TX TX - Ira Elizabeth Shaw, 15, Austin, June 19, 1978

[victoriarobinson642]

NAMUS:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

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Missing Age - 15 Years
Current Age - 60 Years
First Name - Ira
Middle Name - Elizabeth
Last Name - Shaw
Nickname/Alias - "Liz" "Ira-Liz"
Sex - Female
Height - 5' 0" (60 Inches)
Weight - 120 lbs
Hair Color - Black
Eye Color - Brown
Race / Ethnicity - Black / African American
Date of Last Contact - June 19, 1978
Location - Austin, Texas 78705
Circumstances of Disappearance - Ira Elizabeth Shaw was last seen at about 5:00 P.M. on 06/19/1978, leaving the Lyndon B Johnson Library at 2313 Red River St. Ira was working a summer job at the library and expected to walk to her aunt's home to meet her mother.
Other distinctive physical characteristic - Large light-colored birthmark on the front of her right leg. Extends from her pelvis and down her thigh.

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[Nate_Bro]

Looks a lot like this Jane Doe

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

 

[Cashstrop]

This is her Nephew. I just had to case re opened. This looks like her a lot. Sent info to Det on the case

 

[Nate_Bro]

Hello and good to see you are still following her case after all these years. Keep us updated if you hear if it's her or not. Did she have the afro when she went missing? A killer may have shaved it off in order to conceal her identity while travelling in a car was my initial thought. There is definitely a resemblance. (although the earlobe is different)

 

[TwoDaysL8r]

This is her Nephew. I just had to case re opened. This looks like her a lot. Sent info to Det on the case

I hope there's some movement in her case.

I was wondering if you knew where her aunt's house was at the time she went missing - the house where she was supposed to be walking to. I wanted to map it and see if anything jumped out with some other cases.

 

[victoriarobinson642]

Ira Elizabeth Shaw – The Charley Project

Ira has been added to the Charley Project

 

[CastlesBurning]

I was wondering if you knew where her aunt's house was at the time she went missing - the house where she was supposed to be walking to. I wanted to map it and see if anything jumped out with some other cases.

Also, was walking to her aunt's after work a typical thing for Liz? I know it was still early summer, so probably she hadn't been working at the library for very long yet. But even a short time is enough for someone to be watching her routines, you know?

In addition, anyone here familiar with that part of Austin during the time period? Would it have been considered fairly safe for a young girl to be walking on her own?

 

[victoriarobinson642]

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/4620dftx.html

Now added to the Doe Network

 

[hayyitsfallon]

Has anyone suspected this UID yet?

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

 

[Cashstrop]

I hope there's some movement in her case.

I was wondering if you knew where her aunt's house was at the time she went missing - the house where she was supposed to be walking to. I wanted to map it and see if anything jumped out with some other cases.

Booker T Washington Projects. They were taken down earlier this year

 

[Cashstrop]

Also, was walking to her aunt's after work a typical thing for Liz? I know it was still early summer, so probably she hadn't been working at the library for very long yet. But even a short time is enough for someone to be watching her routines, you know?

In addition, anyone here familiar with that part of Austin during the time period? Would it have been considered fairly safe for a young girl to be walking on her own?

It was actually her mom house. Aunt was staying with them at the time. Dad stayed in area also. He refused to speak with Det. Late last year. He passed away 2 months ago.

 

[no greed]

It was actually her mom house. Aunt was staying with them at the time. Dad stayed in area also. He refused to speak with Det. Late last year. He passed away 2 months ago.

 

[no greed]

I found it odd that Liz was listed as a surviving child in her fathers obituary. Any thoughts on why he would not talk to the detective? Recently a Deck Brewer Jr was identified as likely one of two males that abducted, raped, and Murdered Susan Wolfe. That took place on 01/09/80. Her body was discovered 2000 block of E 17th street the next morning. I can not make any family connections to Austin for Mr Brewer.

 

[pixiepixel]

Also, was walking to her aunt's after work a typical thing for Liz? I know it was still early summer, so probably she hadn't been working at the library for very long yet. But even a short time is enough for someone to be watching her routines, you know?

