Left: Jessie circa, 1977
Right: Age Progressed to age 38
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: December 10, 1977
Missing From: Honeydew, Humboldt County, California
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: January 1, 1975
Age: 2 years old
Height and Weight: 2’8″ and 26 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Female, Blonde hair, Hazel eyes
NCMEC Number: 604594
Details of Disappearance
Fannie was last seen with her sister, Jessie, and their mother, Mary, on December 10th 1977 in Honeydew, California. They left their home at approximately 10:00 am that day to run a few errands which included a visit to the grocery store, a television repair shop in Eureka or Fairfield, California, and it’s possible they were going to visit a optometrist as well. They were meant to return home by dark but they never did. The girls and their mother have never been seen or heard from again.
One of Mary’s friends became concerned when they didn’t hear from her in a week and reported her missing the following Tuesday.
Mary’s vehicle, a red Opel station wagon with license plates numbered 456-All, was located on January 19th 1978, approximately 1 month after they disappeared. The vehicle showed no signs of any struggle or foul play and there were groceries in the back of the car. The cars gas line was broken. There has been no other trace of the missing trio since.
Investigators believe that the children’s father and Mary’s husband, Byron McGray Stuart, is believed to have been involved in the disappearance and is considered the prime suspect in the case. He had a bad temper and a violent history. There was never any evidence that investigators could use to link him to the girl’s and Mary’s disappearance. Investigators believe that more then one person was involved in the case and investigators hope to locate the burial site of the three which they believe to be located in the Honeydew region.
After the girls and Mary vanished, Byron acted very strangely, he abused drugs, and said that his daughters and wife were kidnapped by aliens. He was an alcoholic and drug addict who was diagnosed with AIDs in 1991. He died in 1996 at the age of 48. He never remarried or had any other children.
Investigators revived the investigation into the disappearance in 2009 and they hope to locate anyone else who was involved in the case and hope to locate the remains of Mary, Fannie, and Jessie. The case remains unsolved and foul play is suspected.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Humboldt County District Attorneys Office 707-445-7251
Source Information
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Porchlight International for the Missing and Unidentified