Urgent call to all—help bring Virginia home! In many of my posts, I have shared aspects of the abuse I have endured throughout the first forty-six years of my life. Today, I share Virginia Pictou Noyes’s story. And with it, I am sending out a plea. Details of the horror she endured gripped my heart. It placed within me an urgent call to relay her plight.
Usually, when I write about situations that pertain to someone other than me, I change names and other identifying markers. However, for today’s blog, all identities and places where events occurred are actual.
On February 21, 2024, I posted about domestic violence, https://www.crystalmmhuntley.com/domestic-violence-revealing-the-signs-can-you-see-them/(opens in a new tab). Virginia’s story is the ultimate example of how serious domestic violence can be. And, if left unchecked, how easily abuse can escalate into fatal results. This story rings close to my heart because one of Virginia’s brothers was a classmate of mine.
Abuse remains a pandemic within our society that I am committed to fighting against. I bring awareness of this pressing issue into the open through the books I write and my weekly blogs. What happened to Virginia is a tragic example of the life-changing outcomes abuse can produce.
Virginia’s Story
The birth of Virginia Pictou, the youngest of ten children, blessed this world on April 2nd, 1967. This family is among the many Native American households from the Mi’kmaq tribe, also known as Mi’gmaw. This indigenous tribe populates Nova Scotia, Canada, and spreads into Northern Maine. Within the Pictou family home, they spoke Mi’kmaq as a first language. As a child, I never could have known that fact, for her brother fluently spoke English in our classroom at school.
A rebellious Virginia began a relationship with Larry Noyes during their teenage years. Early on, Larry, a heavy drinker, wrapped up a long police record, including assault and battery and arson charges. Any time alcohol and substance abuse are involved, domestic violence can escalate to extreme levels. This fact became a crucial element in Virginia’s story.
After one violent incident involving alcohol, the Maine State Police issued Larry with a PPO (Personal Protection Order). But as is the norm with abusive perpetrators, Larry ignored it. This type of incident became a pattern in Virginia and Larry’s relationship.
The Day of Virginia’s Disappearance.
On Saturday, April 24th, 1993, Virginia, her husband, Larry, his brother Roger Noyes, and one other person entered Judy’s bar on State Street in Bangor, Maine. After an evening of drinking, just before 10:00 PM, Virginia grabbed the keys and headed toward the establishment’s front door.
Larry kicked Virginia from behind, sending her flying through the saloon-style swinging doors and onto the pavement. Larry leaped on his wife, pounding his fists into her face. Roger wasted no time joining in on the beating. The bartender stepped outside, hollering that they had called the police. So, the Noyes brothers dragged Virginia around to the back of the establishment and continued assaulting her.
The police arrived, finding a beaten Virginia convulsing with tears. When officers questioned her, Virginia said both Larry and Roger assaulted her because of their drunkenness. But then Larry approached Virginia, and her story changed to indicate only Roger had inflicted her beating. The arrest report stated that Virginia displayed fear toward her husband, so the officers wrote up an emergency PPO for the night.
The Bangor, Maine police officers transported Virginia to Eastern Maine Medical Center, despite her pleas to return home to her children. Meanwhile, the officers carted Larry and Roger to Penobscot County Jail. As they drove off, Larry kicked the patrol car windows, screaming profusely at his wife. At the jail, Larry, being booked with domestic assault, sat in his cell for only a short time until a family member bailed him out. Roger, given a court summons, was also quickly released. Once freed, Larry began a fruitless pursuit for Virginia.
A Drastic Turn of Events
This night did not mark the first incident of this sort. At other times, Virginia would call her oldest sister, Agnes, pleading to stay with her until things cooled down. However, that night, things took a drastic turn.
Eastern Maine Medical Center’s records report that around 1:00 AM, Virginia had entered their hospital. They triaged Virginia and took photos of her injuries. A shooting victim entered the hospital, requiring attention from the staff who had cared for Virginia. When they returned, Virginia was gone. The hospital concluded that Virginia had chosen to leave without officially checking out.
This brief hospital stay marked Virginia’s last reliable sighting. A couple of days later, Larry turned in his wife as a missing person. So, the Bangor Police Department headed up an investigation that, in time, the Maine State Police took over.
The third person who accompanied Virginia to the bar had vanished. Without his testimony, Charges against Larry and Roger could not remain. However, Virginia’s father, Robert Pictou Sr, later reported to the Bangor Daily News that Larry had approached him, denying any responsibility for Virginia’s disappearance. At that time, Robert Sr. accused Larry of having done it. In response, without another word, Larry walked away.
As time went on, Larry’s story continuously changed. He eventually denied ever hitting Virginia and placed all the blame on his brother Roger.
