AR AR - Francis Loretta Heath Wells, 45, Crossett, 13 Aug 1974

[Gardener1850]

[h=1]Francis Loretta Heath Wells[/h]

• 
  

Wells, circa 1954 (approximately 20 years before her disappearance; more recent photographs are unavailable)

• Missing Since 08/13/1974
• Missing From Crossett, Arkansas
• Classification Missing
• Date of Birth 07/09/1929 (88)
• Age 45 years old
• Height and Weight 5'7, 100 - 120 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description Jeans and a yellow and purple plaid shirt over a green shirt.
• Distinguishing Characteristics African-American female. Black hair, brown eyes.

[h=3]Details of Disappearance[/h] Wells was last seen in Crossett, Arkansas on August 13, 1974. She boarded a Trailways bus bound for El Paso, Texas, where she planned to visit relatives. She was supposed to come home the following Sunday.

There's no evidence that Wells ever arrived in El Paso, and her bus later took her luggage back to Crossett without her. She has never been heard from again. Wells left behind four children. Few details are available in her case.

http://charleyproject.org/case/francis-loretta-heath-wells


[h=2]Identifiers[/h] Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Available


[h=2]Circumstances of Disappearance[/h] Francis (whose married last name is Wells) was last seen boarding a Trailways bus headed to El Paso, Texas to visit a family member. She was supposed to return the following Sunday. There is no evidence that Francis made it to her destination, and days later the bus line returned her baggage to Crossett. Family says that they reported her missing back in 1974, but no documentation can be found to support that she was reported missing.


http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/3663dfar.html

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/23909/

 

[Gardener1850]

Mar 11, 2014
[h=1]Deputy Seeks Information on Woman Missing Since 1974[/h]

Francis Loretta Heath Wells, at the age of 25, dancing in the only known photo of her. She was 45 when last seen in 1974.

Forensic Specialist Guy Hughes with the Ashley County Sheriff's Department is seeking the public's assistance to obtain information about Francis Loretta Heath Wells, a 45 year old black woman who boarded a Trailways bus in 1974 and has not been seen or heard from since.

She was born to Flosie Gilbert Heath and Harshal Heath on July 9, 1929. She had four children; three daughters with Charlie Abson; Shelia Heath, Gredia Heath, and Carylon Heath; and a son with Earnest Gibbs, the late Michael Gibbs. She married Jim Wells on Feb. 12, 1968.

"I have asked the family to submit their DNA samples so that a mitochondrial DNA profile can be established to search for Francis forensically," said Hughes. "At this time I am working with various agencies and institutions in an attempt to get Francis' information entered into the national databases to not only search for her physical description but also forensically."

Hughes said he has spoken with Chris Edwards with the Arkansas State Crime Lab, Deborah Pinto, forensic anthropologist for the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences in Texas and the United States Department of Justice Databases National Missing and Unidentified Person System and the National Institute of Justice.

http://www.ashleycountyledger.com/n...cle_cbdea115-9588-5912-a47e-38b9815c16ae.html

 

[sloane7777]

https://www.dps.texas.gov/mpch/Unidentified/unDetails/U0312038

This is almost a perfect match except I don't know when she died it appears to be no estimated date of death.

 

[Gardener1850]

https://www.dps.texas.gov/mpch/Unidentified/unDetails/U0312038

This is almost a perfect match except I don't know when she died it appears to be no estimated date of death.

I think this is the same case in NAMUS: https://identifyus.org/en/cases/1468

NAMUS says:
Probable year of death 1980 to 1980
Estimated postmortem interval 3 Months

Also, Francis was MUCH taller than the UID: 5' 7" versus 4'8 - 4'10".

 

[sloane7777]

so wonder what happened on that bus ?
Would a passenger list even be possible after all these years?

 

[wdmcmahan]

I wonder how many stops there were between Crossett and El Paso, and where those stops were.

 

[masquerading]

i wonder if maybe she got off at onof the stops and ended up missing the bus? Would she have hitchhiked the rest of the way? Would there have been another bus coming along? Maybe a wrong place wrong time sort of situation.

 

[wdmcmahan]

i wonder if maybe she got off at onof the stops and ended up missing the bus? Would she have hitchhiked the rest of the way? Would there have been another bus coming along? Maybe a wrong place wrong time sort of situation.

