On the morning of Friday, October 29, 1982, 20-year-old Angela Gray Hamby left her home in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, with a list of errands to complete before an anticipated out-of-town shopping trip with her mother. Described by those who knew her as dependable and responsible, Angela was a graduate of West Wilkes High School who was working in data processing at a local bank while also attending Wilkes Community College, with aspirations of transferring to Appalachian State University.
Before their shopping trip, Angela planned to make a car payment, deposit money for her mother at the NCNB Bank, and deliver a message to her sister. She was last seen wearing a cream-colored V-neck sweater layered under an orchid-colored sweater, blue jeans, socks, and sandals, along with a gold add-a-bead necklace and a new diamond and sapphire ring.
Concern grew when Angela did not return home by noon as expected. Her mother's calls to the bank and her sister confirmed that Angela had never arrived at either location. The alarm her family felt deepened when her silver 1980 Mazda RX7 was discovered later that day, abandoned and unlocked behind a local restaurant, Glenn's Tastee Freeze. The car was parked near the dumpsters with a full tank of gas. Inside the vehicle were her pocketbook and driver's license, but perplexingly, her car keys and the money she was carrying were gone. A witness reported seeing Angela around 11:30 a.m. that morning in her car near where it was found. She was not alone; an unidentified 'rough-looking' man with blond hair was reportedly in the driver's seat, with Angela in the passenger seat, and they appeared to be talking. This detail was particularly troubling to those who knew Angela, as she was very particular about her car and rarely let anyone else drive it.
In the more than four decades that have passed since Angela Hamby vanished, her case has remained unsolved, leaving a void in the lives of her family and community. Investigators have pursued various leads over the years, including the circulation of a composite sketch of the man last seen with her and investigating potential suspects, but these efforts have not led to a resolution. At one point, two suspects were considered, but they were confirmed to have been incarcerated at the time of her disappearance. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance are completely out of character for the responsible young woman her family knew. The discovery of her car with personal belongings inside, but with her keys and cash missing, alongside the unsettling witness account of her in the passenger seat of her own vehicle, suggests a troubling encounter. The case continues to be an active investigation, a persistent and painful mystery for all who knew and loved Angela Hamby.Last Seen: Oct 29, 1982
