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

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.

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.”