FORT WORTH, Texas — For his entire life, Jeff Highsmith is constantly reminded of a day that occurred nine years before he was even
It is a mixture of heartbreak and hope passed down from his mother and father.
“Growing up as kids, we always knew about our sister who was kidnapped,” Highsmith said. “My parents scared us to stay close and not run off because we knew our sister was taken away from us.”
That sister,
Melissa Highsmith, remains one of the oldest missing persons cases in the country and a mystery Jeff and his family are still trying to answer.
On Aug. 23, 1971, their mother, Alta, advertised for a babysitter and spoke with a supposed sitter by the name of Ruth Johnson, who agreed to come pick up the 21-month-old Melissa from the family’s apartment building on East Seminary in Fort Worth.
Since Alta had to be at work, her roommate handed Melissa to Johnson, who was described as well-dressed and wearing white gloves.
That evening, Johnson never returned Melissa and could not be reached. Fort Worth police and the FBI were soon involved, but more than 50 years later, very few leads have surfaced.
Police at the time said they discovered no evidence Melissa was harmed and hoped Johnson or whoever had the baby was taking good care of her.
Jeff and his family have several theories about what might have happened, including the possibility that Ruth Johnson was actually a man dressed as a woman.
“I pass by Seminary often and every time I do, my mind just races,” Jeff said.
In an interview archived at the SMU Jones Film Library, Alta Highsmith spoke to WFAA in the days following the kidnapping.
“I can’t give up hope. I have got to see her again,” she said. “I don’t know what to think.”
Melissa Highsmith remains one of the oldest missing persons cases in the country.
www.wfaa.com
