HATTIESBURG, Mississippi — Authorities are asking for public help in the unsolved disappearance of Deborah Faye Owens, who was last seen more than 42 years ago after leaving a New Years Eve celebration.
The Hattiesburg Police Department said Owens, a 27-year-old white woman, was last seen after attending a party with her husband in the early hours of Jan. 1, 1984. Authorities said the couple reportedly argued while driving home and her husband told police Owens asked to be let out; he said he pulled over and drove away. Owens has not been seen or heard from since.
A 1985 report in The Clarion-Ledger quoted Hattiesburg Detective Bob Hopkins as saying Owens’ disappearance was unusual because she had always remained in contact with family or friends. “It’s not the first time she’s done something like this, but it’s the first time she hasn’t contacted anyone,” Hopkins told the newspaper.
In April 1984 local newspapers published a legal notice seeking a divorce from Owens, saying her last known address was Hattiesburg but her present residence was unknown and citing cruel and unusual treatment. Her name appeared briefly in a 1987 Clarion-Ledger story about unresolved missing persons cases, and authorities say no major developments have been announced since.
Anyone with information about Deborah Faye Owens or her disappearance is asked to contact the Hattiesburg Police Department at (601) 545-4971. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
