In the spring of 1994, in the town of St. Pauls, North Carolina, 36-year-old Shirley Ann McNair was at her home on Chapel Street Extension when she received a phone call. On that day, March 27, she told her mother she would be 'right back' and left in her blue 1987 Dodge. Shirley was a mother herself, to a nine-year-old son. At the time of her disappearance, she was described as a Black female, 5'3' tall and weighing 135 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
She had pierced ears and a scar on her abdomen. When she left her home that day, she was wearing a red dress shirt, red dress pants, and black dress shoes. She also had on a yellow gold diamond solitaire ring on her pinky finger and carried a silver keychain with the letter 'S.' Shirley never returned home, and this was the last time her family ever saw or heard from her.
The day after Shirley was last seen, her blue Dodge was found abandoned in the parking lot of the Oak Ridge club in nearby Lumberton, North Carolina. Family members saw the car still sitting in the same spot the following day, and again a few days later on March 31. After she was reported missing, her family directed law enforcement to the location of the vehicle. An examination of the car yielded no signs of foul play. Inside the vehicle were Shirley's eyeglasses, her purse, and her money, items she would not likely have left behind intentionally. The discovery of her car with her personal belongings still inside added a layer of concern and mystery to her sudden disappearance.
The investigation into what happened to Shirley McNair has spanned decades, yet her case remains unsolved. Over the years, investigators have considered various possibilities, including the potential involvement of a serial killer. Sean Patrick Goble, a truck driver from Asheboro, North Carolina, who was convicted of murdering three women, has been named as a possible suspect in Shirley's case. Investigators believe he may have had more victims, though he has never been charged in connection with Shirley's disappearance. For the family she left behind, particularly her son who continues to search for answers, the years have been filled with uncertainty and hope for a resolution. The Robeson County Sheriff's Office continues to hold the case file for the disappearance of Shirley Ann McNair, a woman who walked out her door for a brief moment and vanished.Last Seen: Mar 27, 1994
