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A skull found in a restaurant flower box reignites debate over whether a Missouri man orchestrated his wife’s disappearance.  Linda Sherman  Whose skull was found outside the restaurant? CASE DETAILS  The Sherman Family In Bridgeton, Missouri, at the Casa Gallardo Restaurant, two women having lunch noticed something strange outside the window. There, in the bushes, was a human skull. Police Chief Walter Mutert described the bizarre scene:
The skull, determined to be from an adult woman, went into the evidence room at the morgue and was soon forgotten. One year later, at a police station 25 miles away, a mysterious letter arrived. It stated, “The Bridgeton Police have L. Sherman’s skull.”  Does Linda’s husband know more than he’s saying? A missing person’s case suddenly became a puzzling murder mystery with many unanswered questions: What motive would someone have for leaving Linda Sherman’s skull outside the restaurant? Where was the rest of her body? And, most importantly, who was responsible for her death? Linda was only 17 when she married Don Sherman, her high-school sweetheart. When her daughter Patty was born, Linda could always count on her mom to watch the baby while she completed her senior year. Don Sherman said he took a job at a local gas station to support his new family:
 Where is the rest of Linda Sherman’s body? Money problems and working opposite shifts at their jobs strained the relationship. During the 10-year marriage, Linda took Patty and moved out several times, but the couple always reconciled. According to Linda’s older brother, Dennis Lutz, Don was obsessed with knowing Linda’s every move:
Linda told her family that she was afraid of Don’s violent temper. According to Sam Miller, Linda’s brother-in-Law, Linda once got a restraining order to keep Don away:
On April 22nd, 1985, Linda left her night job at around two in the morning. Don Sherman offered his account of that night:
Linda was lying on the sofa later that morning when her daughter Patty left for school:
That would be the last time Patty ever saw her mother. Don claimed that when he returned to the house that afternoon, Linda was on edge:
Don says Linda drove off at about 6 p.m., but there are no witnesses that saw her leave. Linda never arrived at work and never returned home. Don claimed to know nothing about her disappearance:
Linda’s brother, Sam, said he knew Linda had met a violent end:
Linda’s parents insisted that Don go to the police station to file a missing person’s report. Meanwhile, Sam and Fran searched frantically for Linda. On a hunch, according to Sam, they headed to the local airport:
Don claimed he saw Linda with another man in the days after her disappearance. He said that she drove past him in a van and quickly ducked out of sight. Don’s sighting was the last time anyone reported seeing Linda. Five years later, when the skull turned up at the restaurant, no one even thought it might be Linda’s. In what seems like a bizarre coincidence, Don revealed that the restaurant was one of his favorite hangouts:
No one made a connection until a year later, when the mysterious letter arrived at the Vinita Park police station. Lieutenant Michael Webb interpreted the display of Linda’s skull as a brazen message from her killer:
Don Sherman said he was just as incredulous as anyone:
Was it possible that the killer placed the skull there to threaten Don? Or did Don have a reason to put it there himself? Some speculated that Don wanted to remarry and needed proof that Linda was dead. Only one thing is certain: for Don, the skull provided the perfect piece of evidence. But for Linda’s daughter Patty, the find was devastating:
For Lt. Michael Webb, the evidence pointed in only one direction:
Don’s daughter Patty doesn’t see how it can be any other way:
And Don Sherman has never stopped proclaiming his innocence:
Police hope new technology in soil sampling will someday lead them to Linda’s body and, eventually, her killer. Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season eleven with Robert Stack and in season one with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu. SUBMIT A TIP |
Anonymous
I didn’t know Don was later murdered by his next wife. That kind of fills in many missing pieces. Because at least two people where involved with Lindas disappearance. (The way the car was left at the airport. And Don being spooked about the skull found at a restaurant him and Linda liked.)
Justice for Linda
What? Are you serious?
Shane
Wow, then I would definitely point the finger of blame at him. There are awful people in this awful world.
Where can I find out more?
angel
wow talk about not being able to follow along with the bounching ball. Don was NOT killed by his next wife. Don’s mother killed his father right around the time that Don and Linda were married. She served less than a year in prison.
Anonymous
Anytime you have an abandoned car it usually means two people where involved. Not so much today because we have more public transportation. But back then you actually had to have a second person drive you away from a car. Because there would be several witnesses that would see you walking away. So I don’t think Don was lying about someone possibly trying to intimidate him with the skull showing up. (Even though it probably was a prank like the detectives suggested.) Everything else from Don I’m skeptical on. This guy kept close tabs on his wife. He knew what see was doing every second she did it. But after her disappearance he seems to have known very little about her movements. There is just not enough evidence. The boxes seen put in a trunk need to be found. I’m skeptical if they ever will be.
Ginger
instead of saying my wife he says
And Don Sherman has never stopped proclaiming his innocence:
“I had nothing to do with Linda Sherman’s disappearance or her death. I still think that she left with someone and obviously met with foul play and died
yeahhhhhhhhhhhhh righttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt he did it no doubt
Anonymous
He may have had someone do it for him. There is evidence that a second person was involved. But the white van account is not verifiable or trustworthy. She couldn’t even go to the bathroom without complaints. But he seemed at leisure seeing her with another man in a van.
TwistedTwit
Don did it because he was a violent, controlling man, and Linda wanted to get away from him. He killed her while they ‘discussed’ why she got home 5 minutes late. Hope he rots in hell. Poor Patty, God bless her!
Anonymous
He had to have had help. Maybe another lady he latter married. (Bonded for life because of murder.) His next wife Linda was convicted of murdering him.
pawel
I think she shouldn’t have been sleeping around.
