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Crime Solvers Central
298 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Case Description

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Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP36009) and 8 other sources
In the winter of 1986, the life of 22-year-old Lisa Walton of Detroit, Michigan, took a devastating and mysterious turn. On January 21st of that year, a day that would forever alter her family's lives, Lisa was last seen at her home on the 4400 block of Pacific on the city's west side. What transpired next remains a harrowing puzzle. That same day, her eleven-month-old son was discovered abandoned, yet thankfully unharmed, in an alley in the 19900 block of Pelkey, on the opposite side of the city. It was only after the baby's grandmother saw his picture in a television newscast and recognized him that the authorities were able to identify the child. This heartbreaking discovery also brought to light the deeply concerning fact that Lisa was nowhere to be found, launching a missing person investigation that has now spanned decades.

The circumstances surrounding Lisa Walton's disappearance are as perplexing as they are tragic. At the time she went missing, Lisa was pregnant. Her young son being left in an alley across town suggests a sequence of events that were both deliberate and sinister, yet few concrete details about her last known movements have ever emerged. The case has been marked by a frustrating lack of information, leaving her loved ones and investigators with more questions than answers. Lisa is described as a Black female with brown hair that had reddish tones and brown eyes; she also had pierced ears. At the time of her disappearance, she was between 5'6' and 5'9' tall and weighed approximately 160 pounds. The absence of any clear evidence of a struggle at her home has only deepened the mystery of what could have led to her sudden and complete disappearance.

Decades have passed since Lisa Walton vanished, yet the hope for answers endures. Her son, now a grown man, and her best friend have continued to advocate for her case, prompting police to reopen the investigation in more recent years. The Detroit Police Department continues to list her as a missing person, a reminder of a life interrupted and a family left in limbo. The case of Lisa Walton is a poignant and disturbing story of a young mother who disappeared under the most alarming of circumstances: the abandonment of her infant child. The investigation has been hampered by a lack of leads from the outset, leaving a void of information that has yet to be filled. Despite the passage of time, the core of this case remains the same: a young woman, on the verge of welcoming another child, vanished without a trace, leaving behind a family to grapple with an enduring and painful uncertainty.

Last Seen: Jan 1, 1986

Possible Unidentified Matches (10)

Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

80%Moderate
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan - unidentified case UP8230
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan
UP8230 • Found May 5, 2001
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 85%Est. 20–40 vs 22 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 100%Same area, same county
TimingFound 15 years after last seen
Height 100%5'5" vs 5'6"–5'9"
Weight 100%151 lb vs 160 lb
Hair 60%Black vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
78%Possible
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan
UP11140 • Found Nov 29, 2011
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 85%Est. 30–50 vs 22 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 100%Same area, same county
TimingFound 26 years after last seen
Height 84%5'4" vs 5'6"–5'9"
Weight 99%177 lb vs 160 lb
Hair 60%Black vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
77%Possible
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan
UP92235 • Found Dec 18, 1998
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 25–35 vs 22 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 100%1 mi away, same county
TimingFound 13 years after last seen
Height 68%5'3" vs 5'6"–5'9"
Weight 67%118 lb vs 160 lb
Hair 60%Black vs Brown
77%Possible
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan
UP13144 • Found Dec 1, 1997
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 85%Est. 25–45 vs 22 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 100%Same area, same county
TimingFound 12 years after last seen
Height 100%5'6" vs 5'6"–5'9"
Hair 60%Black vs Brown
76%Possible
Jane Doe — New Cumberland, West Virginia
UP14238 • Found Apr 19, 1994
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 20–30 vs 22 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 59%179 mi away
TimingFound 8 years after last seen
Height 100%5'9" vs 5'6"–5'9"
Weight 76%125 lb vs 160 lb
Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
76%Possible
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan - unidentified case UP8270
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan
UP8270 • Found Aug 19, 2008
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 25–40 vs 22 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 100%Same area, same county
TimingFound 23 years after last seen
Height 84%5'4" vs 5'6"–5'9"
76%Possible
Jane Doe — St. Clair Township, Michigan - unidentified case UP7740
Jane Doe — St. Clair Township, Michigan
UP7740 • Found May 26, 2003
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 85%Est. 19–35 vs 22 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 90%45 mi away, same state
TimingFound 17 years after last seen
Height 100%5'5" vs 5'6"–5'9"
Weight 83%130 lb vs 160 lb
Hair 60%Black vs Brown
76%Possible
Jane Doe — Cleveland, Ohio
UP2005 • Found Sep 23, 1998
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 30–40 vs 22 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 77%94 mi away
TimingFound 13 years after last seen
Height 100%5'8" vs 5'6"–5'9"
Weight 53%110 lb vs 160 lb
Hair 60%Black vs Brown
Eyes 90%Black vs Brown
75%Possible
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan
UP95924 • Found Sep 21, 2022
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 19–29 vs 22 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 100%Same area, same county
TimingFound 37 years after last seen
Height 84%4'10"–5'4" vs 5'6"–5'9"
75%Possible
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan - unidentified case UP15550
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan
UP15550 • Found Apr 10, 2016
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 85%Est. 55–70 vs 22 when missing
Race 100%Black
Location 100%10 mi away, same county
TimingFound 30 years after last seen
Height 84%5'4" vs 5'6"–5'9"
Weight 70%200 lb vs 160 lb
Hair 70%Gray vs Brown

These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

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