http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/l/lowe_debora.htmlDebora Sue Lowe
Left: Lowe, circa 1972;
Right: Age-progression to age 46 (circa 2004)
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: February 28, 1972 from Pompano Beach, Florida
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date of Birth: September 19, 1958
Age: 13 years old
Height and Weight: 5'5 - 5'6, 120 - 125 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Lowe'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 agencies spell her name "Debra" or "Deborah."
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A tan poncho, a yellow blouse and black slacks with vertical rose-colored stripes.
Details of Disappearance
Lowe 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 28, 1972. She never arrived at school and has never been heard from again.
Authorities initially believed Lowe had run away from home, possibly back to Palestine, West Virginia; her family had moved to Pompano Beach from Palestine shortly before her disappearance. Lowe'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.
Lowe's family believes she may have been a victim of the serial killer Gerard John Schaefer. A photograph of Schaefer is posted below this case summary. He was convicted of two murders in the 1970s but is believed to be responsible for attacks, murders and disappearances of many other young women in the 1960s and 1970s, including Carmen Hallock in 1969 and possibly Pamela Nater and Nancy Leichner in 1966 as well. Schaefer was never charged in connection with any of the cases, however. He was murdered in prison in 1995.
Lowe's father died of a heart attack four years after her disappearance, but the rest of her family continues to search for her. Some agencies give the date of her disappearance as February 29, 1972. Her case remains unsolved.
Above: Schaefer
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Pompano Beach Police Department
954-786-4200
OR
Broward County Sheriff's Office
954-765-4321
Source Information
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Nation's Missing Children Organization
The Doe Network
Naples Daily News
The Miami Herald
Broward Sheriff's Office
Updated 5 times since October 12, 2004.
Last updated October 18, 2005; details of disappearance updated.
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