In addition, anyone here familiar with that part of Austin during the time period? Would it have been considered fairly safe for a young girl to be walking on her own?

LBJ library is a presidential library, and it’s located on the edge of the UT Austin campus. I’m certain it would not have been considered unsafe at all, although I wasn’t there in the 1960s.

 

[no greed]

Also, was walking to her aunt's after work a typical thing for Liz? I know it was still early summer, so probably she hadn't been working at the library for very long yet. But even a short time is enough for someone to be watching her routines, you know?

In addition, anyone here familiar with that part of Austin during the time period? Would it have been considered fairly safe for a young girl to be walking on her own?

I worked at the U of Texas at Austin campus from 2002 to 2012.
The LBJ Library area of campus at 5PM in the summer was fairly isolated and slow with a smattering of people about. I am sure 1978 would have been similar. I can see where a small woman by herself could be vulnerable walking east. Particularly near the Library walking past Sid Richardson Hall and perhaps cutting across a large parking lot with few vehicles. In 1978 June 19 was not a federal holiday as it is now. It was a known symbolic holiday in Texas and referred to as Juneteenth. I wonder if this could have been a hate crime? LBJ was not liked by many Texans for his civil rights legislations he signed into law. I think Liz’s disappearance would have received a lot more attention if it had occurred in more recent times than it did in 1978.

 

[Cashstrop]

I found it odd that Liz was listed as a surviving child in her fathers obituary. Any thoughts on why he would not talk to the detective? Recently a Deck Brewer Jr was identified as likely one of two males that abducted, raped, and Murdered Susan Wolfe. That took place on 01/09/80. Her body was discovered 2000 block of E 17th street the next morning. I can not make any family connections to Austin for Mr Brewer.

I do also. Ira is my Dad half sister. Sharing the same mother. I reached out to him before passing and relatives. No one will reply when I ask questions on that side of her family. Current det has talked to original det. He doesn’t remember much. Really didn’t gather any info on the case from the beginning. No records she even cashed her last payroll check. No records she attended school that year before the summer.

 

[Cashstrop]

I worked at the U of Texas at Austin campus from 2002 to 2012.
The LBJ Library area of campus at 5PM in the summer was fairly isolated and slow with a smattering of people about. I am sure 1978 would have been similar. I can see where a small woman by herself could be vulnerable walking east. Particularly near the Library walking past Sid Richardson Hall and perhaps cutting across a large parking lot with few vehicles. In 1978 June 19 was not a federal holiday as it is now. It was a known symbolic holiday in Texas and referred to as Juneteenth. I wonder if this could have been a hate crime? LBJ was not liked by many Texans for his civil rights legislations he signed into law. I think Liz’s disappearance would have received a lot more attention if it had occurred in more recent times than it did in 1978.

Your right. Det. Did nothing to investigate it and gather info. Family really didn’t push either. I’m the one brought it back to attention.

 

[no greed]

Your right. Det. Did nothing to investigate it and gather info. Family really didn’t push either. I’m the one brought it back to attention.

Thank you for trying to bring attention to her disappearance. It is very sad for a young teen who is working hard to do right, most likely has a tragic ending. I am assuming the police treated her disappearance as a family matter and likely runaway? My only recommendation at this time is to carefully watch the Deck Brewer Jr case and if there is any hint that he was in Austin in 1978 to pressure LE to look for a connection. I doubt he was involved but it is possible do to the area. I would not be surprised if he was involved in two of the 1976 disappearances. Debra Stewart was abducted from Sears at Hancock Center and her car was found in good condition, locked, with keys in the ignition in 1800 block of Ferdinand. Within a hundred yards or so of Susan Wolfe’s body location in 1980. The car of Brenda Moore who also disappeared in 1976 was found in good condition, locked, with keys in the ignition in the 1900 block of Coleto. This was about 50 yards or so north of the Ferdinand location. I am thinking Ira would have been walking near these locations in 1978.