Mary Jo Thompson, known as Mary Thompson, was 33 when she was last seen in Lufkin, Texas on August 24, 1980. She had no permanent residence at the time and moved between friends and acquaintances, which investigators say makes her final movements difficult to trace. She was about 5 feet 0 inches to 5 feet 1 inch tall, weighed around 110 pounds, had brown permed hair and green eyes, and multiple distinctive scars including on her eyebrow, the bridge of her nose, her upper lip, an appendectomy scar and a C‑section scar. She also had pierced ears and typically wore artificial fingernails in 1980.

Mary Thompson had prior arrests for selling crystal methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine. Both the Lufkin Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have been involved; the LA County Sheriff’s homicide bureau assigned case number 008‑00921‑2699‑400. She is listed in NamUs as MP9418 and DNA is reported as available, but no public match to unidentified remains has been announced. Few confirmed leads or sightings have emerged since her disappearance.

If anyone knew Mary’s whereabouts in the weeks before August 24, 1980, or has information that hasn’t been shared with investigators, please come forward.