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Mattie Zabel

Missing
Case Description
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Mattie Lou Zabel, a 45-year-old teacher's aide from Cedar Falls, Iowa, was last seen by her family on March 21, 1978. On the day of her disappearance, Mattie had left a frozen chicken thawing in her kitchen sink for dinner and did not take any clothing or other personal items with her. The next day, her son found her car abandoned at Black Hawk Park, with her purse locked inside. This was a location Mattie frequently visited to take walks.

Authorities launched an extensive search involv ...Read More
Last Seen: Mar 21, 1978
Links to Additional Sources (10)
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  • Mattie Lou Zabel - Iowa Cold Cases
  • Mattie Lou Zabel - The Charley Project
    •     ...View 8 additional sources
    Victim Details

    Aug 22, 2012

    Oct 27, 2022

    Mattie

    Zabel

    91

    45

    62 inches

    118 lbs

    White / Caucasian

    Female

    Mar 21, 1978

    Cedar Falls

    Iowa

    Black Hawk County

    261

    22173

    Cedar Falls Police Department

    Cedar Falls

    Iowa

    Black Hawk County

    50613

    4600 Main Street, Iowa

    3192738612

    Local

    Law Enforcement

    https://www.cedarfalls.com/

    78-459

    1978-03-21

    Cedar Falls Police Department

    Brown

    Brown

    Brown

    11/29/2025


    Area Last Seen:
    Forum Posts (3)
    I've been fascinated by the case of Mattie Lou Zabel lately. Something that stands out to me is the ... ...Read More
    08/14/2024
    I’ve been thinking a lot about where Mattie's car was found at Black Hawk Park, and I'm trying to ... ...Read More
    08/02/2023
    I’ve been digging into Mattie Lou Zabel’s case from 1978 lately, and something's been bugging me... ...Read More
    01/22/2023
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