Sophia Adeline Armstrong, 71, vanished from her Vancouver home on July 13, 1981, after a lifetime of steady routines that included regular doctors visits, hair appointments, and visiting relatives. At the time she disappeared she was described as a white female, 5 feet 2 inches, 123 pounds, with long red hair and brown eyes. The last person known to have seen her was a man who had moved into her house less than a year earlier and later became the central figure in the inquiry.

He initially told others Sophia had gone on a trip, even claiming she had gone to Reno to buy a tavern with a friend named Millie. That account lost credibility after Sophia failed to contact anyone and investigators and relatives found inconsistencies. A search of her West 16th Avenue home found a square of bedroom carpet cut out and smoke damage near the stairwell from the garage; a cleaning company had been hired to address that damage. The man was convicted of forging Sophia’s name on cheques and imprisoned; he died of a heart attack in 1985. The investigation by the Vancouver Police Department remains open but unresolved.