Marion DeLouise “Penny” Fye was 37 years old when she was last known to be in Washington, D.C. She lived on V Street NE and was a mother of five children, described by loved ones as dependable and not someone who would simply vanish without contact. She was reported missing after her live-in fiancé, Harold “Devine” Austin, said she left their home following an argument and never came back.
According to Austin’s account, he last saw her on November 30, 2003, and claimed she later called him several times but still did not return. What alarmed family and investigators was that essential personal items were left behind in the home, including clothing and identification-related belongings such as her purse and wallet, credit cards, car keys, and driver’s license—details that supported concerns she did not leave by choice.
Investigators and later court proceedings focused on evidence suggesting she was killed inside the residence. Court documents cited in public case summaries allege Austin shot Fye during an argument on November 28, 2003—two days before the date he reported as her last sighting. Witness testimony described hearing Fye yell “No, Devine, no!” followed by the sound of a gunshot, and multiple witnesses said they never saw her again. When police searched the residence, a mattress was found spattered with blood; testing could not conclusively identify it as hers, but results indicated it could have been.
In June 2005, Austin was indicted in connection with Fye’s disappearance and alleged death, including a first-degree murder charge, along with firearms and fraud charges. Despite the fact that Fye’s remains have never been recovered, Austin was convicted of murdering her in February 2006 and was sentenced to decades in prison; public reporting and case summaries note he later died in custody.
Marion Fye is therefore widely treated in official and public records as a missing person whose case is linked to a “no-body” homicide prosecution: her body has not been found, but authorities concluded she was the victim of fatal violence based on the investigation and the conviction. For her family, the absence of her remains has meant an ongoing, painful lack of physical closure, even as the legal case against the person held responsible was resolved.
Last Seen: Nov 30, 2003
