WV WV - Debra Riffe, Wolf Pen, missing since the 1980s when she was a teenager

[Mysteries1974]

Hello everyone, I know this is a very vague thread title and post. I hope to update it when I have more details but currently I have very little information on this case.

I have a habit of researching old newspaper articles on missing people on Newspapers.com. I try to see if these people were ever found or if they are still missing presently. Most of the time, I’m able to find a news article stating the person was found or an ancestry record showing they were alive after their disappearance which means they were located.

I no longer have an ancestry subscription so I’m unable to view dates or anything when I try to use it. Even when I had a subscription, I could never find any information on this girl so I was hoping to get some assistance with this.

The case in question involves a teenage girl named Debra Riffe. She disappeared from Wolf Pen, Wyoming County, West Virginia at some point during the 1980s. She appears as missing along with other missing kids in the newspapers between 1986-1988 but none of them list how old she was or what date she disappeared.

All I know is Debra was born on November 16th 1968 and one newspaper listed her case as an “Abduction by an unknown individual” meaning it was suspected a stranger or non-family member kidnapped her. That’s all I could find though. If anyone here could help it would be greatly appreciated!

Name: Debra Riffe
Born: November 16th 1968
Last known location: Wolf Pen, Wyoming County, West Virginia

Sep 29, 1986, page 10 - USA Today at Newspapers.com - Newspapers.com

View the digital scanned newspaper from USA Today dated Sep 29, 1986, page 10.

www.newspapers.com

Dec 13, 1987, page 85 - The Daily News Leader at Newspapers.com - Newspapers.com

View the digital scanned newspaper from The Daily News Leader dated Dec 13, 1987, page 85.

www.newspapers.com

Sep 29, 1986, page 8 - Quad-City Times at Newspapers.com - Newspapers.com

View the digital scanned newspaper from Quad-City Times dated Sep 29, 1986, page 8.

www.newspapers.com

 

[Mysteries1974]

Still unable to find any information on Miss Riffe. @CarlK90245 helped me search ancestry yesterday but he too couldn’t find anything on Debra.

I also got into contact with Mysterious WV who had heard of the case but could not find any information either.

 

[Mysteries1974]

She was located at some point after her disappearance. I posted about her in some local FB groups and someone posted that she was not missing. Her father died in 2019 while in hospice and she was with him.

 

[Otterly]

She was located at some point after her disappearance. I posted about her in some local FB groups and someone posted that she was not missing. Her father died in 2019 while in hospice and she was with him.

It's always good to hear about a positive outcome, even if she was (presumably) located many years ago.