COLD CASE COPS 'SOLVE' '63 MURDER OF NURSE

PORTLAND OR. POLICE may be ready to close the books on their oldest unsolved slaying. For almost 48 years, the vicious slaying of Mary Frances Reid, 22, has got unsolved--until now.
Reid was found murdered by her little sister on April 8, 1963. Two witnesses told cops at the time that a man named Johnny Lawrence had been in a relationship with Reid. They said he was the killer but now cops don't know if he's alive or dead.
At the time of the murder, Lawrence was questioned by cops, and was 42 years old. If alive, he'd be 90. But then he disappeared and cops think he may have returned to St. Louis where he lived before moving to Oregon in the late 1950s.
 They suspect he fled and might have returned to the St. Louis, Mo., area, where he lived before coming to Portland in the late 50s or early 60s.
ACCORDING TO THE OREGONIAN: For nearly five decades, Joe Reid suspected that Johnny Lawrence killed his sister. She had worked as a nurse at what was then Multnomah County Hospital, and had befriended Lawrence, when he was a patient. They had dated for about 8 months to one year.

"I just had that feeling. I went on my first intuition," said Reid, 65, who lives in Arizona.

Some sources told cops Lawrence may have died violently, possibly in Kansas City, but detectives haven't been able to confirm it. If anyone may have information on Johnny Lawrence , they should call the Cold Case Homicide Unit at 503-823-9748 or 503-823-0867.