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Missing

Martha Alice Mertz










Missing Person Case September 2021



Missing Person Case September 2021



Missing Person Case September 2021


Mertz, approximately 1961




Date reported missing : 06/22/1961

Missing location (approx) :
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Female
Ethnicity :
White
Age at the time of disappearance: 47 years old
Height / Weight : 5'0 - 5'2, 100 - 120 pounds
Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A white blouse and black pedal-pusher pants.
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : Caucasian female. Brown hair, blue eyes.





Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Mertz was last seen in Lancaster, Pennsylvania at 8:00 p.m. on June 22, 1961. That evening she got into a heated argument with her husband of eleven years. He left their apartment in the 40 block of west Vine Street to get some cigarettes, and when he returned, she was gone.
When she failed to return home that night, her husband went to see Mertz's brother, who ran the furniture business where she worked. After borrowing from him, Mertz's husband drove to West Palm Beach, Florida to visit his sister and "cool off." Meanwhile, Mertz's sister in Lancaster reported her missing.
She had left home multiple times before after disputes with her husband, but would always contact a relative. This time, she was never heard from again.
Another resident of the apartment building had overheard the argument between Mertz and her husband the night of her disappearance; the witness said it was no different than other arguments she'd overheard, and that she hadn't heard anything to indicate physical violence. Mertz's husband stated she took a suitcase with her, but he was unable to tell the police what clothing items were missing, and a new outfit she had recently purchased was left behind.
A close friend of Mertz's said Mertz had confided that she was tired of the constant arguments with her husband and that someday she would leave and no one would know where she was. She left behind her last two paychecks and her vacation pay, and never touched her bank accounts, which contained a total of about eight to nine thousand dollars; the money was distributed to her heirs when she was declared legally dead seven years later.
Little information is available as to Mertz's fate. Her disappearance remains unsolved.


Other information and links : ncy

Lancaster Bureau of Police
717-735-3362



September 2021 updates and sources

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 Lancaster New Era




October 12, 2004. December 14, 2019; two pictures added, Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : updated.