Emmetta Jean Dumas, 32, disappeared from Fairfield, Alabama, in the summer of 1980 after a routine weekend of family plans. On August 1 she was due to go shopping with her estranged husband, Leroy, to buy shoes for their infant daughter and on August 2 had arranged a shopping trip with her mother and sister. When her sister arrived for that outing, Emmetta’s car was in the driveway but the house was locked and Emmetta was missing. Inside, the infant daughter was found alone, naked and crying, with an empty bottle and a soiled diaper nearby. Investigators noted a strong chemical odor, possibly ether, and fresh stains on the carpet that were later ruled not to be blood.

Emmetta’s keys and a bedspread were reported missing. Leroy told police he had picked up Emmetta and the baby around 6:30 p.m., went to Brookwood Village, had a hamburger, returned and stayed 20 to 30 minutes, and said Emmetta planned to dine that evening with her first husband, Warren King. King confirmed plans but said she never arrived and that he tried calling her through the night; police did not consider him a suspect. The case remains unsolved.

Does anyone who knew Emmetta or was in Fairfield that weekend have information that could help explain what happened?