The Enigmatic Vanishing of Joan Risch: A Suburban Mystery That Endures

Early Life and Background

Joan Carolyn Bard was born on May 12, 1930, in Brooklyn, New York. Tragedy struck early in her life when, at the age of nine, her parents died in a suspicious house fire in New Jersey. Joan was visiting relatives at the time and thus survived the incident. Following this loss, she was adopted by her aunt and uncle, taking on their surname, Nattrass. Despite these early hardships, Joan excelled academically, earning a degree in English literature from Wilson College in Pennsylvania in 1952. She subsequently pursued a career in publishing, working her way up from secretary to editorial assistant at prestigious firms such as Harcourt Brace and World, and later at Thomas Y. Crowell Co.

Marriage and Family Life

In 1954, Joan met Martin Risch at a Harvard football game. The couple married in 1956 and settled in Ridgefield, Connecticut, where they welcomed their daughter, Lillian, in 1957, and their son, David, in 1959. By April 1961, the Risch family relocated to Lincoln, Massachusetts, a suburban community northwest of Boston. Martin secured a position as an executive at the Fitchburg Paper Company, while Joan embraced her role as a homemaker, actively participating in community organizations such as the League of Women Voters. ...Read More

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