Real identity of Bill Vance aka William Cole revealed

After some digging in Tennessee newspapers I found articles on a Mr William Van Sickle, one of his numerous names. Below are some details from 1949 St Louis Post and 1957 and 1958 TN newspapers (the Tennessean, the Hancock County News, and the Kingsport Times) He was known to use the name Hammic as well, as you'll see his mother remarried a man named Hammic. In one Missouri newspaper article from 1949 you'll see he uses the name Hamic

https://www.asylumprojects.org/index.php/Missouri_Reform_School_for_Boys#:~:text=The%20Missouri%20State%20Training%20School,medical%20attention%20and%20religious%20opportunities.

What can be determined from other searches like city directories : His mother was Fernie Belle Katherine (Van Sickle) Hamic of Breckenridge, MO. Fern's father, Elmer Van Sickle, may have died young as in 1920 and 1930 she is with her mom Leva and stepdad George Scott. Fern was married to Mr Albert Hamic by 1940 (There's the Hamic name!) and lived with him in Kansas City, meanwhile Fern's son William lived with grandmother Leva Burr Van Sickle-Scott. William's was born out of wedlock as it can be determined that Van Sickle was Fern's maiden name, Mr Albert Hamic would be William's stepfather. Albert's 1967 obit states his sons were William R Hamic of Lynwood, Calif. and William J Hamic of Buckner, Missouri.

He is the William J Van Sickle born April 17, 1933, who lived in Lexington Missouri, that is all consistent with the 1940 census, George and Leva Scott have their step-dau.///daughter's son w/them and his name is William J Van Sickle age 7

William Van Sickle "Bill Vance", after escaping Brushy Mountain , 1958

What can be determined about Fern's parents: They were Elmer and Leva Burr Van sickle, married April 15, 1900 in Caldwell County, Missouri. They had several children, Samuel born 1901, Cleo b. 1903, Noah born 1905, Nola, born 1909, Mary born 1914 and Fern born April 25, 1917/8 in Breckenridge, Caldwell County MO. Leva was then remarried by 1920 census to George Scott.

Fern was wed/in relationships that produced children a few times, it appears. She was in a relationship with Bill's dad, who ever he was, in 1932. She was in a relationship with a Phillip K Lehmann by 1936. She was wed to Mr Albert Hamic by 1939. She was later wed to a Alfred C Curran Oct 6 1968 in Jackson County, MO. She died Sept 1977 and may be buried at Forest Hills Cemetery in KC.

Here is a partial and proposed timeline for Bill:

1933...William Joseph Van Sickle b. April 17, 1933 near Kingston/Breckenridge, Caldwell County, Missouri

1930's...His mom marries Albert Hamic before 1940 in Missouri

1930's-1940's... William is moved between his mom's household and his grandparents in the 1930's and 40's

1949.....By 1949 William is sent to Missouri State Training School for Boys in Boonville, MO

He flees there and steal multiple vehicles, captured, gives his name as both William Hamic and William Van Sickle.

1950's... by 1953 he is in the Memphis, Tennessee where he is arrested on July 7th for burglary and safecracking , (below is a July 1953 article from the Memphis paper "The Commercial Appeal")

(note: in the above image the 4 men are numbered 1 through 4. The author/journalist has misidentified 4 as Bill. Bill is clearly number 3 in the image.)

he is sent to Brushy Mountain Pen about 1953/4 (per 1957 newspaper stating he was 4 years into a 5-10), possibly met Manson at this time (or during Manson's last year at Terminal island?)

in 1958 he breaks out of Brushy Mountain Pen and is recaptured, for which he is given extra time.

1960's:

By 1960-61 Bill is out and back in Missouri where he may have been married and fathered a child, he teams up with an in-law of the Hamic family, Sherman Lee Ethridge, they and their wives/lady friends come to the Riverside area of CA (specifically, La Sierra) where Ethridge and Van Sickle commit a series of burglaries in 1962. They are caught in Sept and presumably did time there in Ca. Note: They appear to have moved into that specific area because a part of the Hamic family was already residing there since the late 50's (William R Hamic Jr, son of William Robert Hamic Sr and wife Ethel Ethridge).

He may already be at Spahn by '65, he had a '65 license which gave the ranch address. According to Fromme, Bill told her that he'd known George Spahn and Manson for a while. If he was there in CA in 65 perhaps he was meeting up with his step brother WR Hamic of Lynwood who we know was there in 67. By 67 he was, at least briefly, back in Kansas City Mo suburb of Buckner around. (per Albert Hamic's obit below)

1967... His step father Albert Hamic dies in Kansas City, MO. Albert's obit mentions 2 sons named William Hamic: one in Missouri and one in Lynwood, CA (LA suburb).

Bill possibly came there to CA straight from TN as one of his (fake) licenses had a mention of previous residence being TN. Then came back to Missouri, then back to CA by 68?

One should note that a William R Hamic age 63 died in Missouri in 1979. He was the step brother of Bill who'd lived in Lynwood.

1968-1969... Spahn's Ranch/Manson era, reconnected with Manson, filming of "Linda and Abilene", left Ranch with Ella Jo Bailey after Hinman murder, in Ohio for a bit but returned to the ranch in mid Aug, travels to Oregon (possibly to see family) and meets up with Diane Marie Von Ahn (who was only with the group briefly and left back for her home near Portland, died in 72), returns to the ranch, assaults Windy Bucklee and he is possibly present when Shea is killed about the 26th of August '69 (according to Davis), after that is at Barker Ranch for a bit and is caught up in one of the raids, around this time is using the name William R Cole and David Schwarm, he is present when Zero was shot in November.

1970... on Feb 26, 1970 William was caught forging checks in CA, by Aug of 70 William, Claudia Smith, Joan Baldwin arrive in McFall, MO. Residing at the "Youth for Life Farming HQ." Joan "Little Patty/Crazy Patti" is sent to Memphis, TN in Aug of 70/71? It should be noted that Patricia Baldwin and Claudia Smith both used the name Linda Baldwin at times. While in Missouri it appears that Claudia uses this name.

1972,... Feb 25, "Rev William Cole" and Claudia Smith leave Missouri and return to CA , on March 30 Van Sickle aids police in a failed search for Shorty Shea's body, on Aug 9 he and Claudia are wed in Ventura County.

Here are some newspapers from their time in Missouri

From public records we know that the pair moved back to Missouri at some point, living in Lexington, MO.

Per his mother's 1977 obit, we know that he was living in Missouri in 1977 using the name William Joe/Joseph Cole.

Bill may be the William Van Sickle who is buried in Maricopa county and who died on Feb 14, 2001 in Phoenix, AZ at age 67; Bill would have been 68 in April of that year.

According to public records, William J Van Sickle who once lived at Rural Route 1 Box 46 in Lexington Missouri is the same man who lived at 1202 W Van Buren St, apt 29 in Phoenix, Az and went by William R Cole in the 90's. Below are those records: