-star.com.



Read more: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/06/07/14...l#ixzz0qCc3PmBH
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/06/07/14...after-last.html
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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http://www.co.merced.ca.us/documents/Sheri...20Armstrong.PDF
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