Lourdes Maria Gruart was 46 when she was last seen in Manhattan on October 14, 2000. A former model who had been struggling personally and financially, she was living on East 83rd Street and letting her younger brother Mario stay with her. Friends disagreed about their relationship; some said she adored him, others said she was wary after repeatedly helping him financially.

Mario told authorities that Lourdes left their apartment around 8:00 a.m. on October 14 with a large green bag and a waiting car, saying she was travelling to Europe. That account was questioned: her mother said Lourdes never left without telling her, and Lourdes’s passport had expired in 1988. After the disappearance Mario moved many of her belongings out of sight, removed and later disposed of her couch, and replaced items with his own. The couch was traced to a New Jersey refuse yard but not recovered.

Investigators have treated Mario as a person of interest at times but later said they did not believe he was involved. Theories considered include voluntary disappearance, suicide, or foul play; there are unconfirmed rumors about possible sex work and missing lingerie. Does anyone with information about Lourdes, her last movements, or contacts from that time have new details to share?