SheWhoMustNotBeNamed
Former Member
Missing Since: May 3, 1977 from Townsend, Massachusetts
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: October 9, 1963
Age: 13 years old
Height and Weight: 5'1, 120 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Quimby had a freckled complexion at the time of her 1977 disappearance. Her nickname is Debbie.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: Blue jeans, a multicolored shirt, and a royal blue Pop Warner cheerleader's jacket with "Debbie" written on one of the sleeves.
Details of Disappearance
Quimby was last seen in Townsend, Massachusetts on May 3, 1977. Quimby left a note for her parents, saying she was going to ride her bicycle from their home in the 10 block of Smith Street to her grandparents' campsite in on Vinton Pond Road in West Townsend, near Pearl Hill State Park, about four miles from her own home. She said she would return later that day. After her disappearance, police found an undelivered letter in Quimby's locker. It was written to a friend and stated that Quimby was upset and wanted to talk to her, and gave directions to her grandparents' home.
A friend accompanied Quimby as far as Turnpike Road in the woods near her grandmother's residence, then turned back while Quimby continued onward. She was last seen cresting a hill on Turnpike Road, westbound. She has never been heard from again. Quimby's bicycle, a boy's brown Takara or Schwinn 10-speed model, has never been recovered.
In May 2003 investigators searched Walker Pond for evidence relating to Quimby case but found nothing. The pond is about half a mile from where Quimby was last seen. Police searched again in June and July 2004 and found a piece of clothing, two buttons, and the remnants of two bicycles, all of which they sent for testing in a forensics laboratory. The bicycles were later both determined to be unrelated to Quimby's case, and the fabric produced no leads either. An anonymous writer sent two letters which told police to look in the pond. After a month, authorities stopped looking in the pond, but stated that they plan to search in the area around it for clues in Quimby's case.
Police also consulted a psychic from New Hampshire who claims to be able to "speak" to deceased people. The woman says Quimby has spoken to her and told her the identity of her murderer. The consultation did not lead to an arrest, however.
There is speculation that Quimby was pregnant at the time of her disappearance, but no evidence to support this theory. Quimby's parents believe she was going to a specific destination to meet someone, not her grandparents, and possibly ran into foul play afterwards. Her family still lives in the area and hopes she may yet be found.
Quimby was a student at Spaulding Memorial School at the time of her disappearance. Her case remains unsolved. Some agencies classify it as a non-family abduction.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Townsend Police Department
508-597-2176