Missing
Joanne Gladys Garr
Joanne, approximately 1971
Date and time person was reported missing : 11/24/1971
Missing location (approx) :
Dearborn Heights, Michigan
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Female
Ethnicity :
White
DOB : 12/01/1940 (80)
Age at the time of disappearance: 30 years old
Height / Weight : 5'3 - 5'4, 110 - 130 pounds
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian female. Red hair, blue eyes. Joanne's nickname is Joan. She has freckles on her face, arms and legs. Her ears are pierced.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Joanne was last seen in Dearborn Heights, Michigan on November 24, 1971. She failed to show up at the holiday celebrations over Thanksgiving weekend. She wasn't reported missing until December 31, however. She has never been heard from again.
Joanne married her second husband, Philip Garr, less than a year before her disappearance. Philip stated his wife returned home in late 1971 after a brief estrangement, packed her bags and left again, and he hadn't seen or heard from her since. He couldn't remember the exact date he last saw her and said he had no idea where she was.
Beside Philip, the last person to speak to Joanne was her first husband, Robert Ross, who is the father of her two young daughters. Joanne called Ross on November 24, the day before Thanksgiving Day, and arranged to meet him early the next morning to take their children, who were in Ross's care, to see a parade in downtown Detroit, Michigan. She didn't keep the appointment, however.
A female friend had invited Joanne over for Thanksgiving dinner, and Joanne never arrived there either. The last day she worked was the day before Thanksgiving. She had held a secretarial job at Hygrade Food Products Corp. in Southfield, Michigan for six years.
When she stopped showing up for work, the company assumed she had quit. They removed her belongings from her desk and mailed them to the home she shared with Philip, but the packAge at the time of disappearance: was returned undelivered and later disposed of.
In late December, Joanne's mother called Philip to ask why she hadn't heard from her. Philip at first said Joanne was visiting a friend in Ohio. When this statement proved false, he said she was in Illinois. Then he told her mother that Joanne had packed her things and left him, and a man had been waiting to drive her away. He said the man's vehicle had Ohio license plates and he assumed Joanne had gone there.
Joanne's mother reported her missing. She was afraid for her daughter's safety, as she and other people Joanne knew had seen her with black eyes and bruises on her face and body. Joanne claimed she got the injuries accidentally, a statement Philip concurred with. Philip stated the problems in their marriAge at the time of disappearance: stemmed from jealousy on Joanne's part.
There has been no tEthnicity : of Joanne's whereabouts since 1971. Her case remains unsolved.
Other information and links : ncy
Michigan State Police
248-584-5774
September 2021 updates and sources
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.
October 12, 2004. August 2, 2018; picture added, Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : updated.
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