Everyone has thought about picking up and leaving one time or another. Taking your life to another city or state and starting over. Times are difficult, and that decision can be enticing. But could you really do it? Disappear into the night, without telling anyone or taking anything, without any solid plan in place? What if you weren’t alone? Would that make the decision easier? This story explores a couple that vanished together one day in 1977, one of them had every reason to run. Neither have ever resurfaced.
First, I would like to thank Julian for speaking with me. Julian’s mother was Judy’s first cousin and Julian refers to Judy as his cousin. Although he was not born when Judy disappeared in 1977, during his teenage years his mother would talk about Judy and the mystery surrounding her disappearance. This family mystery has always been in the back of Julian’s mind. A few years ago, Julian dove headfirst into Judy’s life before and the events involved when she vanished. The information he gathered paints a picture of a girl in a big city that was quiet and struggled with her mental health trying to find her way in the world. It is clear Judy took steps to better understand her mental state and strived to further her education. Until one day in April 1977 she vanished off the face of the earth with a man that the FBI searched for early on, but it seemed no one ever looked for Judy. Leaving Julian to question why his cousin was the girl time forgot.
A special thank you to A Voice 4 The Lost, for their knowledge on this story. They have helped Julian in his journey, and he is forever grateful for their advocacy.
Judith Anne Brown was born on November 14, 1957, to her parents Ernest and Vanda Brown. Judy had an older brother and sister as well as five younger siblings. Ernest and Vanda raised their family in a borough of New York City, called The Bronx. When Judy was eight years old, Ernest was involved in a terrible accident involving a drunk driver. Ernest survived but life as the Brown family knew it changed forever. Vanda had to focus more on Ernest’s needs versus the children’s. This left the Brown children to take charge of more grown-up responsibilities, helping with household duties as well as caring for themselves or their younger siblings. Judy was described as a student that did good but nothing highly notable stands out decades later. Judy was never a part of any activities or clubs in or outside of school. It seems Judy never had any close friends or acquaintances, but she had a close bond with one of her cousins. For those that knew Judy, she was described as a kind and sweet girl but was extremely quiet and typically kept to herself. Judy never ventured into partying like teenagers her age. She never found herself in any kind of trouble.
After many years of carrying the weight of life coupled with household duties Judy started struggling with anxiety and depression. She also developed OCD as well as an eating disorder. Despite this time period where very little was known about mental conditions Judy was fully aware of her mental health and strived to better herself. She tried to make the best of every day, but it was hard on her. In 1975, the Brown family inherited a rural farm in Coldwater, Kansas and decided to move. This rural environment was vastly different from their lives in NYC. However, this transition would be best as the family was suffering financially from Ernest’s accident, New York City life was a hard one to maintain. Not everyone was as eager to leave the big city, Judy was hesitant although she loved her family and did not want to be away from them, she loved this place she called home for her entire life. Judy would be turning 18 soon and ultimately decided to stay in NYC. Judy was not alone though, as her extended family would still be close. Judy’s oldest sister Kathy also lived in the state and was there for support if Judy needed anything.
After graduating from Evander Childs High School in 1975. Judy enrolled in LaGuardia Community College majoring in Psychology. This was extremely important to Judy; she wanted to study for her future career path, but she hoped this would help her gain more of an understanding of her mental health. Judy lived with her aunt and cousins until a more permanent situation came about. It was not the most ideal set of circumstances as Judy often liked to be alone, but everyone tried their best in the household. While attending college Judy prioritized her mental health. She wanted to be better, and she was going to take all the necessary actions to bring her one step closer. Judy was actively in therapy and was often accompanied by Kathy to her sessions. Judy´s aunt and cousins were supportive of her mental health journey. Judy tried to maintain a close relationship with her family in Kansas by writing letters back and forth to them. She was very close to her younger siblings and missed them terribly.
