Gladys Conklin, a 78-year-old retired children's librarian and accomplished author, vanished from her San Lorenzo, California home on January 9, 1982. Her husband, Irving Conklin, told authorities that he had taken a nap that afternoon and awoke to find his wife gone. According to Irving, Gladys suffered from Alzheimer's disease and had a tendency to wander.
He explained that he usually kept the front gate padlocked to prevent her from leaving, but had forgotten to do so on that particular day. He believed she left the residence sometime between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. While some official sources cite the year of her disappearance as 1983, The Charley Project, a database for cold cases, lists the year as 1982.
The investigation into Gladys Conklin's disappearance uncovered several details that raised suspicion. When police arrived at the Conklin home to take the missing person report, they observed that the yard had been recently tilled. Irving Conklin dismissed this as routine gardening. Authorities also discovered that Irving had withdrawn $20,000 from the couple's joint bank account shortly before his wife went missing. He claimed the money was intended for Gladys's placement in a nursing home. Despite these circumstances, no one other than her husband had reportedly seen Gladys for approximately 24 hours before she was reported missing.
The case of Gladys Conklin has been met with speculation, including from her own son, who theorized that his father may have been involved in her disappearance, possibly as a form of "mercy killing" to end her suffering from Alzheimer's. Friends of the family also considered this possibility, suggesting that if Irving was involved, it was likely motivated by a desire to spare her from the progression of her illness rather than malice. Those who knew the couple described them as devoted to one another. Irving Conklin was never charged in connection with his wife's disappearance and passed away in 1988.
Prior to her disappearance, Gladys Conklin had a distinguished career. After moving to California with her husband, she became the first children's librarian in Hayward in 1950. She was also a successful author, having penned 25 children's books, primarily focused on insects and nature, which sold hundreds of thousands of copies. Despite the suspicious circumstances surrounding her disappearance, the case remains unsolved, and Gladys Conklin has not been seen since that January day.Last Seen: Jan 9, 1982
