Here's the first theory I immediately thought of: what if the reason she was checking out books on murders and missing people was she was finally trying to find answers about what happened to her parents? What if this led her to asking questions and getting noticed and someone watching her knew her husband would be out of town and came to silence her questions? Just a thought.
@@HannahTheHorrible But to create that kind of spectacle in her own kitchen via a back alley abortion? It would be like giving the finger to her entire life up to that point, a stupid and infantile move. (If she'd been caught, her husband would have received custody of the children.) Risch was an intelligent, educated woman, not some dumb teen who wanted to "teach everyone a lesson." Because what would that "lesson" be? She was a grown-up when she got married. She chose to have kids. She'd been universally perceived as a responsible, caring person. She had an idyllic life. In my opinion she encountered a vile rapist (or two) and that became her last day on earth. I would enjoy hearing your opinion on the issues I've raised. I love your wonderful channel, your stable, calm presence and your great voice. Check out the Carol Thompson Murder Case circa 1964.
I agree with you on the abortion theory. A lot of things checks out and the story is very believable, definitely due to the time period. I also kinda believe that she disappeared on her own, just to learn more about missing people that she read about it the books she read. Whatever the case may be, I hope that something good comes out of her investigation. Great video btw!
She might have also been afraid of what might happen if the abortion went wrong. Maybe that was the only period of time she could be sure no one would walk in on the procedure, and she was either planning on disappearing if things went wrong so she wouldn't have to face her family with it or she wanted comfort knowing how an investigation would go if the abortionist harmed her. A lot of people weren't totally ignorant of the risks, but were still desperate enough to take it. And I can see someone planning an illegal abortion trying to come up with a plan to minimize the impact on their family by not leaving a body to find (and clean up). Or, again, researching how an investigation would go if the abortionist decided not to leave a body.
I want to think it's both a voluntary leaving and possibly an abortion gone wrong. Once the abortion went wrong, maybe she took the opportunity to change her identity and become a teacher after recovering. Maybe it was a deal she made with the abortion doctor, maybe they tried kidnapping her to keep her from getting help but she found a way to just run away and change her identity.
You know, I always find it strange how someone will see a person looking ill/stumbling/etc. and not think to at least try and check on the person/tell someone about it who could help.
People like Ted Bundy have ruined that. Feigning illness or injury is a common tactic. The “injured” person is merely bait. The do-gooder will attempt to help only to be ambushed and become a victim themselves.
i broke my arm really badly once and the bone was about to come out the skin. it was on a bike ride and i was 15 and couldn't drive and my mum was home so i was trying to walk back home and many people walked past me and didn't even ask if i needed help
Either cuz they dont wanna deal with it or they're afraid of helping cuz to them it can be a dangerous person pretending to be hurt or all in all they dont give a shit..
The hybrid abortion/affair theory seems the most compelling. I think that the true crime novels she checked out would be explained if she planned the abortion. She planned to runaway after that, to pursue her new life of being a teacher. However, the abortion went horribly wrong, and she was left injured. In her dazed, weak state, the tricks she learned in the books were of no use, and she wobbled, bleeding to death on her path to freedom. The books also could've been a coincidence at the time, or maybe it had something to do with the arsonist behind her parent's murder?
I had a similar thought, that maybe she started with the idea of disappearing but for one reason or another decided on abortion so as to not give up her whole life.
Along the same lines as the abortion theory, my grandma suffered from two miscarriages in the 60s and 70s. The first one, she had undiagnosed uterine fibroids that would cause her to bleed throughout the months. It made her think she wasn't pregnant until the miscarriage hit and she needed to be rushed to the hospital. She was really disoriented during the whole ordeal. Maybe something similar happened to Joan? But then again, she wouldn't likely run after a simple miscarriage.
Not saying it’s that even if it seems likely, but someone I know had an abortion that went wrong (by pill) and the blood loss/haemorrhage is real quick, so... who knows, I guess... hope it gets solved soon!
a tragic cautionary tale on why free legal choice is so important for women and womb-bearing people. nowadays it's better - but barely. women (and even minors) who want abortions these days are still publically shamed for their choice. birth can be a gift - but it can also ruin the lives of both parents who aren't prepared to have children, and the child forced to be born to a parent without the means to give them a rich, fulfilling, healthy childhood. its sickening that this is even still a debate.
this comment has a good sentiment towards it, but the way it's worded is deeply clumsy. not all women, yes even cisgender women or "born-as" women, have wombs. it'd probably be better to say something like "free legal choice is so important for people who can get pregnant". you get points for trying though, i guess.
How about both the first theories combined? She was having an affair with someone, wanted to leave her husband and kids for a new start with mystery man, staged a kidnapping/murder scene, left for a new life with her new bf.
this is one of my favorite mysteries and i always love hearing different angles. the theories are pretty much all the same but everyone also has their own perspective which i appreciate the hell out of.
Such a weird unsolved case. I haven’t heard this one before. Great job! Dexterity would say not arterial blood. Based on the patterns. Theory 3 sounds very possible. Or Gone Girl.
The abortion theory honestly makes a lot of sense. It also explains why she didn’t try to seek help from her neighbors. The plot of the movie “revolutionary road” depicts a similar event.
