In May 1991, a woman from Ohio named Deborah “Debby” Arvanites decided to hitchhike 40 miles to attend a Foghat, Rare Earth, and Molly Hatchet concert. It was supposed to be a carefree night of live music, motorcycles, and fun. However, she never returned home.
Debby was born on April 18, 1962. She lived in Ashtabula, Ohio, and was divorced with two young sons. She was on good terms with her ex-husband, Marc, who is also the father of her children.
On May 19, 1991, she hitchhiked about 40 miles to Conneaut Lake Park in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, for a concert. Conneaut Lake is one of the largest natural lakes in Pennsylvania. It is three miles long and about 68 to 90 feet deep in some areas.
The park was also hosting its yearly Harley-Davidson motorcycle rally. Around 5,000 to 10,000 bikers were attending the rally. Debby had a ticket to that event as well and planned to go.
During that era, hitchhiking was a more common way to get where you wanted to go. Today, not so much. The dangers of hitchhiking were known by then, but it hadn’t fully acquired the stigma and fear it carries today.
A family friend was able to confirm seeing her at the park. It was the last known sighting of Debby. No one else has seen or heard from her ever since.
At the concert, she was reportedly wearing a gold-colored shirt, a black jacket, a denim skirt, and white sneakers.
After that, she seemingly vanished without a trace. Since she was spotted at the concert, it is possible that something happened to her sometime after the concert.
There have been no known leads, and no arrests were made, but police suspect foul play. They searched the area with cadaver dogs, but didn’t find anything.
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At the time of her disappearance, Debby was 29 years old. She is described as a white woman. She is between 5’2″ and 5’3″ and weighs approximately 130 pounds.
She has blue eyes, medium-length dirty blonde hair, and two tattoos, including a lightning bolt with clouds on her ankle and a rose on her shoulder blade.
She reportedly has a broken toe that never properly healed. She also has a mole between her mouth and nose and another mole below her bosom.
Her parents passed away in the early 2000s without ever finding out what happened to their daughter. Her sons were raised by relatives in her absence and are still alive today, living with the unanswered questions surrounding their mother’s disappearance and hoping for closure.
More than 30 years later, Debby’s case remains open. She would be 63 years old today. Anyone who has any information on Debby’s disappearance is urged to contact the Ashtabula Police Department at (440) 992-7168. Even decades later, one tip could finally bring the truth to light.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
