Josephine Despard Missing Person Case

Mar 09, 2010

Aug 18, 2023

Josephine

Despard

68

26

62 inches

100 lbs

102 lbs

White / Caucasian

Female

On a cold February evening in 1984, 26-year-old Josephine "Josie" Despard vanished from her hometown of Olean, New York, leaving behind a loving family and a young daughter. A student at Jamestown Community College and the oldest of seven siblings, Josephine was in the process of rebuilding her life after separating from her husband. She was living with her mother and was known by her family as a kind, outgoing, and protective individual who was deeply devoted to her six-year-old daughter. On the evening of February 7th, Josephine left her mother's home around 5:00 PM with a male acquaintance, Dale Vereecken. The stated purpose of their meeting was to go to his home in nearby Franklinville to exchange some stereo equipment. Vereecken would later provide a different account to the police. He claimed that their plans changed and they instead went to the Olean Mall for a cup of coffee. According to Vereecken, he last saw Josephine at approximately 6:00 PM when she supposedly met up with some friends at the mall and he departed alone. However, the investigation conducted by the Olean Police Department could never substantiate his story. Authorities were unable to find anyone who had seen either Josephine or Vereecken at the mall that evening, nor could they identify the "friends" she had allegedly met. The inconsistencies in Vereecken's account, coupled with his subsequent actions, quickly made him the primary person of interest in Josephine's disappearance. The circumstances surrounding Dale Vereecken grew increasingly suspicious in the hours and months that followed Josephine's disappearance. Less than six hours after he was last supposedly with her, Vereecken attempted to cross the border into Canada but was turned away. He was arrested for a parole violation and drug possession. It was later revealed that he was on parole for a prior sex crime. While in custody, he was questioned about Josephine's whereabouts but provided no further information. Tragically, Vereecken died by suicide later that same year, taking any potential knowledge of Josephine's fate with him. The case remained cold for decades, a persistent source of pain for Josephine's family, who have never given up hope for answers. Her sister adopted and raised her daughter, and her parents held onto the hope of one day giving their daughter a proper burial, keeping their own ashes with the wish that they all be interred together. In a strange turn of events in 2018, on the 34th anniversary of her disappearance, an anonymous, handwritten letter was sent to the Olean Police. While its contents were not fully disclosed, police indicated that it contained both known and new information, though they also expressed the belief that it might have been an attempt to misdirect the investigation. Despite this brief rekindling of public interest, Josephine Despard's case remains unsolved, a haunting mystery that has left a permanent void in the lives of her loved ones.

Feb 07, 1984

Olean

New York

Cattaraugus County

14760

2088

City of Olean Police Department

Olean

New York

Cattaraugus County

14760

Ron Richardson

Chief

101 East State Street, New York

7163765678

Local

Law Enforcement

https://cityofolean.org/departments/police/

OL-00662-06

City of Olean Police Department

Black

Brown

Brown

09/12/2026