Myrtle Thomas was an 82-year-old African-American woman who lived a quiet, reclusive life in Portland, Oregon. On the morning of January 3, 1980, an anonymous phone call led her caregiver and landlord to check her home at 2743 N. Kerby Avenue. They found Myrtle deceased on the floor of her downstairs bedroom; an autopsy determined she died of multiple stab wounds.

Investigators found no signs of forced entry and no evidence of robbery. Myrtle was reportedly not known to have any family or a criminal record. A young neighbor later told police they had seen an unfamiliar white man with long blonde hair and a full beard sitting on Myrtle’s steps the evening before she was found. No arrests have been announced and the case remains unsolved.

If anyone knew Myrtle, saw someone matching that description near 2743 N. Kerby Avenue, or has information about her last day, please share what you know.