On the evening of July 14, 1979, 24-year-old Mazie Mae Sigmon-Palmer was on a date with 18-year-old John Eric "Jay" Farley in Charleston, West Virginia. Having recently divorced three months prior, Mazie was living with her parents in Sissonville. She and Farley had been dating for a few weeks. Their night began at a club called the Roarin' 20s. After leaving, they accepted a ride from a friend of Farley's to a second nightclub, the King's Inn.
Upon arriving at the King's Inn sometime after 11:00 p.m., Mazie commented, "Oh, he's in there," though she did not specify who she was referring to. The couple and Farley's friend took a table on the first floor. Around midnight, Mazie went to the second floor, telling her companions she was going to speak with someone. A few minutes later, Farley followed her upstairs. Neither Mazie Sigmon-Palmer nor Jay Farley were ever seen alive again. Initially, their families had different levels of concern; Mazie's family was not immediately worried as she sometimes stayed out, while Farley's family found it highly uncharacteristic of him. The connection between the two disappearances was not made by law enforcement until January 1980, six months after they vanished.
The theory that the couple had run away together was considered, but it was unlikely as they both left all their personal belongings, including money, behind. Neither of them owned a vehicle, and Farley was not a licensed driver. A significant break in the case came in May 1984, when Farley's skeletal remains were discovered at a surface mine in Fayette County, approximately thirty miles from Charleston. He had been shot, and his hands were taped behind his back. The clothing found with his remains was what he had been wearing the night he disappeared, leading investigators to believe he was killed that same night. There was no trace of Mazie at the scene.
Investigators do not believe Mazie was involved in Farley's murder, and foul play is strongly suspected in her disappearance. A person of interest, Mark Legg, has been considered in connection with the case. Legg, a former West Virginia resident, was a suspect in several other crimes but has not been officially tied to the disappearances of Mazie and Jay. At the time, Legg lived near where Farley's remains were found. The case remains unsolved, leaving the families of both Mazie Sigmon-Palmer and Jay Farley without answers for decades. Many family members, including both of Mazie's parents and Farley's father, have since passed away.Last Seen: Jul 14, 1979
