MD MD - Katheryn Quackenbush, 17, Delmar, 14 July 1981

[Gardener1850]

Katheryn's photo has been age-progressed to 52 years. (AP completed 09/02/2016)

Katheryn Mae Quackenbush
Wicomico County, Maryland
17 to 18 year old white female

Height (inches)

Weight (pounds)

[TD="class: view_field"]62.0[/TD]

[TD="class: view_field"]105.0[/TD]

Hair: Blond/Strawberry
Eyes: Blue

Circumstances:
Quackenbush was last seen on July 14, 1981 in Maryland. Quackenbush was a resident of Georgia and was in the Delmar area with her brother visiting her father. On the evening of her disappearance, she planned to go to the bowling alley in Salisbury, MD When her bofriend was not on time, it is alleged that she started walking south on Rt 13. The boyfriend arrived 5 minutes later and left to pick her up. She could not be found, and was reported missing. Foul play is suspected.

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/1840/

 

[thescreaming]

Not from the area, just visiting, yet her boyfriend was there?

 

[Moonwalker9]

Kathryn Mae Quackenbush

• 
• 

Kathryn, circa 1981; Age-progression to age 52 (circa 2016)

• Missing Since07/14/1981
• Missing FromDelmar, Maryland
• ClassificationEndangered Missing
• Date of Birth02/26/1964 (55)
• Age17 years old
• Height and Weight5'2, 105 pounds
• Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian female. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Kathryn's nickname is Kitty.

Details of Disappearance
Kathryn resided in the state of Georgia in 1981. She was in the Delmar, Maryland area on July 14, 1981, with her brother. They were visiting Kathryn's father. Kathryn planned to meet someone in a bowling alley in Salisbury, Maryland on the evening of her disappearance. When the person was late, she reportedly began walking south along State Route 13.

Her boyfriend came to pick her up five minutes afterwards but could not find her. She has never been heard from again. Foul play is suspected in Kathryn's disappearance, which remains unsolved.

 

[SurrealisticSlumbers]

Hmm. Maybe she left of her own accord.

 

[JSolt1210]

Circumstances:
Quackenbush was last seen on July 14, 1981 in Maryland. Quackenbush was a resident of Georgia and was in the Delmar area with her brother visiting her father. On the evening of her disappearance, she planned to go to the bowling alley in Salisbury, MD When her bofriend was not on time, it is alleged that she started walking south on Rt 13. The boyfriend arrived 5 minutes later and left to pick her up. She could not be found, and was reported missing. Foul play is suspected.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Details of Disappearance
Kathryn resided in the state of Georgia in 1981. She was in the Delmar, Maryland area on July 14, 1981, with her brother. They were visiting Kathryn's father. Kathryn planned to meet someone in a bowling alley in Salisbury, Maryland on the evening of her disappearance. When the person was late, she reportedly began walking south along State Route 13.

Her boyfriend came to pick her up five minutes afterwards but could not find her. She has never been heard from again. Foul play is suspected in Kathryn's disappearance, which remains unsolved.

The wording of these two websites is very confusing to me.

The first site states simply that Katheryn and her brother came from Georgia to visit their father in Maryland. She then wanted to go to a bowling alley in the area, but when her boyfriend (where did he come from?) failed to show up (at the father's home?) to drive her there, she decided to go on foot.

The second site, which looks like the Doe Network, introduces a new detail: that Katheryn was planning to meet someone at the alley. That person was late (suggesting Katheryn made it to the alley?), and so Katheryn began to walk (back home, then?). Her boyfriend tried to pick her up (from the alley?) but could not find her.

This article from The Washington Examiner, I believe, gives a clearer account, which appears to corroborate the first account:

"On July 14, 1981, she planned to go to a bowling alley in Salisbury with her boyfriend... When her boyfriend was a few minutes late picking her up, she apparently started walking south along Route 13."

 

[SurrealisticSlumbers]

"On July 14, 1981, she planned to go to a bowling alley in Salisbury with her boyfriend... When her boyfriend was a few minutes late picking her up, she apparently started walking south along Route 13."

You're right, that information is a little confusing. I am inclined to believe the news article's version of events. She needed a ride to the bowling alley from her father's residence, I'm assuming. This tells you that she was home alone... her father/brother weren't home to give her a lift to the bowling alley.

