Ethel Louise Atwell was a woman who was witnessed to have been abducted from her job at the Willowbrook State School in 1978.
It is not known how old she was at the time of her disappearance, with various sources listing her as being 42, 46, or 47 years old when she went missing. However, the Black and Missing Foundation lists her birthday as April 6, 1932, which would have made her 46.
Case[]
Atwell worked as a physical therapy aide at the Willowbrook State School, which is now known as the Staten Island Developmental Center.
She arrived at work in the early morning hours of October 24, 1978, but shortly after she got out of her car two of her coworkers witnessed a man dragging her out of the parking lot. The man allegedly said "Come on, come on" and Atwell responded with "No, you'll beat me" before screaming. Several of Atwell's personal belongings were found in the parking lot, and her keys were found in a wooded area 75 feet away.
Murderer and suspected serial killer Andre Rand is considered a suspect in her disappearance. He has ties to the Willowbrook State School, having worked there in the 1960s and having buried his only confirmed victim, a twelve-year-old girl, on the grounds of the school in 1987. He has been convicted of kidnapping in the 1981 disappearance of Holly Hughes and is also a suspect in the disappearances of Alice Pereira, Tiahease Jackson and Hank Gafforio.
Characteristics[]
- Curly black hair, possibly in a full perm.
- Brown eyes.
Exclusions[]
- Norfolk Jane Doe (2004)
Sources[]
- Andre Rand on Wikipedia
- Ethel Atwell at NamUs
- Ethel Atwell at the Doe Network
- Ethel Atwell at the Charley Project
- Black and Missing Foundation