Merlene Hayes, 55, of Tallahassee went missing on April 26, 1994, after leaving her Pepper Drive home about 7:30 p.m. for a walk despite her daughter’s objections. She had already taken a walk earlier that day. Hayes required medication for depression and could become disoriented if she missed doses, which is why authorities classify her as endangered missing.

When she disappeared she was wearing a purple flowered shirt and Nike sneakers and often wore wigs. Her daughter waited six days to report her missing; the delay followed a prior episode in which Hayes had disappeared and was found three days later in Marianna, Florida. There were possible sightings locally in the days after April 26, but Hayes was never located and no significant leads have emerged.

The Leon County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate. Did anyone in the Tallahassee area in April 1994 see Merlene or notice someone matching her description?