Overview of The Deck — Terry and Alan Westerfield (King of Diamonds, North Carolina)
This episode of The Deck (Audiochuck, hosted by Ashley Flowers) retells the unresolved disappearance of brothers Terry (11) and Alan (7) Westerfield from Fayetteville, North Carolina, in September 1964. The brothers were reportedly dropped at the Broadway movie theater by their stepfather that afternoon and never seen again. The episode summarizes the original investigation, suspicious actions and statements by the stepfather, subsequent follow-ups over decades, the impact on the family, and why the case remains the Fayetteville Police Department’s oldest unsolved file.
Key timeline & facts
- Date: September 12–13, 1964. Mother Margie worked a night shift; babysitter Barbara Temple was with the boys in the day.
- Victims: Terry Westerfield (11) and Alan Westerfield (7).
- Step‑father: Karl/Carl Bach (transcript alternates Karl/Carl). He was an MP stationed at Fort Bragg and the last adult to claim contact with the boys.
- Step‑father’s account: Claimed he arrived midday, told the babysitter to leave, dropped the boys at the Broadway Theater about 4:00 p.m. for a double feature, and attempted to pick them up around 7:45 p.m. When they weren’t there, he waited in his borrowed red station wagon until ~9:30 p.m., then went home believing their mother had picked them up.
- Mother Margie returned home early morning (~2:00 a.m.) and discovered the boys missing and called police.
- Extensive local and national tips followed (including calls from other states) but none produced evidence. Investigators include Fayetteville PD, state investigators, FBI and Army personnel.
- Case went cold within a couple of years. Investigators ultimately concluded the boys were likely dead, though no physical proof ever tied anyone to the disappearance.
- Follow‑ups: Police re‑interviewed Carl in 2000 and again in 2012. He repeatedly denied involvement, refused a polygraph, and died in 2016. Biological father Melville Westerfield conducted his own investigation, later died by suicide in 1978. Mother Margie died in the early 2000s.
- Current status: Still unsolved; Fayetteville PD lists it as their oldest active cold case. DNA samples are on file (mother kept locks of baby hair and provided a DNA sample).
People involved
- Terry and Alan Westerfield — missing boys.
- Margie Westerfield Bopp — mother, worked nights that day.
- Karl/Carl Bach — stepfather and primary person of interest; MP at Fort Bragg; borrowed a red station wagon that day.
- Barbara Temple — babysitter who left earlier that afternoon.
- Melville Westerfield — biological father who pursued independent inquiries.
- Lt. Jeff Locklear — Fayetteville PD officer featured in the episode, summarizing investigation details.
Investigation highlights & evidence (or lack thereof)
- Theater witnesses: The brothers were regulars and known by theater staff, but investigators could not place them at the Broadway Theater with certainty that evening. Some reports conflict about whether employees saw them that day.
- Neighborhood accounts: A neighborhood boy reportedly came by around 3:30–4:00 p.m.; Carl told him the brothers were “tied up” or “being punished.” Neighbors also claimed the borrowed station wagon was parked two blocks away rather than at the home.
- Physical evidence: Police searched the borrowed car and found nothing (no shovels, no blood, no clothing). Forensic searches of the family home later turned up nothing. When human remains were later discovered in unrelated searches, they were ruled not to be the boys.
- Searches: Local ponds, woods, and parts of Fort Bragg were searched, but the base’s size made exhaustive searching impossible.
- Suspected motive: No definitive motive; investigators noted marital problems between Margie and Carl and proposed that relationship breakdown might be a reason if Carl were involved, but this remained speculative.
- Interrogations: Carl refused a polygraph and later interviews showed little emotion. In 2012 he reportedly said, “You know, I was the last one to see them alive.” Authorities considered but did not have the legal power to offer immunity to secure fuller cooperation.
Unresolved questions and main theories
- Were the boys ever actually dropped at the Broadway Theater, or was that story fabricated?
- If they were dropped, what happened between the reported drop‑off time and pickup? No credible sightings after ~1:00 p.m. were established.
- Was Carl Bach involved in their disappearance? Circumstantial red flags (changing childcare, telling the neighbor kid they were being punished, parking the car away from the house, inconsistent explanations, refusal to take polygraph and limited cooperation) keep him as the primary person of interest but no physical evidence or proven motive ever tied him legally to the crime.
- Could the boys have been abducted by someone else or wandered off and met with an accident? Investigators found no physical trace to support either alternative.
Impact and current status
- Emotional toll: The disappearance consumed both parents and family members—Melville’s lifelong search and subsequent suicide in 1978 is highlighted as a tragic outcome of the unresolved case.
- Evidence preservation: Mother kept locks of the boys’ hair and gave a DNA sample; DNA profiles exist for comparison if remains are ever recovered.
- Case status: Still open as a cold case. Fayetteville PD would consider locating remains and bringing closure—not necessarily a criminal arrest—as a form of justice.
- Public ask: Investigators hope media coverage and public memory might bring forward previously unknown information, however small, that could help locate remains or corroborate new leads.
Notable quotes / takeaways
- “You know, I was the last one to see them alive.” — Carl (reported by investigators; chilling and ambiguous).
- Lt. Locklear: The biggest travesty is that parents and family died without knowing what happened to their children.
- Main takeaway: After 60+ years, the case remains unsolved with strong suspicions but no admissible proof. DNA reference material exists; locating physical remains is the key path to closure.
What could change the outcome
- Any undisclosed eyewitness information or physical evidence (items, diary entries, someone’s confession) connected to the brothers’ disappearance.
- Discovery of remains that can be matched to the boys via the DNA samples kept by their family.
- New information from people who were alive at the time but have not previously come forward.
If you want to read more about the case or contact authorities, reach out to the Fayetteville Police Department’s cold case unit (the episode notes that police maintain the file and DNA reference).