Interesting mystery. I think she must have died at some point near her vanishing or she'd have got back in touch with her kids at some point. I don't get the books though, as if she's researching disappearing for whatever reason. I think Wizards did it... Wizards are to blame for everything... Sneaky sneaky Wizards...
had family that lived in Lincoln right down the street from the Risch house. Remember hearing about this story. There were many theories but after many years I think it’s very possible she miscarried that day and panicked. This caused her to become disoriented and leave the house in a panic. There was construction going on near the house and it’s possible she fell into a pit. To this day I believe she’s buried near that site. Tragic
I agree with the abortion theory too. And as far as the checked out books, who among us does not have a morbid fascination with such things? That's why we are here watching, right? 😁
I gotta chime in with a couple points on this one. You are not going to schedule an abortion at home when your infant son is scheduled to wake from his nap and your young daughter, accompanied by the neighbor boy and/or his mother, could come bounding through the door at any moment. No way. Women most commonly went to the abortionist, not the other way around. Surely it would make more sense to arrange ahead of time for your neighbor Barbara to watch both of your children while you went to an appointment, even if the appointment was at your home. I read that the telephone cord from the wall socket to the phone was missing. Similar cords have been used for tying people and for strangling people. To me that isn't a detail that a woman trying to disappear would consider (although kudos to her if she did!)
And you should do a video on strange sounds heard around the world! There is only Kendall Rae with her husband Josh, and Jessi Vee, who made a video about that and I’d love to see your take on it! Have a nice safe day!
There have been tons of women who have gone missing voluntarily and is only found years even decades later that they just wanted a new life. So it’s possible. She was aware her neighbours would most likely help her kids when she left them alone.
Yelena, you're certainly right about her knowing her neighbors would help her kids. But to create that kind of spectacle in her own kitchen? It would be like giving the finger to her entire life up to that point, a stupid and infantile move. (If she'd been caught, her husband would have received custody of the children.) Risch was an intelligent, educated woman, not some dumb teen who wanted to "teach everyone a lesson." Because what would that "lesson" be? She was a grown-up when she got married. She chose to have kids. She'd been universally perceived as a responsible, caring person. She had an idyllic life. It seems to me that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time (i.e. her own home!) and encountered a vile rapist (or two.) Horrible.
@@maxalberts2003 Yes I agree with you 100%. I don’t believe she voluntarily disappeared. I was only stating that it does happen because it’s discovered years later, that’s all I was saying. I didn’t say she did or didn’t, we don’t know. However she would know her neighbours would help her kids. That’s it, nothing more, just stating a fact that some women do leave to start new lives ✌️🙏
I've spent far too much time reading about this case over the last few years. My own belief is that she was having an affair and that there was a major disagreement that afternoon between Joan and Mr.X which got out of hand. What happened to her body I have no idea, but I have gravedoubts about the witness sighting on the road and also even more doubts about the neighbour seeing Joan and her "outstretched hands". For one thing, the driveway couldn't be seen from where Mrs.Barker said she had seen Joan. Was she mistaken? Or just making stuff up? It's poignant to not ethat Joan's young son, later in his life, was also listed as "missing" by authorities at one point though he was found unharmed.
I'm a little late to the party as these things go, but it could be some combination of theories? Maybe she planned to make herself disappear at some nebulous point in the future, or was considering the idea, and happened to be having an abortion at the same time? It could explain the books, and why she didn't contact her family after the fact if she was, in fact, still alive
If Joan Risch wanted to vanish, she could have vanished. There would be no need for high drama. Why would a mother leave her children traumatized? Wouldn't it be a whole lot easier just to go? In any case, SOMEBODY wasn't playing with a full deck that day--maybe Risch, maybe her abductor. But it's doubtful that she would fake her own death in what appears to be a messy, stupid way. I imagine she encountered a rapist and that--vile as it was--was that.
I think I heard this story retold a few times before I learned the abortion theory. It seemed so nonsensical at first, but when I heard the abortion theory the pieces seemed to fall into place. I think the abortion theory also includes the man or person perfomring the abortion by chance finding Joan walking along the highway and picking her up. Joan then paases away in his car and he decides he has to dispose of her body as the abortion itself was illegal to begin with.
Hello. You might not read this, but I’m gonna type it anyway😂 ⚠️TW: talks about depression⚠️ I am going through something causing me to go into a depression. I recently found your channel after searching up movie reviews about a Serbian film, and now I’m in love with your content. I miss when people used to talk about creepypastas and arg’s etc. I was surprised to see that you only have a little over 3k subs (although I bet you are super grateful for each and every sub.). I just wanna say thank you for distracting me from my problems and making content that I really enjoy. I also have some requests for future videos if you don’t mind😊 Creepy RUclips channels More Internet mysteries Old creepypastas and the fandom The tragedy that was the attempted Slenderman murder More Arg’s Thank you!!!❤️
Oh my gosh, this means so much to me, thank you. I am SO sorry you are suffering from depression right now. Trust me I understand how despairing it can feel. Though I’m so glad me and my channel could help you in ANY way, even just a temporary distraction. Thank you for the video suggestions as well 🖤 always appreciate new ideas!
I know this is _well_ before the days of cell phones and 911, but I don't understand seeing a woman (Joan or not) staggering down the street, holding her stomach, with running blood down her legs... and just going *shrug*? Maybe the mystery prints / beer bottle belonged to someone helping her to get away... I tend to agree with your third theory, though not sure why the kitchen would be chosen over the bathroom. This case has always hurt my head.
That’s a very good point. I’m guessing they just asked witnesses come forward after the fact? Lol idk. As for the bathroom, I’m wondering if it was close to her toddlers room and she didn’t want to wake him up. That would be my guess. But that’s also a good point. This case is endless!
it could have easily been a stalker from where her husband worked, people that worked with him would know that he was going to be gone and she would have known them. the abortion thing kinda makes sense too though.
