Vernelle Pickens was 36 when she vanished from Asheville, North Carolina, in late summer 1977. On September 12, 1977, after a two-day visit with family, she told relatives she planned to travel to Raleigh; that statement was the last confirmed contact anyone had with her. She was described as a Black female, 5 feet 0 inches to 5 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 125 to 140 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Shortly before her disappearance she had been released from prison on drug-related charges and intended to start a new chapter in Raleigh. No communication came after she left Asheville, which was out of character and eventually prompted a missing person report filed on January 7, 2019. The investigation with the Asheville Police Department remains open; foul play has not been ruled out and no solid leads or suspects have been identified. There has been speculation about links to unidentified remains found elsewhere in North Carolina, but no definitive connection has been established.

Did anyone in Asheville or Raleigh remember seeing Vernelle around September 1977 or have information about her intended plans there?