That's kind of what I was thinking. I wonder if there is a way to find out the bus schedule from so long ago...

 

[Archangel85]

The trailway no longer departs from Corsett, so I'll doubt they'll be any info on stops unless you ask a local.

By car, the trail from Corsett to El paso is around 14 hrs. That's a lot of road to cover. Do buses make small stops to rest? I don't know how the bus system works in the US. If the bus made a resting stop and she also decided to get down and stretch, maybe she met with foul play? If the route was direct with no stops, maybe she just placed the luggage and decided not to hop in and instead run away?

 

[wdmcmahan]

The trailway no longer departs from Corsett, so I'll doubt they'll be any info on stops unless you ask a local.

By car, the trail from Corsett to El paso is around 14 hrs. That's a lot of road to cover. Do buses make small stops to rest? I don't know how the bus system works in the US. If the bus made a resting stop and she also decided to get down and stretch, maybe she met with foul play? If the route was direct with no stops, maybe she just placed the luggage and decided not to hop in and instead run away?

The trailway no longer departs from Corsett, so I'll doubt they'll be any info on stops unless you ask a local.

By car, the trail from Corsett to El paso is around 14 hrs. That's a lot of road to cover. Do buses make small stops to rest? I don't know how the bus system works in the US. If the bus made a resting stop and she also decided to get down and stretch, maybe she met with foul play? If the route was direct with no stops, maybe she just placed the luggage and decided not to hop in and instead run away?

The trailway no longer departs from Corsett, so I'll doubt they'll be any info on stops unless you ask a local.

By car, the trail from Corsett to El paso is around 14 hrs. That's a lot of road to cover. Do buses make small stops to rest? I don't know how the bus system works in the US. If the bus made a resting stop and she also decided to get down and stretch, maybe she met with foul play? If the route was direct with no stops, maybe she just placed the luggage and decided not to hop in and instead run away?

Yes, busses do make stops along their routes, usually at a convenience store or truck stop.. Sometimes new passengers get on. There is usually enough time for a bathroom/smoke break or to purchase food/drinks.

There are usually some unsavory characters on board.

 

[Archangel85]

Yes, busses do make stops along their routes, usually at a convenience store or truck stop.. Sometimes new passengers get on. There is usually enough time for a bathroom/smoke break or to purchase food/drinks.

There are usually some unsavory characters on board.

Asking locals who took that former bus route would be the best way to go to piece a possible scenario.

 

[wdmcmahan]

Asking locals who took that former bus route would be the best way to go to piece a possible scenario.

Yes, I agree. I'm not sure how to go about doing that though. Crossett is at the opposite end if the state from me, so I can't go there. I will have to try to find these people online somehow. It was so long ago, anyone who took that bus route has likely forgotten a lot of details. Still, I will do my best to find something out. If anyone else wants to help or had more advice, by all means go for it!

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for Francis as we approach the 46th anniversary of her disappearance

 

[Sneaker33]

Bumping for Francis. I wish we knew more about her. It is unfortunate the only picture is 20 years prior and was black and white.

 

[mlhenn]

Grundy County Jane Doe

Ruled Out
Francis Loretta Heath Wells, who went missing from Crossett, Arkansas on August 13, 1974.

 

[mlhenn]

Intrigued by this case…possibly due to its location.
The lack of information is frustrating for sure!
Prayers for answers of some sort.

 

[mlhenn]

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May 11, 2021 post

 

[mlhenn]

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According to family members, her disappearance was reported to local authorities at the time, but no documentation can be found to support that she was reported missing.

She was born to Flosie Gilbert Heath and Harshal Heath on July 9, 1929.

She had four children; three daughters with Charlie Abson; Shelia Heath, Gredia Heath, and Carylon Heath; and a son with Earnest Gibbs, the late Michael Gibbs.

She married Jim Wells on Feb. 12, 1968.

….

"I have asked the family to submit their DNA samples so that a mitochondrial DNA profile can be established to search for Francis forensically," said Hughes.

Curious if this was ever completed??

 

[Lavender Moon]

What a shame there are no good photos of this lady. There's no way to know what she looked like.
I'm thinking she accepted a ride from a stranger after missing her bus.
I don't suppose this matters much but "Francis" is usually the male spelling for this name. For a female, this name is spelled "Frances".

 

[TSL7584]

Coming up to 48 years missing