How could her neighbor say she was holding something red? Wasn't everything in black and white back then? Color wasn't even invented yet... Seems fishy to me
One possibility is that if she wasn't happy as a housewife and planning to teach as soon as her children old enough maybe finding out she was pregnant did make her consider the possibility of just disappearing from her life, hence the books.
A Kitchen Painted In Blood is a good book on the subject that I’m reading. When Martin Risch was asked about Joan’s choice of reading material, he said that she was an avid reader and her favorite subject was mysteries. Like you, I think the botched abortion in the home does offer a plausible explanation for many of the baffling questions in this case. In the book I do remember reading that preserved blood from the kitchen was tested and one lab concluded it was consistent with menstrual blood. I’ll be looking for more details about that part of the story. Poor Martin Risch never changed the phone number of his home, never remarried, and was active in prompting the police and FBI to keep working on the case as years passed. I find it incomprehensible that she could have walked away from her children and never reached out years later.
You had asked why she would have done this in the middle of a busy day. IMO that would have been so that her kids would have been found soon because her husband was out of town
A woman who has just endured an at-home, botched abortion would be in such terrible pain and shock that she wouldn't be able to walk anywhere. Also, the blood type was determined to be O, the most common.
the abortion theory probably makes the most sense but theres a good part of me that just doesnt want to believe it because its so tragic. Im theorizing that she ran away with a secret lover. I think it was preplanned and that after Joan dropped off her daughter her lover showed up at the house, they likely had a few drinks and enjoyed each other's company (or the drinks were used to ease the pain of what was to come), then she injured herself enough to spread her blood around but not enough to kill herself, and then staged the whole thing with the knocked over table, destroyed landline, the open phone book, and abandoned pocket book. That would explain the strange books she checked out and the other finger prints at the scene. It doesn't explain the supposed sightings though unfortunately. The abortion theory is probably more likely because of this but the sightings could have been mistaken and the books she checked out just seem like too big of coincidence to me. but that might just be wishful thinking...
I’ve heard of this case before but I couldn’t remember everything but I was thinking of the movie revolutionary road. The abortion theory and her having a secret lover.. that’s a lot of beer for someone to drink for a few hours… ah the milk man, what a simple time to be alive
I don’t know what to make of this case. I don’t want to believe that she deliberately disappeared and left her children behind, but people have done it before. I thought for awhile that she had a miscarriage and lost too much blood. She then became disoriented and confused, left to seek help and ended up having some kind of unknown event that led to her death. Unfortunately that doesn’t account for a lot of the evidence. The abortion theory can account for more, but it’s still has a few holes here and there
I think she probably had the abortion go wrong and then maybe decided never to go home because of having to tell her husband she was cheating, maybe the books inspired her to disappear after something like this happened and evidence was everywhere. She probably had an interest in missing persons cases and unsolved crimes because of what happened to her parents and then decided to make it happen for herself. I hope she got away, changed her identity and became a teacher because at least it’s a happy ending for her as opposed to the alternative. Regardless tho no matter what happened the impact this had on her husband and children was horrible, but I like to think maybe she at least had some positive outcome
And, months later, if I may inquire: precisely WHERE in the Risch's house was this abortion supposed to have taken place? The blood was mainly in the kitchen. Yes, there was blood, but not enough to indicate that any kind of procedure had taken place. The house would literally be awash with it. So, that narrows the possibilities down to two: 1) she faked the whole thing and fled forever (leaving two small children behind, one still in infancy? 2) She was assaulted in her own kitchen and left to stagger down the highway, probably while suffering toxic shock and/or bleeding out. Why wouldn't she do the logical thing and run screaming bloody murder to her next door neighbor's house? But ask yourself, doesn't it seem a peculiar m.o. for a serial killer not to leave a body behind? If she was indeed assaulted, it was probably personal. And very, very strange NOT to leave a dead body behind.
Thanks for sharing this obscure case Hannah, wonderful job on presenting the details. Tough one to judge. I can't get past the books she looked into at the library, highly suspicious, but the abortion theory makes a lot of sense. Sherlock Holmes would have a field day with this one. 🤔🤔🤔
@@HannahTheHorrible Haha same here, I'll be thinking about this case all night for sure. By the way here's a suggestion, a case having a few similarities with this one: Jean Spangler. She was a young mother who disappeared without a trace in 1949, possibly the victim of a botched abortion just like Joan. Just thought I'd share. 👍
My take? Eight year old Joan wasn't home during the fire. The cause of the fire wasn't mentioned. Without specific lab tests how would anyone know that the "German police dog" was "put to sleep"? Dog's are not easy to sneak up on but the blanket may have been used to control the dog to block it's breathing. The Bards may have been manually suffocated. The Bard's were not found outside and there were no signs that they were running for their lives. Was the natural gas line checked? Was an autopsy performed on both Bards? The phone could have been placed in Mr. Bard's hand. Mrs. Bard may have been placed in the chair. What coincidence that a phone would once more be included in the Bard family demise. The beer was consumed by the Risch's according to Martin Risch. I would think Joan Risch had several abortions. Her abortionist would be upset at the thought of being caught and any attempt at Mrs. Risch seeking medical attention may have been acceptable to the abortionist and he may have offered to drive her to the emergency room. Mrs. Risch may have ran from the car of the abortionist and decided to go somewhere and die. Mrs. Risch had ample opportunity to seek help from neighbors and strangers. And yet she didn't. I would like to know what she was reading when she was 7 and what the neighbors and their children thought of her.
