Left and Right: Elizabeth circa, 1977
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: September 6, 1977
Missing From: San Jose, Santa Clara County, California
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: February 26, 1977
Age: 6 months old
Height and Weight: 2’0″ and 15 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Female, Brown hair, Blue/Gray eyes, Elizabeth may use the nickname “Beth”
NCMEC Number: 601391
Details of Disappearance
Elizabeth Funchess was last seen on September 6th 1977. She was last known to be with her mother, Diane Edith Funchess at the time.
A neighbor visited the residence after Diane had just finished breastfeeding Elizabeth. Everything seemed normal and there was nothing unusual going on at the house. Diane told her neighbor about the family’s recent trip to South Florida.
The neighbor was the last reported person to see Diane or Elizabeth alive. They vanished from the house later that day and left all personal belongings, even Diane’s eyeglasses and her car.
Authorities discovered that the cord that connected the television to the wall was cut and missing. Nothing else was missing and no traces of a struggle were found. Investigators believe that Elizabeth and Diane were abducted from the home. Diane left behind her purse and her glasses which she needed to see.
Authorities have considered the possibility that Diane and Elizabeth’s abduction took place so that the child could be adopted in an adoption ring.
In September of 1981, Diane’s partial skeletal remains along with her clothing; a multicolored tank top, a nursing braw, and a golden necklace given to her by her parents were found by hunters off Skyline Boulevard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. She was found in close proximity to the Locatelli Ranch where Ken, her husband worked.
Diane’s murder remains unsolved and Elizabeth remains missing. Authorities believe that she is alive and is unaware that she is a missing child.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
San Jose Police Department 408-277-4786
Source Information