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Crime Solvers Central
302 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Case Description

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Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP35490) and 6 other sources
In the late summer of 1980, 74-year-old Loretta Skinner Phillips embarked on a journey from Indiana to California with the intention of staying with relatives. She was last seen on August 3, 1980. More than three weeks later, on August 27, 1980, her car was discovered abandoned near Murphysboro, Illinois, by the Jackson County Sheriff's Department. This discovery prompted her family in Indianapolis to officially report her as a missing person to the Indiana State Police. At the time of the report, investigators had no immediate leads to pursue in her disappearance.

Details regarding Loretta's physical description are limited. She is described as a white female, standing somewhere between 5'5" and 6'0" tall, and weighing between 115 and 150 pounds. Information about her hair and eye color is unknown. There is also no available information about the clothing she was wearing at the time of her disappearance or any distinguishing marks or features. The lack of these identifying details has made the search for her more challenging over the decades.

The circumstances surrounding Loretta Skinner Phillips's disappearance remain a mystery. After her vehicle was found in Illinois, the trail of her whereabouts went cold. The case is an active cold case with the Indiana State Police, assigned case number 52-15976. Despite the passage of time, law enforcement continues to seek any information that could shed light on what happened to Loretta after she was last seen on that August day in 1980. The discovery of her abandoned car marks the last known trace of her journey, leaving her family and investigators with unanswered questions.

Last Seen: Aug 3, 1980

Possible Unidentified Matches (1)

Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

76%Possible
Jane Doe — Louisville, Kentucky - unidentified case UP114479
Jane Doe — Louisville, Kentucky
UP114479 • Found Jul 8, 1982
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 60%Est. 18–100 vs 74 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 90%46 mi away
TimingFound 23 months after last seen
Height 100%5'6" vs 5'5"–6'0"
Weight 100%150 lb vs 115–150 lb

These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

Unidentified photos are blurred because many are post-mortem. Tap a photo to reveal it.