Micheala Joy Garecht

Little Girl is Snatched in Broad Daylight

From Missing Micheala . Her mother writes:

On November 19, 1988, my nine-year old daughter, Michaela Joy Garecht, was kidnapped, the victim of a witnessed stranger abduction. She has never been found, but we have never stopped looking for her. Over twenty years later, I must salute the Hayward Police Department and the San Francisco FBI for carrying on still today an active and caring investigation into Michaela's kidnapping. It has never become a "cold case."

From the Charley Project:

Garecht and a friend rode their scooters to the Rainbow Market on Mission Boulevard in Hayward, California on November 19, 1988. The store was two blocks from Garecht's home. Garecht noticed that her friend's scooter had been moved in the parking lot when the girls exited the store; when she went to retrieve it, an unidentified Caucasian male grabbed her and forced her into his vehicle. Garecht's friend went inside the Rainbow Market for assistance, but the abductor was able to escape with Garecht. Neither has been seen again.

The abductor is described as between 18 to 24 years old in 1988, with a pockmarked or pimpled face. He wore a white t-shirt and had longish dirty blonde hair and a slender build. Two sketches of Garecht's abductor are posted below this case summary; the original sketch was later revised. The abductor drove a large older model American-made sedan. It was possibly a four-door vehicle and was cream, gold, or tan in color. The car may have had cement splatters on the sides and lights set into the rear bumper. The front bumper was battered; the vehicle may have previously been in an accident. It appeared to be run-down. The car was last seen speeding south on Mission Boulevard towards nearby Union City, California with Garecht inside.

Two men have been named as possible suspects in Garecht's case. Authorities announced that Timothy Bindner had a possible connection to her disappearance, as well as the disappearances of Ilene Misheloff, Tara Cossey and Amanda Campbell. A photo of Bindner is posted below this case summary (on the charley project web page). He maintains his innocence and successfully sued Campbell's hometown of Fairfield, California in 1997 for defamation of character. Bindner, a married sewage treatment plant worker, came to authorities' attention after he began sending birthday greetings to young girls in the East Bay area. One child's parents contacted authorities and handed over a letter Bindner had written to their daughter. The note was printed backwards and could only be deciphered by holding it up to a mirror. Bindner claimed he sent the cards as a kind gesture because the girls were "lonely." Bindner also visited the Oakmont Cemetery gravesite of Angela Bugay, a five-year-old girl girl who was abducted and murdered in Antioch, California in 1983. A photograph of Bugay is posted below this case summary (in the charley project web page). Bindner was never considered a suspect in her murder and another man has since been arrested in that case.

TIMELINE AND STATS:

Michaela's birth data:
January 24, 1979
8:13 p.m.
Hayward, CA (Alameda County)

Kidnapping
November 19, 1988
10:15 a.m. (fairly accurate since it was witnessed and the time is based on call to police department)
Hayward, CA (Alameda County)

Age at time of disappearance: 9
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Blue
Height: 4'8" (142 cm)
Weight: 75 lbs (34 kg)
Missing From:
HAYWARD
CA
United States


********

Thanks to many of my readers, I was sent the details on this case. This is another sad story where a small child, a beautiful little girl, is taken and never seen again. The real mystery in this one is that this child was snatched in broad daylight, right in front of a local market, in plain view of witnesses. She was taken off in a car that was ID'd by many people, including people who spotted the vehicle on the highway later, with this child inside. The police were called within minutes of the kidnapping. The whole thing should have been over in a minute; this man should never have gotten away. But, once again, we are driven to fear and feelings of hopelessness as this child not only disappears but the man who did it is never caught. How much more needs to happen to save a child under these circumstances? Short of stopping the abduction before it happens, what else on earth could have been done? Since this disturbs me, as I am sure it does you, as well, I could not resist posting this analysis on the blog.