The bottle of liquor was consumed by them the night before according to Martin. He said the beer bottles were not theirs. But yes, the dog thing is really odd. Considering it was that long ago, I’m guessing they just didn’t have the police resources and investigation skills we have today
Yes you are correct. He did say they shared the hard stuff. Which makes me wonder who drank the beer. And the Bards, were there smoke shadows? There's a fire. Mr. Bard was a war hero and a man of action. He and Mrs. Bard smell smoke. So Mrs. Bard sits down and Mr. Bard makes a phone call? I read almost all of Sherlock Holmes so I love to ponder crime scenes. I wonder alerted the fire department regarding the Bard fire. I also wonder how accurate the "facts" to each incident are.
Gone Girl is actually loosely inspired by the Scott and Laci Peterson case! (Very loosely inspired obviously with the facts of how Laci was found and such in reality) Edit: the fact that he was having an affair/the insane media coverage, those things were more the inspiration
wait how was gone girl inspired by that at all? wasn’t the woman in gone girl a runaway who murdered someone and tried to ruin her husbands life? laci was an innocent, soon to be mother who was brutally murdered and dumped in a lake. i’m not trying to be rude i’m just genuinely wondering how that movie is at all related to laci peterson.
I do agree either - (a) the botched abortion theory, or (b) faked death theory make the most sense. Possible may or may not be related to an affair. Would be interesting if she's still alive, or had another family later. I hope her DNA gets uploaded onto Gedmatch or somewhere else to see if there are any near kin that might be discovered (if she had another family later who also happened to be into genealogy)
i also think it has to be a mix, i agree with the abortion but i think the baby was from not her husband and i think she knew the procedure was risky but the truth was too shameful so she wanted to be prepared in case it went wrong, obvs we dont know her but all the details in the planning make me think her personality was a thorough and control-driven one, no bits left unattended. i even think the dude from the car could've been the one who tried to call in an emergency but not only was the page empty he also was stopped by her ripping the phone out of the wall and maybe even started trying to clean a bit to get the man to stop making a ruckus and it was her idea to ask him to drop her off somewhere and continued on foot still trying to pretend she had everything under control but the blood loss got to her and she indeed passed out into a construction pit.
the beer bottles were from company she and her husband hsd a few days before in those daya doctors as a rule use to come to your home i was living there as a 9 yr old and a doctor from leominster mass maybe did it to help her as she asked i cannot prove this however its a fact that this doctor would do this
I’m from Leominster! What is the doctors name? I’ve heard about this case a lot being from the area and I’ve never heard of said doctor, so I’m curious!
No, Jon Benet Ramsey was the 6 year old little girl that was found dead in the basement of her family home, only hours after the police were called. There's alot of layers to the JBR case, but she was only "missing" for hours. Her murder is technically unsolved, but alot of people believe her parents or brother, Burke, are guilty.
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Here's the first theory I immediately thought of: what if the reason she was checking out books on murders and missing people was she was finally trying to find answers about what happened to her parents? What if this led her to asking questions and getting noticed and someone watching her knew her husband would be out of town and came to silence her questions?
Just a thought.
Ohhhhhh that’s a really interesting theory! I would want to know what happened to my parents if I was her. Thanks for sharing!
@@HannahTheHorrible But to create that kind of spectacle in her own kitchen via a back alley abortion? It would be like giving the finger to her entire life up to that point, a stupid and infantile move. (If she'd been caught, her husband would have received custody of the children.) Risch was an intelligent, educated woman, not some dumb teen who wanted to "teach everyone a lesson." Because what would that "lesson" be? She was a grown-up when she got married. She chose to have kids. She'd been universally perceived as a responsible, caring person. She had an idyllic life. In my opinion she encountered a vile rapist (or two) and that became her last day on earth.
I would enjoy hearing your opinion on the issues I've raised. I love your wonderful channel, your stable, calm presence and your great voice. Check out the Carol Thompson Murder Case circa 1964.
I thought of this immediately as well! But after hearing more I think the cheating theory / abortion theory makes more sense
i thought the same thing
she had to tell some one sometime if that happened if there still alive thats another story
I agree with you on the abortion theory. A lot of things checks out and the story is very believable, definitely due to the time period. I also kinda believe that she disappeared on her own, just to learn more about missing people that she read about it the books she read. Whatever the case may be, I hope that something good comes out of her investigation. Great video btw!
Thank you so much!! I agree. I guess I just feel like if she disappeared on her own she would have contacted the children eventually...but who knows
She might have also been afraid of what might happen if the abortion went wrong. Maybe that was the only period of time she could be sure no one would walk in on the procedure, and she was either planning on disappearing if things went wrong so she wouldn't have to face her family with it or she wanted comfort knowing how an investigation would go if the abortionist harmed her.
A lot of people weren't totally ignorant of the risks, but were still desperate enough to take it. And I can see someone planning an illegal abortion trying to come up with a plan to minimize the impact on their family by not leaving a body to find (and clean up). Or, again, researching how an investigation would go if the abortionist decided not to leave a body.
I want to think it's both a voluntary leaving and possibly an abortion gone wrong. Once the abortion went wrong, maybe she took the opportunity to change her identity and become a teacher after recovering. Maybe it was a deal she made with the abortion doctor, maybe they tried kidnapping her to keep her from getting help but she found a way to just run away and change her identity.
You know, I always find it strange how someone will see a person looking ill/stumbling/etc. and not think to at least try and check on the person/tell someone about it who could help.
