Autumn Marie Traub, 33, went missing on September 13, 2006, in Lakeland, Florida. On that day, she was last seen leaving her home with her stepfather, Roy Phillip Ballard, who claimed that he dropped her off at a Walgreens store. However, Autumn has not been seen since. She left behind her husband and a 14-year-old daughter. Prior to her disappearance, Autumn had taken custody of her daughter from Ballard and her mother, which reportedly upset Ballard.
Autumn’s daughter had also accused him of sexual abuse, a claim that possibly motivated his desire to gain custody of her.
The investigation into her disappearance quickly focused on Ballard. In the weeks following, bloodstains matching Autumn’s were found in Ballard’s car, along with plastic bags, duct tape, and a shovel, raising suspicions of foul play. Further, Ballard had purchased an 18-inch steel pipe and duct tape days before Autumn went missing. He was eventually arrested and charged with her murder in October 2006, despite her body never being found.
During his 2008 trial, a cellmate testified that Ballard confessed to killing Autumn and disposing of her body. Ballard was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death, though in 2011, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment without parole. Despite the conviction, Autumn Traub’s body remains missing, leaving her case officially unsolved, though foul play is strongly suspected.Last Seen: Sep 13, 2006
