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302 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 (MP34291) and 7 other sources
In the late summer of 1970, a young woman named Sylvia Torgow vanished from Plymouth, Michigan, leaving behind a story shrouded in mystery. Just 18 years old at the time, Sylvia, a female with blonde hair and hazel eyes, was last accounted for on September 17, 1970. Originally from Florida, her disappearance was not that of a typical missing person; she was an inmate at the Huron Valley Women's Prison, and on that September day, she escaped. She had been serving a two-to-four-year sentence for the theft of credit cards, a charge to which she had pleaded guilty the previous year. Having only been sentenced in April of 1970, she had served roughly five months before her escape.

Sylvia was known to have several distinguishing marks, including scars on her left arm and forehead, as well as a tattoo on her right hand. Her history suggested a life of transient identities, as she was known to use a remarkable number of aliases. These included names such as Yvonne Bauldrey, Sylvia Campbell, Vickie Boyle, Joyce Boyle, Lara Foster, Lora Foster, Lorrie Lorry, and Vivian Boyle. This comfort with changing her name adds another layer of complexity to the search for her, suggesting she may have had the skills and inclination to create a new life for herself, leaving her past entirely behind.

Decades have passed since Sylvia Torgow was last seen, and her case remains unresolved. The circumstances of her escape from the correctional facility are not detailed in public records, leaving questions about how an 18-year-old inmate managed to disappear so completely. The investigation, led by the Michigan Department of Correction's Absconder Recovery Unit, has faced the significant challenge of tracking a person who was adept at living under different names. Without any confirmed sightings or contact since 1970, the trail has long gone cold. The case is a quiet but persistent reminder of a life that took a dramatic turn and then seemingly vanished, leaving behind only a name, a handful of aliases, and the enduring question of what became of Sylvia Torgow.

Last Seen: Sep 17, 1970

Possible Unidentified Matches (9)

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 — Ohio - unidentified case UP15854
Jane Doe — Ohio
UP15854 • Found Oct 22, 1975
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 20–30 vs 18 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 87%57 mi away
TimingFound 5 years after last seen
Height 100%5'4" vs 5'3"
Weight 100%140 lb vs 140 lb
78%Possible
Jane Doe — Van Buren Township, Michigan - unidentified case UP8213
Jane Doe — Van Buren Township, Michigan
UP8213 • Found Sep 10, 1993
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 20–35 vs 18 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 100%10 mi away, same county
TimingFound 23 years after last seen
Height 100%5'2" vs 5'3"
77%Possible
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan
UP150506 • Found Sep 17, 2025
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 38–52 vs 18 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 97%22 mi away, same county
TimingFound 55 years after last seen
Height 84%5'5" vs 5'3"
Weight 100%147 lb vs 140 lb
Hair 70%Gray vs Blond
76%Possible
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan
UP95053 • Found Sep 3, 2022
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 13–18 vs 18 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 98%19 mi away, same county
TimingFound 52 years after last seen
Height 100%5'0"–5'6" vs 5'3"
76%Possible
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan - unidentified case UP7702
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan
UP7702 • Found Jul 15, 2005
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 35–50 vs 18 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 97%22 mi away, same county
TimingFound 35 years after last seen
Height 100%5'3" vs 5'3"
Hair 50%Brown vs Blond
76%Possible
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan - unidentified case UP8283
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan
UP8283 • Found Sep 21, 2000
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 35–45 vs 18 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 97%22 mi away, same county
TimingFound 30 years after last seen
Height 100%5'2"–5'5" vs 5'3"
Hair 10%Black vs Blond
Eyes 60%Brown vs Hazel
75%Possible
Jane Doe — Pontiac, Michigan - unidentified case UP9901
Jane Doe — Pontiac, Michigan
UP9901 • Found Sep 12, 1999
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 85%Est. 35–55 vs 18 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 97%21 mi away, same state
TimingFound 29 years after last seen
Height 100%5'3" vs 5'3"
Weight 70%175 lb vs 140 lb
Hair 50%Brown vs Blond
75%Possible
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan - unidentified case UP11897
Jane Doe — Detroit, Michigan
UP11897 • Found Nov 2, 1989
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 19–29 vs 18 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 97%22 mi away, same county
TimingFound 19 years after last seen
Height 68%5'6" vs 5'3"
Weight 91%120 lb vs 140 lb
Hair 10%Black vs Blond
Eyes 60%Brown vs Hazel
75%Possible
Jane Doe — Highland Park, Michigan - unidentified case UP12115
Jane Doe — Highland Park, Michigan
UP12115 • Found Mar 25, 1976
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 15–25 vs 18 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 98%19 mi away, same county
TimingFound 6 years after last seen
Height 36%5'8" vs 5'3"
Weight 100%150 lb vs 140 lb
Hair 50%Brown vs Blond
Eyes 30%Blue vs Hazel

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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