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Missing Debora Sue Lowe 
Debora, approximately 1972; Age at the time of disappearance: -progression to Age at the time of disappearance: 58 (approximately 2016); Gerald Schaefer Date reported missing : 02/29/1972 Missing location (approx) : Pompano Beach, Florida Missing classification : Endangered Missing Gender : Female Ethnicity : White DOB : 09/19/1958 (62) Age at the time of disappearance: 13 years old Height / Weight : 5'5 - 5'6, 120 - 125 pounds Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A tan poncho, a yellow blouse, black slacks with vertical rose-colored stripes, and a ring with an aquamarine stone. The ring is shaped like a flower with eight off-white petals with gold wire around them, a blue dot in the center, and a gold band. Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Debora's upper teeth are crowded and one of her front teeth has a small chip. She has a small scar on her left leg. Her nickname is Debbie and some Age at the time of disappearance: ncies spell her name "Debra" or "Deborah." Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Debora was last seen walking to Rickards Middle School in the vicinity of 8th Street and Sunrise Boulevard in Pompano Beach, Florida between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. on February 29, 1972. It was about a mile-long trip between her home and the school. She never arrived at school and has never been heard from again. After her disappearance, her schoolbooks were found in a trash bin a block from her home. Authorities initially believed Debora had run away from home, possibly back to Palestine, West Virginia; her family had moved to Pompano Beach from Palestine shortly before her disappearance. Debora's family has never believed she left of her own accord, and she did not have a prior history of such behavior. None of her personal belongings were taken. Debora's family believes she may have been a victim of the serial killer Gerard John Schaefer Jr. A photograph of Schaefer is posted with this case summary. He worked with Debora's father and had visited her family's home. He was convicted of only two murders in the 1970s but is believed to be responsible for the murders and disappearances of many other girls and young women in the 1960s and 1970s, including Wendy Stevenson, Peggy Rahn and Carmen Hallock in 1969, and Pamela Nater and Nancy Leichner in 1966. Schaefer was never charged in connection with any of the cases, however. He was murdered in prison in 1995. Debora's father died of a heart attack four years after her disappearance, and her mother died in 1995, but the rest of her family continues to search for her. Her case remains unsolved. Other information and links : ncy Pompano Beach Police Department 954-786-4200 Broward County Sheriff's Office 954-765-4321 September 2021 updates and sources Florida Department of Law Enforcement The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe. By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends. Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece. The Doe Network Naples Daily News The Miami Herald |