On August 3, 1976, while Judy attended a therapy session she appeared to suffer from a mental breakdown and hid under her desk. Her cousin, Maureen, who was a nurse, was called and went to pick Judy up. After arriving it was clear Judy needed help and Maureen left with Judy to take her to a nearby hospital. The first hospital they went to was Elmhurst Hospital, unfortunately they were having a doctor's strike, and she could not be admitted. They drove on looking for Hillside Medical Center, the next best option. Unfortunately, they could not find the medical center. Their next option was Creedmoor. Creedmoor was not ideal and had a bad reputation. Judy voluntarily admitted herself into Creedmoor Hospital though, although Maureen strongly discouraged it. Later, Maureen phoned Judy’s parents to let them know about Judy’s episode. Within the next day or so, Judy’s aunt went to Creedmoor, and they had Judy transferred to Hillside Medical Center, where they felt she would be better cared for. Judy began the inpatient program at Hillside to get her life back on track. However, Judy met a man at Creedmoor in that very small window of time; she was a patient there that would change her life as well as all her loved ones' lives forever. The man, Richard E. Riesenberg…
As fall approached in 1976 Judy was still a patient at Hillside, she was still regularly communicating with her family in Kansas via letter and her relationship with Richard seemed to blossom. In a letter to her family on September 20, 1976, Judy let them know she’d been seeing Richard since August. She kept the letter short but explained how she met Richard at a bus stop the month prior, he had a great personality, he was kind, adding he was already out of college. Judy asked how her parents were doing and how work was going and asked about her siblings. Judy made sure to let them know she missed and loved them all. Judy’s sister Kathy, who lived in New York often accompanied Judy to her therapy appointments. Judy told Kathy she was dating Richard and even took Kathy to meet him at Creedmoor. By November, Judy wrote to her parents to tell them that she was starting a new type of therapy. It would be three times per week, and she believed this was a positive move forward. Acknowledging that she needed to work on her inner self and admitted how hard it is to talk about her feelings. The feelings that she would rather just push away. Judy had been seeing the same therapist since August and expressed that she liked her a lot. She made sure to bring up Richard and let them know they were still together. In January 1977, Richard proposed to Judy. She wrote about it in her first letter home that year. She explained that she wished her family could meet him. She let her parents know she would be transitioning into an aftercare program. Explaining more about the program in another letter. Judy had been given two options; to move to Kansas and be with her family or she could remain in New York and move into an out-patient program. Judy opted to stay as she found it would be best while continuing her healing journey. Also mentioning leaving her relationship with her new fiancé would be too difficult for her to do. The out-patient program provided her with housing, and she had two roommates. Her daily schedule consisted of group and individual therapy, as well as sessions on how to live independently, manage a budget, and how to be self-sufficient.
Despite the constant flow of communication through letters to her family, there was a secret that Judy had been keeping from them about Richard. Richard was a patient at Creedmoor due to crimes he committed in the early 1970’s. In the 1960’s Richard married his wife, Diane Ray. The couple resided at an apartment complex in Glenn Oaks, Queens. In 1971 Richard and Diane welcomed a baby boy who was tragically born with brain damage. Diane was a stay-at-home mom while Richard provided for his family with his position at a catering company out of JFK airport. Their marriage was tough with Richard drinking often and having extra martial affairs coupled with the care of their disabled child. Within this time Diane also lost her vision due to cataracts. On the evening of January 10, 1971, Richard came home from work to find his wife and son had been murdered. Diane had been stabbed over 60 times and their son was strangled to death. During the investigation it was evident Richard had something to do with this horrific crime. He discarded evidence in the trash at work and five days after the murders, Richard was arrested and charged with their deaths. During the trial it was revealed Diane and Richard were struggling in their marriage, this was mainly due to their son’s disability. Daily life was tough taking care of their son but when Diane suffered from cataracts, leading to her losing her eyesight, this is when Richard decided to rid his burdens of responsibility. On March 30, 1971, the court ruled Richard was unable to stand trial due to his mental state. He was sent to Mattawan State Hospital. In 1972 Richard was moved from Mattawan to Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital. In 1973 doctors at Creedmoor deemed Richard competent to stand trial. Concluding his trial, the court found Richard not guilty by reason of insanity. Richard was ordered to return to Creedmoor to serve his time.
By the time Judy met Richard in the summer of 1976, it is unknown if she knew about Richard’s past. It’s unlikely she did at first. However, Judy withheld that Richard was a patient at Creedmoor for as long as she could. Until Judy´s sister came to visit her and had the opportunity to meet Richard at the facility. The three of them spent a few hours together, and during that time, Judy´s sister got a sense of how much Judy loved Richard but at the same time had her suspicions about him and why he was at Creedmoor in the first place. Judy’s family in Kansas were made aware of this and her mother became concerned, but Judy did not want her family to worry. In letters to them she reassured them she knew what she was involved in and that everything was going to turn out for the best. Explaining her love for Richard and that he was very important to her.
By spring of 1977, Judy looked forward to starting her classes. On April 4, 1977, Judy couldn't sleep and decided to write her parents a letter filling them in on everything going on with her. Judy talked about her typing and speed writing classes, and how she couldn’t wait to go to the switchboard. She told them that her cousin had been in the hospital and asked if they had spoken with her aunt about it. Judy let her mom know that she was looking at a picture she had just framed of her when she was around Judy’s age. She informed her mom that the next day she would need to go deposit money in the bank and then head to school. She went on to explain that she had gone to school that day, had seen her therapist, and had gone to a meeting about the apartments to make sure everything was going okay. Judy filled her parents in on some new medications she had started taking, explaining that one medication was for impulsiveness and the other was valium. Before ending the letter, she asked if they had Easter plans, and promised she would write again soon. Just like all her other letters, she ended with “Love, Judy”. Unknowingly to everyone, this letter would be the last.
