July 7, 2025 • 10 mins
In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers: In 1978, Ethel Atwell arrived for her morning shift at the infamous Willowbrook State School—but never made it inside. Witnesses heard her terrified screams. Her belongings were found scattered across the parking lot. And then—nothing. More than four decades later, her disappearance remains unsolved.
This is the story of Ethel Atwell.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
traveling back to October nineteen seventy eight to the grounds
of the infamous Willowbrook State School on Staten Island, New York.
(00:22):
This was a place already shrouded in darkness and controversy,
where children with disabilities were subjected to horrific conditions. But
on one morning, the darkness of Willowbrook would claim another victim,
an adult, this time, a forty two year old physical
(00:43):
therapy aid, arrived for work, just as she had countless
times before. She had parked her car, locked it and
began walking toward the building. She would never make it inside,
though what happened next was witnessed by two terrified employees
who could only listen in horror from inside the building.
(01:07):
This is the story of Ethel at Well. Ethel Louise
at Well was forty two years old in nineteen seventy eight,
a caring woman who had dedicated herself to helping others.
She worked as a physical therapy aid at the Staten
Island Developmental Center formerly known as Willowbrook State School. Willowbrook
(01:33):
had gained national notoriety just years earlier when Heraldo Rivera
exposed the horrific conditions inside his groundbreaking nineteen seventy two investigation.
Despite the scandal and reforms, the institution remained a troubled place.
For Ethel. It was simply where she went to work
(01:55):
each day, helping children with disabilities through physical therapy. At
the time, she lived at eighty Schuyler Avenue in Newark,
New Jersey, and communed to Staten Island for her job.
Ethel stood five four to five six inches tall, weighing
one hundred and fifty six pounds. She had black hair,
(02:18):
brown eyes, and warn dentures. Her ears were pierced, and
on that fateful morning, she was wearing a long blue
coat and black shoes. October twenty fourth, nineteen seventy eight,
a Tuesday morning, the sun hadn't even risen over Staten
Island when Ethel Atwell arrived for her early shift at
(02:42):
six am. The parking lot behind Building forty seven was
still covered in darkness. The street lights were not working
or they were turned off. Ethel parked her car in
the usual spot and locked it, preparing for another day
of helping children. She had no way of knowing that
(03:04):
someone was watching her from the shadows. Inside Building forty seven,
two female employees were preparing for the day shift when
they heard voices outside in the parking lot. The first
voice was male, aggressive and demanding. He said, come on,
(03:27):
come on. When they heard Ethel's voice, filled with fear,
she was saying, no, you'll beat me. What happened next
would haunt these witnesses forever. Ethel screamed. It was a
sound that cut through the morning darkness like a knife.
The two employees immediately called police, but the parking lot
(03:51):
was too dark to see what was happening, and by
the time help arrived, it was too late. When police
responded to the scene, they found Ethel's car still locked,
but the area around it told a terrifying story. Scattered
on the ground to the left side of her vehicle
was a trail of evidence, her tan pocketbook, one earring,
(04:16):
one black shoe, three black coat buttons, and half of
her set of dentures. The scene painted a picture of
a violent struggle. Ethel had fought for her life, but
her attacker seemed to have overpowered her about seventy five
(04:37):
feet away in the woods. Investigators found her keys thrown
or dropped during the abduction. An extensive search of the
area began immediately. Police combed through the woods surrounding Willowbrook,
searched buildings and grounds, and followed every possible lead, but
(04:59):
e Louise Atwell had vanished without a trace. Her body
was never found. No witnesses came forward who had seen
the actual abduction. The only evidence was the scattered belongings
and the terrifying words heard by the two employees no
(05:21):
you'll beat me. Investigators created a composite sketch of the
possible suspect based on limited information, but the case quickly
grew cold. However, Ethel's disappearance would later be connected to
one of the most notorious figures in Staten Island's criminal history.
(05:44):
Andre Rand. Rand, whose birth name was Frank Rashan, became
known as the Cropsy Killer, named after a local urban
legend about a maniac who lived in the woods. The
reality would prove even more terrifying than the legend. Andre
(06:05):
Rand had deep connections to Willowbrook. He had worked there
as a custodian in the nineteen sixties and nineteen seventies,
and after being fired, he continued to live in the
surrounding woods. He became a drifter who knew the institution's
grounds very well. In nineteen eighty seven, nine years after
(06:27):
Ethel's disappearance, Rand was convicted of kidnapping twelve year old
Jennifer Schweiger, a girl with Down syndrome. Her body was
found buried on the grounds of the developmental center near
Rand's campsite. While he was convicted of kidnapping, the jury
(06:47):
couldn't reach a verdict on the murder charge. But Rand's
criminal activities didn't end there. In two thousand and four,
he was convicted of kidnapping seven year old Holly Hughes,
who had disappeared in nineteen eighty one and was never found.