People like Ted Bundy have ruined that. Feigning illness or injury is a common tactic. The “injured” person is merely bait. The do-gooder will attempt to help only to be ambushed and become a victim themselves.
i broke my arm really badly once and the bone was about to come out the skin. it was on a bike ride and i was 15 and couldn't drive and my mum was home so i was trying to walk back home and many people walked past me and didn't even ask if i needed help
Bystander mentality… it’s a dangerous thing
Either cuz they dont wanna deal with it or they're afraid of helping cuz to them it can be a dangerous person pretending to be hurt or all in all they dont give a shit..
The hybrid abortion/affair theory seems the most compelling. I think that the true crime novels she checked out would be explained if she planned the abortion. She planned to runaway after that, to pursue her new life of being a teacher. However, the abortion went horribly wrong, and she was left injured. In her dazed, weak state, the tricks she learned in the books were of no use, and she wobbled, bleeding to death on her path to freedom.
The books also could've been a coincidence at the time, or maybe it had something to do with the arsonist behind her parent's murder?
I had a similar thought, that maybe she started with the idea of disappearing but for one reason or another decided on abortion so as to not give up her whole life.
Along the same lines as the abortion theory, my grandma suffered from two miscarriages in the 60s and 70s. The first one, she had undiagnosed uterine fibroids that would cause her to bleed throughout the months. It made her think she wasn't pregnant until the miscarriage hit and she needed to be rushed to the hospital. She was really disoriented during the whole ordeal. Maybe something similar happened to Joan? But then again, she wouldn't likely run after a simple miscarriage.
Not saying it’s that even if it seems likely, but someone I know had an abortion that went wrong (by pill) and the blood loss/haemorrhage is real quick, so... who knows, I guess... hope it gets solved soon!
Me too! Yeah, who knows how she would have done it back then...really scary to think about
a tragic cautionary tale on why free legal choice is so important for women and womb-bearing people. nowadays it's better - but barely. women (and even minors) who want abortions these days are still publically shamed for their choice. birth can be a gift - but it can also ruin the lives of both parents who aren't prepared to have children, and the child forced to be born to a parent without the means to give them a rich, fulfilling, healthy childhood. its sickening that this is even still a debate.
Womb bearing people and women? So you mean women right?
@@nickyblue4866 trans men and nonbianry people I think they’re stating
@@nickyblue4866 because they r not women however have women gentilla
ok
this comment has a good sentiment towards it, but the way it's worded is deeply clumsy. not all women, yes even cisgender women or "born-as" women, have wombs. it'd probably be better to say something like "free legal choice is so important for people who can get pregnant". you get points for trying though, i guess.
The abortion is the one I thought about!!! Like literally the first one! That's the likely one for me.
Good detection skills, it didn’t occur to me until I read more about the case lol. I agree. That one checks the most boxes.
How about both the first theories combined? She was having an affair with someone, wanted to leave her husband and kids for a new start with mystery man, staged a kidnapping/murder scene, left for a new life with her new bf.
Always happy to find another person talking about creepy/disturbing things! Can’t have enough. Subscribed 👍🏻
That’s awesome welcome! And thank you so much 😊 hope you enjoy 🖤✨
I instantly thought of the abortion theory. I would be SHOCKED if this wasn’t the case. So sad
Same
this is one of my favorite mysteries and i always love hearing different angles. the theories are pretty much all the same but everyone also has their own perspective which i appreciate the hell out of.
Such a weird unsolved case. I haven’t heard this one before. Great job!
Dexterity would say not arterial blood. Based on the patterns. Theory 3 sounds very possible. Or Gone Girl.
Thank you so much! 🤍🖤 yes, I have to agree with you
Interesting subject to discuss !
Keep up the good work Hannah!
Thank you 🤗❤️
Good evening Hannah!
Hiiiiii!!!! 🖤
@@HannahTheHorrible did they ever find her body?
The abortion theory honestly makes a lot of sense. It also explains why she didn’t try to seek help from her neighbors. The plot of the movie “revolutionary road” depicts a similar event.
Interesting mystery. I think she must have died at some point near her vanishing or she'd have got back in touch with her kids at some point.
I don't get the books though, as if she's researching disappearing for whatever reason.
I think Wizards did it... Wizards are to blame for everything... Sneaky sneaky Wizards...
I agree. I think if she was alive she would have contacted them eventually. It just doesn’t make sense. Hahah hopefully it wasn’t wizards
Interesting, thanks Hannah ! ❤
❤️❤️❤️
This is one of the most fascinating missing persons cases I've ever heard of. It has stuck with me ever since I heard of it years ago.
had family that lived in Lincoln right down the street from the Risch house. Remember hearing about this story. There were many theories but after many years I think it’s very possible she miscarried that day and panicked. This caused her to become disoriented and leave the house in a panic. There was construction going on near the house and it’s possible she fell into a pit. To this day I believe she’s buried near that site. Tragic
Branch man was literally just a random dude trying to clone his neighbors tree lmaoo
I agree with the abortion theory too. And as far as the checked out books, who among us does not have a morbid fascination with such things? That's why we are here watching, right? 😁
I gotta chime in with a couple points on this one. You are not going to schedule an abortion at home when your infant son is scheduled to wake from his nap and your young daughter, accompanied by the neighbor boy and/or his mother, could come bounding through the door at any moment. No way.
Women most commonly went to the abortionist, not the other way around. Surely it would make more sense to arrange ahead of time for your neighbor Barbara to watch both of your children while you went to an appointment, even if the appointment was at your home.
I read that the telephone cord from the wall socket to the phone was missing. Similar cords have been used for tying people and for strangling people. To me that isn't a detail that a woman trying to disappear would consider (although kudos to her if she did!)
