Tarot Spread: Christopher Kerze

Christopher stayed home from school on April 20, 1990. He said he had a bad headache and planned to stay home from school. His father went away on a business trip that day and his mother left him alone at their Eagan, Minnesota residence, after giving him an over-the-counter pain medication for his headache.

When they came home, the family's light blue 1988 Dodge Caravan was gone, the family dog was running around loose, and there was a note on the kitchen table from Christopher reading: "Mom, Something important came up + feeling somewhat better. Back by six. (Unless I get lost.) Love, Chris" The word "lost" in the note was underlined twice. Christopher's mother believes his statement about getting lost was just a reference to the fact that he occasionally got lost while he was driving.

Christopher never arrived home and has never been heard from again. He withdrew $200 from his savings account the day he disappeared. The next day, a handwritten note arrived at his parents' home, postmarked Duluth, Minnesota; that town is about two and a half hours from Eagan.

The note said Christopher had lied about being sick so he could use the family's car to get away "to not even I know where." He said he intended to take his own life, and apologized for hurting his family and loved ones.

Two days after Christopher was last seen, the Dodge Caravan was found abandoned on the roadside in Itasca County in northern Minnesota, near the George Washington State Forest and the Chippewa National Forest, about twenty miles north of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Christopher's grandparents lived in Grand Rapids. Inside the van were the keys and a note from Christopher explaining who owned the van.

An extensive search of the area turned up no indication of his whereabouts; it's possible he hitchhiked to an unknown destination. After Christopher's disappearance, his family got a tip from someone who claimed they'd picked up a hitchhiker resembling him who asked to be taken to Duluth, the place where the suicide note had been mailed from. This story has not been verified.

The family also got a lot of strange calls where the caller would not speak and there would be background noise like a party. Christopher's mother believes the strange calls were from him. They continued for six months before stopping abruptly.

In 2004, the Eagan Police Department got an anonymous letter postmarked Seattle, Washington that asked them to stop looking for Christopher. The letter writer said Christopher was a "guardian angel" and that he would return home when he was ready. Police eventually concluded the letter was a hoax.

Prior to his disappearance, Christopher hadn't given any indications there were problems in his life. He was an excellent student who'd been invited to join the National Honor Society and was a National Merit Scholar semi-finalist, and he was a member of his school's swimming team and played the clarinet. His other hobbies included skiing, camping, reading, laser tag and computers.

Christopher was carrying his father's 1954 to 1956 model Mossberg 20-gauge bolt-action shotgun with a three-shell clip at the time of his disappearance, but he apparently didn't take any ammunition with him. Authorities believe the gun may have been abandoned somewhere in rural Minnesota and was possibly found later by a hunter.

Photos of a similar gun, and watch similar to what Christopher was wearing, are posted with this case summary. Investigators would like to hear from anyone who found such a gun in 1990 or afterwards.

Christopher's case remains unsolved and many agencies classify it as a runaway. His parents still live in the house where they lived in 1990, and have kept the same phone number. Police believe it's likely he took his own life and that his body has not been found yet.

I felt a little uncomfortable writing about a boy who may have committed suicide. But I decided to look into his case nevertheless. There are roughly thirty more cases from across the world that I wish to look at, mainly those of children, but I believe that this is the only one where suicide may be involved.

I shall add links to suicide hotlines at the end of this reading.

1)                   Two of Pentacles, reversed. An imbalance between work and home, discord, resisting change, a turn for the worse, incomplete projects. Accountants, shift workers, those with multiple jobs, stock market investors or traders, market traders.

Due to Christopher’s age, I wonder if the imbalance refers to his school work. Did he have trouble at school? From what I can find, he appears to have been a good student. Maybe he felt overworked?

 

2)                   Nine of Pentacles. Gain, rewards for your efforts, realizing your goals, financial and personal independence, material security, self-sufficiency, a kept man or woman. Those with a trust fund, horticulturists, the retired, bird keepers, landscape gardeners.

The second card represents the obstacle for the Querent – in this case Christopher. It seems to be an odd card to indicate an obstacle. But perhaps it may refer to a person. Could someone who fits the criteria suggested perhaps have quarrelled with the boy?

 

3)                   Seven of Pentacles, reversed. Failure in business, blockages in production, fruitlessness, poor investments, a turn in either direction, fear of success, self-sabotage. Planners, long-term investors, garden centre workers, plant growers.

I think about Christopher’s alleged – and I cannot stress that word enough – suicidal tendencies when I see the word fruitlessness. Remember, if you or anyone you know has suicidal thoughts, I have listed some helplines below.

The fruitfulness could normally indicate someone’s fertility, but as Christopher was seventeen, I am not sure that this what the card is referring to.

 

4)                   Four of Swords. Calling a truce, a rest, agreement, considering your position, tomb, coffin.

