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Mattie Zabel Missing Person Case

Last seen in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Mar 21, 1978

Victim Details

Aug 22, 2012

Oct 27, 2022

Mattie

Zabel

93

45

62 inches

118 lbs

White / Caucasian

Female

Mar 21, 1978

Cedar Falls

Iowa

Black Hawk County

22173

Cedar Falls Police Department

Cedar Falls

Iowa

Black Hawk County

50613

4600 Main Street, Iowa

3192738612

Local

Law Enforcement

https://www.cedarfalls.com/

78-459

1978-03-21

Cedar Falls Police Department

Brown

Brown

Brown

08/05/2026


Area Last Seen:

Case Description

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Mattie Lou Zabel, a 45-year-old teacher's aide from Cedar Falls, Iowa, was last seen by her family on March 21, 1978. On the day of her disappearance, Mattie had left a frozen chicken thawing in her kitchen sink for dinner and did not take any clothing or other personal items with her. The next day, her son found her car abandoned at Black Hawk Park, with her purse locked inside. This was a location Mattie frequently visited to take walks.

Authorities launched an extensive search i ...
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Last Seen: Mar 21, 1978

Links to Additional Sources (13)

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  • Mattie Lou Zabel - Iowa Cold Cases
  • Mattie Lou Zabel - The Charley Project
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    Forum Posts (3)

    I've been fascinated by the case of Mattie Lou Zabel lately. Something that stands out to me is the ... ...Read More
    08/14/2024
    I’ve been thinking a lot about where Mattie's car was found at Black Hawk Park, and I'm trying to ... ...Read More
    08/02/2023
    I’ve been digging into Mattie Lou Zabel’s case from 1978 lately, and something's been bugging me... ...Read More
    01/22/2023
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