Omaha World Herald 11 Jan 1983

Mary Hovendick (Photo)

Teens Charged in Blair Case

Blair (AP) – Two Blair teenagers were arraigned today on charges filed in connection with the disappearance of a doughnut shop clerk as authorities decided whether to battle cold, gusty winds in a search of the Missouri River, where they fear they will find the body of 21-year-old Mary J. Hovendick.

Washington County Attorney Patrick Tripp said he charged Brian D. Smith, 17, and Dale V. Nollen, 16, with burglary, robbery, kidnapping and first-degree sexual assault.

A spokeswoman in Tripp’s office said the arraignments went on as scheduled at 8:30 a.m. She added that authorities were evaluating the weather situation regarding the search of the river. Winds gusting to 50 miles an hour battered eastern Nebraska today as temperatures fell to below freezing.

Tripp said the charges against the youths stemmed from evidence gathered thus far in the case, but that no statements have been taken from them.

Washington County Sheriff Bill Gutschow said Thursday he believed that Miss Hovendick, missing since Tuesday night, is dead and that her body and her car were in the Missouri River.

“I absolutely believe that she is dead and that she is in the river with her car,” Gutschow said.

Officials searched the river east of Blair Thursday after finding tire tracks leading into it on the Iowa side just north of the U.S. 30 bridge. At one point, a helicopter was brought into the search, but the river was too murky for anything to be seen under the surface, officials said. Scuba divers stood by in case anything considered worth examining was found.

Miss Hovendick was reported missing at 4 a.m. Wednesday by her mother, Mrs. Ivan Hovendick, a widow. Miss Hovendick was last seen at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Mrs. Hovendick said that after her daughter did not return home Tuesday night, she and her son, Marvin, 22, drove along roads between Blair and her farmhouse, fearing there had been an accident.

Officials reported that $200 was missing from the shop, which had not been closed up Tuesday night, along with Miss Hovendick’s 1982 Mercury Lynx. Her purse and checkbook were found Wednesday along a Washington County road off Nebraska 91 four miles west of Blair. Article #2

Enterprise 20 Jan 1983

(Photo) Caption: Members of the Nebraska State Patrol continued their search this week along the east bank of the Missouri River for the body of Mary Jo Hovendick. Her car was discovered at this spot last Saturday.

(Photo) Caption: The State Patrol uses a long pipe on which to drag the bottom of the river. The machine, which has several hooks attached to the center axle, is pulled along the bottom using a long nylon rope.

Patterson Counsels Nollen and Smith

Reverend Gordon Paterson, of the First United Methodist Church in Blair has revealed that he counseled Brian Smith and Dale Nollen the week prior to Mary Jo Hovendick’s disappearance.

The discussion had absolutely nothing to do with nay of the events under investigation”, said Patterson. “They talked about quitting high school”, he added,” and about going to Missouri to work or joining the military.”

Patterson also noted that the two youths were not members of his church but were acquainted with some of the members of the youth choir. “They would stop by on occasion and sing with us,” he said, “they just seemed like indecisive teenagers to me.”

The search continues for Mary Jo Hovendick, a 21 year-old rural Blair woman who disappeared last Tuesday evening. It is believed she was abducted from the Blair doughnut shop where she worked.

Seventeen year old Dale V. Nollen and sixteen year old Brian D. Smith have been charged with burglary, robbery, first degree sexual assault and kidnapping. They are being held without bond in the Washington County Detention Facility.

Nineteen year old Sharon Thompson has been charged with criminal conspiracy, being an accessory to a felony and aiding in the consummation of a felony. Thompson was arrested Monday morning, but was released Monday afternoon after 10 percent of her $1,000 recognizance bond was posted. According to Washington County Sheriff Bill Gutschow, Thompson was again arrested after her bond was reset at $25,000. She was later released Tuesday morning after posting 10 percent of the $25,000.

Thompson is to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Thursday, before County Judge Daniel J. Beckwith of Fremont. Beckwith, who presides over Dodge County Court, is sitting in for Washington County Court Judge F. A. Gossett who is in Grand Island. According to Associate County Judge Jon Stewart, trial dates for the three have been tentatively set for either February 2nd or 4th.

The Nebraska State Patrol is continuing their search along the Iowa side of the Missouri River. Efforts are being centered north of the Blair Bridge where Miss Hovendick’s car was pulled from the river Saturday afternoon.

“We are pretty sure the body is in the river, said Jim Avary, area supervisor of the State Patrol’s Criminal Investigation Unit. Avary also gave every indication that the search would continue, weather permitting, until the body is found.

Hovendick’s car, a 1982 Mercury Lynx, is being held in the garage of the Blair Police headquarters. Some samples from the automobile have already been sent to the State Patrol’s crime Lab in Lincoln. “Any fingerprints would not be affected even though the car was submerged in the river for several days,” says Avary.

Meanwhile, Washington County Attorney Patrick Tripp indicated that the filing of murder charges has not been ruled out,” such charges can be filed without a body,” says Tripp.

Tripp also noted that no discussions have been held with the two boys since their arrest. He credits Brian Smith’s older brother Bill with supplying much of the information that led to the filing of charges. Smith brought his younger brother and Nollen into Blair Police Headquarters around 4 a.m. Wednesday.

Note: Mary Jo was born on December 1, 1961. Her parents were Ivan Jr. and Ella (Ruwe) Hovendick. She died on 11 of January 1983. Find a Grave # 103110153. She was buried in the Blair Cemetery, Blair, NE on April 22, 1983.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~