Kristen Tomlin and Suzanne Russell

• Kristen Tomlin
• Suzanne Russell

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Real Names: Kristen Tomlin and Suzanne Russell
Nicknames: No known nicknames
Location: California
Date: November 12, 1981

Bio

Occupation: Unrevealed (Suzanne)/Barmaid (Kristen)
Date of Birth: October 13, 1961
Height: Unrevealed
Weight: Unrevealed
Marital Status: Single (Kristen)/Married (Suzanne)

Case

Details: In November 1981, Bob Dozier and John Russell set sail on John's boat, the Freedom Two, for Tahiti with his wife, Suzanne, and Bob's girlfriend, Kristin Tomlin, an employee of their Nevada saloon. Several hours later, Bob and John washed up alone on the shore near California claiming that they had lost their boat in tough waters and Kristen and Suzanne were lost at sea. However, inconsistencies of their stories and analysis of the little wreckage afloat started to cast doubt upon their credibility.
One man, a gun shop owner who was friends with Bob and John had sold them a firearm in order to protect themselves from pirates. He was invited to tag along with them on the trip but declined due to high work demands. He agreed to be interrogated on the basis he has now mistrusted their statements and intent to travel.
Other inconsistent facts were the lack of wreckage from the supposedly lost boat. The small bits of wreckage that did wash ashore were determined not to have been destroyed due to acts of nature, but man made damage. Also, they was insufficient to conclude that it was of proper size and/or importance to sink the boat; strongly suggesting non-vital parts of the Freedom Two were destroyed and intentionally cast overboard to throw the authorities off the track.
Medical examinations of Bob and John were suspicious. Neither suffered from hypothermia, which is a common symptom of prolonged exposure to cold seawater. The U.S. Coast Guard has also cast doubt on the verity of their reports on the basis of their behavior. As soon as they were released from the hospital, both immediately left town. Normally survivors of shipwrecks who are missing friends, family or colleagues stay in one place and work closely with authorities until sound evidence has been given that the missing people have died or have been recovered.
Another mismatch in this case is that Bob, complaining of disorientation and memory loss at the time of rescue, later reported a third woman lost at sea by the name of Sherry Ann Dozier. That is in fact an alias of Suzanne, whom had illegally married Bob to go into ownership of their Nevada saloon. John had wanted to open it up, however, his criminal record would not allow him to do so. He convinced Suzanne to commit bigamy with Bob in order to gain the needed liquor license, and the saloon went along successfully. This is another factor that has led authorities to believe foul play was involved. Speculation is that that Bob and John were involved in a scheme involving insurance fraud and/or transportation of drugs and perhaps even murder.
Suspects: Bob Dozier and John Russell
Extra Notes: This case first aired om the November 9, 1988 episode.
Results: Unresolved. An update revealed that Bob, John, and Suzanne have been tried in absentee in a Canadian court for theft and fraud. The Freedom Two was literally stolen from a married couple who were its rightful owners. Although Suzanne was sighted in 1982, neither she nor Kristen have ever been located.
John was seen in New Westminster, British Columbia after the alleged abduction and murder. His father reportedly worked there at a branch of Bank of Montreal. Bob was captured in April 1991, and John was captured in June 1993. They served time for theft and insurance fraud but were never charged in connection with Kristen and Suzanne's disappearances.
Links:

• Ketch mystery deepens
• San Franciscans Puzzled Over Missing Ketch
• Arrest of Fugitive Refloats '81 Case of Missing Yacht

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