West Tenn. child missing 24 years, case open

As the disappearance of Marlena Childress from her Union City home reaches its 25th anniversary, the lead investigator says he thinks about her every day.

[guest]

I still believe the mom threw the girl into the river as she stated. No body no case,besides she tried to stab her own son to death. Just another unsolved murder that will leave people wondering. The only one who knows the truth is the momma.Good luck Andy Gibson I credit you for the desire of truth and justice.

[heresone]

Can't imagine why someone gave guest a bad rating! Everyone (almost) believes she either killed her or sold her for drugs! Like guest stated she tried to stab her own son to death, and that shows what she is capable of doing to her own child. She was on drugs really bad so that played an important part in the case. It's too bad some of the missing persons aren't solved. If only people would tell the truth, but they don't want to pay for their crimes.

[The Ugly Truth]

I remember when that poor child went missing. It was on my daughter's birthday and I'd come home from work and had fallen asleep on the couch and awoke to the sound of people calling out Marlena's name, while walking through nearby yards. We lived only a few blocks from where she lived, and I'll always remember hearing the worried voices of neighbors and friends, as they searched for her. It gave me the chills.

[guest]

heresone wrote:

Can't imagine why someone gave guest a bad rating! Everyone (almost) believes she either killed her or sold her for drugs! Like guest stated she tried to stab her own son to death, and that shows what she is capable of doing to her own child. She was on drugs really bad so that played an important part in the case. It's too bad some of the missing persons aren't solved. If only people would tell the truth, but they don't want to pay for their crimes.

She knew that river was high and it was moving swift because of the high water.Then the family goes and hires a high profile lawyer Wayne Emmons of Memphis to handle the case,no body no case. The girls grandparents are the ones I feel for. No answeres just a daughter who knows the truth.

[just me]

I still remember the local tv station was covering the police getting ready to do a suprise search on a home in flordia for that girl. They were airing it here as it happened! The news media here dropped the ball on that one. Whether or not she was in the home, which she wasnt, what possessed the local media, i believe it was channel 7 in jackson, and the law enforcement agencies to allow that to be aired in real time!

[curious]

Has anyone ever searched the fresh graves near the time of her disappearance? I know that she planned to put Casey (her son that she stabbed) in a fresh grave. Maybe that's what she did to Marlena. She got away with it once. My guess is that she would try that approach again.

[sarah]

tell odell to fecth eer

[Pee Town]

curious wrote:

Has anyone ever searched the fresh graves near the time of her disappearance? I know that she planned to put Casey (her son that she stabbed) in a fresh grave. Maybe that's what she did to Marlena. She got away with it once. My guess is that she would try that approach again.

I thought the worthless mother lived in UC at the time? Graves that would have been fresh at the time near where she lived and went should be searched with sonar, especially graveyards that are in semi-rural areas. She revealed her M.O. when she tried it on her son and failed.

[bogie52]

Pee Town wrote:

<quoted text>I thought the worthless mother lived in UC at the time? Graves that would have been fresh at the time near where she lived and went should be searched with sonar, especially graveyards that are in semi-rural areas. She revealed her M.O. when she tried it on her son and failed.

I strongly agree with you. I've always wondered why they didn't check down a few feet of each fresh grave around the time she disappeared. I think they would find her remains. Then they could finally have justice for that poor little girl. I never understood why they haven't done that. It would be an easy place to dispose of a body. Easy for a women to dig in and no one would ever disturb a grave. The perfect crime she committed and got away with until she tries it again. And no one has checked out that possibility.