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Barbara Lunsford Missing Person Case

Last seen in Lexington, Kentucky on Oct 12, 1963

Victim Details

Created

Oct 19, 2021

Case Added

Mar 13, 2024

First Name

Barbara

Last Name

Lunsford

Current Age

Age At Disappearance

Height

64 inches

Weight

115 lbs

Ethnicity

White / Caucasian

Gender

Female

Last Seen

Oct 12, 1963

City

Lexington

State

Kentucky

County

Fayette County

Zip Code

40505

Tribal Land

Agency ID

110989

Agency Name

Lexington Police Department

Agency City

Lexington

Agency State

Kentucky

Agency County

Fayette County

Agency Zip Code

40507

Agency Contact

Matt Merker

Contact Job Title

Detective

Agency Address

150 East Main Street, Kentucky

Agency Phone

8592583600

Agency Jurisdiction

State

Agency Type

Law Enforcement

Agency Website

https://www.lexingtonky.gov/contacting-police

Agency Case #

2022005017

Primary Agency

Lexington Police Department

Case Contributors

Hair Color

Brown

Left Eye Color

Blue

Right Eye Color

Blue

Last Updated

Oct 8, 2026

Area Last Seen:

Case Description

Any updates on this case? Let us know!

Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP85481) and 5 other sources

In the autumn of 1963, a young mother named Barbara Nellie Lunsford disappeared from her life in Lexington, Kentucky, leaving behind a family and a mystery that would span decades. On the morning of October 12, the 23-year-old left her home near Short Street and Georgetown Street with the intention of attending a doctor's appointment at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. This appointment was a follow-up, scheduled because she had fainted at work about a week prior and had a history of seizures. Barbara, who was married to Marion Lunsford and had three children, planned to take a local bus to the medical center. She was last seen wearing a brown checked dress. Tragically, she never arrived at her appointment and was never seen or heard from again.

At the time of her disappearance, Barbara was described as a 23-year-old Caucasian woman with brown hair and blue eyes, standing at 5'4' and weighing approximately 115 pounds. She had a noticeable overbite. The area where the Lunsford family lived was considered by some to be a rougher part of town at the time. In the months that followed her disappearance, efforts were made to find her. A search was reportedly conducted in the Lexington area on January 17, 1964, about three months after she was last seen, though specific details about this search and its findings are not readily available. Despite these initial efforts, Barbara's case grew cold, leaving her loved ones without answers.

For many years, Barbara's case remained unsolved, a quiet but persistent ache for her family. Decades passed, and the world changed, but the question of what happened to Barbara Lunsford lingered. It wasn't until October 2020 that her case was officially entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System a national database for missing persons, reportedly at the request of her niece. By this time, both Barbara's husband and two of her children had passed away. Her son passed away in 2010, and his obituary listed both of his parents as deceased. The case of Barbara Nellie Lunsford is a poignant story of a young woman who vanished on her way to seek medical care. The investigation into her disappearance has been hampered by a lack of information over the years, and it remains an unsolved cold case with the Lexington Police Department. More than half a century later, her surviving family continues to hope for answers, a resolution to the enduring mystery of her disappearance.
Last Seen: Oct 12, 1963

Links to Additional Sources (5)

See any mistakes? Let us know!

Barbara Nellie Lunsford - The Charley Project

4711DFKY - Barbara Nellie Lunsford - Doe Network

She Went Missing After Leaving for a Doctors Appointment | by ...

Alumni Classes Of 1940 - Lexington

KY - Barbara Lunsford, 23, Lexington, 12 Oct 1963 | Websleuths

Possible Unidentified Matches (1)

Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

76%Possible

Jane Doe — Kentucky

UP6710 • Found May 26, 1980

View case

Sex ✓Female

Age 100%Est. 25–40 vs 23 when missing

Race 100%White

Location 84%67 mi away, same state

TimingFound 17 years after last seen

Height 84%5'2" vs 5'4"

Weight 100%123 lb vs 115 lb

Hair 100%Brown vs Brown

Eyes 0%Brown vs Blue

These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

Barbara Lunsford Missing Person Case

Last seen in Lexington, Kentucky on Oct 12, 1963

Victim Details

Case Description

Links to Additional Sources (5)

Possible Unidentified Matches (1)

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Forum Posts (2)

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