Carol Jean Pierce, 35, was last seen at her Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, home on September 8, 1975. She was observed in the area of West Elm Street and North Hudson Avenue between about 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. that day. Her husband, Richard Gale Pierce, said they had coffee that morning before he left on duty aboard the cutter Mesquite; when he returned between 4:00 and 4:30 p.m., Carol was gone. Her purse, makeup, and pet cat remained at the house, and the couple’s only vehicle was with Richard at work, making an unassisted departure unlikely.

Friends and neighbors described Carol as a homebody who loved gardening and reported she’d once confided she feared her husband might kill her; she had been seen with bruises and a black eye one neighbor later said did not appear accidental.

Authorities suspected foul play though no body was recovered. Physical descriptors list Carol as about 5 feet 5 inches, 115 pounds, with blond hair, hazel eyes, a surgical pin in her right femur, and a small scar on her upper lip. No verified activity under her name has been recorded since her disappearance. If anyone knew Carol, her movements that day, or what happened to her possessions, can you share what you remember?