CURRENT THEORY - SUMMARY SCENARIO
In the Matter of the Murder of Harold Eugene Vest
on 27 Jun 1946 in Gainesville, TX


IMPORTANT NOTE:

This document is strictly confidential.  It is designed to document an independent assessment of the facts and theories surrounding the death of Harold “Buddy” Eugene Vest on June 28, 1946 in order to discover the truth.  This document necessarily includes a significant amount of personal information – some of which may not be accurate – in order to analyze investigative leads.  This document and its information are not designed to impugn anyone.  Readers must understand that many of the statements in this summary are not factual, but rather are opinions, impressions and speculations based on assumptions and interpretations of existing and necessarily incomplete information.  Further, the information contained in this summary is not warranted to be accurate and we assume no responsibility for damages arising from the publication, distribution, use of, or reliance on any such information.  This document is being provided confidentially in order to further the investigation.  It is a living document, and as such remains subject to change without notice. 

MYSTERY INVESTIGATOR

Tax office incident: Before the Smith Letter

 In October 2003, Investigator Doe, asked me if I had hired another detective agency. I told him that I had not. He then told me that another person had been at the Gainesville tax office inquiring about who paid the taxes on the building in which Buddy’s shop was located.

On 11 Jul 2005, H.D. Vest Investigator Bierman followed up with the employees at the tax office. The clerks, Amy Stockard and Debbie Smallwood, gave the following description of the man: 5’10”; brown curly hair; late 20s; medium build. The clerk sent him to see her uncle, Frank Liedke of Liedke motors in Gainesville.

When Investigator Bierman interviewed Mr. Liedke, he confirmed that a man had come by to see him. Mr. Liedke said that man identified himself as the son of the investigator. Mr. Liedke pulled out the business card of Investigator Doe and the young man stated: Yes, that’s my dad.

Investigator Doe denies that it was his son. A description of his sons was obtained independently from publicly available sources. The descriptions are radically different from that of the mystery investigator.

Tioga cemetery incident: Apr 2004

Witness Peggy Jirasek  stated that she followed the out-of-town woman to 1001 S. Clements. The home was owned by Ms. Virginia Rosalee Bivin Dunn,26 the widow of James Lowell Dunn.27

Investigator Bierman spoke with Ms. Betty Smith, the administrator of the Tioga cemetery about the location of gravesite of James Dunn. Ms. Smith stated that in April 2004, she had been contacted by a man whom she believed to be an investigator. The man stated that he was investigating a homicide that happened many years ago in Gainesville. The man was interested in finding out if James Dunn was buried there.

Investigator Doe never interviewed Peggy Jirasek. He denies making the calls to Ms. Smith. Further he denies even having heard of the names of Dunn or Bivins.

Waurika, OK incident: 2007

On 30 Aug 2007, Investigator Bierman contacted a 70-year resident of Waurika, OK, named James Ivy.28 Ivy was questioned about his knowledge of the McCord family during their residence in the Waurika area during 1923 and 1924. Mr. Ivy stated that he did not know the name McCord; but, that he had been contacted by someone else in June or July asking the same questions.

26 Virginia Rosalee Bivin was born 22 Sep 1915; died 6 Sep 1995 in Burleson, Johnson County, TX. Ms. Dunn worked at the Cooke County Clerk’s office at the time of the Buddy’s murder. Ms. Dunn inherited the property from her deceased husband James Lowell Dunn in 1942. In the summer of 1943 she rented the property for 6 months to Lt. Col. Charles L. Supplee, Quartermaster Corp (b. 20 Aug 1895; d. Aug 1971 in Lancaster, PA; SSN: [withheld]) of Camp Howze. Before entering the army, Lt. Col. Supplee was a candy manufacturer in PA. He subsequently attained the rank of Brigadier General. 

In 1947, Ms. Dunn remarried and left Gainesville.

Ms. Dunn’s sister, Leah Ruth Bivin Lucas McDaniel lives in Houston with her husband. At the time of Buddy’s death she was married to Mauris “Bud” Lucas (SSN [withheld] b. 9 Jul 1918 in TX; d. 13 May 1972 in Wichita Falls, Wichita, TX). Bud Lucas, a former Gainesville police officer, was living and working in Wichita Falls at the time of Buddy’s death and commuted back to Gainesville to visit his wife and family.

Bud Lucas is currently under investigation based on a tip that he told a friend and former Gainesville police officer named Potts (deceased) that he was involved in a murder in Jun 1946.

27 Born 7 Sep 1911 in Tioga, Grayson, TX; died 9 Jul 1942 in Baylor Hospital, Dallas, TX of pneumonia; buried in Tioga cemetery, Tioga, Grayson, TX; occupation at time of his death: electrician


28 James Walter McCord’s (b 26 Jan 1924 in Waurika, Jefferson, Oklahoma; still living) maternal cousin, Ruth Yvonne Welch (b 31 Aug 1936 in Waurika, Jefferson County, Oklahoma; d 21 Jun 1996 in Norman, Cleveland County, Oklahoma) married a “Red” Ivy. James Ivy is the brother of “Red” Ivy (deceased). James Ivy currently lives in Waurika, OK where he works as an attorney and, informally, as the local historian.