FROM ROCK ‘N’ ROLL REBEL TO RENOWNED P.I. JANICE MITCHELL’S STORY It’s hard to believe that the same person who was dubbed “the modern-day Nancy Drew” by a major news outlet was ever anything other than a straight-laced and strict follower of the rules. Prior to the release of her memoir in September of 2021, Janice Mitchell (Jan) had developed this exact reputation from her many years spent as a nationally recognized and awardwinning private and federal investigator. Having worked and consulted on such high-profile cases as the infamous Wendy’s Massacre and the Carnegie Deli Murders, this is understandable. However, there is another side to Jan that according to her, she kept hidden for many years along with a shocking secret. At age 16, not only was she an adolescent runaway whose stunt led to an international search involving the Scotland Yard and the even the Beatles, her actions got rock ‘n’ roll banned in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Since making global headlines first as a missing person and then as an award-winning investigator, Jan has become a valued member of the Tiffin Community. She earned her Master of Criminal Justice degree in homeland security administration through TU in 2007, and also spent 12 years teaching as an adjunct faculty member in the same department. Jan’s new book entitled, “My Ticket to Ride – How I Ran Away to England to Meet the Beatles and Got Rock and Roll Banned in Cleveland” is an Amazon bestseller that has attracted international attention. The story - as one would guess - centers around her experience abroad and the resulting movement it sparked. “My story starts with my first step into the exhilarating early days of Beatlemania and the British Invasion,” Jan reminisced. “The first time I heard the Beatles singing ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ on the radio the day after Christmas in 1963, I was completely transformed and captivated. At age 16, I decided to leave my unhappy home and along with my best friend, we hatched a bold plan to leave the country and live in Beatleland England - forever.” After careful planning throughout the summer and without telling anyone, Jan and her friend flew to London the day after the September 15, 1964 Beatles Concert in Cleveland with nothing but suitcases and a dream of meeting them in person. With the contents of her savings account and her friend’s earmarked college funds, they were able to rent a studio apartment in the Notting Hill area and explore London. DRAGON JANICE MITCHELL'S STORY / 18
“Soho was the main destination as that’s where the Beatles were rumored to hang out,” Jan explained. “On our own for the first time, we explored London - a new culture and a new life. We visited the hippest coffee bars and clubs in Soho, listened to live music every night, met some nice British boys and hitchhiked to Liverpool.” Little did Jan and her friend know, the pair had made international news. Everyone was searching for them, including the Scotland Yard and even the Beatles themselves. “I kept the greatest adventure of my life to myself for over 50 years,” Jan remembered. “When I returned to Cleveland, I had to face the consequences. I was told by my relatives, school, church and authorities to never speak about it. I was advised that the best thing for me to do was to put it behind me and move on with my life, and that’s what I did. In 1964, girls were expected to do as they were told and not make waves. This was especially true for Catholic school girls. I had stepped way outside the box of what was acceptable and was held accountable. The way I was treated in England was completely different from the way I was treated in the U.S. It was night and day, or more accurately day and night, as in England, we were treated as if our adventure was a fun lark, but in the states, we were considered juvenile delinquents.” Admittedly, by the time Jan returned to the states, it was a little late to follow the earlier advice to not make waves, as a crossAtlantic search for the duo had been underway for 23 days. What happened when she returned to Cleveland included a ban on rock and roll and Beatlemania, a decision handed down by the Mayor of Cleveland. “We were completely oblivious to the media attention,” Jan recalled. “We didn’t have a telly or a radio in our flat and didn’t pay any attention to newspapers. We were living our dream of being in Soho where the Beatles had been and where the British Invasion music was bubbling up and being created. I was living in Beatleland where there was music and happiness. Honestly, I was in a state of shock when I learned that anybody noticed we were gone in the first place.” “I felt that as a girl who had dared to be different, people tried to make an example out of it all by shaming my actions, by shaming me,” Jan explained. “I had become a cautionary tale for others my age, but I’ve never regretted it. I made a plan, followed my dream and ended up having the best adventure of my life. It wasn’t until 2016 when I had my eureka moment and realized that I could and should share my experience with others. My only hope for my book is that it will bring happiness and inspiration to its readers, that it prompts them to live their lives in a way that is authentic, regardless of what others might think or say.” According to Jan, the same rebellious streak others saw in her as
