Account
Mar 18, 2026
Mar 24, 2026
Lula
Griffith Briggs
141
76
60 inches
65 inches
95 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
On a farm situated on Route 26, east of the small community of Woodsfield, Ohio, the afternoon of October 31, 1961, unfolded like any other for 76-year-old Lula Griffith Briggs. She spoke with an acquaintance on the telephone around 3:00 p.m. from the home she shared with her husband. Her husband had been out in the fields, plowing their land. When he returned to the farmhouse anticipating his dinner, a meal was found cooking on the stove, but the house was empty and silent. There was no sign of his wife, Lula. An inspection of the home revealed no indication of a struggle or forced entry. Lula’s purse, her folded apron, and a small amount of cash were left undisturbed on a counter, suggesting that she had not planned to leave. The immediate aftermath of Lula’s disappearance spurred a significant search effort. Approximately one hundred people, aided by bloodhounds, thoroughly combed the surrounding area in a desperate attempt to find any trace of the missing woman. Investigators also drained a pond located on the family's property, but the search yielded no clues as to her whereabouts. In the course of the investigation, Lula's family members were subjected to and passed polygraph examinations. A promising lead emerged when two separate witnesses came forward. They reported seeing a woman who matched Lula's description in the backseat of a blue and white 1959 Chevrolet station wagon with West Virginia license plates. The woman appeared to be slumped over. The driver of the vehicle, a man described as being 35 to 40 years old with a stocky build and black hair, had stopped to ask both witnesses for directions to the Ohio River. Despite a composite sketch of the man being created and circulated, he has never been identified. Over the decades, the disappearance of Lula Griffith Briggs has remained an unsolved mystery, compounded by the unfortunate loss of the original police records in a flood. One theory that emerged was the possibility of a kidnapping for ransom that went tragically wrong. This speculation was fueled by the knowledge that Lula's son had recently been successful in oil investments. It is thought that someone may have targeted Lula for financial gain but that she might have passed away before any ransom demands could be made. Those who knew Lula described her as someone who "didn't take kindly to strangers," making it unlikely she would have willingly left her home with someone she did not know. The overview of the case is a haunting narrative of a woman who vanished from her own home under baffling circumstances, leaving behind a simmering meal and a mystery that has endured for more than sixty years. Despite witness sightings of a woman matching her description in a suspicious vehicle, the identity of the people in the car and the ultimate fate of Lula Griffith Briggs remain unknown.
Oct 31, 1961
Woodsfield
Ohio
Monroe County
No
189027
Monroe County Sheriff's Office
Woodsfield
Ohio
Monroe County
43793
Jason Rinard
Chief Deputy
47129 Moore Ridge Road, Ohio
7404721612
County
Law Enforcement
2026-0950
1961-10-31
Monroe County Sheriff's Office
Gray or Partially Gray
Unknown
Unknown
05/23/2026
