Linda Lovell, a 25-year-old former student at the University of Montana, went missing on June 27, 1974, while on a hitchhiking trip along the West Coast. She and her companion, Stephen Lock Packard, embarked on a journey starting in New Jersey, with plans to hike the Pacific Coast Trail from Mexico to Oregon. Their final destination was Spokane, Washington, where they intended to visit the World's Fair before returning to Missoula, Montana, to see Lovell’s family.
Along the way, they sent postcards from Stinson Beach, California, indicating that they had made it there safely.
The last confirmed sighting of the pair occurred in mid-June 1974 when Packard called his family from Stinson Beach. On June 20, one of Packard's traveler's checks was cashed in Westport, California, about four hours north of where they were last seen. After that, no further contact was made, and both Lovell and Packard vanished without a trace. There has been no solid evidence or verified sightings of either individual since.
Despite investigations led by California authorities, including the Santa Maria Police Department, the case remains unsolved. Neither Linda Lovell nor Stephen Packard has been located, and their disappearance continues to puzzle investigators. Over the years, the case has been listed in multiple missing person databases, but no new leads have emerged.Last Seen: Jun 27, 1974