The Pictou family is certain that Virginia’s disappearance is due to foul play. Virginia’s love for her children was far too strong to abandon them. One of Robert’s employers told the press that if Virginia were alive today, she would be with her children.
The Heart’s Conclusion
A year and a half later, Virginia’s father reported that his heart knows that Virginia no longer resides with them. Local police agreed with his conclusion. Robert Sr. said Virginia’s spirit will remain restless, unable to find peace until her remains are discovered and buried with her family.
The lead detective from the Maine State Police retired in 1997. He later reported to the Bangor Daily News of his conviction that Larry held responsibility for Virginia’s disappearance. The officer said Larry even took a polygraph test, resulting in deception. However, due to a lack of evidence, his hands were tied.
On July 25th, 2018, at age 51, Larry died due to the accumulated effect of heavy drinking. Roger had passed in 2016. Before Larry’s passing, Roger’s son reported to the Maine State Police and other sources, Maine police investigate claim long-missing Mi’kmaw mother was murdered | CBC News, the names of three people involved in the killing of his aunt, Virginia Pictou Noyes. He included his father, Roger.
Tragic Statistics
As a young girl in Fort Fairfield, Maine, I never had the privilege of meeting Virginia. However, I retain vivid memories of her older brother, Francis, in my fourth-grade classroom. I also remember hearing many cool things said about Robert, two years ahead of Francis and myself.
Since then, I have learned about many hardships the Pictou family endured. Whenever you meet someone, you may never know what sufferings are hidden behind the façade they present to society. Most people don’t openly reveal such secrets for others’ detection.
Abuse in all its forms remains an ever-prevalent cancer in our society, yet our indigenous brothers and sisters endure far greater statistics than other ethnicities. You can read more about this in my upcoming post https://crystalmmhuntley.com/2024/09/do-you-know-the-significance-behind-orange-shirt-day/↗.
These alarming statistics ache within my heart, and sad to say, Virginia Pictou Noyes is among them. The Maine State Police have long since added Virginia’s plight to their cold case file. Many years back, the Pictou family came to peace with believing that their beloved Virginia no longer walks this earth.
Agnes, Robert Jr., Francis, and Robert Sr.
My Plea
However, I am sending out a plea. Someone out there has information about the disappearance of Virginia. I ask those who read this post to pass it along to all you know. Someone out there knows facts about the location of Virginia’s body. Hopefully, they will see this plea and speak up so the Pictou family can lay their beloved Virginia to rest.
If you have information about the disappearance of Virginia Pictou, I ask you to contact the Maine Major Crimes Unit North at (207) 973-3750 or toll-free 1-800-432-7381. Submit a tip online at Report a Crime in Major Crimes Unit – Central | Maine State Police. https://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/about/repost-crime/major-crines-unit-central.
Robert and his siblings learned the art of beading from their mother. Robert keeps Virginia’s memory alive with two 4×6 beaded portraits using 7,423 beads. He created one portrait for himself and one for their father.
You can visit Robert Pictou’s shop at https://robert-pictou.square.site and support MMIWG2S (Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit.)
Read more about Virginia’s story at https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/virginia-pictou-hoyes.
Photos
Photos from various newspaper articles and Facebook.
Note To My Readers
Hopefully, you have gained value from this blog post. If you have, I would like to offer you the opportunity to purchase my books. You can buy The Hidden Diamond and Robin’s Gift at BUY-the-BOOK https://www.amazon.com/s?i=digital-. Two additional sites where you can find my books are https://bkbookshoppe.com and https://bizybookstore.com.
Each purchase of my books supports my mission to help those trapped in abuse break those chains and find their way to freedom while drawing closer to their Maker. Once you have read either of my books, feel free to leave a review on the site you purchased from. Your review will encourage others also to seek out the path of healing.
Adult Physical Abuse—My Experience A Reinterpretation Balance Balancing on a Tightrope Boundaries Breaking Out By Giving You Receive Childhood Physical Abuse—My Experience Excerpt from The Hidden Diamond Find the Blessing Within Foster The Gratitude Attitude Free Giveaway From Robin’s Gift Happenings or Interpretations? Hope Invite My Experience New Year Resolution Note To My Readers Overcoming Depression Resources Robin’s Gift Robin’s Gift – A Sneak Peak Sacred Gift Bearing Seek Understanding Shame Has No Place Summer’s Story Surviving Dark Years Take a Step Back. Take the Challenge The Abuser The Commitment to Braking Chains of Abuse The Fantasy Flaw The Gift of Jesus The Hidden Diamond The Power of Gratitude The Tenth Commandment To My Readers Unhealed Wounds Unwittingly Harm Others. Upcoming Posts We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know. What Gift Will You Bring? Why I Write You Are Worthy! Your New Year’s Resolution
