Elizabeth Duarte was 24 when she disappeared in 1981 in Contra Costa County, California. At the time she was romantically involved with John Sapp, described as a drifter with a long history of institutionalization. Duarte was last seen before her home was set on fire; Sapp was imprisoned for two years for that arson, but Duarte remained missing for several years.

In April 1986 a human skeleton was found in Butte County, and investigators reopened inquiries into Sapp. He was arrested in May 1986 and confessed to multiple murders, including admitting he killed Elizabeth Duarte in 1981. Sapp led authorities to additional burial sites and was charged and convicted of first-degree murder in Duarte’s case; the jury found he personally used a firearm and that the Duarte and Weber killings involved multiple victims and were for financial gain. Those findings resulted in a death sentence for the murders of Duarte and Robert Weber, a sentence later upheld by the California Supreme Court.

Does anyone have information about Elizabeth’s life in Contra Costa County or knew her before 1981?