Cynthia Marie Clements, 19, disappeared from Kenneth City in Pinellas County, Florida, on September 1, 1980. She worked nights as a clerk at the Li’l General convenience store; a delivery man saw her at about 5:30 a.m. that Labor Day, but when deputies arrived her purse remained in the store, the radio was on, the cash drawer untouched, and her crossword puzzle unfinished—details that suggest she did not leave voluntarily. Deputies found no clear signs of struggle and no indication she left on her own. Her family had recently moved from Birmingham, Alabama, and described her as religious, quiet, and sober.

On October 14, 1980, a hiker found Cynthia’s decomposed body in wooded land off Bryan Dairy Road near Largo. Investigators reported signs of strangulation and possible sexual assault, though decomposition prevented detection of semen. The Li’l General chain offered a $2,500 reward; detectives discreetly observed her October 21 funeral, but no suspect emerged and the case grew cold. Investigators noted similarities to other regional sexual homicides and considered a possible serial offender. Two later suspects were James Delano Winkles and Billy Mansfield Jr., but neither was charged in Cynthia’s killing. No arrests have been made; her murderer remains unidentified.

Did anyone who knew Cynthia, worked in that area, or remembers unusual activity around September 1, 1980 have information to share?