SC SC - Heather Rae Austin, 34, last seen in Whitmire (Newberry), 17 Aug 2015

[imstilla.grandma]

Date Picture Updated: 7/5/2017

Name: Heather Rae Austin
AKA:
Case Number: M1706010
Case Type: Endangered
Height: 5' 3 "
Date of Birth: 10/26/1980
Eye Color: Hazel
Race: White
Weight: 155 lbs.
Age Missing: 34
Hair Color: Blonde
Sex: Female
Last Seen in: Whitmire (Newberry)
State Missing From: South Carolina
Country Missing From: USA
Last Seen on: 08/17/2015

 

[PommyMommy]

Heather Rae Austin – The Charley Project

Distinguishing Characteristics
Caucasian female. Blonde hair, hazel eyes. Austin has a tattoo of the word "NYMPH" on her upper shoulder. She may wear eyeglasses.

Details of Disappearance​

Austin was last seen in Round Rock, Texas on August 17, 2015. She has never been heard from again. Her father, who lived out of state, reported her missing on October 2. Few details are available in her case.

Missing Person / NamUs #MP34809

View NamUs missing person case MP34809 for Heather Rae Austin missing from Round Rock, Texas. Date of last contact: Aug 17, 2015. NCMEC case number: --.

namus.nij.ojp.gov

TxDPS Missing and Unidentified Persons Online Bulletin

Texas Missing Persons Clearinghouse Online Bulletin, Browse photos and searchable bulletins of missing persons, abductors, and unidentified persons, a central repository for information and pictures of missing and unidentified persons in Texas.

www.dps.texas.gov

 

[Pennysmom1]

I'm kind of on the fence about Heather's thread being listed as South Carolina

Most everything I found online says she was last seen in Round Rock, TX, but I have seen mention of Whitmire, SC also.

 

[truthfinder2019]

This mentions SC

TxDPS Missing and Unidentified Persons Online Bulletin

Texas Missing Persons Clearinghouse Online Bulletin, Browse photos and searchable bulletins of missing persons, abductors, and unidentified persons, a central repository for information and pictures of missing and unidentified persons in Texas.

www.dps.texas.gov

So indeed not clear, others cite TX

The photo above is a mugshot related to an arrest in 2014

Best search engine for True crime stories | Mugshots.com

Heather Rae Austin in Texas Williamson County arrested for THEFT PROP>=$1,500<$20K, POSS MARIJ < 2OZ, POSS CS PG 1 <1G

mugshots.com

 

[truthfinder2019]

Heather was born in Bell, Texas, on 26 Oct 1980.
"Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VDTY-R9X : 5 December 2014), Heather Rae Austin, 26 Oct 1980; from "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database and images, Ancestry(Ancestry® | Family Tree, Genealogy & Family History Records : 2005); citing Texas Department of State Health Services.

Heather seems to be originally from Portville, NY, as indicated on her mother’s obituary.
Her mother unfortunately passed away in 2010, 5 years before Heather went missing.

Patricia L. Arnold Obituary June 27, 2010 - Letro-McIntosh-Spink Funeral Home

View Patricia L. Arnold's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

www.letromcintoshspinkfuneralhome.com

I just hope she is just estranged from her family and safe somewhere.
There are addresses in NY, PA, TX…

 

[Laura865]

Long shot, but this looks like Heather and in Austin - 15 minutes from Round Rock. The Golden Roses Austin Texas on Instagram: "Heather Rae and Johnny will be swapping songs and lies at Sagebrush tomorrow Wednesday 5/24 at 7pm."

 

[Ladyotm]

Long shot, but this looks like Heather and in Austin - 15 minutes from Round Rock. The Golden Roses Austin Texas on Instagram: "Heather Rae and Johnny will be swapping songs and lies at Sagebrush tomorrow Wednesday 5/24 at 7pm."

IG Heather Rae has a noticeable mole on her face while the missing Heather Rae doesn't appear to have one.

 

[Numba1Nut]

Long shot, but this looks like Heather and in Austin - 15 minutes from Round Rock. The Golden Roses Austin Texas on Instagram: "Heather Rae and Johnny will be swapping songs and lies at Sagebrush tomorrow Wednesday 5/24 at 7pm."

As amazing as that would be, and as much as our family wishes it could be especially her now adult daughter; Heather Rae from Golden Roses is sadly not my missing cousin whom we've yet to see or hear from a decade after her disappearance.

