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The Investigators Report page one: Mullis
Investigations P.O.
Box 1461 Sugar
Land, Texas 77487-1461 Telephone:
(713) 277-4999 TX LICENSE # A5977
To:
O.W. Loyd District
Attorney Upshur
County, Gilmer, TX 75644
From:
Tim Mullis Mullis
Investigations
Re:
Rebekah Leigh Harwood and
Elizabeth Ann Harwood
Mr.
Loyd, Here
is the information that you requested on our investigation of Cathy and Steve
Walker in the abduction of these two Harwood children from the jurisdiction of
the District Court located in Gilmer, Texas.
Identifiers:
Catherine A. Walker, aka/ Harwood, aka/ Tucker. white female, dob/ 080654, SSN 467-08-4018, TDL
05206457
Steven
R. Walker white
male, dob/ 110154, TDL 05413037 5'11",
158 lbs., blue eyes, brown hair.
Rebekah
Leigh Harwood, aka/ Walker, aka/ Tucker
w/f, dob/ 033181, blue eyes and brown hair.
Elizabeth
Ann Harwood, aka/ Walker, aka/ Tucker w/f,
dob/ 013084, blue eyes and brown hair.
continued, page two: In
January 1990, I learned about the plight of the missing Harwood children,
Becky and Beth. In order to help Mr. Harwood, I contacted him to receive
permission to assist. On 012990, I was given permission by Doug Harwood, the
court ordered custodian of these children, to help locate his children.
I
began checking on what information was available on Cathy and Steve Walker
that was known at that time. I learned that Steve had worked at McCoys, which
is located on the East Loop in Longview, TX. This location was checked and we
spoke with the manager. He informed us that Steve quit working for them in
1987, and that he was not able to tell us anymore information. He did tell us
where Steve and Cathy lived at that time, however. This location was later
found and checked.
Steve
and Cathy Walker lived on East Mountain Road, just outside of Longview. They
lived in the first of five look-a-like homes, which were located on the south
side of the road. A resident of one of the homes, who also is the care-taker
for the homes, informed us that Steve and Cathy moved from there in 1987,
probably in the fall. He did not know where they moved.
In
doing more research, I found that Cathy Walker had been cited for traffic
violations by the Longview Police Department on three different occasions.
During one of these stops, she was in a 1982 Chrysler Wagon, Texas License #
ZVG-746, VIN 1C3BCS9DSCF16SSS2. This vehicle was registered to a Robert L.
Parsons, out of Marshall, Texas. After all of this time this vehicle is still
registered to Robert L. Parsons. It was discovered this vehicle was purchased
from B&B Motors, 109 E. Marshall, Longview, TX by Steve and Cathy Walker
in August 1987. The owner is Bobby Lawrence. This vehicle was purchased on an installment
contract.
After
checking with Bobby Lawrence, I discovered that a few payments were made on
the car from November 1987 through March 1988. The payments stopped after
that. These four payments were made in envelopes that had been folded in many
different places, indicative
continued, page three:
Finally,
in February, 1990, Steve and Cathy Walker sent another letter to Bob Lawrence
at 109 E. Marshall, Longview, TX. This time they requested information as to
his still being in business, so they could start sending monthly payments for
the car. Since the car is still registered to Robert L. Parsons, and its
continued operation is illegal, then it is probable that this letter was an
attempt to obtain new plates for their auto, so they reduce the risk of being
stopped by authorities on a traffic stop. This letter was not folded, as the
previous envelopes had been, and it was post-marked in Upstate, South
Carolina. The actual address on the letter was Route 2, Box 278, Central,
South Carolina. This was also the same address used by Cathy on the letter
enclosed with this envelope. She stated that this was her new address.
On
031190 myself and my brother, Robert (Buck) Mullis, who is a Private
Investigator out of Indiana, went to the Rt. 2, Box 278 location. When we
arrived, at around noon, we discovered that Jerry and Tandy Collier live at
this location. Tandy Collier is the sister of Cathy Walker. At the time of our
arrival, Jerry was home, while Tandy was away at church. We informed Jerry
that we were representing the B&B Auto Sales, and had been sent to find
their missing car. In order to make this pitch work, Bobby Lawrence supplied
us with the car title, all of the letters that had been sent to him by Cathy
Walker, and a dealer license tag, so that the vehicle could be driven back to
Texas.
Immediately
upon talking to Jerry Collier, he informed us that he did not know about the
car or that Cathy took it without paying for it. When we mentioned that this
last letter had his address, he said that he did not know where Cathy was
living, she could be in the area but he didn't know about it. Then Jerry began
telling us that due to her problems with her ex-husband, she and the kids had
to go into hiding, II she had been forced to go underground ", Jerry
said. He explained that there was this woman in Atlanta, GA. that had set up
an underground that hid people from husbands and the courts. During our talk
with him, he also said that he knew of other incidents that were like, or
part, of the same style of underground network that Cathy had gone into. One
of those other incidents was a recent case in South Carolina, where the FBI
had located part of this network, and they were threatened by a man with a
shotgun. The other incident he mentioned was about the case in Australia,
where the child was hidden for over three years, with the grandparents of the
child.
continued, page four:
Upon
showing Jerry Collier the letter that Cathy sent to Bobby Lawrence, which
showed she lived here, Jerry told us about his wife probably had mailed it a
few weeks ago. He stated that there was a package that came into the country
from Mexico City, and that Cathy's letter could have been in that package.
