VA VA - Agnes Banwell, 81, Leesburg, 2 July 1994

[Kellygirl2013]

Found this announcement today on our local Sheriff's Dept. Cold Case website today reminding the public about the Agness Banwell Cold Case.

http://sheriff.loudoun.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=440
LCSO Cold Case Unit Investigates 1994 Disappearance of Purcellville Woman

Agnes Banwell_thumb.jpg
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2014

Contact: Liz Mills, Chief Information Officer, 571-251-5568 (mobile)[email protected]
Photo: Agnes Banwell

Loudoun County, VA- The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit is investigating the disappearance of Agnes Banwell who was reported missing on July 2, 1994, nine days short of her 81st birthday.

Agnes was last seen in Purcellville, VA, wearing a white floral print over dark blue background house dress, brown shoes, and a pink sweater with scalloped edges. She was described as being 5’2” tall, 80 pounds, with blue eyes and permed short grey hair. She was suffering from short-term memory loss and may have appeared disoriented.

She was believed to have been attempting to return to the New York Area.Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman implemented a cold case initiative upon taking office in January 2012 to take a closer look at unsolved cases the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office has investigated in past years.

Anyone with any information regarding the disappearance of Agnes Banwell is requested to contact Detective D. Canham of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit at 703-777-0475. Callers wishing to remain anonymous are asked to call Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919.

For more information on this case and for case updates, or to submit a tip online, please visit sheriff.loudoun.gov/agnesbanwell or sheriff.loudoun.gov/coldcase.

 

[bluesurfing13]

Thank you for posting this.

 

[JLouEllen90]

Agnes Banwell

Age: 81

Sex: Female

Race: White

Hair: Gray

Eyes: Blue

Height: 5’2”

Weight: 80 lbs

Missing From: Leesburg, Virginia

Missing Since: 07/02/1994

Details: Agnes was last seen July 2, 1994. She was wearing a blue and white dress, a pink sweater, and brown shoes.

Contact: Leesburg County Sheriff’s Office 703-777-0445

 

[JLouEllen90]

Agnes Banwell – The Charley Project

 

[JSolt1210]

Agnes Banwell – The Charley Project

From the Charley Project:

Details of Disappearance
Banwell was last seen in Purcellville, Virginia on July 2, 1994. She bought a newspaper and a snack that day, and was seen walking past the local high school at 8:00 p.m. This is the last sighting of her. She has never been heard from again.

Banwell is from the New York City borough of Queens and had moved to Purcellville with her son only five days before she was last seen. She is described as a very independent and physically healthy woman who hadn't wanted to move, and only did so because her family told her otherwise she'd have to go into a nursing home.

During her first five days in Purcellville, Banwell wandered off three times. The first time her son found her; the second time she asked a police officer for help. The third time, she was never found.

An extensive search turned up no sign of Banwell. Dogs tracked her scent up a rural road, over a bicycle path to another road before they lost the trail in a rural farming area. Authorities believe she may have been trying to return to New York.

She may have been "physically healthy", but I get the impression her mental state was not as sound. The family was worried enough about her care as to consider a nursing home. She wandered off 3 times in 5 days. Authorities believe she may have been trying to return to New York, which, unless she was planning on buying a ticket, no rational person would set out to just walk back to New York from Virginia, a distance of about 270 miles.

I think she wandered off, got lost somewhere, and died from exposure. Sunset in Purcellville that day was around 8:40pm, so if she got lost, she would've had only about an hour's worth of usable light to figure out her location—especially for a woman her age. Her remains could very well be in that rural farming area.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Bumping for Agnes, now missing 26 years

 

[Bluesurfing313]

Still hopeful for a resolution regarding my dear grandmother….Agnes Banwell missing almost 28 years. I have read many articles regarding my grandmother and I always come to the same conclusion, My grandmother was terrified of the woods and would never just wander in. If anyone has any information please come forward. I do appreciate all everyone has done so far

 

[Beccalicious]

Bumping for Agnes

 

[Pennysmom1]

Agnes is still listed as missing at NAMUS

Missing Person / NamUs #MP7767

View NamUs missing person case MP7767 for Agnes Banwell missing from Purcellville, Virginia. Date of last contact: Jul 02, 1994. NCMEC case number: --.

namus.nij.ojp.gov

Form Center • Agnes Banwell (1994 Missing Person)

www.loudoun.gov

https://coldcase.vsp.virginia.gov/loudoun-county-sheriff-office/case/loudoun-county-sheriffs-office-case-1994-004340-agnes-banwell-300-block-east-d-street/

Agnes Banwell lost. Disappeared from home in Purcellville VA.

Clipping found in Newsday (Suffolk Edition) published in Melville, New York on 7/28/1994. Agnes Banwell lost. Disappeared from home in Purcellville VA.

www.newspapers.com

 

[dotr]

By Jill S. Devine July 30, 2025

11 Unsolved Cold Cases in Northern Virginia

Local detectives continue to look for evidence and advancements in cold cases in Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, and Prince William counties.

northernvirginiamag.com

Agnes Banwell​

Date of Incident: July 2, 1994

Eighty-year-old Agnes Banwell disappeared a few days after moving from New York to live with her son at East D Street in Purcellville. A massive land and air search yielded no results, and her body was never found.

 

[mlhenn]

Agnes Banwell – The Charley Project

Updated

Details of Disappearance​

Banwell was last seen in the 300 block of East D Street in Purcellville, Virginia on July 2, 1994. She bought a newspaper and a snack that day, and was seen walking past the local high school at 8:00 p.m. This is the last sighting of her. She has never been heard from again.

Banwell is from the New York City borough of Queens and had moved to Purcellville with her son only five days before she was last seen. She is described as a very independent and physically healthy woman who hadn't wanted to move, and only did so because her family told her otherwise she'd have to go into a nursing home. During her first five days in Purcellville, Banwell wandered off three times. The first time her son found her; the second time she asked a police officer for help. The third time, she was never found.

An extensive search turned up no sign of Banwell. Dogs tracked her scent up a rural road, over a bicycle path to another road before they lost the trail in a rural farming area. Authorities believe she may have been trying to return to New York.

 

[Pennysmom1]