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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 (MP32965) and 2 other sources
In the summer of 1975, a 65-year-old woman named Catherine Howard vanished from her home in Elmont, New York. On June 25, 1975, she was seen for the last time and has not been heard from since. At the time of her disappearance, Catherine was described as a white female with gray hair and brown eyes, standing at 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing around 100 pounds. She wore eyeglasses with silver frames. When she left, it is believed she was wearing a brown striped dress and was carrying a gray suitcase and an alligator-skin pocketbook.

The circumstances surrounding Catherine's disappearance remain clouded by the account provided by her husband. He informed authorities that their marriage had been troubled for years and that she had ultimately made the decision to leave him. According to his statement, she simply left, and no further details about her intended destination or plans were available. The disappearance was sudden and left family and law enforcement puzzled, as there were no immediate signs of foul play. Since the day she walked away from her life in Elmont, there has been no contact with family or friends, and no evidence has surfaced to indicate where she might have gone.

For decades, the case of Catherine Howard's disappearance has remained open, yet inactive, becoming a cold case with very few leads for investigators to pursue. The Nassau County Police Department has been the investigating agency, but the lack of significant evidence or any sightings has hampered any real progress. The narrative of a woman choosing to leave a difficult marriage is the only explanation on record, yet the complete and total silence in the years that followed is unsettling. The overview of this case is one of profound uncertainty; a 65-year-old woman left her home with a suitcase and personal items, and seemingly vanished without a trace, leaving behind a mystery that endures to this day.

Last Seen: Jun 25, 1975

Links to Additional Sources (2)

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Possible Unidentified Matches (10)

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.

84%Moderate
Jane Doe — Jersey City, New Jersey
UP1495 • Found Dec 24, 1986
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 70–80 vs 65 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 98%17 mi away
TimingFound 11 years after last seen
Height 100%5'5" vs 5'4"
Weight 100%90 lb vs 100 lb
Hair 100%Gray vs Gray
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
79%Possible
Jane Doe — Brooklyn, New York - unidentified case UP9093
Jane Doe — Brooklyn, New York
UP9093 • Found Oct 11, 1988
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 85%Est. 55–75 vs 65 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 99%13 mi away, same state
TimingFound 13 years after last seen
Height 84%5'6" vs 5'4"
Weight 90%115 lb vs 100 lb
Hair 70%Brown vs Gray
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
78%Possible
Jane Doe — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
UP17764 • Found Dec 10, 1979
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 50–65 vs 65 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 77%92 mi away
TimingFound 4 years after last seen
Height 84%5'2" vs 5'4"
Weight 100%105 lb vs 100 lb
Hair 40%Brown vs Gray
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
77%Possible
Jane Doe — New York, New York - unidentified case UP70309
Jane Doe — New York, New York
UP70309 • Found May 29, 2020
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 85%Est. 45–65 vs 65 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 99%15 mi away, same state
TimingFound 45 years after last seen
Height 100%5'3" vs 5'4"
Weight 64%127 lb vs 100 lb
Hair 70%Brown vs Gray
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
77%Possible
Jane Doe — Queens, New York - unidentified case UP7310
Jane Doe — Queens, New York
UP7310 • Found Dec 3, 1995
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 55–70 vs 65 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 100%5 mi away, same state
TimingFound 20 years after last seen
Height 68%5'1" vs 5'4"
Weight 45%134 lb vs 100 lb
Hair 70%Brown vs Gray
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
77%Possible
Jane Doe — Ridley Township, Pennsylvania
UP161329 • Found Aug 22, 2002
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 58–72 vs 65 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 75%102 mi away
TimingFound 27 years after last seen
Height 100%5'5" vs 5'4"
Weight 80%120 lb vs 100 lb
Hair 100%Gray vs Gray
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
76%Possible
Jane Doe — New York - unidentified case UP60275
Jane Doe — New York
UP60275 • Found Aug 20, 2019
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 85%Est. 60–80 vs 65 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 100%5 mi away, same state
TimingFound 44 years after last seen
Height 100%5'3" vs 5'4"
Weight 0%158 lb vs 100 lb
Hair 100%Gray vs Gray
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
76%Possible
Jane Doe — New York, New York - unidentified case UP7465
Jane Doe — New York, New York
UP7465 • Found May 8, 1991
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 85%Est. 50–70 vs 65 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 99%15 mi away, same state
TimingFound 16 years after last seen
Height 84%5'2" vs 5'4"
Weight 56%130 lb vs 100 lb
Hair 100%Gray vs Gray
75%Possible
Jane Doe — New York, New York - unidentified case UP17517
Jane Doe — New York, New York
UP17517 • Found Feb 1, 2018
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 85%Est. 40–65 vs 65 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 99%15 mi away, same state
TimingFound 43 years after last seen
Height 100%5'0"–5'4" vs 5'4"
Hair 70%Brown vs Gray
75%Possible
Jane Doe — New York, New York - unidentified case UP6143
Jane Doe — New York, New York
UP6143 • Found Nov 17, 1999
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 85%Est. 70–90 vs 65 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 99%15 mi away, same state
TimingFound 24 years after last seen
Height 84%5'6" vs 5'4"
Weight 6%148 lb vs 100 lb
Hair 100%Gray vs Gray
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown

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.