Thanks bkc56...I appreciate you replying.  To answer a few of you questions...yes, my filters do send certain messages to trash; I access my gmail account online and via iphone, but mainly online; I have not given account access to any other websites...at least not to my knowledge.  Is it possible my account has been hacked?  Curiously, all my sent messages end up on the trash folder as well whether I originate the message or reply.