Missing
Nahida Ahmed Khatib
Nahida, approximately 1976; Fahmi "Sam" Khatib, approximately 1982
Date and time person was reported missing : 10/01/1976
Missing location (approx) :
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Female
Ethnicity :
White
DOB : 01/14/1946 (75)
Age at the time of disappearance: 30 years old
Height / Weight : 5'2 - 5'3, 125 pounds
Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A green robe and fuzzy or fur slippers.
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Nahida has pierced ears and scars on her forehead and abdomen.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Nahida was last seen at her home in the 4000 block of north Menomonee River Parkway in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin on October 1, 1976. She was babysitting her two-year-old niece at the time.
Investigators found the child unattended in a playpen. Frozen meat was thawing in the kitchen, more food was on the stove, and a half-empty cup of coffee was found also. Nahida left behind her purse, keys, clothing and shoes; the only items missing were her robe and slippers. She has never been heard from again.
Nahida was born in Palestine and raised in Lebanon. She married Fahmi "Sam" Khatib in 1962 and moved to the United States with him. A photo of Fahmi is posted with this case summary. By 1976, the couple was in the middle of a contentious divorce; it was finalized in December 1977, fourteen months after her disappearance.
Fahmi raised their son alone and told the boy his mother had abandoned him, but authorities never believed Nahida left of her own accord. She is described as a devoted parent who would not have abandoned her son.
Nahida had been living in the Wauwatosa area for ten years prior to her disappearance, but she was socially isolated and didn't know many people. She was reportedly afraid of her husband, and she told her neighbors that Fahmi wanted to kill her.
During the divorce proceedings, Fahmi claimed his net worth was $150,000. Nahida asked the court to audit him, claiming he was actually worth ten times what he was saying. He had been arrested for receiving stolen equipment at his stereo store and for participating in a stAge at the time of disappearance: d burglary at a friend's business.
After Nahida's disappearance, Fahmi he was indicted for food stamp fraud and conspiracy, and possession of two unregistered, silencer-equipped pistols. He eventually moved to Texas.
A suspicious car was seen in Nahida's driveway the day she disappeared; it was later linked to one of Fahmi's relatives. Nahida's sister said she would never have opened the door to someone she did not know. Fahmi died in 2001. He is still considered the prime and only suspect in Nahida's case.
Part of a human skull was found in the Menomonee River in April 2008. The river runs across the street from Nahida's house. Testing proved the skull was at least twenty years old and was that of a female who was in her thirties when she died, which would fit Nahida, but DNA testing performed in 2009 proved it wasn't hers.
Nahida was declared legally dead eight years after her disappearance. Her case remains unsolved.
Other information and links : ncy
Wauwatosa Police Department
414-471-8430
September 2021 updates and sources
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
TMJ 4 Milwaukee
Wauwatosa Now
The Doe Network
WDJT-TV
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.
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
