TX TX - Sheila / Shelia Cooks, 18, Austin, 16 May 1979

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35 years have passed since Fredia Butler last heard from her sister Sheila Cooks.

"It's been, a long time," Butler said. "May 16, 1979, I was an employee with the City of Austin. I was a dispatcher." Fredia remembers getting a call from Sheila around lunch time. "My sister told me she needed a ride," Butler said. Sheila, who was 18 at the time, had an appointment with her probation officer. The building still stands on the corner of Airport and 381/2 Street in East Austin. She typically walked to the meetings with her older brothers. That day, her only option was to set off by herself. She never came. She never came," said Butler. Eight hours later Fredia's mother was on her doorstep. "She said 'Fredia, Sheila is not at home.' Immediately it was like I was hit by thunder. We jumped up. We knew that was not normal," she said. "We knew something happened, so we walked the way she would have walked, scan that area and start looking for Sheila on foot. I'll never forget that."

Sheila left her mother's home located at 1193 1/2 San Bernard. Her destination was two-and-a-half miles away at 1825 East 38 1/2 Street. After re-tracing those steps, the family called police. Neighbors and church groups also searched.

Austin police investigated and learned that Sheila made her appointment. What happened after she left is a mystery.

"Something happened to Sheila. Something happened to her. Someone hurt her," said Butler.

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/28087681/crimewatch-austin-teen-missing-since-1979

6700273_G.jpg
 
https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/27940/0/
http://www.nampn.org/cases/cooks_sheila.html

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: May 16, 1979 from Austin, Travis County, Texas
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: 1960
Age: 18
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 95 lbs.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Race: Black
Gender: Female
Case Number: 1979-0037577

Details of Disappearance
Sheila Cooks was last seen on May 16, 1979. Sheila left her mother's home located at 1193 1/2 San Bernard. Her destination was two-and-a-half miles away at 1825 East 38 1/2 Street where had an appointment with her probation officer.

After re-tracing those steps, the family called police. Neighbors and church groups also searched.

Austin police investigated and learned that Sheila made her appointment. What happened after she left is unknown.
 
Sheila's case is one of many listed with this investigative story about NamUs and Austin's local missing persons & homicide cases.
Texas center helps solve mysteries from Austin and across the country
May 1, 2015
http://kxan.com/investigative-story...mysteries-from-austin-and-across-the-country/

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In thousands of cases, labs and experts in Fort Worth, Texas assist investigators when they need help locating a missing person, when they uncover bones, or need DNA analysis.
video & more at link.

Bumping for Sheila, missing 36 years ago today.
 
cache.php

Shelia Cooks
Travis County, Texas
18 year old black/african american female

Height (inches)63.0
Weight (pounds)95.0

Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown

Shelia Cooks was last seen on May 16, 1979

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/27940/

Please help find more info on Shelia's case.
 
Per NamUs:

Height 5'3"
Weight 95 lbs
Last seen May 16, 1979, in Austin, TX

There are 16 UID's excluded by NamUs as matching Ms. Cooks.

UP8419
UP15636
UP5206
UP14772
UP10812
UP6627
UP6247
UP12683
UP8579
UP8577
UP6335
UP6661
UP6470
UP960
UP2627
UP788
 
17 Unidentified Person Exclusions
UP17621 10/02/1976 Grundy IL
UP14772 11/27/1980 Dallas TX
UP8579 01/25/1981 Hanover VA
UP8577 06/04/1981 Richmond VA
UP6627 02/18/1982 Norfolk VA
UP15636 12/16/1984 Cuyahoga OH
UP10812 05/28/1989 Louisa VA
UP2627 02/02/1991 York VA
UP6661 02/03/1991 Stafford VA
UP5206 05/13/1997 Will IL
UP6335 08/16/1997 Page VA
UP6247 07/01/1998 Pittsylvania VA
UP8419 01/16/2001 Isle of Wight VA
UP6470 09/27/2001 Fairfax VA
UP788 01/21/2002 Petersburg VA
UP960 09/10/2004 Norfolk VA
UP12683 06/06/2014 Newport News VA
 
Not sure if it helps any, but I found her birth record on Ancestry and her name is listed as Shelia, pronounced Sheila. Considering her sister’s name is Spelled Fredia, pronounced Freida, I’m guessing her parents may have just chose to spell the girls’ names uniquely. :) FWIW
 
I was able to capture a few more screenshots of her from the interview with the sister. They’re not the greatest, but the best I could get from the video...
E354EFE9-DFA8-4E53-BF85-C0F2A9965B82.jpeg
5ACB3D1C-6626-4EE0-A0F2-05259CBE5AC6.jpeg
 
cooks_sheila4.jpg

Sheila Cooks, age 18, Missing since 16 May 1979
  • Missing Since 05/17/1979
  • Missing From Austin, Texas
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Female
  • Race Black
  • Date of Birth 08/14/1960 (63)
  • Age 18 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'3, 95 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A white shirt and blue jeans.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics African-American female. Black hair, brown eyes. Cooks's ears are pierced.

Details of Disappearance​

Cooks was last seen in Austin, Texas on May 16, 1979. She called her sister at lunchtime and asked for a ride because she had an appointment with her probation officer. Her sister was unable to give her a ride. She would normally walk to the probation meetings with her brothers, but that day she decided to walk there alone.

Cooks's mother was cooking a meal at the time, and it happened to be Cooks's favorite food. Her mother tried to get her to eat before she left the house, but Cooks refused. She said, however, that she would eat when she got back and she was looking forward to it. She left her mother's home in the 1100 block of San Bernard and started the two-and-a-half-mile trip to the probation office in the 1800 block of east 38th Street. She did make it to her appointment, but never arrived home and has never been heard from again.

According to Cooks's sister, she would be unlikely to go away with a stranger. Her sister believes she is dead and was possibly harmed by someone she knew. Cooks is one of ten children. Her parents are now deceased. Her case remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency​

  • Austin Police Department 512-974-5210

Source Information​

 
Was there someone who was upset with her? She was on probation, were there any folks who went to jail or had a vendetta against her?
 
This may be why she was on probation.

Police responded to a fight between 3 women. The officer tried to separate them and one of the women bit his wrist. The women were Sheila Cooks, 18, her sisters Sharon and Emma, and a brother, Alex. They lived at 1193 1/2 San Bernard.
 
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