Investigators also believe he was connected to the disappearances of
(07:10):
Alice Perea in nineteen seventy two, Tyis Jackson in nineteen
eighty three, and Henry Gaffario in nineteen eighty four. Most
of these victims were children, but Ethel Atwell represented something
different in Rand's possible pattern of crimes. According to reports,
(07:32):
Ran allegedly confessed to his crimes to a cellmate in prison,
and compared himself to serial killer Ted Bundy. He seemed
to take pride in the terror he had inflicted on
Staten Island families for over a decade, but despite the
(07:53):
circumstantial connections, it has never been proven that Rand was
responsible for Ethel's abduct The case remains officially unsolved, a
cold case that has haunted Staten Island for over four decades.
The willow Brook Developmental Center closed its doors in nineteen
(08:16):
eighty seven, nearly a decade after Ethel's disappearance. The buildings
were eventually demolished, but the dark history of the place
lives on forever. Today, the site is home to the
College of Staten Island, but for those who remember, the
darkness of the past still lingers. Ethel's family and friends
(08:41):
never got the closure they deserved. She was a woman
who dedicated her life to helping vulnerable children, only to
become a victim herself in the very place where she
tried to make a difference. The case of Ethel Outwell
raises troubling questions about safety and security at institutions like Willowbrook,
(09:05):
especially back then. How could someone be abducted from a
parking lot on institutional grounds. Why were the street lights off?
And most importantly, who was the man who demanded that
Ethel come on before she screamed in terror. Today, Ethel
(09:25):
Louise at Well would be eighty nine years old. The
case remains open with the New York Police Department. Anyone
with information about Ethel's disappearance is urged to contact them.
You can find their information in the description box below.
My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends
(09:47):
of Ethel Louise at Well. Her story deserves to be
told and her case deserves to be solved. Somewhere out there,
someone knows what happened to Ethel on that dark morning
in nineteen. As we close out this episode, don't forget
to click the follow button to stay updated on Ethel's
(10:07):
case and others like it. Be sure to subscribe to
Hunting for Answers on YouTube and follow us on Instagram
and TikTok from our true crime updates. And if you
are watching us on YouTube, let us know your thoughts
on this case down in the comments. Thank you so
much for joining us on another episode. Until next time.
(10:38):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network. For more podcasts from the Black Effect Podcast Network,
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows.
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
traveling back to October nineteen seventy eight to the grounds
of the infamous Willowbrook State School on Staten Island, New York.
(00:22):
This was a place already shrouded in darkness and controversy,
where children with disabilities were subjected to horrific conditions. But
on one morning, the darkness of Willowbrook would claim another victim,
an adult, this time, a forty two year old physical
(00:43):
therapy aid, arrived for work, just as she had countless
times before. She had parked her car, locked it and
began walking toward the building. She would never make it inside,
though what happened next was witnessed by two terrified employees
who could only listen in horror from inside the building.
(01:07):
This is the story of Ethel at Well. Ethel Louise
at Well was forty two years old in nineteen seventy eight,
a caring woman who had dedicated herself to helping others.
She worked as a physical therapy aid at the Staten
Island Developmental Center formerly known as Willowbrook State School. Willowbrook
(01:33):
had gained national notoriety just years earlier when Heraldo Rivera
exposed the horrific conditions inside his groundbreaking nineteen seventy two investigation.
Despite the scandal and reforms, the institution remained a troubled place.
For Ethel. It was simply where she went to work
(01:55):
each day, helping children with disabilities through physical therapy. At
the time, she lived at eighty Schuyler Avenue in Newark,
New Jersey, and communed to Staten Island for her job.
Ethel stood five four to five six inches tall, weighing
one hundred and fifty six pounds. She had black hair,
(02:18):
brown eyes, and warn dentures. Her ears were pierced, and
on that fateful morning, she was wearing a long blue
coat and black shoes. October twenty fourth, nineteen seventy eight,
a Tuesday morning, the sun hadn't even risen over Staten
Island when Ethel Atwell arrived for her early shift at
(02:42):
six am. The parking lot behind Building forty seven was
still covered in darkness. The street lights were not working
or they were turned off. Ethel parked her car in
the usual spot and locked it, preparing for another day
of helping children. She had no way of knowing that
(03:04):
someone was watching her from the shadows. Inside Building forty seven,
two female employees were preparing for the day shift when
they heard voices outside in the parking lot. The first
voice was male, aggressive and demanding. He said, come on,
(03:27):
come on. When they heard Ethel's voice, filled with fear,
she was saying, no, you'll beat me. What happened next
would haunt these witnesses forever. Ethel screamed. It was a
sound that cut through the morning darkness like a knife.
