In the late winter of 1986, a 31-year-old mother of two, Debra Ann Woodson, vanished from her home in Pineville, Louisiana. She was last seen on March 1, 1986, at the Pine Highland Apartments where she lived with her two young sons, aged five and seven. That afternoon, between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m., she left her apartment with a male friend in his truck.
According to the friend, they were only together for about fifteen minutes before Debra said she felt ill and he drove her back to her apartment complex, dropping her off near the mailboxes. Debra never retrieved her mail that day and she did not show up for her job at the post office in Alexandria that evening. She has not been seen or heard from since.
A few days later, on March 4, Debra's estranged husband went to her apartment to check on her and found their two sons alone on the balcony of the locked apartment. He immediately contacted the Pineville Police Department. When officers entered the residence, they found no signs of a struggle or foul play. Debra's beige Mercury Lynx was still in the parking lot. Inside the apartment, a bathtub was filled with soapy water, and two glasses were on the kitchen counter, suggesting she may have been interrupted. Debra was known to have profound hearing loss and wore a hearing aid at the time of her disappearance.
Approximately one month after she disappeared, a significant piece of evidence was discovered. Debra's purse was found hanging from a tree limb in a wooded area along Highway 28, near Flagon Creek. The purse contained her wallet, driver's license, credit cards, and photos of her sons. However, there was no money inside. Also in the purse were her eyeglasses, one lens of which was broken. Despite extensive searches, no further trace of Debra has been found. Her family stated that it was highly uncharacteristic of her to abandon her children, whom she loved dearly, or to leave her job at the post office without notice. After her disappearance, her sons lived with their father for a time before being placed in an orphanage. Her family firmly believes she was a victim of foul play. The investigation into Debra Ann Woodson's disappearance remains open, a painful mystery for her loved ones who still seek answers decades later.Last Seen: Feb 28, 1986