Mr. T
If that is your thought, it would be in your best interest to just not think then. So because the husband aka the prime suspect said she was seeing another man, that is the best explanation given? Your misogyny is both disgusting and disturbing. Seek help and I can only hope you never have a daughter. Pity the poor girl if you do…
Anonymous
It takes one to suspect one. Usually the people that complain a spouse is cheating are the ones that are cheating themselves. I think Linda was faithful.
you are rude
weird.
S Cleveland
Talk about blaming the victim…..wow.
C white
The police didn’t even do forensics in the house looking for blood or anything? The police are always so incompetent in these unsolved cases.
Anonymous
June Sherman later killed Don. I think his other lady had something to do with it.
taylor
to think i was related to this bastard is absolutely disgusting. not only did he kill his husband, but molested my innocent boy cousin. he deserves to rot in hell.
UM fan
What a sad story. It seems obvious to me that she was already dead on the couch when her daughter left. And I think that is what Patty suspects as well. I heard that Don has passed away. I don’t see how this case will ever be solved but I hope Patty finds peace and happiness in her life in spite of these tragic circumstances.
UM slacking
Please tell me technology helped solve this case
Jason
Well, Don, the police’s prime suspect died in 2015.
Patricia Cooksey
I was just cruising in hopes to find a/some of my paternal side. “Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, etcetera. I am a Sherman via Missouri and in hopes to find a paternal cousin. Can anyone help? My paternal Grandmother’s name is Goldie Anderson-Sherman-Creamer. ❤ May there be perhaps 0ne…at least one of my cousins with the birth name “Sherman”?
Any Pendergraft could stand up for my sweet “Aunt Wanda”….she has passed now but she was the glue that held us together ❤ oh how I miss her, bless her heart, and she is still the glue ❤
Dear Auntie, I miss your calls every weekend!!! And I thank you for being our glue…sweet angel
Anonymous
Don’s master mind is in jail for killing him. Killers that are together for murder, when they break up, there is usually a death involved. I had a dream about Don. He showed me my romance life and told me to go to the grave. No one is perfect. But Don was likely involved in a homicide. He had more knowledge than what he lead on. So we have a suspect deceased. Another suspect is being rehabilitated and hopefully will turn her life around. The case at this point is at a stalemate.
Jason
I always thought the utter lack of empathy or emothion for his “wife” was a dead give away that the husband did it. She prob threatened to leave him, he killed her, left her on the couch to cover his tracks for the child, and buried her somewhere. THEN, met someone new, realized he needed proof of her death (she was still considered “missing”), dug her up, and placed her skull where it would be EASILY spotted. Bam, new wife, new life, no crime. EVEN HIS OWN DAUGHTER THINKS HE DID IT. We need Dr Cyril Wecht on this. Just my two cents.
thinkingoutloud
it’s obvious he killed her and disposed of her body. they fought alot and he was violent so maybe one night he got a little rough and accidentally killed her and left her on the sofa so their daughter could see she was still there even tho she was dead and later on he claims she left for work and never returned. only strange part is how the school ended up where it did
Jim early
It doesn’t look good for the husband, but it seems maybe that they need more experienced investigators on the job. No matter what anyone thinks, the last thing we need to do is imprison someone without proof.
Anonymous
Why did he refer to her by her full name? Why didn’t he just say Linda or my wife. It’s as if he just forgot about her and tried to disassociate himself from her. She was the mother of his child.
Jodi
My heart goes out to the family. I seen the story about Linda Sherman on an old re-run of unsolved mysteries in April of 2016. I have children and whether my I or my husband takes them to school I get up to say goodbye even if I’m not feeling well and if i don’t get up my kids won’t leave without coming and waking me even if its just to whisper goodbye and give me a kids on the cheek. I also do agree that she was probably already dead while laying on the couch when her daughter went off to school.
Taylor
Was season and episode was that
Jason
Season 11, Episode 13
Anonymous
It seems to me that she was already dead when her daughter left for school. At 6 pm her husband supposedly returned home and she was running late for work but no one scene her leave and she didn’t show up for work. Where did her daughter go after school was she not there with her dad at 6 pm.
Bernard Short
I remember watching this episode back on The Unsolved Mysteries DVD set called Bizarre Murders which features this case from the show that featured the discovery of a woman’s skull found in a flower pot next to a local bar where this woman’s husband once hung out at because I remember they’ve interviewed the Daughter & her Father during the time of that case which is still opened because they were reinactments where actors were portraying the husband & wife having fights in the home with they young daughter overseeing it & all because I remember the daughter was talking about the day when she was then going to school then seeing her mother sleeping on the sofa with her face turned away from the view & all & from there I would say that this woman was already dead during that child’s departure from the house because she believes that her father may have kill her mother then later disposed of the body but I’ll find that out later on when I watch the show again on The Escape Channel because someone’s going to have their day in Prison I mean Prison Prison.
Anon
Punctuation dude
anonymous
hahahahaha
It’s clearly one long sentence! What’s the problem?
My thoughts exactly
I think she was dead on the sofa OBVIOUSLY by her abuser the ex husband.. He was fighting with her at night and was the last one to see her that morning. They didn’t need hard evidence they had enough to show probable cause and motive. He liked it when they found her skull I believe he still has other parts that he’s hiding very close to him because he was possessive with her…
Mr. T
Seeing as how Don, the primary and only suspect, passed away in 2015 and never faced charges, he got away with it. Too many people think karma is somehow a real thing and that we all reap what we sow but such is wishful thinking to make ourselves feel better. In reality, bad people get away with stuff all the time. Good people sometimes meet grisly fates. Karma sounds great in theory but it really is just wishful thinking in the end.
Deidre
Have they found anything additional about this case?