Debra Denise Ratchford was 30 when her body was found on August 5, 1992, in a wooded area near the Oakland Street Cemetery in Gastonia, North Carolina. Investigators determined her death was a murder, but the case remains unsolved and is listed among Gastonia’s cold cases.

Local authorities continue to seek information that might lead to an arrest or identification of those responsible, and the community has been left hoping for resolution for Debra’s family.

If anyone has information about Debra Ratchford, her last known movements, or the area around Oakland Street Cemetery in early August 1992, please contact Gastonia law enforcement.