Between 1973 and 1976 Richard spent his time submitting applications for his release. In the beginning of 1977, his doctors testified, Richard was rehabilitated and should be released on the condition that he took his medication and continued with an outpatient therapy program for the next five years. Richard, although not released, was granted “special privileges” which allowed him to come and go from the facility. With his late wife’s insurance payout, Richard frequently enjoyed trips to the local movie theater and baseball games. Richard dined in fancy restaurants, eating finer foods than what the hospital provided. In April 1977 a new ward supervisor in charge learned of the trips outside of Creedmoor and highly recommended Richard be transferred to another hospital that was locked down. This was the opportunity for Richard to flee before he was officially under lock and key. In April 1977, Richard walked out of the facility doors never looking back.
A few weeks after the final letter home, the FBI showed up to Judy’s family’s home in New York. (her residence prior to living in out-patient treatment) They were searching for Richard and believed Judy was with him. This is when Judy’s family learned the shocking truth about Richard’s past. About one month after Judy was last heard from, Judy called her sister to let her know she was not in danger, but the conversation seemed to end at that. Her sister attempted to keep Judy on the line to find out more information, but Judy hung up before divulging any pertinent information. For many years any search into Richard’s whereabouts turned fruitless. In 1984 Richard’s father passed away and the FBI hoped Richard would show his face at the services, however he did not show up. Over many years after Judy vanished, her family believed since the FBI was working to locate Richard, they were also working to help locate Judy. Her family left it in their hands and hoped one day they would be reunited with Judy. Unbeknownst to them no one was looking for Judy, the girl that disappeared with a killer. It wasn’t until 2009 that Judy’s sister Ann attended a missing person’s event held in New York. It was during this event she filed the missing person’s report. Years later Julian, Judy’s cousin on his maternal side, took on the case to find out what happened to Judy decades ago.
Julian has taken on the search for Judy as decades later she is still missing. He created social media pages depicting Judy’s photo, he’s been on many platforms hoping his search can narrow down what happened. He’s spoken on podcasts, most notably The Vanished Podcast. He has searched for any schoolmates or friends Judy may have had in her childhood or young adult years. Julian was able to connect with Richard’s sister who has since passed away. She provided knowledge of a payoff to Richard’s psychiatrist from her parents. She claimed that the psychiatrist exploited her parents for cash in exchange for favorable reports on his mental state, as well as special privileges that Richard did have. This exchange may have also been the reason why Richard was informed of the possible transfer to a more secure facility by the new supervisor.
In the spring of 2022 Julian spoke on The Vanished Podcast about Judy and how his search for the truth will always be present. Within a week after the airing of the episode Julian found himself on Websleuths, a popular true crime forum. There he came across posts from a man named Allan. Allan was searching for information about Richard and whether or not the FBI ever caught up with him. Julain reached out and was stunned to learn Allan was a caregiver at Creedmoor when Richard was a patient. Allan had no idea Richard vanished into society with another person, Allan had never heard anyone speak of Judy Brown. Through Allan, Julian has since learned more about the man that vanished with his cousin. Allan started working at Creedmoor approximately six months prior to Richard’s arrival in 1972. When Allan did interact with Richard he came across as a nice guy, but he always seemed he wanted to manipulate people. Allan once asked Richard what he would do if he ever killed again. Richards replied he would find a remote place to take his own life. Richard later added if he ever were released, he would integrate into a city and blend in with the crowd.
In late June 2024 the New York Post uncovered possible evidence that Richard and Judy were still alive. Living in Colorado with a woman and possibly raising a family. In the mid nineteen nineties Richard made a phone call to a lawyer, he wanted to turn himself in. He was discouraged to do so since around this time the OJ Simpson trial was underway, and it was believed Richard would receive little sympathy. In the early 2000’s Richard could have been in contact with a family member who was financially well off. The article ended with a quote from Julian, “Judith deserves to be searched for,” “I want to be able to say we tried our best to find out what happened to that girl cowering underneath a desk who mattered to her whole family.” If they were alive today Richard would be 78 years old, and Judy would be 66.
What happened to Judith Brown in April 1977? Judy’s immediate family relocated to Kansas the year prior, while Judy wanted to stay in New York. She stayed with extended family for a short period of time before she experienced a mental health episode in class. This event seemed to change everything Judy was supposed to accomplish in her life. Judy, although at times lost in a big world, truly wanted to focus on her mental health and recovery. Judy fell for Richard, and he put his plan in motion to flee Creedmoor. Is it possible Richard loved and cared for Judy just as much and they have lived a happy fulfilling life together? We can only hope. One thing is for sure is that Julian refuses to give up on his cousin, a cousin he never met but got to know through stories told down generations and photos depicting a girl time forgot.
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Judith Brown, please contact the NYPD 212-694-7781. You can also send an email to: JudithAnneBrown@gmail.com with any information.
Case #: NYV201300023Namus MP # 3070Agency Case #: KNMP490NYPD # 212-694-7781
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Wonderful job, as usual!