In the chaotic aftermath of the deadliest tornado in Oklahoma's history, which tore through Woodward on April 9, 1947, four-year-old Joan Gay Croft vanished. The catastrophic storm claimed the life of her mother, Cleta, and left her father, Olin, severely injured. Joan and her older sister, Geri, sustained minor injuries and were taken to the crowded Woodward hospital. Due to the overwhelming number of casualties, the two girls were placed on a cot in the hospital's basement.
Joan had a notable injury, a splinter described as being the size of a pencil, lodged in her left leg. It was from this makeshift ward, on the night of April 10, 1947, that Joan was last seen.
The following morning, when Joan's aunt, Ruth, came to the hospital to care for her nieces, she found only Geri. Geri recounted that two men dressed in khaki, military-style clothing had taken Joan during the night. A nurse at the hospital corroborated this, stating the men claimed they were taking Joan to another hospital in Oklahoma City where relatives were supposedly waiting for her. The men had reportedly reassured a protesting Joan, who didn't want to leave her sister, that they would return for Geri. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of injured and dying from the tornado, the hospital staff, believing the men to be rescue workers, allowed them to leave with the child.
The initial belief that Joan had been transferred to another facility quickly unraveled, sparking a search that has now spanned decades. Her father, Olin, upon his recovery, dedicated years to finding his daughter, traveling extensively to follow up on any leads, a search he continued until his death. The case received national attention, including a feature on the television show 'Unsolved Mysteries,' which generated numerous tips but no definitive answers. Over the years, several women have come forward believing they might be the missing girl, but DNA testing has unfortunately ruled them all out. The identity of the two men who took her, and their motives, remain a complete mystery. The disappearance of Joan Gay Croft from a hospital basement in the midst of a natural disaster is a haunting case of a child who vanished, leaving behind a family and community to grapple with unanswered questions for generations.Last Seen: Apr 10, 1947
