Judith Mattise Missing Person Case

Dec 20, 2010

May 23, 2016

Judith

Mattise

78

55

67 inches

145 lbs

White / Caucasian

Female

In the quiet community of New Haven, Michigan, 55-year-old Judith Ann Mattise was last seen on the afternoon of May 19, 2003. A neighbor noted that she was unusually quiet in the days leading up to her disappearance. Known as Judy to her friends and family, she was a mother with an injured ankle at the time she vanished. Her daughter reported her missing two days later, on May 21, after she couldn't be contacted. At the time she went missing, she was driving her silver 2003 Chevrolet Impala with dark tinted windows. This seemingly ordinary day would mark the beginning of a complex and tragic series of events, leaving her loved ones with unanswered questions that persist for years to come. The investigation into Judith's disappearance took a dark turn just three days after she was last seen. On May 22, 2003, her estranged husband, James "Jim" Mattise Sr., was found deceased in his pickup truck in downtown New Haven. He had taken his own life and left behind a suicide note addressed to his children. The note's wording implied his involvement in his wife's disappearance, suggesting she might be found in a "large pile." This led investigators to search a local landfill, but their efforts yielded no evidence of Judith. The couple, married for thirty-four years, had been experiencing significant turmoil. James had filed for divorce in March of that year, accusing Judith of hiding joint funds and having a relationship with a prisoner to whom she had been sending money. Months later, in September 2003, Judith's Chevrolet Impala was found abandoned in Detroit near Comerica Park. The car had a parking ticket dated July 3, suggesting it had been left there for a considerable time. Inside the vehicle, which had become infested with bees, police found her purse containing cash and other personal belongings, but no clues as to her whereabouts. Despite the grim circumstances and the strong suspicion of foul play, Judith's case remained unsolved. In August 2004, fifteen months after she vanished, a judge declared Judith legally dead, with authorities believing her husband had murdered her before his suicide. The children of Judith and James have their own theories, suspecting their father may have disposed of her remains in their family business's dumpster. The case remains a poignant mystery, a story of a family fractured by conflict and a woman who disappeared without a trace, leaving a legacy of sorrow and unresolved questions.

May 19, 2003

New Haven

Michigan

Macomb County

9451

New Haven Police Department

New Haven

Michigan

,

1338-03

2003-05-21

New Haven Police Department

Blond/Strawberry

Blue

Blue

07/18/2026