In the winter of 1981, the life of a 31-year-old woman named Carlease Elizabeth Simms was forever altered. At the time, she was living in an apartment in East Orange, New Jersey. Described as a Black female with brownish-black hair and brown eyes, Carlease wore glasses. She sometimes used the last name Edwards. Standing between 5'3' and 5'4' and weighing approximately 130 to 140 pounds, she was a familiar presence in her community.
The days leading up to her disappearance did not seem to hint at the perplexing mystery that was about to unfold, a mystery that would leave her family and friends searching for answers for decades to come.
On January 1, 1981, an unknown person knocked on the door of Carlease's apartment. An argument ensued, the contents of which remain a mystery. Following the dispute, Carlease left her home with this unidentified individual and was never seen or heard from again. The circumstances surrounding her departure are alarming, suggesting a volatile situation that quickly escalated. The last known sighting of her was as she walked away from her residence, leaving behind all she knew. She was reportedly wearing a blue jacket at the time she vanished.
The investigation into Carlease Simms's disappearance yielded very few leads, leaving a case that has grown cold over the years. Sometime after she was last seen, the car she owned was recovered, although details about the make, model, and the location of its discovery are not widely available. Despite the passage of time, her case remains open, a lingering question in the hearts of those who knew her. The lack of concrete evidence and witnesses has made the investigation incredibly challenging for the East Orange Police Department. The overview of this case is one of sudden and unexplained absence, a woman who vanished from her own home after a heated argument with an unknown person, leaving behind a car and a lifetime of unanswered questions.Last Seen: Jan 1, 1981