And you should do a video on strange sounds heard around the world! There is only Kendall Rae with her husband Josh, and Jessi Vee, who made a video about that and I’d love to see your take on it!
Have a nice safe day!
Ohhh thanks for the suggestion!
i was the 1000 like!!! i’m in love with your content 😂 imma binge a bunch of your videos
There have been tons of women who have gone missing voluntarily and is only found years even decades later that they just wanted a new life. So it’s possible. She was aware her neighbours would most likely help her kids when she left them alone.
Yelena, you're certainly right about her knowing her neighbors would help her kids. But to create that kind of spectacle in her own kitchen? It would be like giving the finger to her entire life up to that point, a stupid and infantile move. (If she'd been caught, her husband would have received custody of the children.) Risch was an intelligent, educated woman, not some dumb teen who wanted to "teach everyone a lesson." Because what would that "lesson" be? She was a grown-up when she got married. She chose to have kids. She'd been universally perceived as a responsible, caring person. She had an idyllic life. It seems to me that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time (i.e. her own home!) and encountered a vile rapist (or two.) Horrible.
@@maxalberts2003
Yes I agree with you 100%. I don’t believe she voluntarily disappeared. I was only stating that it does happen because it’s discovered years later, that’s all I was saying. I didn’t say she did or didn’t, we don’t know. However she would know her neighbours would help her kids. That’s it, nothing more, just stating a fact that some women do leave to start new lives ✌️🙏
My immediate thought was Amy from Gone Girl. All the details put together leads me to believe she set it all up and up and left.
I've spent far too much time reading about this case over the last few years. My own belief is that she was having an affair and that there was a major disagreement that afternoon between Joan and Mr.X which got out of hand. What happened to her body I have no idea, but I have gravedoubts about the witness sighting on the road and also even more doubts about the neighbour seeing Joan and her "outstretched hands". For one thing, the driveway couldn't be seen from where Mrs.Barker said she had seen Joan. Was she mistaken? Or just making stuff up? It's poignant to not ethat Joan's young son, later in his life, was also listed as "missing" by authorities at one point though he was found unharmed.
I'm a little late to the party as these things go, but it could be some combination of theories? Maybe she planned to make herself disappear at some nebulous point in the future, or was considering the idea, and happened to be having an abortion at the same time? It could explain the books, and why she didn't contact her family after the fact if she was, in fact, still alive
If I ever go missing, my RUclips history will be mega sus
I like how you say “hey humans” as if you’re not human yourself
(this isn’t to offend, I just like this intro^^)
What if she had been researching people disappearing as a last resort if things went wrong?
If Joan Risch wanted to vanish, she could have vanished. There would be no need for high drama. Why would a mother leave her children traumatized? Wouldn't it be a whole lot easier just to go? In any case, SOMEBODY wasn't playing with a full deck that day--maybe Risch, maybe her abductor. But it's doubtful that she would fake her own death in what appears to be a messy, stupid way. I imagine she encountered a rapist and that--vile as it was--was that.
I think that someone might have helped her disappear which would explain the other fingerprints but the abortion theory is also very believe able
I think I heard this story retold a few times before I learned the abortion theory. It seemed so nonsensical at first, but when I heard the abortion theory the pieces seemed to fall into place. I think the abortion theory also includes the man or person perfomring the abortion by chance finding Joan walking along the highway and picking her up. Joan then paases away in his car and he decides he has to dispose of her body as the abortion itself was illegal to begin with.
Hello. You might not read this, but I’m gonna type it anyway😂
⚠️TW: talks about depression⚠️
I am going through something causing me to go into a depression. I recently found your channel after searching up movie reviews about a Serbian film, and now I’m in love with your content.
I miss when people used to talk about creepypastas and arg’s etc. I was surprised to see that you only have a little over 3k subs (although I bet you are super grateful for each and every sub.). I just wanna say thank you for distracting me from my problems and making content that I really enjoy.
I also have some requests for future videos if you don’t mind😊
Creepy RUclips channels
More Internet mysteries
Old creepypastas and the fandom
The tragedy that was the attempted Slenderman murder
More Arg’s
Thank you!!!❤️
Oh my gosh, this means so much to me, thank you. I am SO sorry you are suffering from depression right now. Trust me I understand how despairing it can feel. Though I’m so glad me and my channel could help you in ANY way, even just a temporary distraction.
Thank you for the video suggestions as well 🖤 always appreciate new ideas!
I Heard That The Cops Went In Her Home And They Found Things Scattered And Blood On The Floor....
Yuuuup. Horrible.
Its Scary..... :(
Another great video !!! Thumbs up !!!
Thank you! ❤️
@@HannahTheHorrible
I think Joan Risch and Paula Jean Weldon cases are my top two wtf cases. oh…and Lady of the Dunes. Top three. 😐
I know this is _well_ before the days of cell phones and 911, but I don't understand seeing a woman (Joan or not) staggering down the street, holding her stomach, with running blood down her legs... and just going *shrug*?
Maybe the mystery prints / beer bottle belonged to someone helping her to get away...
I tend to agree with your third theory, though not sure why the kitchen would be chosen over the bathroom. This case has always hurt my head.
That’s a very good point. I’m guessing they just asked witnesses come forward after the fact? Lol idk.
As for the bathroom, I’m wondering if it was close to her toddlers room and she didn’t want to wake him up. That would be my guess. But that’s also a good point. This case is endless!
