On September 16, 1988, 32-year-old Rebecca Ferguson, known to her loved ones as Becky, disappeared from her home in Jasper, Alabama. A mother to two young sons, she had plans to visit her cousin in Birmingham that day. She spoke to her family about her intentions, but she never reached her destination and was never heard from again. Her disappearance was out of character, as she was not known to leave without informing her family of her plans.
At the time she went missing, she was going through a divorce. The days that followed her last contact with family would only deepen the mystery and begin a long and painful search for answers that has continued for decades.
The initial hope for her safe return was severely diminished just two days after she was last seen. Her new Cadillac was discovered abandoned on the side of Alabama Highway 257, near the community of Curry. This location was puzzling to investigators, as it was not on the direct route she would have taken to get to Birmingham from Jasper. The scene at the car was disturbing and perplexing. Two shotgun blasts had been fired through the vehicle, yet there was a conspicuous absence of blood or any other evidence to suggest someone had been injured. Adding to the strange discovery, authorities found some of Becky's jewelry scattered on the floor of the car, and back at her home, they found other pieces of her jewelry broken and left on her garage floor.
The discovery of the damaged but bloodless car, along with the displaced jewelry, pointed towards a violent encounter, and authorities immediately suspected foul play. The collection of evidence left a confusing trail for law enforcement, suggesting a possible struggle or a robbery that was interrupted, yet nothing was clear. Despite the ominous signs, the investigation yielded few concrete leads, and no arrests have ever been made in connection with her disappearance. Her two sons were left to grow up without their mother, and her family has been left without resolution for many years.
The case of Rebecca Ferguson has grown cold over time, but it remains an active and unsolved investigation. The narrative of her last known movements and the unsettling condition in which her car was found create a disturbing picture. A mother vanishes on her way to visit a relative, her car is later found in an unexpected location riddled with bullet holes, but with no physical evidence of her fate. The scattered jewelry at her home and in her vehicle suggests a hasty or violent departure. These fragments of information are all that remain of the day Becky disappeared, leaving a lingering and unanswered question for her family and investigators about what truly happened to her.Last Seen: Sep 16, 1988
