On the morning of December 19, 2019, 64-year-old Laurel Lee Claytor was seen for the last time at her residence in Tacoma, Washington. This particular disappearance raised immediate concern because she left behind all of her personal belongings, including her identification and cell phone. Laurel, a White/Caucasian female, stood at 5 feet 4 inches and weighed around 170 pounds. She had hazel eyes and shoulder-length brown hair that was partially gray. At the time she went missing, she did not own a vehicle or a cell phone and typically used public buses for transportation. Family members noted that Laurel suffered from severe mental health conditions and might not have responded to her name.
This was not the first time Laurel had vanished. She had been reported missing on three separate occasions before this incident. In each of those prior instances, she was found safe. She had previously been located in various places, including nearby woods, a Walmart in Spanaway, and in Gig Harbor. Her family and investigators were aware of her tendency to frequent Spanaway Lake Park. Following her December 2019 disappearance, law enforcement was notified, and Search and Rescue teams were dispatched to look for her. A missing persons bulletin was also circulated to other agencies in the county, and checks of local hospitals and jails were conducted, but these efforts did not yield any information on her whereabouts.
The circumstances surrounding Laurel Claytor's disappearance remain unsettling due to the departure from her previous patterns of going missing. Leaving behind essential items like identification was uncharacteristic. The Pierce County Sheriff's Office has been handling her case, and despite the passage of time, her case remains open. There is very little information available to the public regarding any leads or developments in the investigation. The case serves as a somber reminder of the ambiguity and sorrow that surrounds long-term missing persons cases, leaving family and community members without answers.
Last Seen: Dec 19, 2019