The two employees immediately called police, but the parking lot
(03:51):
was too dark to see what was happening, and by
the time help arrived, it was too late. When police
responded to the scene, they found Ethel's car still locked,
but the area around it told a terrifying story. Scattered
on the ground to the left side of her vehicle
was a trail of evidence, her tan pocketbook, one earring,
(04:16):
one black shoe, three black coat buttons, and half of
her set of dentures. The scene painted a picture of
a violent struggle. Ethel had fought for her life, but
her attacker seemed to have overpowered her about seventy five
(04:37):
feet away in the woods. Investigators found her keys thrown
or dropped during the abduction. An extensive search of the
area began immediately. Police combed through the woods surrounding Willowbrook,
searched buildings and grounds, and followed every possible lead, but
(04:59):
e Louise Atwell had vanished without a trace. Her body
was never found. No witnesses came forward who had seen
the actual abduction. The only evidence was the scattered belongings
and the terrifying words heard by the two employees no
(05:21):
you'll beat me. Investigators created a composite sketch of the
possible suspect based on limited information, but the case quickly
grew cold. However, Ethel's disappearance would later be connected to
one of the most notorious figures in Staten Island's criminal history.
(05:44):
Andre Rand. Rand, whose birth name was Frank Rashan, became
known as the Cropsy Killer, named after a local urban
legend about a maniac who lived in the woods. The
reality would prove even more terrifying than the legend. Andre
(06:05):
Rand had deep connections to Willowbrook. He had worked there
as a custodian in the nineteen sixties and nineteen seventies,
and after being fired, he continued to live in the
surrounding woods. He became a drifter who knew the institution's
grounds very well. In nineteen eighty seven, nine years after
(06:27):
Ethel's disappearance, Rand was convicted of kidnapping twelve year old
Jennifer Schweiger, a girl with Down syndrome. Her body was
found buried on the grounds of the developmental center near
Rand's campsite. While he was convicted of kidnapping, the jury
(06:47):
couldn't reach a verdict on the murder charge. But Rand's
criminal activities didn't end there. In two thousand and four,
he was convicted of kidnapping seven year old Holly Hughes,
who had disappeared in nineteen eighty one and was never found.
Investigators also believe he was connected to the disappearances of
(07:10):
Alice Perea in nineteen seventy two, Tyis Jackson in nineteen
eighty three, and Henry Gaffario in nineteen eighty four. Most
of these victims were children, but Ethel Atwell represented something
different in Rand's possible pattern of crimes. According to reports,
(07:32):
Ran allegedly confessed to his crimes to a cellmate in prison,
and compared himself to serial killer Ted Bundy. He seemed
to take pride in the terror he had inflicted on
Staten Island families for over a decade, but despite the
(07:53):
circumstantial connections, it has never been proven that Rand was
responsible for Ethel's abduct The case remains officially unsolved, a
cold case that has haunted Staten Island for over four decades.
The willow Brook Developmental Center closed its doors in nineteen
(08:16):
eighty seven, nearly a decade after Ethel's disappearance. The buildings
were eventually demolished, but the dark history of the place
lives on forever. Today, the site is home to the
College of Staten Island, but for those who remember, the
darkness of the past still lingers. Ethel's family and friends
(08:41):
never got the closure they deserved. She was a woman
who dedicated her life to helping vulnerable children, only to
become a victim herself in the very place where she
tried to make a difference. The case of Ethel Outwell
raises troubling questions about safety and security at institutions like Willowbrook,
(09:05):
especially back then. How could someone be abducted from a
parking lot on institutional grounds. Why were the street lights off?
And most importantly, who was the man who demanded that
Ethel come on before she screamed in terror. Today, Ethel
(09:25):
Louise at Well would be eighty nine years old. The
case remains open with the New York Police Department. Anyone
with information about Ethel's disappearance is urged to contact them.
You can find their information in the description box below.
My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends
(09:47):
of Ethel Louise at Well. Her story deserves to be
told and her case deserves to be solved. Somewhere out there,
someone knows what happened to Ethel on that dark morning
in nineteen. As we close out this episode, don't forget
to click the follow button to stay updated on Ethel's
(10:07):
case and others like it. Be sure to subscribe to
Hunting for Answers on YouTube and follow us on Instagram
and TikTok from our true crime updates. And if you
are watching us on YouTube, let us know your thoughts
on this case down in the comments. Thank you so
much for joining us on another episode. Until next time.
(10:38):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network. For more podcasts from the Black Effect Podcast Network,
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows.
Host
Hunter Gilmore
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