What happened when the boyfriend got to the house? Was he aware that she was tired of waiting and just started walking to the bowling alley - did he try to head back to the main road/the direction of the bowling alley to pick her up along the way? Wouldn't he have seen her walking, if he only got there five minutes after she set out on foot? If he didn't get an answer upon ringing the doorbell, would he have just shrugged and been like "I guess she didn't want to go out tonight after all?" and went back home? Who told him that she had left a mere few minutes after he arrived at her home?

Can we even believe the boyfriend's credibility? Sorry but as you can see, I have a LOT of questions regarding the events of that evening.

 

[Gardener1850]

Kathryn Mae Quackenbush

• 
• 

Kathryn, circa 1981; Age-progression to age 52 (circa 2016)

• Missing Since07/14/1981
• Missing FromDelmar, Maryland
• ClassificationEndangered Missing
• Date of Birth02/26/1964 (55)
• Age17 years old
• Height and Weight5'2, 105 pounds
• Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian female. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Kathryn's nickname is Kitty.

Details of Disappearance
Kathryn resided in the state of Georgia in 1981. She was in the Delmar, Maryland area on July 14, 1981, with her brother. They were visiting Kathryn's father. Kathryn planned to meet someone in a bowling alley in Salisbury, Maryland on the evening of her disappearance. When the person was late, she reportedly began walking south along State Route 13.

Her boyfriend came to pick her up five minutes afterwards but could not find her. She has never been heard from again. Foul play is suspected in Kathryn's disappearance, which remains unsolved.

The above is from Charley Project: Kathryn Mae Quackenbush – The Charley Project

 

[cobalt sky]

What happened when the boyfriend got to the house? Was he aware that she was tired of waiting and just started walking to the bowling alley - did he try to head back to the main road/the direction of the bowling alley to pick her up along the way? Wouldn't he have seen her walking, if he only got there five minutes after she set out on foot? If he didn't get an answer upon ringing the doorbell, would he have just shrugged and been like "I guess she didn't want to go out tonight after all?" and went back home? Who told him that she had left a mere few minutes after he arrived at her home?

Can we even believe the boyfriend's credibility?

Great questions, and I'd like to add, who was the last person to actually see Kathryn alive, and when and where?

Strange circumstances surrounding this case. Also disappointed there doesn't seem to be any better photos of her.

 

[SAMS]

So the bf was a long distance relationship?

 

[SAMS]

Did any witnesses see her on route 13? Who says she walked off?

 

[cobalt sky]

The boyfriend situation isn't clear, and neither is the "visiting Dad" situation. It was July, so maybe she and the brother were spending the summer there? Or possibly a few weeks? She was only 17, the "boyfriend" could have been a boy she met there a few days prior and they quickly decided to be boyfriend/girlfriend, you know how it is at that age lol. And yes, I would like to know who last saw her/when/where, and also if anyone actually saw her walking.

 

[SAMS]

Lol! I do!
“Kathryn resided in the state of Georgia in 1981. She was in the Delmar, Maryland area on July 14, 1981, with her brother. They were visiting Kathryn's father. Kathryn planned to meet someone in a bowling alley in Salisbury, Maryland on the evening of her disappearance. When the person was late, she reportedly began walking south along State Route 13.

Her boyfriend came to pick her up five minutes afterwards but could not find her. She has never been heard from again. Foul play is suspected in Kathryn's
disappearance, which remains unsolved.”

I thought I’d post this again so yes, seems like a summer visit with dad...
Kathryn Mae Quackenbush – The Charley Project

 

[SAMS]

US-13
State RT 13

U.S. Route 13 is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for 517 miles from Interstate 95 just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to U.S. Route 1 in Falls Township, Pennsylvania, a northeastern suburb of Philadelphia. Wikipedia

 

[SAMS]

How did she get to the bowling alley in Salisbury? Maybe she hitchhiked back to Delmar?

 

[SAMS]

Google Maps

okay. Now that makes more sense IMO It’s Delmar DE, not Maryland.

