She Was The Widower Of A Wealthy Linoleum Tycoon Who Vanished In 1949, And She Was Wearing $25,000 Worth Of Jewelry When She Went Missing
In the early 1940s, Mimi Boomhower of Los Angeles, California, was the wife of Novis Boomhower– a linoleum tycoon and big-game hunter.
But, come 1943, her husband passed away– leaving her to inherit lofty wealth and Novis’ large collection of hunting trophies.
These awards lined the halls of her luxurious mansion in Bel Air. But, by 1949, Mimi’s impressive home gained a new macabre reputation.
August 18, 1949, was the last day that anyone saw the 48-year-old alive. Mimi had just finished phoning one of her friends and appeared to be in good spirits– despite the fact that the sixth anniversary of her husband’s death had occurred the day prior.
Her phone conversation ended at about 8:00 p.m., after which Mimi planned to get ready for a date. She reportedly told her business manager that she was going to meet a “gentleman” and claimed she would call at 8:30 p.m.
But Mimi never called. Over the next few days, a few friends tried to contact the 48-year-old but had no luck.
Being that she was a widow with high social status and plenty of connections, Mimi also had a social schedule packed full of events. So, once she did not show up, questions began to swirl.
Mimi did not have much family in her life, and her siblings did not live on the West Coast. Still, her wide circle of friends all believed that her disappearance was completely uncharacteristic.
Despite this, Mimi’s acquaintances initially believed she had just gone away for a short trip and would return soon.
The Doe Network – pictured above is Mimi
After a week passed by, though, it became clear that something had gone horribly wrong. And at that point, the authorities were contacted.
Once investigators arrived at Mimi’s home, they found every light left on– including those in the backyard. Her uneaten salad was still sitting on the dining table, and her car was still parked in the garage.
In the upstairs of her home, one of Mimi’s dresses was laid out on the bed– indicating she had been getting ready to meet up with that gentleman she mentioned to her business manager.
However, there was no evidence of a robbery or any clues suggesting where Mimi might have gone.
Investigators found no fingerprints in the home that did not belong to Mimi. Instead, the only potential clue they discovered was a postcard from Long Island in the 48-year-old’s mailbox.
“Olga gave me your news – Lillian,” the card read.
Authorities then learned that Olga was Mimi’s sister. But, when they asked Olga about the postcard, she had no clue what “news” the message was referring to or who Lillian even was.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) then began interviewing anyone and everyone who might have possibly spoken with Mimi. And eventually, they wound up speaking to a local furrier whom Mimi had talked to regarding the purchase of a new fur coat the week before her disappearance.
Apparently, she told the furrier that she needed to talk to her husband before placing a coat order. Being that Mimi was a widow, though, she clearly did not have a husband.
According to the furrier, she was quick to correct herself and finished the conversation by saying she would have to discuss the purchase with her family.
Now, this might have just been Mimi’s way of trying to get away from the salesman. However, she was reportedly the one who first showed interest in the coat.
So, some people have suggested that Mimi’s “husband” remark might have suggested she was engaged in romance or had even eloped. This rumor appears to be a rush to judgment, though, since the 48-year-old only dated casually following her late husband’s death.
Regardless, the fact that Mimi even went to the furrier was still quite curious– because while she appeared highly wealthy, her finances were struggling.
She had taken out a $5,000 loan, which was technically granted to start a new business. But Mimi had also listed her house significantly below market value.
According to her friends and family, the 48-year-old had also pawned a $3,000 watch for just $100, replaced one of her husband’s ivory hunting trophies with plaster, and was also considering selling some of her jewelry– including a diamond breast pin, diamond rings, and a diamond bracelet valued at $25,000.
Piman Khrutmuang – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
After Mimi went missing, though, none of these jewels were ever recovered– pushing investigators to assume that she had been wearing them all at the time of her disappearance. Nonetheless, Mimi’s behavior led authorities to believe that she was desperate for a regular income. And exactly why she needed money so badly was never determined.
On August 24, 1949, investigators then stumbled upon a break in the case. That day, Mimi’s purse was discovered four miles away from her home– in a phone booth on Wilshire Boulevard.
Inside, the purse contained Mimi’s keys, identification, and one dollar in cash. On the side of the bag, an unknown individual had also written, “Police dept. We found this at the beach Thursday night.”
After the purse was sent to forensics, though, authorities did not find any traces of either salt water or sand.
This made it clear that someone wanted the public to believe that Mimi had just walked into the sea. But they could not risk leaving the purse where it might not have ever been found.
Just two months later, another purse would also be a critical piece of evidence in the disappearance of another Los Angeles woman, Jean Spangler. Inside Jean’s purse, authorities discovered a note addressed to a man named “Kirk.”
And this case, along with several other LA murders and disappearances of the 1940s, was theorized to be committed by one man known as Dr. George Hodel. However, the theory that Mimi might have also been a victim of Hodel’s remains unconfirmed.
So, one last theory regarding the 48-year-old’s disappearance was that she faked her own death. Perhaps she had been facing some sort of external pressure– like gambling debts– and decided to leave. This theory suggests that Mimi might have left her own purse on the phone booth and is corroborated by the fact that there was no evidence of a struggle or reports of screams at her residence on the evening of her disappearance.
Still, no theories ever gained enough evidence to be proven. So, just 11 days after Mimi vanished, she was declared legally dead. At that point, the 48-year-old’s attorneys began selling off her possessions in order to pay her debts and ensure the bank did not foreclose on her property.
Later, though, the same judge who declared Mimi legally dead opted to reverse that decision– claiming he had made a mistake. So, she was not officially declared dead until 1956.
By that point, though, all of Mimi’s debts and legal fees had already reduced her estate’s value by more than 66%.
In the end, investigators also revealed how they believed Mimi had been murdered. But, they were never able to name any suspects in her case, and the exact circumstances surrounding her mysterious disappearance remain unknown.
f true crime defines your free time, this is for you: join Chip Chick’s True Crime Tribe
She Was Amelia Earhart’s Flight Instructor, And The First Woman To Have An Aviation Business
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
More About:True Crime