In looking at the first chart, for the time when this child was actually taken, I start making notes on the charts as I read them. Moon rules the seventh and it's placed in the third so the abductor is in a vehicle. Moon is conjunct Mars, with Mars ruling the third and tenth houses so he was out in the open (10th house) using the vehicle as a weapon, so to speak. This conjunction shows aggressive action possibly founded in anger. The natural ruler for this child, Mercury, is in the tenth house conjoined Pluto, the ruler of the midheaven. Again, this shows the child to be right out in the open and with a friend. The first house ruler, Saturn, is in the twelfth house between Uranus and Neptune, showing this child to be snatched very quickly, as an object of sudden opportunity (Uranus) and sequestered quickly (Neptune). The child was rapidly hidden (Uranus in the twelfth) and after that, unseen. Although the entire event was witnessed (the tenth house) and authorities have descriptions of the assailant (Venus in the ninth in dignity in Libra) they have been unable to trace this man's steps (Neptune in the twelfth square Moon in the third). Because of Neptune square the Moon in the third, the vehicle became their strongest link to this abductor and was their only solid lead. The twelfth house ruler, Jupiter, is in the fifth house in the sign Gemini (and disposed of by Mercury) showing that this man was looking for a child and had a secret reason for doing so. The scariest aspect in this chart is that Mercury, the child's marker, is under the Sun's beams and the Sun is the ruler of the eighth house. Immediately, this child was in serious danger of death. Mercury between the Sun and Pluto, so close to the Sun's orb and Pluto co ruling the tenth house, this child was not only in grave danger and could very possibly have been killed, but the case would get a lot of media attention. Not every case does. Because of Pluto on the tenth, this one did. Part of the reason this case has never "gone cold" and the police continue to pursue it as best they can is the placement of Venus in Libra in the ninth. The ninth is the house of justice and Libra is the sign of justice. Venus is in dignity in Libra and it also describes love and affection and partnerships. The authorities fell in love with this child and are determined, even to this day, to make this right. To bring justice for Micheaela.

Because this case is fast moving and time is of the essence, I do charts for every 15 minutes following the witnessed abduction. It is common in these kinds of cases for the child to be murdered very quickly, often within a few hours. At 10:30, the Moon is still in the third but it is cusping the fourth, showing the kidnapper to be in his car, going to a specific place. This would be a place he considers "his own". Mars and the Node are in the second house, awaiting the Moon, showing this to be a place he had planned out in advance and may have taken other children there in the past. Mars in Aries shows to be the place where he is "in dominion"; it is a place where he can go and be safe and do anything he wants to with no intervention. Mars in Aries is just as strong in the chart as Venus in Libra, showing this subject to be an equal match to the justice authorities, able to manipulate and outsmart police. Mars so close to the Moon shows this subject to be driven, filled with desires that run hot and out of control. His fantasies and dreams are filled with acts of aggression, even violence. Mars in Aries implies that he enjoys weapons and other things associated with war. He may have many guns, knives, steel and iron implements to be used as weapons. Mars co rules both the tenth and the third so he may have a long history of traffic offenses. He may have also committed acts of road rage and he has been in trouble over these crimes in the past. If any of the suspects has a long history of road rage, traffic accidents, speeding and other infractions, then this is your man. For sure.



When this man is upset he acts out. This kidnapping was another acting out. He wanted to release mounting anger and frustration and he does this through violence. It is unlikely, though, that he has a history of domestic violence or other acts against adults, because he chooses helpless children to assure success. His ego is thin and weak and his self image is very poor. He needs victory, success and feelings of superiority to feel good about himself. The children are easy pickins. With these little girls, he can vent his anger, frustration and feelings of inferiority and emerge a victor, a successful warrior, a real man. This is his own private war against women, waged against the youngest and most helpless of them. There is a good chance (just guessing here) that he had a soured relationship with a woman in his past and this woman has similarities to the little girls he snatches. The first house ruler, Saturn, is square to this Moon-Mars combo, showing Michaela does represent a certain person who makes him the angriest. He chose her because of this. The other children he may snatch would have physical similarities because he seeks out this type. If there are other children missing or found dead in the area that are similar in some way to Micheala then this is probably the same abductor. And I don't mean personality traits or type of clothing or any other quality that would require a deeper study than a moment or two. He spots the face, the hair, the body shape..and chooses. It's as simple as that.





