Draft:Disappearances of Mitchel Weiser and Bonnie Bickwit
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| Submission declined on 7 November 2024 by Spiralwidget (talk). This submission is not adequately supported by reliable sources. Reliable sources are required so that information can be verified. If you need help with referencing, please see Referencing for beginners and Citing sources. Declined by Spiralwidget 13 months ago. | |
| Submission declined on 19 October 2024 by I dream of horses (talk). This submission is not adequately supported by reliable sources. Reliable sources are required so that information can be verified. If you need help with referencing, please see Referencing for beginners and Citing sources. Declined by I dream of horses 13 months ago. | |
| Submission declined on 14 October 2024 by Qcne (talk). This submission does not appear to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. Entries should be written from a neutral point of view, and should refer to a range of independent, reliable, published sources. Please rewrite your submission in a more encyclopedic format. Please make sure to avoid peacock terms that promote the subject. Declined by Qcne 13 months ago. | |
Comment: Looking at the sources, it is not a notable event. Safari ScribeEdits! Talk! 07:58, 17 February 2025 (UTC)
- Comment: Concerns from last time the article was declined have not been addressed. The article needs better sources and more coverage to persuade of notability. Like the previous reviewer said, this may belong on a more specific wiki project. Spiralwidget (talk) 15:05, 7 November 2024 (UTC)
- Comment: Not the best sourced. Might be better off at the Missing Persons Wiki. I dream of horses (Hoofprints) (Neigh at me) 00:45, 19 October 2024 (UTC)
The disappearances of Mitchel Weiser and Bonnie Bickwit involved two high school students who resided in Brooklyn, New York. The pair went missing after trying to attend a festival in upstate New York.
Mitchel Weiser and Bonnie Bickwit | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mitchel Fred Weiser and Bonita Mara Bickwit November 23, 1956 January 28, 1958 |
| Disappeared | July 27, 1973 Narrowsburg, New York |
| Status | Missing for 52 years, 4 months and 11 days |
| Education | John Dewey High School (both) |
| Occupations | photographer, mother's helper |
Background
[edit]Mitchel Weiser was a close friend of Bonnie; he had interests in photography and poetry prior to their disappearances.[1] Bonnie Bickwit was a mother's helper as her occupation.[2] The pair went to John Dewey High School as their primary form of education.[3] Prior to their disappearances, the pair had at least 25 dollars between both of them.[4] They both had backpacks and sleeping bags before they went on their trip.[5]
Disappearance
[edit]On July 27, 1973, the pair started their hitchhiking journey to the Summer Jam at Watkin Glens Festival.[6] The pair met together at Camp Wel-Met before continuing their journey. They were last seen on State Route 97.[7][8]
Bonnie Bickwit, 15 years old, and her boyfriend, Mitchell Weiser, 16 years old, respectively[8] thanked a truck driver for the riding them into Narrowsburg, New York. The pair then left his truck. The driver remembered that as he drove off, he saw the two teenagers dressed in jeans and T‐shirts standing at the side of the road, sleeping bags on their backs, holding a cardboard sign that read, “Watkins Glen.” They were never found since.[9]
Investigations
[edit]On September 4, 1973, six weeks after the teens were last seen, police responded with the promise that an investigation would commence, but action failed to materialize.[4][6]
In 1998, an article in the New York Times described the investigations having full of incompetence and malfeasance. In which dental records and DNA were lost.[4]
In 2000, there was an investigation of a man named Alan Smith.[1][2] He claimed that on the day of their disappearances he saw an orange Volkswagen with them inside. The Volkswagen then took a turn the Susquehanna River where the pair decided to rest on their journey. He heard a scream, presumably Bonnie and saw Mitchel trying to save her.[10] They were both swept away by the river, and he never saw them again. When neither returned, Smith said he and the driver simply rode off and never reported the accident.[3]
Investigators believed that this story was made up due to details having conflicting information.[6] In addition, when presented with photos of both subjects, Smith failed to identify either of them nor could he describe what they were wearing. He also refused to take a polygraph test.[3]
In 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the police to do an investigation on what happened to the pair. The current investigation was the result of negligence, poor police competence, and neglect. The investigation has yet to be resolved, and answers are still being inquired.[11]
Legacy
[edit]The Weiser family tried using fliers and a detective to help resolve the case but only two leads have been found and not much has developed since then.[12]
There are many theories and speculations on what happen to the pair. Various theories ranging from being runaway teenagers, to being murdered. However, despite all theories, there is still no definitive answer or conclusion on what truly happened to the pair since their disappearances.[13]
In 2000, a memorial was held in John Dewey High School to memorialize the pair's disappearances.[6]
On the 50th anniversary since their disappearances, attempts to find closure has failed to manifest despite many efforts.[4][8]
See also
[edit]- Summer Jam at Watkins Glen
- List of people who disappeared
- List of people who disappeared mysteriously: 1910–1990
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Mitchel Fred Weiser – The Charley Project". Retrieved 2024-10-14.
- ^ a b "Bonita Mara Bickwit – The Charley Project". Retrieved 2024-10-14.
- ^ a b c "Vanished from Summer Camp: Where Are Bonnie Bickwit and Mitchel Weiser?". The Lineup. 2017-07-06. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
- ^ a b c d "50 years on, America's oldest missing teens case might finally be cracked".
- ^ ""2DMNY - Mitchel Fred Weiser"". The Doe Network.
- ^ a b c d Greenberg, Eric J. (2023-08-05). "Two Teens Hitchhiked to a Concert. 50 Years Later, They Haven't Come Home". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
- ^ "Share Thoughts - Mitchel & Bonnie". 2008-08-26. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
- ^ a b c "Teens Who Hitchhiked to Summer Jam '73 Still Missing After 50 Years". Inside Edition. 2023-08-20. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
- ^ "2 Who Set Out for Watkin.s (Published 1974)". 1974-04-09. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
- ^ Bowens, Dan (2024-03-26). "The Tape Room: 1973 NYC cold case involving missing teens resurfaces". FOX 5 NY. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
- ^ Greenberg, Eric J. (2023-08-30). "N.Y. Governor Orders Cops to Look at Missing-Teens Cold Case After Rolling Stone Investigation". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
- ^ Seamons, Kate (2023-08-19). "NY to Revisit Case of Kids Who Set Out for Concert, Vanished". Newser. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
- ^ crimeandthecitynyc (2020-09-04). "The Mysterious Unsolved Disappearance of Mitchel "Mitch" Weiser and Bonita "Bonnie" Bickwit". Crimeandthecity. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved 2024-10-18.