Barbara Stoffer, 83, was last seen driving her green 1993 Volvo 850 sedan in Howardville, Missouri, on the late afternoon of August 20, 2013, just after 5:15 p.m., heading south on Highway 61. A New Madrid resident who often took daily drives and visited the Mississippi River, Barbara had an expired Missouri license but regularly drove despite that. Her car, license plate 078RYW, also disappeared that day.

Investigators focused on the river after learning she had driven off a boat ramp onto rocks months earlier and because Barbara had bipolar disorder and depression. Extensive searches, including volunteer sonar teams and at least four vehicles recovered from the Mississippi, produced no sign of her Volvo. Witness reports suggested the car may have been seen heading west through Parma, and foul play has not been ruled out although no confirmation exists of anyone else being in the vehicle.

Anyone who saw Barbara or her Volvo in Howardville or Parma on August 20, 2013, or who has information about her routine drives or river access is asked to come forward.