 

[SAMS]

Google Maps

If this is the bowling alley, Southbound Alley, wonder why she walked south instead of north toward Delmar? MOO

 

[SAMS]

Who was she meeting at the alley? Did they see her walking and pick her up? MOO

 

[cobalt sky]

Who was she meeting at the alley? Did they see her walking and pick her up? MOO

Hmmm...I wonder if she changed her mind about the bowling alley at the last minute and decided to do something else? Or perhaps there was another bowling alley south of her location at the time that is no longer in business?

ETA: I wish we knew how they know she had actually left the house and was on foot somewhere.

 

[SurrealisticSlumbers]

Who told him that she had left a mere few minutes after he arrived at her home?

Sorry, I meant a few minutes before he arrived. My bad!

Great questions, and I'd like to add, who was the last person to actually see Kathryn alive, and when and where?

Such a head-scratcher. As you said, who knew she had gone out on foot? Did she phone someone from somewhere?

So the bf was a long distance relationship?

I mean, sometimes the term "boyfriend/girlfriend" can be casual, especially if it's a teenage relationship. Could have been a boy she went on dates with whenever she was in town to visit her father. Having a boyfriend back then wasn't necessarily some serious thing, especially when you were still in school. I think it was a more innocent time. Could just be someone you talked to on the phone with occasionally and maybe kissed a few times. The texting, social media and 24/7 contact weren't a thing in the early '80s, so "boyfriend" was used more loosely and in a casual sense, from what I gather. Relationships between kids today are much more intense by comparison.

Did any witnesses see her on route 13? Who says she walked off?

I mean, someone would have, right?

Hmmm...I wonder if she changed her mind about the bowling alley at the last minute and decided to do something else?

She could have been the kind of person who walked everywhere and met up with her friends on foot? I don't know. So odd!

 

[JSolt1210]

You're right, that information is a little confusing. I am inclined to believe the news article's version of events. She needed a ride to the bowling alley from her father's residence, I'm assuming. This tells you that she was home alone... her father/brother weren't home to give her a lift to the bowling alley.

What happened when the boyfriend got to the house? Was he aware that she was tired of waiting and just started walking to the bowling alley - did he try to head back to the main road/the direction of the bowling alley to pick her up along the way? Wouldn't he have seen her walking, if he only got there five minutes after she set out on foot? If he didn't get an answer upon ringing the doorbell, would he have just shrugged and been like "I guess she didn't want to go out tonight after all?" and went back home? Who told him that she had left a mere few minutes after he arrived at her home?

Can we even believe the boyfriend's credibility? Sorry but as you can see, I have a LOT of questions regarding the events of that evening.

All of these are very good points. What is the source of the claim that Katheryn left on foot when the boyfriend was late? Obviously not the bf, since he missed her by 5 minutes. And maybe not the dad or brother since, as you say, if she needed a ride, that suggests they weren't home.

Or... the only thing I can think of is that the dad and the brother were home, but maybe the dad needed his car (assuming he had a working one) for other plans that day, and thus wasn't available to drive Katheryn to the bowling alley. This would explain why the bf would've had to pick her up, and why someone would know he missed her by 5 minutes.

And it would also explain the reason given behind her walking. A random motorist would've just reported seeing a girl walking, but would have no way of knowing why she was walking.

But then again, from the map @SAMS provided, it's about a 2-hour walk from the residence to the bowling alley. Would the dad really have been comfortable just letting her go out and walk 8 miles? Especially when her ride is not even 5 minutes late by that point? Was Katheryn really that headstrong—like, "oh, he's 2 minutes late! I'm just gonna walk!"

The boyfriend situation isn't clear, and neither is the "visiting Dad" situation. It was July, so maybe she and the brother were spending the summer there? Or possibly a few weeks? She was only 17, the "boyfriend" could have been a boy she met there a few days prior and they quickly decided to be boyfriend/girlfriend, you know how it is at that age lol. And yes, I would like to know who last saw her/when/where, and also if anyone actually saw her walking.

As for the boyfriend situation...

Katheryn was said to be from Georgia. I don't know how it was back in 1981, but from what I've found online, the school year in Atlanta ends in May, shortly before Memorial Day weekend. Assuming she and her brother had left that weekend (or shortly thereafter) to spend the summer with their dad, she would've been in Delmar for a month and a half. Plenty of time to meet someone and have a summer fling/relationship etc.