Henrietta Geck Cruz Avila was 17 when she disappeared from Long Beach, California. She had married 24-year-old Merle Avila earlier in 1960 after dropping out of high school; the couple lived in Santa Ana. Three months into the marriage Merle said Henrietta packed her things and left with no further contact, and her family reported her missing on August 1, 1960.

The last confirmed sighting was August 20, 1960, when Merle reported seeing her in a Long Beach park. A week later Henrietta’s parents received a brief collect call that disconnected, and a telegram signed Henrietta—sent from a San Francisco payphone—claimed she had found work and would not return; the address it gave proved false. In December 1961 some of her clothing, including a belt, was found on her father’s car trunk. Authorities have not ruled out foul play and the case remains unsolved.

Does anyone have memories, documents, or leads about Henrietta’s life in 1960 that could help explain what happened?