He has reached his destination by 11 am. So it should be considered that the transit to this place took about 15 minutes. Planets in the sign Aries indicates he was heading east from the place where he grabbed this child. So, on average, he traveled 15 minutes east from the market. Pluto has moved onto the midheaven on the ninth house side, showing the authorities are already looking for her. Mercury, the child's marker, is in the tenth house close to the Sun, showing that he took this child to a bushy place where it is dark and easy to hide her (Saturn, the first house ruler, is in the twelfth) but perhaps also close to a main business district. If there is a bushy, wooded area near to City Hall or the Chamber of Commerce or just along a business district in the city, then this is the place. It makes me think of a public park. Since the Moon rules both our kidnapper and is a chart co ruler, I am using the Moon to track movements only. Moon is in Aries in the second house, showing him to be in his personal place, somewhere he goes to frequently and that he regards as his own. This may be in the park/wooded area itself or a home, cabin, shed or other structure in or around the park. This park may have a military statue of some sort or a memorial. A cannon would be most descriptive. Look for outdoor bbq grills in the park area and for a barber, dentist, locksmith, bakery, tool shop or a laboratory nearby in the business district. There may be a cannery or distillery in the same area and a place that sells knives or other weapons, those made of steel or iron. This describes the general area shown in the charts as the place he took this child after kidnapping her.




There are three planets that are in dignity in this chart. Mars in Aries, Venus in Libra and Saturn in Capricorn. The powerful Mars in Aries is in conjunction with the chart co ruler, the Moon, which is also the ruler of the seventh. The next aspect the Moon will make is a square to Neptune in the twelfth. This aspect alone tells me he was under intense pressure to hide this child and was not able to do it over the long term. He might have held her longer or even kept her for quite awhile if the community hadn't have been in an uproar with everyone searching for this child. He had a place he kept her at first but this place was not secret enough. The square from the Moon to Neptune shows that no matter where he would have kept her, the chances are she would have been found. Unfortunately, the Moon is disposed of by Mars in Aries, showing that his purpose in the kidnapping was an act of aggression that was sure to end in violence (Mercury under the Sun's beams with Pluto at the midheaven and both the Sun and Mercury disposed of by Pluto). In this chart for 11:30 am, you can see that Mercury has now moved into the ninth house with Venus and Pluto. Two things here. Venus nearby shows that the police are actively involved now. Venus still rules the ninth and with Mercury entering the same house, their focus is on Micheala. They are trying right now to find the kidnapped child. The other thing I see here is that Mercury has moved with Pluto into the ninth house, showing the child being moved into the wooded area. In the sign Scorpio, this shows her being kept in the woods near a sewer outlet or an outhouse area. The place may be bug infested with stagnant pools of water. Look for a marsh somewhere near the park/wooded area. These planets are disposed of by the powerful Mars, showing that this was a place he had been to before and where he had total control of events. This was a public place but it was a place where other people were unlikely to venture. It would be wooded, bushy, marshy, wet and smelly. Full of bugs, probably mosquitoes and flying insects that breed near water.

Also, because of the sign Aries and the planet Mars, this area may have hills and areas which are frequently dug up or plowed. There may be red flowers in the area, red peppers growing wild or being cultivated or grapes for red wines. Again, this does not have to be altogether in the same area but in the same general area. In the chart for noon, we see that Leo has taken over the descendant and with this the Sun has joined the other planets in the ninth. He has returned to her, after leaving her there for a half an hour or so, and joined her where he left her, in this marshy area. The Sun was in the tenth when it first moved onto the seventh, which indicates he gave the area a good once over, checking for cops or other authorities before returning to his prize. Uranus, now the Ascendant ruler, is in the eleventh house in Sagittarius, with Jupiter at the nadir. With the mix of these influences, Sagittarius, Jupiter, Uranus and Aquarius, it looks like she has been confined (Uranus) in a wooded area (Sagittarius) with high, sloping ground (Jupiter). The area, once again, looks as if it has freshly dug up ground or plowed soil (Aquarius). Jupiter, prominent at the nadir, is in Gemini, disposed of by Mercury, which is Michealas marker. But Mercury is a marker for all children, so I believe this place was prepared in the past not just for Micheala but for all the children he planned to abduct. And with the influence of Jupiter in Gemini, I can guess it might be a garage. Jupiter shows us private garages while Gemini shows us garages, as well, so I believe this child was taken to a garage in an area near a wooded park just outside of the business district. This particular area of the woods, outside the park itself, is marshy, buggy and smelly and his home may be rustic with an outhouse or other primitive sewer system. This home could very well be a second home for him (Gemini) and be mobile in nature like an RV or manufactured home that can be moved at will. It would have a storage shed or unattached garage where he was able to store things, including this child.



