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Case Description

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Hermine Paula Lohninger, aged 80, went missing from Fairfax, Virginia, on August 7, 1987. Suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Hermine lived alone in her townhouse on Ridgeton Hill Court. She was reported missing by her daughter after several days' worth of mail had accumulated, a concerning sign given Hermine's usual routines. A search ensued, involving police, helicopters, and friends combing the nearby woods and trails, where Hermine was known to enjoy walking.

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Last Seen: Aug 07, 1987

Victim Details

Apr 03, 2009

Dec 20, 2023

Hermine

Lohninger

117

80

64 inches

120 lbs

White / Caucasian

Female

In the late summer of 1987, a sense of unease settled over a quiet Fairfax, Virginia community with the disappearance of 80-year-old Hermine P. Lohninger. She was last seen on August 7, 1987, a resident of a townhouse on Ridgeton Hill Court where she lived by herself. The alarm was raised by her daughter, who grew concerned after noticing that several days' worth of mail had piled up, untouched. This discovery prompted her to report her mother missing, setting in motion a search for the elderly woman. Hermine, who was a naturalized German citizen, was described as a white female with graying brown hair and blue eyes, standing at 5'4" and weighing around 120 pounds. She spoke with a distinct German accent and had scars on her right ankle and left elbow. It was also known that she was living with Alzheimer's disease. The initial response to Hermine's disappearance was swift and thorough. The Fairfax County Police Department, along with concerned friends and relatives, launched an extensive search of the areas Hermine was known to frequent. She had a fondness for walking in the woods and on the trails near her home, and these areas became the focus of the search efforts, which included the use of a police dog and a helicopter. Despite these exhaustive efforts, no trace of Hermine was found. Investigators at the time stated that they did not suspect foul play in her disappearance, and the prevailing theory was that she may have wandered off due to her medical condition. Years passed without any answers or new leads in the case of Hermine Lohninger. The initial flurry of activity eventually subsided, and her case grew cold. The lack of any evidence or contact led to a difficult but necessary legal step. In 1994, seven years after she was last seen, Hermine Lohninger was officially declared legally dead. This declaration provided a sense of legal closure for her family, but it did not bring them the peace of knowing what truly happened to her. Her body has never been recovered, leaving a lingering uncertainty for her loved ones. The disappearance of Hermine Lohninger remains an unsolved case, a quiet tragedy that serves as a somber reminder of a beloved mother and community member who vanished without a trace.

Aug 07, 1987

Fairfax

Virginia

Fairfax County

20243

Fairfax County Police

Fairfax

Virginia

Fairfax County

22035

12099 Government Center, Virginia

7036912131

County

Law Enforcement

87220001674

Fairfax County Police

7560

Brown

Blue

Blue

06/06/2026


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