Rosa Lisowski, a 50-year-old Hispanic woman, was last seen at approximately 7:30 a.m. on March 24, 2008, when she walked her first grade son to Bernard Elementary School in the Midway–Loma Portal neighborhood of San Diego. She never returned home and was never heard from again. At the time she vanished, Rosa left behind her wallet, money, and identification—she reportedly took only her house keys.
At the time of her disappearance, Rosa was embroiled in a contentious divorce and custody battle with her estranged husband, Henry Lisowski, who had been ordered to pay just over $1,000 per month in child support beginning April 1, 2008. Court documents later revealed that Henry had significantly under-reported his income—by over $1.3–1.4 million—which added fuel to the dispute. Rosa’s attorney and paralegal testified that she had received multiple threats from Henry, including promises to make her "disappear" if she persisted in the custody proceedings. Loved ones reported that Rosa lived in fear and kept detailed notes of these threats.
Following her disappearance, San Diego police focused their investigation on Henry. Shortly after March 24, officers observed scratches on his face and body which colleagues and acquaintances noted. Law enforcement searched his Ocean Beach residence, his vehicle, and even a boat. Investigators discovered what they believed to be Rosa's blood on the kitchen counter and in the cargo area of Henry’s SUV. On September 5, 2008, authorities arrested Henry Lisowski on suspicion of murdering Rosa.
During pre-trial proceedings, the prosecution presented witness testimony—including from Rosa’s divorce attorney and her paralegal—detailing the threats she had received and her growing fear. Business associate Michael Rosenfelt testified to seeing fresh scratches on Henry’s face on the day Rosa disappeared. The defense introduced a letter, purportedly written by Henry, in which he claimed an accidental fatal fall: he alleged Rosa slipped on stairs, hit her head, suffered a seizure, died en route to hospital, and that he panicked and disposed of her body in a trash bin near Mount Hope Cemetery. Investigators searched dumpsters in that area but never recovered Rosa’s body.
In February 2009, a judge ordered Henry Lisowski to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder with a special-circumstance allegation of financial gain. Jury selection began in early February 2010, nearly two years after Rosa’s disappearance. In March 2010, a jury convicted Henry of murder with the financial gain special circumstance; he faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
However, before formal sentencing, on March 25, 2010, Henry Lisowski died by suicide in jail by taking an overdose of antidepressants. Rosa’s remains have never been found, and while foul play is strongly suspected, the location of her body remains unknown.
In summary, Rosa Lisowski disappeared on March 24, 2008 in San Diego after a long-standing pattern of threats from her estranged husband amid a custody dispute. Physical evidence including bloodstains, witness testimony, and his own admissions led to his conviction for murder. Yet her body has never been recovered and remains a tragic unresolved element in the case.Last Seen: Mar 24, 2008
