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New lead in decades-old assault and kidnapping case in Menlo Park
In 1983, a woman was brutally attacked - and her 4-year-old son kidnapped - by a stranger. Now, theres a tantalizing new lead in the investigation by Menlo Park police.
MENLO PARK, Calif. - Ora Farmer is heartbroken and in anguish, 43 years after she was brutally attacked and her 4-year-old son was kidnapped from her Menlo Park apartment.
"I'm not sure why God still wanted me here, because to me, that should have been the end of me," Farmer said Tuesday in an interview with KTVU, her voice breaking with emotion.
When they found me, the telephone cord was wrapped around my throat so tight, that they literally had to cut me to cut it off," Farmer said.
But that wasn't all. When she awoke in the hospital, she was heartbroken to learn that somebody had taken her 4-year-old son Mitchell Owens.
Her son is still missing to this day.
"First, I would want to know if he’s ok," she said. "I believe in my heart for the longest that he was still here, because I didn’t feel that disconnect."
New lead in decades-old case
What we know:
But just weeks ago, Menlo Park police got a tantalizing new lead: the possibility that her son is being held at a mental health hospital outside Chicago.
"We immediately purchased tickets to fly to Chicago," said Det. Sgt. Eric Cowans.
But Cowans and Det. Edward Mazon ran into red tape. Investigators can't just walk into a facility to get someone's DNA without solid proof and proper paperwork. It's a setback after so many years of little or no breaks in the case.
"You know, we don't have much to go on right now, so it was let's move our feet and at least get something going," Cowans said.
So now, police have two tasks - identify the perpetrator and try to confirm whether the 47-year-old man in Illinois is the missing son. Age-progressed images show what he may look like now.
Farmer, who now lives out of state, came with her husband and supporters to Menlo Park to drum up attention in hopes of getting additional leads.
New technology could solve old case
What they're saying:
But with time, comes the promise of answers thanks to today's technology. Police have reached out to a private lab to re-test evidence in the case, including, possibly the attacker's blood.
"She stabbed him with either tweezers or scissors. Both of those items have been sent to that private lab," Mazon said.
Mazon said it's also possible that the man in the hospital isn't her son.
"Our biggest hope is that he's still alive and we can reunite the mom, but we also understand that these types of cases, sometimes the person may be deceased," Mazon said.
Farmer has spoken with investigators many times over the years.
Either way, Farmer says she wants some kind of closure, and answers. The best scenario would be a face-to-face reunion with the little boy she hopes is now a grown man.
"I don’t think he would recognize me, but I hope I can look into his eyes and recognize him," she said.
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on X @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan
The Source: KTVU reporting, Menlo Park police