Missing
Elizabeth Dorothy Funchess
Elizabeth, approximately 1977; Diane Funchess
Date and time person was reported missing : 09/06/1977
Missing location (approx) :
San Jose, California
Missing classification : Non-Family Abduction
Gender : Female
Ethnicity :
White
DOB : 02/26/1977 (44)
Age at the time of disappearance: 6 months old
Height / Weight : 2'0, 15 pounds
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian female. Light brown hair, blue/gray eyes. Elizabeth's nickname is Beth.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Elizabeth was last seen at her family's San Jose, California residence on September 6, 1977. A neighbor visited the residence that day and spoke to her mother, Diane Edith Funchess, who had just finished breast-feeding her.
Everything seemed normal at the time and Diane told the neighbor about the family's recent vacation to Florida. A photo of Diane is posted with this case summary.
The neighbor was the last person known to have seen Diane and her child. They disappeared from the residence later that day, leaving all their belongings behind, including Diane's eyeglasses and her car. Authorities discovered that the cord to their television set had been cut off with a sharp knife and taken away.
Nothing else was missing, there were no indications of a struggle and there was no ransom note. Investigators at the time believed Elizabeth and Diane had been taken so the baby could be sold for adoption.
Diane's body was found in September 1981, but Elizabeth has never been located. Few details are available in her case.
Other information and links : ncy
San Jose Police Department
408-277-4786
September 2021 updates and sources
The Doe Network
Websleuths
The Winnipeg Free Press
The Las Cruces Sun-News
For the Lost
A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe.
By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends.
Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.
The Palm Beach Post
The Fort Lauderdale News
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
