The last time anyone saw 26-year-old Anne Manchester was on June 29, 1980. She lived alone in a third-floor apartment at Villa Belmont Apartments in Newark, Delaware.
She was a graduate student at the University of Delaware at the time of her disappearance. She went missing just days before she was about to earn her master’s degree in business administration.
Anne and her family were natives of Delaware. Her parents lived in the town of Newark as well. Her family described her as a meticulous and organized person.
Her living space was always neat and tidy, and she kept track of appointments by marking them on a calendar. All in all, she ran a tight ship.
On July 9, 1980, Anne’s parents stopped by her apartment after returning home from a vacation. They found the door unlocked. Her keys, purse, checkbook, lighter, and cigarettes were all in place.
However, a pair of sandals was underneath the kitchen table, and a stack of textbooks was sitting on top of the table, along with a half-full glass of diet soda. A film had formed over the top of the liquid.
They couldn’t find Anne anywhere, so they reported her missing. The police figured out that Anne was last seen on June 29, 1980. She had a test the next day that she never showed up for.
At around noon on June 29, a male resident visited her at her apartment. He was not a student at the university. He left her home at 12:30 p.m. Anne briefly talked to a female classmate on the phone at 2:00 p.m. After that, Anne was never heard from again.
Her car, money, and other personal belongings were left behind. Friends, family members, and neighbors reported that she typically drove everywhere and was not a walker or jogger. The fields and residential areas around her apartment building were thoroughly searched, but nothing was found.
About a year later, a local newspaper reported a rumor that Anne had been killed, put in a suitcase, and disposed of at the Claymont steel firm where she used to work as a secretary before quitting to attend school full-time. The police looked into it, but did not find evidence to support the rumor.
Another rumor involved a man who lived on the second floor of Anne’s apartment building. He had a telescope that he used to watch neighbors. This was never officially investigated.
The police believe that foul play was involved in Anne’s disappearance. She may have been kidnapped or lured into a car after leaving her apartment barefoot to perform a quick task, such as checking the mail or taking out the trash.
At the time of her disappearance, Anne Manchester was 5’2″ to 5’3″ and weighed 110 pounds. She had brown hair, brown eyes, and a growth on her left eyelid. She was wearing a T-shirt, blue denim cut-off shorts with a heart on the back, a silver ring, and a gold Timex watch.
Anyone with information about Anne’s case is urged to contact the Newark Police Department at 302-366-7110.
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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
