MN MN - Florence Hector, 72, Duluth, 10 May 1976

[CarlK90245]

NamUs has a "No-Photo" casefile for a 72 year old retired High School teacher named Florence Hector, who went missing from Duluth MN on May 10, 1976.

The Circumstances section in in her NamUs file are as follows:

Florence Hector, a retired Duluth East High School English teacher, was last seen on May 10, 1976. She left her apartment in Mount Royal Manor for a trip to Minneapolis. She never arrived. Her car was found in a downtown Minneapolis parking lot.

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/12975/1

I couldn't find any photos of her from the time of her disappearance, but I found her photo in the 1953 East Duluth High School yearbook.

This photo was taken 23 years prior to her disappearance, but one can imagine how she might look with 23 years added to her age. (i.e., a few more wrinkles, whiter hair, and probably wore glasses)

 

[alllads]

I've found her in the 1960 yearbook as well. The next available on Classmates is 1968, by which point she seems to have retired. I'm going to forward both pictures to Duluth Police in the hope that they put them on NamUs...

Also, have found some very interesting details about the case her, from 1981: http://openjurist.org/656/f2d/378/united-states-v-moore

"At the time of sentencing, authorities considered Moore the principal suspect in the disappearance of Ms. Florence Hector, an elderly, retired schoolteacher from whom Moore had embezzled about $60,000. Moore now contends that the sentencing judge unconstitutionally enhanced the sentence by considering Moore responsible for Ms. Hector's disappearance and possible murder. As evidence, he cites to the plea proceeding in which the court discussed Moore's possible conviction for Ms. Hector's murder."


Here's a 1977 article mentioning Moore, as well as Florence Hector: http://z10.invisionfree.com/usedtobedoe/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=11284367

She was educated at Lawrence College University of Wisconsin, Northwestern University, and University of Minnesota. In 1960, she listed her hobbies as music and reading. She seems to be originally from Duluth, and in 1921 graduated from Duluth Central High School. Here she is as a high school senior:

She was very popular at Lawrence College, was at one point voted "best loved girl", was an attendant to the "Queen of May" at a ball, and so on.

Also, she had a number of siblings, including some younger, so if remains with DNA are found it should theoretically be possible to find someone to take a sample from...

 

[alllads]

None of the Jane Does in Minnesota are even remotely possible matches, they're all at least 30 years too young. I've been staring at a map of Minnesota and it seems quite possible that her remains may never be found at all - Duluth is on Lake Superior, so there's that. Between Duluth and Minneapolis there are municipal forests, multiple state parks, state forests, just plain forests, and several lakes.

 

[Coffee56]

31 Dec 1969, Page 43 - Star Tribune at Newspapers.com

31 Dec 1969, Page 13 - Star Tribune at Newspapers.com

Brainerd Daily Dispatch Newspaper Archives, Mar 27, 1977

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for Florence - it's now been 46 years.

Missing Person / NamUs #MP12975

 

[Pennysmom1]

Missing Person / NamUs #MP12975

View NamUs missing person case MP12975 for Florence Hector missing from Duluth, Minnesota. Date of last contact: May 10, 1976. NCMEC case number: --.

namus.nij.ojp.gov

Missing Age 72 Years
Current Age 119 Years

First Name Florence
Middle Name --
Last Name Hector
Nickname/Alias --
Sex Female
Race / Ethnicity White / Caucasian
Height 5'-4" - (64 - inches)
Weight 120 - lbs

Circumstances​

Date of Last Contact May 10, 1976
NamUs Case Created November 18, 2011

Last Known Location (Map)
Location Duluth, Minnesota
County St. Louis County

Missing From Tribal Land No
Primary Residence on Tribal Land No

Circumstances of Disappearance Florence Hector, a retired Duluth East High School English teacher, was last seen on May 10, 1976. She left her apartment in Mount Royal Manor for a trip to Minneapolis. She never arrived. Her car was found in a downtown Minneapolis parking lot.

Physical Description​

Hair Color Brown
Head Hair Description --
Body Hair Description --
Facial Hair Description --
Left Eye Color Brown
Right Eye Color Brown

 

[formerlyme]

Article clipped from Star Tribune

Clipping found in Star Tribune published in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 12/18/1977.

www.newspapers.com

 

[Richard]

Russel Conwell Moore (dob about 1926) should be considered a potential suspect in Florence Hector's disappearance. I wonder if he was ever questioned about it.

Her case is Not currently included on the Minnesota Clearinghouse for Missing and Unidentified Persons.

 

[Pennysmom1]

Missing Person / NamUs #MP12975

View NamUs missing person case MP12975 for Florence Hector missing from Duluth, Minnesota. Date of last contact: May 10, 1976. NCMEC case number: --.

namus.nij.ojp.gov

added 8/2/24

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=4813DFMN

Florence missing, STRIB, 1

Clipping found in Star Tribune published in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 12/10/1976. Florence missing, STRIB, 1

www.newspapers.com