In the middle of Chautauqua County sits Lake Chautauqua. Like many places in Western New York, “chautauqua” is Iroquois in origin, meaning “jumping fish” or “bag tied in the middle.” According to Seneca legend, the lake has a more sinister moniker – “place of easy death.” When you consider the number of missing persons and unsolved murders throughout Chautauqua County, you may start to believe that the area is under some ancient curse. My previous blog focused on the missing women, some cases going back decades. Today, we take a look at the women whose lives came to a violent end. The persons responsible for their deaths remain a mystery.
Patricia Fairbanks - Missing November 28, 1972; Found deceased December 29, 1972
On November 28, 1972, Delores Van Damme asked her 14-year-old daughter, Patty Fairbanks, to go to the pharmacy for cotton swabs. Patty returned home with the swabs but told her mother she had been 15 cents short. She left again to take the money to the pharmacy, which was only one-quarter mile away; however, Patty never made it as far as the pharmacy, and one month later, her body was found in a neighbor’s backyard, approximately 120 yards from her house.
APB Cold Case did an excellent podcast on Patty’s case this past June. I don’t feel that I could add anything to what they’ve already reported, so I’m going to link to that podcast here.
Beth Ann Brown Patterson – Found deceased March 27, 1978
Beth Ann was a divorced 28-year-old living with her parents and 12-year-old son. On the Sunday evening of March 26, 1978, Beth went to a local tavern, the Castle, in Portland, NY. It’s unclear if she was there by herself or met up with someone. Beth stayed at the bar until it closed; however, witnesses didn’t know if she left alone. Her vehicle was found in the parking lot with the driver’s side door open.
At approximately 10:30 AM the following day, two children were looking for their missing puppies on the family farm. They went around the chicken coops to a swampy area and discovered Beth’s body in a pile of old fence posts. Somebody had pushed her pants and underwear down around her knees and sexually assaulted her.
Police determined that Beth had been beaten around the face and head, and her death was caused by strangulation. They felt it was likely she had been assaulted and killed elsewhere and then dragged to the wood pile.
Police interviewed multiple people, and some took lie-detector tests. There were several possible leads, but no one was ever arrested.
Kathy Wilson – Disappeared May 18, 1988; Found deceased September 24, 1989
On Wednesday, May 18, 1988, Kathy left her job at John B. Schwab in Falconer at lunch to run some errands. Her last known sighting was around noon at the Quality Super Markets.
The next day, her 1987 blue Plymouth Voyager was found in the Chautauqua Mall parking lot in Lakewood. In addition, her purse was discovered along Route 62, just over the state line, in Akeley, PA.
Multiple searches were conducted throughout Chautauqua and Warren counties while her husband and three young children waited and prayed for her safe return. Unfortunately, it would be 16 long months before they had answers.
On September 24, 1989, two young boys playing deep in the woods found Kathy’s remains in a creek bed.
Two weeks later, Michael Brown and Jay Buckley were charged with the kidnapping, rape, and murder of Kathy Wilson. Brown took a plea deal for his testimony against Buckley. However, the jury didn’t find Brown credible, and Buckley was acquitted. In 1991, Brown’s guilty plea was thrown out, and his prison term set aside.
Since then, there have been very few leads in Kathy’s case, and many people believe that Brown and Buckley got away with their crime.
However, in February 2025, the case had a surprising twist. Investigators now believe that Kathy’s disappearance and subsequent murder were all a part of a plot. Chris Brunea, a Buffalo attorney, was identified as a person of interest in Kathy’s case. Brunea attended Grove City College with Kathy and her husband, Mark. Instead of being murdered shortly after her kidnapping, it is now believed that Kathy was kept alive for some time at a location in Pennsylvania.
Chris Brunea died in 2020, but hopefully, more people will come forward with information and this case can finally be solved.
Melinda Juul – Found deceased on January 20, 1993
Many people believe that Melinda’s murder was a case of mistaken identity, but that’s cold comfort for the husband and children she left behind.
Melinda was working the night shift at The Resource Center’s Intermediate Care Facility. She left the building on foot during her lunch break at approximately 3:10 AM. When she hadn’t returned by 4:30, her co-workers called the police. Her body was discovered a quarter mile from work. She had been shot dead near the Marion Street and Foote Avenue intersection.
Her movements were easy to trace. After leaving work, she went to the ATM where the video shows her making a withdrawal at 3:26 AM. At 3:30, she was seen entering the Quality Market. She is next seen on store video at 3:37, paying for a magazine.
Robbery wasn’t the motive. It’s also unlikely that Melinda was the target. She lived a quiet life, preferring to be at home with her husband and children. Police believe that someone else was the intended target, which was further collaborated when they received an anonymous letter pointing to a suspect and motive.
Melinda’s husband passed away in 2011 without learning the identity of his wife’s killer. But there is still a chance that her children can have closure.
In addition to the missing and murdered women in Chautauqua County, there are a few Jane Doe’s. In September 2021, the remains of two women were discovered along a Chautauqua Rails to Trails in Portland, NY. One woman was quickly identified as Marquita Mull, who had disappeared just a few months earlier. However, the other woman remained unidentified, but police determined she had been dead for at least 10 years. In January 2025, police arrested Richard J. Fox, a registered sex offender, for Marquita’s murder. Further investigation and genetic testing finally gave the other woman a name. After 15 years, Cassandra Watson’s family finally knew what happened to their loved one. Fox was charged with her murder as well.
This is why keeping these women’s names in our heads and hearts is crucial. Technological advancements, particularly those in DNA research, allow for more detailed analysis. Each day, we come closer to finally discovering who committed these awful crimes and ensuring their victims and their victims’ families get the justice and answers they deserve.