I Love your Videos ❤️ they are really good❤️
Thank you, Hannah! :)
Thank YOU for watching 🤍🖤
it could have easily been a stalker from where her husband worked, people that worked with him would know that he was going to be gone and she would have known them. the abortion thing kinda makes sense too though.
i feel like the husband would recognise the car as his co-workers tho
How could her neighbor say she was holding something red? Wasn't everything in black and white back then? Color wasn't even invented yet... Seems fishy to me
This story reminds me of revolutionary road
New subscriber. Love your vids.
Thank you so much! Welcome 🖤✨
One possibility is that if she wasn't happy as a housewife and planning to teach as soon as her children old enough maybe finding out she was pregnant did make her consider the possibility of just disappearing from her life, hence the books.
A Kitchen Painted In Blood is a good book on the subject that I’m reading. When Martin Risch was asked about Joan’s choice of reading material, he said that she was an avid reader and her favorite subject was mysteries.
Like you, I think the botched abortion in the home does offer a plausible explanation for many of the baffling questions in this case.
In the book I do remember reading that preserved blood from the kitchen was tested and one lab concluded it was consistent with menstrual blood.
I’ll be looking for more details about that part of the story.
Poor Martin Risch never changed the phone number of his home, never remarried, and was active in prompting the police and FBI to keep working on the case as years passed. I find it incomprehensible that she could have walked away from her children and never reached out years later.
You had asked why she would have done this in the middle of a busy day. IMO that would have been so that her kids would have been found soon because her husband was out of town
My parent's names are David and Lillian... 😳.... weird...
A woman who has just endured an at-home, botched abortion would be in such terrible pain and shock that she wouldn't be able to walk anywhere. Also, the blood type was determined to be O, the most common.
I definitely thought botched abortion after the description of the highway
I agree with your theory, also she could have thought if the book into thin air and decided that was the best coverup story,
Yeah. Legalize abortion or this shit gonna happen
the abortion theory probably makes the most sense but theres a good part of me that just doesnt want to believe it because its so tragic. Im theorizing that she ran away with a secret lover. I think it was preplanned and that after Joan dropped off her daughter her lover showed up at the house, they likely had a few drinks and enjoyed each other's company (or the drinks were used to ease the pain of what was to come), then she injured herself enough to spread her blood around but not enough to kill herself, and then staged the whole thing with the knocked over table, destroyed landline, the open phone book, and abandoned pocket book. That would explain the strange books she checked out and the other finger prints at the scene. It doesn't explain the supposed sightings though unfortunately. The abortion theory is probably more likely because of this but the sightings could have been mistaken and the books she checked out just seem like too big of coincidence to me. but that might just be wishful thinking...
Barbra Barker lol what a Pleasantville type of name
I’ve heard of this case before but I couldn’t remember everything but I was thinking of the movie revolutionary road. The abortion theory and her having a secret lover.. that’s a lot of beer for someone to drink for a few hours… ah the milk man, what a simple time to be alive
I seen this story it was about a girl who went missing 31 years ago I can't remember her name tho if you know who she is can you do a video on her?
If this was, indeed, a plan to leave and start over (I hope it wasn’t) this was INCREDIBLY CRUEL TO HER HUSBAND AND CHILDREN.
I don’t know what to make of this case. I don’t want to believe that she deliberately disappeared and left her children behind, but people have done it before. I thought for awhile that she had a miscarriage and lost too much blood. She then became disoriented and confused, left to seek help and ended up having some kind of unknown event that led to her death. Unfortunately that doesn’t account for a lot of the evidence. The abortion theory can account for more, but it’s still has a few holes here and there
I think she had a miscarriage. Maybe her husband didn't know she was pregnant. Maybe she had even been unfaithful.
I think she probably had the abortion go wrong and then maybe decided never to go home because of having to tell her husband she was cheating, maybe the books inspired her to disappear after something like this happened and evidence was everywhere. She probably had an interest in missing persons cases and unsolved crimes because of what happened to her parents and then decided to make it happen for herself. I hope she got away, changed her identity and became a teacher because at least it’s a happy ending for her as opposed to the alternative. Regardless tho no matter what happened the impact this had on her husband and children was horrible, but I like to think maybe she at least had some positive outcome
i was like 9 then i do remember this case in my town
And, months later, if I may inquire: precisely WHERE in the Risch's house was this abortion supposed to have taken place? The blood was mainly in the kitchen. Yes, there was blood, but not enough to indicate that any kind of procedure had taken place. The house would literally be awash with it. So, that narrows the possibilities down to two: 1) she faked the whole thing and fled forever (leaving two small children behind, one still in infancy? 2) She was assaulted in her own kitchen and left to stagger down the highway, probably while suffering toxic shock and/or bleeding out. Why wouldn't she do the logical thing and run screaming bloody murder to her next door neighbor's house? But ask yourself, doesn't it seem a peculiar m.o. for a serial killer not to leave a body behind? If she was indeed assaulted, it was probably personal. And very, very strange NOT to leave a dead body behind.