I had a terrible feeling in my gut when I turned over this card. I felt as if I were intruding on Christopher’s private moments, especially since the fourth card in a reading indicates the future (when I do readings for missing people, the future refers to the time after they were last seen). I feel positively awful as I say with certainty that it seems as if Christopher is dead, whether by his own hand or someone else’s.

 

5)                   Strength. Inner strength, self-assurance, self-control, patience, strength through personal power, vitality, compassionate.

This card is a little difficult to interpret. On the one hand, as the fifth card represents what the Querent wants to achieve, it could signify what Christopher wanted from life, but did not feel as if he could achieve. If this were the case, I think that this particular card might have been reversed. So perhaps he set out with the intention of suicide, but something changed his mind. If so, what happened to prevent him from going home? Was he the victim of a crime? Was he ashamed?

 

6)                   Fool. New beginnings, spontaneity, adventure, innocence, fearlessness, a leap of faith, freedom from constraints, seeking freedom.

Does this mean that Christopher ran away? It certainly seems so. He was seventeen, an age where foolishness and spontaneity abound. Could it be entirely possible that the sadness of the Four of Swords was a turning point and not an omen of death, with Christopher realising how string he really was? I truly hope so.

But if this is the case I must ask again where he has been all this time.

 

7)                   World, reversed. Plans falling through, unfinished business, delayed success, non-movement, stagnation, being stuck in a rut.

The seventh card signifies the Querent themselves. Whether or not Christopher chose to die that day, this card may indicate his suicidal tendencies. As the card is reversed, the ‘success’ that may have been delayed, or ‘plans’ that fell through may refer to ‘bad’ plans – his intention of killing himself.

Either way, the non-movement is confusing. There is some evidence that he made his way to Duluth. He could still be living there if this is true.

 

8)                   Nine of Wands. Determination, test of character, belief in your personal power, being able to push through. Soldiers and the military, security guards, striking workers.

The eighth card refers to the Querent’s environment. Again the idea of failing to kill himself comes up. It is the only explanation I can think of.

 

9)                   Page of Wands. Messages, electronic communication, renewed vigour, school or college friend, youngster or child.

The ninth card represents hopes and fears. The message makes me think of the note he left behind, or even the letter mailed from Duluth. I wonder if a school friend managed to help him get away. Perhaps they were the first person that he went to. Maybe Christopher is scared that this person may give away what they know. Is he frightened of returning home? Ashamed?

 

10)               King of Pentacles, reversed. Materialistic bigot, exploiter or harsh employer, opinionated, cruel, poor business decisions, sex addict. Estate agent, businessman or manager, banker, teacher or other educator, mentor, exporter or importer.

This card may indicate the reasons behind Christopher’s decision. There must have been someone in his life that Christopher wanted to get away from. I think it would be best to take another look at his school life and any extracurricular activities that he undertook. I believe you will find the answers there.

Suicide Hotlines

https://www.supportline.org.uk/problems/suicide/ (UK)

https://suicidepreventionpathways.org.au/ (AUS)

https://www.crisisservicescanada.ca/en/ (CAN)

http://www.suicide.org/hotlines/international/germany-suicide-hotlines.html (GER)

https://www.youthline.co.nz/(NZ)

http://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ (USA)

Tarot Spread: Patricia Lynn Taylor

 

 

Patricia's case is interesting to me because she may have started off as a runaway, but could easily have become something else. The information below is piled from the Charley Project.

Patricia was born in California. Some time later, due to problems at home, she went to live with relatives in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Six months later, she was taken to Oklahoma and placed in the care of Oklahoma's Department of Human Services (DHS).

Initially she stayed at the Oklahoma Baptist Home for Children's Owasso campus. She was transferred to the Tulsa Girls Group Home in July 1981. Patricia was last seen on August 31, 1981. Authorities classified her as a runaway.

Patricia left behind a large family, including at least five half-siblings. The Oklahoma DHS closed her case when she turned eighteen, but in 2015, after over 30 years without hearing from Patricia, her family asked the police to open a missing persons case for her.

Why did people chose to close missing children's ages when they passed their eighteen birthdays? Or decide to go for years, even decades, without opening up the case again? True, the latter instance may be due to people mistakenly believing that the police would follow procedure or that someone else had reported their loved one missing, but it still baffles me.

 

1.                   Four of Pentacles, reversed. Greed, isolating yourself, loving your savings or possessions, unstable foundations, feeling insecure.

As Patricia was in foster care when she went missing, this card does not surprise me in the very least. She may have felt angry at the world. Did she lose any important possessions while in foster care?

 

2.                   Ten of Swords. Ruin, a sudden ending, grief, a negative outcome, falling just before the finish line, being stabbed in the back.

Was Patricia betrayed in some way by the people who were supposed to be looking after her? I am not referring to physical or sexual assault, but rather neglect or lies being told. For once in these readings I think the obstacles card does not connect to an abductor, but the position Patricia found herself in. How miserable was she? Did she really run away, at least at first? Whatever caused her to abscond she was a very unhappy young woman.

