On The Morning Of St. Patrick’s Day, She Walked Out Of Her Home And Was Never Seen Or Heard From Again
By March 1996, Margaret Tevanian and her husband, Archie, resided in the Little Armenia neighborhood of Portland, Maine. Their adult son, Robert, still lived at home, and their daughter, Robin, was right next door.
The Tevanian family had a tight-knit bond, but 65-year-old Margaret battled mental health struggles and hadn’t left her house in months. Yet, on the morning of St. Patrick’s Day that year, she walked out of her home and was never seen or heard from again.
Margaret had wandered away in the past, and she was subsequently found in various Portland areas, including the Franklin Towers apartment building, Deering Oaks Park, and a Forrest Avenue post office. She was married to her husband, Archie, for over three decades, and he served as her primary caretaker.
Leading up to March 17, 1996, however, she hadn’t gone anywhere in months. That’s what makes her disappearance even more puzzling.
Sometime before 7:00 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, Margaret, who was wearing her pajamas, a white robe, brown shoes, and a blue kerchief in her hair, took a paper bag holding a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss and walked out of her Cedar Street home. Once Archie realized his wife was missing, he contacted the police.
Authorities launched an investigation into her case the following day, March 18. They spoke with Margaret’s family, as well as neighbors and other local residents. Nonetheless, they discovered no clues to her whereabouts.
Just over three months after Margaret vanished, Archie was rushed to the hospital on June 30, 1996. He passed away at 72 years old after likely suffering cardiac arrest, never learning what had happened to his wife.
A new detective named Paul Murphy took over the investigation into Margaret’s case in 2002. He visited her and Archie’s house, where Robert still resided, to conduct a search. Cadaver dogs from the medical examiner’s office were brought to the property again for another search in May 2003.
Robert was reportedly cooperative and wished his father had gotten answers before dying. Even so, the police’s efforts yielded no results, and Margaret’s disappearance remains unsolved nearly 29 years later.
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Authorities are unsure what happened to her, as no witnesses reported spotting Margaret, and they found no evidence of foul play or potential suspects.
Her dental records were made available to the Augusta Medical Examiner’s Office as well, but there has never been a match. This led Judge William Childs to declare her legally dead on April 23, 2004.
“The question we’ve struggled with is whether there was foul play involved, and we’ve never been able to say definitively one way or the other,” Police Commander Vern Malloch said in 2012.
Despite Margaret’s case being cold, the police continue to welcome tips. On St. Patrick’s Day in 2023, they issued a renewed plea to the public for information.
Archie is buried at Forest City Cemetery in South Portland, and while Margaret’s remains have never been recovered, she also has a headstone there.
Margaret was five foot three, weighed 110 pounds, and had gray/brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Portland Police Department at (207) 874-8601.
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