Thanks for sharing this obscure case Hannah, wonderful job on presenting the details. Tough one to judge. I can't get past the books she looked into at the library, highly suspicious, but the abortion theory makes a lot of sense. Sherlock Holmes would have a field day with this one. 🤔🤔🤔
He sure would! Thank you so much. Pretty sure I’ll never stop thinking about this case now lol
@@HannahTheHorrible Haha same here, I'll be thinking about this case all night for sure. By the way here's a suggestion, a case having a few similarities with this one: Jean Spangler. She was a young mother who disappeared without a trace in 1949, possibly the victim of a botched abortion just like Joan. Just thought I'd share. 👍
My take? Eight year old Joan wasn't home during the fire. The cause of the fire wasn't mentioned. Without specific lab tests how would anyone know that the "German police dog" was "put to sleep"? Dog's are not easy to sneak up on but the blanket may have been used to control the dog to block it's breathing. The Bards may have been manually suffocated. The Bard's were not found outside and there were no signs that they were running for their lives. Was the natural gas line checked? Was an autopsy performed on both Bards? The phone could have been placed in Mr. Bard's hand. Mrs. Bard may have been placed in the chair. What coincidence that a phone would once more be included in the Bard family demise. The beer was consumed by the Risch's according to Martin Risch. I would think Joan Risch had several abortions. Her abortionist would be upset at the thought of being caught and any attempt at Mrs. Risch seeking medical attention may have been acceptable to the abortionist and he may have offered to drive her to the emergency room. Mrs. Risch may have ran from the car of the abortionist and decided to go somewhere and die. Mrs. Risch had ample opportunity to seek help from neighbors and strangers. And yet she didn't. I would like to know what she was reading when she was 7 and what the neighbors and their children thought of her.
The bottle of liquor was consumed by them the night before according to Martin. He said the beer bottles were not theirs. But yes, the dog thing is really odd. Considering it was that long ago, I’m guessing they just didn’t have the police resources and investigation skills we have today
Yes you are correct. He did say they shared the hard stuff. Which makes me wonder who drank the beer. And the Bards, were there smoke shadows? There's a fire. Mr. Bard was a war hero and a man of action. He and Mrs. Bard smell smoke. So Mrs. Bard sits down and Mr. Bard makes a phone call? I read almost all of Sherlock Holmes so I love to ponder crime scenes. I wonder alerted the fire department regarding the Bard fire. I also wonder how accurate the "facts" to each incident are.
very good i agree and hope this case can be solved as i was in that area at 9 yrs old somewhat remember the case
The lack of thumbs up-s on this video is a mystery in itself.
She looks like she could be the Vernon County Jane Doe, sort of.
obviously i didn't know joan but i highly doubt she would leave her sleeping son alone in the house if she did try to stage her own death and run away
It could have been a combination of the first 2. She faked her death to run away with another man.
Gone Girl is actually loosely inspired by the Scott and Laci Peterson case! (Very loosely inspired obviously with the facts of how Laci was found and such in reality)
Edit: the fact that he was having an affair/the insane media coverage, those things were more the inspiration
wait how was gone girl inspired by that at all? wasn’t the woman in gone girl a runaway who murdered someone and tried to ruin her husbands life? laci was an innocent, soon to be mother who was brutally murdered and dumped in a lake. i’m not trying to be rude i’m just genuinely wondering how that movie is at all related to laci peterson.
@@mandymaurier5084 it ain’t
I do agree either - (a) the botched abortion theory, or (b) faked death theory make the most sense. Possible may or may not be related to an affair. Would be interesting if she's still alive, or had another family later. I hope her DNA gets uploaded onto Gedmatch or somewhere else to see if there are any near kin that might be discovered (if she had another family later who also happened to be into genealogy)
Keep abortion legal!
Why wasn't the finger prints and beer bottles never tested for dna??
It was the 60s
Probably an affair.
“You should leave your husband and come run away with me.”
i also think it has to be a mix, i agree with the abortion but i think the baby was from not her husband and i think she knew the procedure was risky but the truth was too shameful so she wanted to be prepared in case it went wrong, obvs we dont know her but all the details in the planning make me think her personality was a thorough and control-driven one, no bits left unattended.
i even think the dude from the car could've been the one who tried to call in an emergency but not only was the page empty he also was stopped by her ripping the phone out of the wall and maybe even started trying to clean a bit to get the man to stop making a ruckus and it was her idea to ask him to drop her off somewhere and continued on foot still trying to pretend she had everything under control but the blood loss got to her and she indeed passed out into a construction pit.
the beer bottles were from company she and her husband hsd a few days before in those daya doctors as a rule use to come to your home i was living there as a 9 yr old and a doctor from leominster mass maybe did it to help her as she asked i cannot prove this however its a fact that this doctor would do this
I’m from Leominster! What is the doctors name? I’ve heard about this case a lot being from the area and I’ve never heard of said doctor, so I’m curious!
@@Nocturnal_Mee he died a irish doctor on west street you know
@@Nocturnal_Mee i know his name i dont want to put it out there
@@millardthompson8157 totally understandable! Thank you for the info! I’m definitely gonna look more into it given the information you’ve provided:)
not DR crowley
i agree with the abortion theory
damm that’s crazy my name is also Martin
Or miscarriage
OG Murderino
Hey hey! ❤️
My best guess is that she faked her death and ran away with an affair partner
I think maybe she had a miscarriage or a surprise pregnancy. Explains the blood, psychotic break and witnesses seeing a bloody woman carrying a baby
Oh her name was Jon Benet
No, Jon Benet Ramsey was the 6 year old little girl that was found dead in the basement of her family home, only hours after the police were called. There's alot of layers to the JBR case, but she was only "missing" for hours. Her murder is technically unsolved, but alot of people believe her parents or brother, Burke, are guilty.
@@prittyflutterbystar i remember joan however at 9 i was to young to know much
A comment 👀 👽
👍✌️🙏❤️
SEX IS A SACRED THING. WOMEN TODAY SPEAK OF CHEATING LIGHTLY, BUT WOMEN WERE MUCH MORE REVERENT TO MARRIAGE WHEN JOAN DISSAPEARED.
😭
What’s the matter? 🙁
The poor kids