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Mary Ann Bagenstose, 25 years old at the time of her disappearance, was last seen at her home located at 167 Willow Street, Pequea Township on June 5, 1984, authorities say.
Bagenstose was last seen by her estranged husband, Jere Musser Bagenstose the morning she disappeared, he had been living with his parents but frequently came to the home, as he did the morning of her disappearance, to take Mary Ann and their 2-year-old son to look for a new car, according to Charley Project.
But Mary Ann was then in a relationship with a boarder at the home they once shared, according to a new release from the Lancaster County district attorney's office.
Jere had always claimed she wasn't ready when he arrived so he took their son to Long's Park to feed ducks and when he returned he found a note from Mary Ann Bagenstose stating she was walking to a nearby Turkey Hill a mile from the home after discovering her car wouldn't start, according to MissingMaryAnnBagenstose.com.
Although she was a regular customer, the clerks claim she never stopped by the store that day, the website details.
And that note stating, “Had to run a quick errand, be right back.” has now been determined to be in Jere's not Mary Ann's handwriting.
Her mother, Geraldine Engonforo, reported her missing two days later, but Jere never reported that the was missing, according to the DA.
On June 8, 1984, a Pequea Township police officer spoke with Jere at the home on West Willow Road, and a shallow grave was possibly found but Mary Ann was not there, the DA writes:
"The officer observed a piece of cardboard covering freshly dug dirt during a check of the garage. He lifted the cardboard and observed a digging area that measured approximately three feet by five feet. A search warrant was executed on June 13, 1984, based on these observations. The hole in the garage was reopened and measured three feet by six feet and was approximately five feet deep. The body of Maryann was not located."
It appears that the custody of the son they shared was a factor in this case as the DA noted in this new release:
"In April of that year, Maryann was granted custody of her son. However, a formal custody hearing was upcoming and scheduled for June 15. Maryann was described as a devoted mother to her son, who people say would have never been left behind. Maryann did not appear at the custody hearing and Jere was awarded custody of their son. Jere was the last person to see Maryann alive."
Additional evidence gathered during the investigation— including a second search of the home on Sept. 20, 2022— and cited in the affidavit of probable cause includes the following as stated by the DA:
- Records obtained from Jere’s place of employment indicated that he had an unexcused absence for June 5, 1984, the date of Mary Ann’s disappearance.
- Jere had an unexplained injury to his left arm which was covered by a bandage. He provided inconsistent statements to law enforcement on how and where he injured himself.
- Jere provided multiple inconsistent statements to police on what the note left by Mary Ann said, why he would have dug a hole in his garage mere days after the victim’s disappearance, why he was present at the house that day, and what Mary Ann was doing when he arrived.
- He stated that Mary Ann was having car trouble and walked to a store. Interviews with the victim’s neighbors and acquaintances revealed the car was working fine in the days leading up to the victim’s disappearance.
- An assistant manager at Turkey Hill stated she had not seen Mary Ann at the store on the day of her disappearance.
- Jere told officers during the search warrant that the note did not say she was walking to Turkey Hill and that he only assumed that Maryann went to the Turkey Hill.
- A Maintenance Supervisor at Long’s Park related he had not seen the defendant’s vehicle in the park on June 5, 1984, after being provided a picture of the vehicle. Two additional employees also had not seen the vehicle.
- In 1985, Jere told investigators that people had relayed to him they recently saw Mary Ann. The defendant never reported this information to police.
- Multiple notes and postcards sent to Jere purportedly from Mary Ann were never relayed to the police by the defendant.
- Witnesses relay that leading up to her disappearance, Mary Ann was in a good mood and looking forward to getting a new car.
None of Mary Ann Bagenstose's personal belongings disappeared with her, and her family said it would be extremely out of character for her to leave without her son or without informing relatives, the Charley Project said.
She was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans, and brown sandals. She is described as White, Blonde, 5’5″ inches tall, and weighing between 125-130 lbs. She also has a slight limp due to "injuries sustained in a car accident" and has to wear a lift in one shoe, according to her missing person posters over the years.
But authorities now say this is not a missing person case, due to the following factors as stated in the DA's release:
- None of the victim’s associates or family have been contacted by her since her disappearance.
- Multiple checks of Police, Federal, and open-source databases have not been able to locate the victim.
- No evidence has been discovered that the victim packed belongings for a trip or to leave home.
- The victim has not opened any bank accounts or claimed income.
- There has been no activity on the victim’s credit or social security number.
- The victim has not been discovered to have established residency or legal identification in other states or ever held a passport/left the United States.
Jere Bagenstose, now 68 years old, has been charged with one count of criminal homicide and was remanded to the Lancaster County Prison after being denied bail due to the nature of the charge, court records show.
His preliminary hearing had yet to be scheduled at the time of publishing. Follow Daily Voice for updates.
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