Account
Dec 12, 2008
Jan 10, 2022
Nelda
Hardwick
65
34
63 inches
110 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
In the late evening hours of October 14, 1993, 34-year-old Nelda Louise Hardwick vanished from her home on 18th Street in Lake Charles, Louisiana. She left a note for her live-in boyfriend stating that she was going to a nearby store and would be back shortly. Her boyfriend reported her missing the following day when she did not return. Nelda was a devoted mother to her four children, and her loved ones do not believe she would have willingly abandoned them. At the time of her disappearance, she was described as being 5'3" tall and weighing 110 pounds, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She had a distinct physical characteristic: her left leg was shorter than her right, which caused a noticeable limp. Authorities have classified her disappearance as a homicide and suspect that foul play was involved. A significant development in the case came years later when investigators considered a possible link between Nelda's disappearance and an unidentified woman who was struck and killed by a vehicle on Interstate 10 in Hancock County, Mississippi, on May 8, 1998. In 2013, after viewing photographs of the deceased woman, Nelda's relatives believed it was her. The Hancock County coroner also noted strong similarities and stated there was a high probability that the Jane Doe was Nelda. This led to a theory that Nelda might have been abducted and held captive for years, only to be killed in a tragic accident after a potential escape. Hoping to find definitive answers, a judge ordered the exhumation of the Jane Doe's grave to obtain a DNA sample for comparison with Nelda's family. However, when the grave was opened, it was discovered that the coffin contained the remains of a man, not a woman. A mix-up at the cemetery meant the actual location of the Jane Doe's remains could not be determined, bringing the investigation to a standstill. The unidentified woman from the interstate accident remains unidentified, and Nelda Louise Hardwick's case continues to be a painful and unresolved mystery for her family, who are still searching for answers about what happened to their beloved mother.
Oct 14, 1993
Lake Charles
Louisiana
Calcasieu Parish
6540
Calcasieu Parish Coroner's Office
Lake Charles
Louisiana
Calcasieu Parish
70601
Charles Hunter, Jr.
Chief Investigator
707 E Prien Lake Rd # B, Louisiana
3374777537
County
Coroner
93-054275
Calcasieu Parish Coroner's Office
4685
Brown
Brown
Brown
05/11/2026