Jerry
then went on to explain that they were involved in the network that hid these
parents and children. He stated that their involvement consisted of receiving
letters and packages from all over the country, and from Mexico, and then
opening these packages and then re-mailing them from their area. In this
manner, the letters could not be traced back to the area where the people
being sought are staying.
Within
thirty minutes, Tandy Collier returned home. She was told immediately of our
purpose to find the station wagon, and she wanted to see all of the paperwork
that we had brought with us. We produced Cathy's letter, the title to the car,
and other supporting documents to show that we were after the vehicle. After
convincing Tandy of our purpose, she found it necessary to convince us that
her sister was not a thief, and that she had very good reasons for taking her
kids and going into hiding. She explained to us that the ex-husband, Doug
Harwood, was a child abuser and a homosexual, and had been injuring his own
children. She then told us that the judge in Gilmer, TX had been bought off by
Doug, and was corrupt, and gave visitation rights to the father of Becky and
Beth. In order to protect her kids from the corrupt judges, and abusive
father, Cathy had to go into hiding with her children.
Tandy
also stated that Cathy would stay into hiding for as long as it takes, up
until the girls turn eighteen years of age, if necessary. Tandy stated that
Cathy must be in worse financial condition than anyone realized, and that this
caused a great hardship on the children. The family had helped "as much
as they could to keep Cathy going while she was in hiding.
When
we showed the letter dated February 24, 1990 to Tandy, she said that the
letter 'was written by Cathy. It was Cathy's handwriting.
Tandy
began telling us about the underground network" also. She did not have an
opportunity to talk to her husband prior to talking to us, and she did not
talk to him about the network with her husband at all. She informed us of the
same" story that Jerry told us, they were involved in this nationwide
underground network that help hide the parents and kids from the police and
the courts. She stated that these
continued, page five:
judges
who gave custody to the abusive fathers had all been bought off and that they
were all corrupt. The underground network was the only way to protect these
abused children from the system. Tandy told us that her entire family was
involved in this network. She also admitted that she probably mailed the
letter from Cathy, since she had recently, within the past two weeks, received
a package of mail to be re-mailed for the network.
In
order to help Cathy, and prevent possible felony theft charges being filed in
Texas, the Collier family asked for a few hours to try to come up with the
money to payoff the car, so that Cathy would not be hunted anymore. We agreed
to give them the time, so we left and came back to visit them around 9:00 PM,
the same date.
At
9:00 PM, we returned to the Collier home. They informed us they would not be
able to raise the money right now, but that they thought they could by the end
of the month. They did not want the police involved in looking for Cathy, so
they would either come up with the money or the car. They told us that the
entire family had been notified during our absence in order to try to come up
with the money, but no one had that much money. What we suspect is that they
wanted time to talk to Cathy first, to prove that $2600.00 was still owed for
the car, and make sure they were not being taken for a ride.
In
our parting, Tandy made the comments that they were part of this network, but
they would like to get more involved in it, but they could not because Cathy
was hidden in it. Tandy also stated that they compared themselves to the
Jewish Underground, and were like the Underground Railroad movements. These
people are very sincere in their belief in this group or network, and would do
almost anything to protect it. Tandy told us that she expected the police to
be out to put her in jail anytime. She also told us that she would go to jail
before she would give up her sister. It is my opinion that this group is a
danger to any individual or group individuals that attempt to break it up, or
infiltrate it. Both Tandy and Jerry are very religious persons, which explains
the honesty they portrayed in telling us of their involvement in this group,
and they feel that they have entered into a Christian Duty and religious
quest.
continued, page six:
On Monday, 031390, Donald Tucker, the father to Tandy Collier and Cathy Walker, called to speak with Bobby Lawrence about our going to South Carolina to look for the car.
Bobby
told me that Donald Tucker stated that they would make either a payment for
the car, or return it by the end of the month. Donald Tucker also tried to
explain the reason behind Cathy taking the car without paying for it prior to
leaving. Donald told Bobby Lawrence about the need for Cathy to run, and that
she had to go into hiding to protect the kids from her ex-husband.
One
of the more interesting comments that Donald Tucker made was that he said the
only one in the family who had contact with Cathy was Tandy, her sister. And
that it took a few weeks to get the message to her because he had to write a
letter and send it to Tandy first, and then it would get sent to Cathy. Bob
Lawrence also owns a new car business in Gilmer, Billington Chevrolet &
Buick, 311 East Coke Road, Winnsboro, Texas. 214-342-3673, and he stated that
he would be happy to testify to the above conversation with Donald Tucker, if
it would help.
Donald
Tucker wanted to know who we were that made an attempt to
find the car. He seemed very concerned that the police not get involved.
Timothy
D. Mullis, March 30
, 1990
This
statement consists of six pages. I swear under the penalty of perjury that the
facts herein contained are true to the best of my knowledge, and that I did
not knowingly make any false or untrue statement.
Timothy
D. Mullis, March 30
, 1990
Mullis Investigations Report To
minimize download time, this is a scanned text version of the original Mullis
Investigations document. To see a copy of the original document, with
signatures, click here.
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