I hate to push the charts ahead a few hours so quickly at this point but I was looking for signs of whether he killed this child and found the death pattern at 2:30 pm. I see various interactions between him and the child but all of this is unimportant and only serves to upset some people so I'll leave that out. What matters is whether the child is dead or alive and where she can be found, dead or alive. The charts, specifically for 2:30 and 2:45 pm, show a death pattern that leads me to believe she has passed. On looking at this chart for 2:30 we see that Mars rules the first house and is in the twelfth with the Moon. Mercury is now in the eighth, along with the Sun and under the beams. This child was in danger of death all day long. The eighth house ruler, Mars, is in the twelfth and the co ruler, Pluto, is in the seventh. This shows death as a direct result of an act of violence. Mars and Puto are in mutual reception, which often makes things come to pass, especially violent acts. The fourth house ruler is now the Moon and, again, the Moon is in the twelfth. Over the next hour or so, we should be watching Saturn to see what he does with her body. For me, anyways, Saturn is always the bones. It depicts the body after death. As you can see, at the time of death, her body was in the wooded area we already described. In conjunction with Uranus, this place was unusual but also very old; although it was an area considered dissimilar to the rest of the surrounding communities, it had been there for many generations. I assume his home had been there for many years, even as it could be easily moved at any time.

At 3 pm, Neptune moves into the ninth house, along with Saturn and Uranus. He is now focusing on hiding her body. The Moon, at this hour, is EXACTLY square to Neptune, which should be the descriptor of the place he eventually chose to hide her. With the Moon ruling the fourth house and Neptune ruling the twelfth, there is a good chance he buried her near his own home. Moon and Mars in Aries in the twelfth makes me consider the chance that he might have cremated the body, as Aries rules furnaces and chimneys. But the influence of the Moon and Neptune bring to mind water sources, such as the cesspools, sewers and marshy waters I see in the overall area. And then the sign Capricorn makes me think of cemetaries, tombs and urns, as well as crematories. There is a very good chance that this child was never found because he burned up her body in a furnace, chimney or barbecue pit and then tossed the bones and ashes into the marsh. Saturn in Capricorn literally guarantees that the body is "underground" in some fashion, whether buried or just returned to dust. Neptune nearby shows that she is well hidden, in a dark, creepy area that people do not like to visit. No one really likes to walk through marshy, waterbogged land, especially when there are insects or sewer cesspools nearby. And then there is the other possibility that he burned her body and the tossed the remains down the drain, into the sewer system. These are all possibilities with this chart.



One more thing I like to do is take a stab at describing the kidnapper. The tradition in astrology for describing physical characteristics is long in history but in recent times has been called into question. Most of the old books refer only to white people and do little predicting for persons of other races, assuming, I guess, that only white people are to be charted. So I have developed my own, less racist, system that I have developed for my own use but it is still being tested (through my own experiments) and has no real history in practice. In this case, the abductor is indicated by Venus in Libra, which is dignity and has tremendous strength in this chart. This dignity is a good reason why he got away with this and has yet to be found. Venus in Libra, as all astrologers know, describes aesthetics such as beauty and charisma. This would seem to indicate that our kidnapper was very good looking and also charismatic, which may very well be true. Overall, it is my guess that he has feminine qualities and a feminized personality that may bring his sexuality into question. People may assume this man is gay when, in fact, he is not. He would be small in body size, delicate almost, with a good complexion and maybe even dimples. Long eyelashes, a bow shaped mouth, high cheekbones, all qualities normally admired in women, would make him attractive but in a feminine sense. He may attract the wrong kind of attention from others and this is a problem for his ego. This man may be vain and manly in his heart, wishing very much to be seen as masculine, strong and fearsome. He might lift weights or otherwise enhance his male physique. He might also be tall and shapely in a way, small waisted with fine, probably darker, hair. He might be a singer or dancer and love to perform for others. He is the kind of person who desires public approval and seeks an audience when he can.

Other qualities he possesses might be artistic or musical talent, writing songs or drawing pictures. His home might be well decorated and pleasant; this would be his main home not the second home to which he brought Micheala. He would also be seen as a show off, a "fancy pants", so to speak, a natty dresser.
But he would also be soft spoken, outwardly gentle and seen as harmless by everyone who knows him. He would be last person you would suspect of this crime. In fact, it would almost be unimaginable. No one he knows could imagine him hurting a fly, much less a little girl. But, in fact, he did and he does this many other times, as well. As I said earlier, he is a complex personality with a weak ego who needs approval and cannot tolerate rejection. In his crimes against helpless little girls, he is the god he dreams himself to be and can take out his anger at the women in his life, one or more of whom is represented by the children he abducts and kills.


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