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Case Description

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Summary based on 7 sources
Susan Elaine Miller, 24, was last seen in Melbourne, Florida, on March 31, 1980, and has not been heard from since. Authorities believe she may have been taken against her will, and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance are deeply concerning. Few details were initially available in her case, which is classified as an endangered missing person case. Miller, also known by her maiden name Susan Elaine Hallowell, was 5'3" and weighed 128 pounds at the time she went missing, with brown hair and brown eyes.

Just days before she vanished, on March 30, 1980, Miller reported a violent assault to the Marion County Sheriff's office. She alleged that her boyfriend, with whom she lived at a campground in the Ocala National Forest, had bound her with an electrical cord, physically assaulted her, stabbed her in the legs with a metal object, and attempted to smother her. Although a deputy advised her to contact the state attorney's office to press charges, she did not follow through with this recommendation. Shortly after this traumatic event, Miller left the campground and moved in with her mother in Melbourne.

On the day of her disappearance, Miller was seen leaving her mother's residence. She was reportedly wearing a multicolored, crocheted poncho, blue jeans, and a brown hat. In 1983, investigators searched the Ocala National Forest campsite where Miller had lived with her boyfriend. Authorities also investigated a possible link between Miller's disappearance and an unidentified body found in Citrus County in 1981, though it is unclear if a connection was ever made.

The investigation into Susan Elaine Miller's disappearance has been complicated by the criminal activities of her then-boyfriend, John William "Billy" Ferry Jr., who was later accused of a firebombing that resulted in multiple fatalities. Despite law enforcement's efforts over the years, including the Melbourne Police Department reopening the case, Miller's whereabouts remain unknown, and her case is an unsolved mystery. The official date of her last contact is listed as March 31, 1980.

Last Seen: Mar 31, 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.

75%Possible
Jane Doe — Boca Raton, Florida - unidentified case UP773
Jane Doe — Boca Raton, Florida
UP773 • Found Jun 23, 1980
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 19–25 vs 24
Race 100%White
Location 75%Same state
TimingFound 3 months after last seen
Weight 100%120 lb vs 128 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.

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