 

3.                   Ten of Cups. Fulfilment, satisfaction, a happy family unit, your dream becoming reality, stability in personal relationships, a move to the country.

This card shows four happy figures, two parents and two children, underneath a rainbow. You do not have to be a psychic to work out that this meant that Patricia wanted to be part of a happy family. From what I have heard she had at least five half-siblings. She was being pushed around from foster home to foster home and although I do not know the reason why, she was clearly miserable. The third card signifies what the Querent – Patricia – wants but is not theirs at present.

 

4.                   King of Cups, reversed. Petty, spiteful, a weak man, lazy, sometimes violent and possibly abuses alcohol and/or drugs.

I wonder if this man might have been in a position of power at the place Patricia was living in. Could this have been the man that let Patricia down in some way? He is possibly older, most likely over forty at the time.

 

5.                   High Priestess. Mystery, intuition, emotional stability, things yet to be revealed, a single woman, a chaste woman, information withheld, secrets, not trusting your intuition, being lied to, led astray, immorality. Teachers, mentors, nuns, librarians, spa workers, mediators, educators.

I wondered for a moment if this card represented Patricia. The fifth card symbolises what the Querent is moving away from. However, this could mean the situation in 1981 or even things yet to be revealed that occurred AFTER she was last seen. Those over the age of 14 are usually represented by Pages, but I wonder if this card in fact means Patricia had a secret of some sort. Was she being led astray at outside influences? A ‘B’ and a ‘J’ might come up somewhere.

 

6.                   Queen of Wands. An energetic and lively woman, creative, self-confident, ambitious and determined, expressive, enjoys socialising.

This card is the complete opposite of what Patricia was going through. This card might refer to embarking on a period of self-discovery or learning to be more daring and bold. Somewhere along the line Patricia learnt to be brave in some capacity. Queens often refer to a woman over the age of eighteen years and when describing people the Wands depict people with red hair and those with Fire Signs (Patricia is a Sagittarius). Could this mean that Patricia lived long enough after she was last seen to become a legal adult? The sixth card represents the future, so is it entirely possible? Anita Drake and Crystal Haag were both teenagers when they disappeared, but were found to have survived for YEARS after they were last seen (Anita was dead by the time she was identified, but had died of cancer after almost thirty years). Patricia may not be dead, although I will speak about this.

 

7.                   The Devil, reversed. Breaking free from unhealthy relationships, becoming less sexual, freedom from restraints and starting a new life. It might refer to prison guards, interrogators, smugglers or house thieves.

The seventh card might mean that Patricia chose to leave the foster home of her own free will. Something fascinating is that the number associated with this card is 15, the age Patricia was when she was last seen.

 

8.                   King of Swords, reversed. Dictatorial, domineering, suspicious, a liar, spineless, coward, arrogant, impatient.

However, things were not as rosy as Patricia expected after she left the foster home. This card represents the environment around a person. This might link to a current environment as opposed to a previous one. She may have met someone – most likely a male with grey or fair hair or a light complexion and possibly in his forties or older – who might have taken advantage of her. Due to being in tough living conditions at the foster homes, I do not believe Patricia would have fallen for tricks, but that is my own opinion.

 

9.                   Fool, reversed. Folly, stupidity, lack of direction, poor judgement, being gullible, naivety, blocks, restrictions.

It seems as if I was wrong. Patricia MIGHT have been taken in by this person’s charm or his lies. Maybe he offered her a lift back to her family. This card can refer to a traveller or a wanderer or even pleasure seekers.

 

10.                Chariot. Drive, willpower, ambition, victory, confidence, overcoming obstacles, mastering a skill, energy.

From what I have seen in the previous cards, this one may have two different interpretations. The first is that Patricia was able to overcome her misery and begin a new life. The second is that she entered – willing or unwillingly – a physical vehicle, probably driven by the person represented by the King of Swords, which might have sent her towards a tragic end. This does not mean, of course, that she entered a vehicle and was not killed, but considering the dangers of hitchhiking I tend to lean towards darker outcomes when it comes to this activity. There are tall buildings in the background of the card, which makes me think that she might be near a city or somewhere with tall buildings.

There is one more factor that I would like to address and that is if Patricia has sadly passed on, where could she possibly be? Has she been found and is still unidentified?

Some time ago I came across a picture of an unidentified girl whose body was found in Campbell County, Tennessee in 1985. She is suspected to have been a victim of the Redhead Murders (I talked about this at length in Nancy Baird’s reading). She was aged between 9 and 15 when she died, between 1981 and 1985 (remember that the deceased was skeletal and had therefore died some time before discovery, as well as the fact that she was found more than 35 years ago). I believe that the latest reconstruction by the NCMEC resembles Patricia.

If someone out there reading this knows Patricia’s family then I would recommend that you tell them about this unidentified young lady, if they do not know already. It may help to bring some closure.

https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/1577