 

[Numba1Nut]

Heather was born in Bell, Texas, on 26 Oct 1980.
"Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VDTY-R9X : 5 December 2014), Heather Rae Austin, 26 Oct 1980; from "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," database and images, Ancestry(Ancestry® | Family Tree, Genealogy & Family History Records : 2005); citing Texas Department of State Health Services.

Heather seems to be originally from Portville, NY, as indicated on her mother’s obituary.
Her mother unfortunately passed away in 2010, 5 years before Heather went missing.

Patricia L. Arnold Obituary June 27, 2010 - Letro-McIntosh-Spink Funeral Home

View Patricia L. Arnold's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

www.letromcintoshspinkfuneralhome.com

I just hope she is just estranged from her family and safe somewhere.
There are addresses in NY, PA, TX…

We her family pray that daily as well.

 

[worm]

We her family pray that daily as well.

I’m sorry to know that she is your relative and missing this long. Welcome to ws and you could maybe check on being an insider on this. How does Whitmire SC factor in? That’s just down the river from me.

 

[iulia]

Her NamUs page is down at the moment. I noticed she was no longer listed under the TX MP cases so I searched for her case number to make sure it was down, but it was not, it was modified and the state was changed to North Carolina. By the time I got to add it under NC her case had been removed, and I don't know what other changes were made to her case. I only remember the state being North Carolina and the missing year was changed to 2017. Not sure if her case will be marked as solved or if it's only hidden from public view, the open/resolved cases counter hasn't been working since July 4.

ETA: her case is visible now:

Date of Last Contact April 1, 2017
Missing From Topton, North Carolina

Circumstances of Disappearance On October 2, 2015, Heather Austin was reported missing by family, who last talked to her on August 17, 2015.It has been confirmed that Heather had been staying in a storage shed at 189 White Oak Lane, Topton, North Carolina, on or about April 1, 2017.

Circumstances Notes As of July 2, 2025, it has been confirmed that Heather was homeless in approximately April 2017. Heather was last known alive in approximately April 2017 while she was staying in a storage shed at a residence in Topton, North Carolina. Heather has since been possibly seen in Murphy, North Carolina after leaving Topton, North Carolina. Heather is known to tent camp near or along the Appalachian Trail.

Tattoo
"NYMPH" on upper shoulder, unsure whether left or right
Black ink "Jack and Sally" tattoo on right leg.
Green star with a green "S" through it on right thigh.

Transportation Notes​

Heather is known to reside transiently. It was reported that for a period of time, Heather had been car camping at different trail heads along the Appalachian trail. Additionally, Heather had also been seen tent camping near Macon County, North Carolina in approximately 2016 - 2017.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

 

[worm]

Her NamUs page is down at the moment. I noticed she was no longer listed under the TX MP cases so I searched for her case number to make sure it was down, but it was not, it was modified and the state was changed to North Carolina. By the time I got to add it under NC her case had been removed, and I don't know what other changes were made to her case. I only remember the state being North Carolina and the missing year was changed to 2017. Not sure if her case will be marked as solved or if it's only hidden from public view, the open/resolved cases counter hasn't been working since July 4.

ETA: her case is visible now:

Date of Last Contact April 1, 2017
Missing From Topton, North Carolina

Circumstances of Disappearance On October 2, 2015, Heather Austin was reported missing by family, who last talked to her on August 17, 2015.It has been confirmed that Heather had been staying in a storage shed at 189 White Oak Lane, Topton, North Carolina, on or about April 1, 2017.

Circumstances Notes As of July 2, 2025, it has been confirmed that Heather was homeless in approximately April 2017. Heather was last known alive in approximately April 2017 while she was staying in a storage shed at a residence in Topton, North Carolina. Heather has since been possibly seen in Murphy, North Carolina after leaving Topton, North Carolina. Heather is known to tent camp near or along the Appalachian Trail.

Tattoo
"NYMPH" on upper shoulder, unsure whether left or right
Black ink "Jack and Sally" tattoo on right leg.
Green star with a green "S" through it on right thigh.

Transportation Notes​

Heather is known to reside transiently. It was reported that for a period of time, Heather had been car camping at different trail heads along the Appalachian trail. Additionally, Heather had also been seen tent camping near Macon County, North Carolina in approximately 2016 - 2017.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

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

www.namus.gov

There’s some history of real monsters stalking the App Trail and a single woman camping would be an easy target. Does she have a car?