Maria Theresa Ruthling was a woman who went missing in Scottsdale, Arizona on September 23, 1965. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance.
Early Life[]
Maria Theresa Aurelio was born to Jean LiFauci and Arma Aurelio in 1916 in New York. At age twenty-four, she was an enthnologist living in San Juan Batista, California when she married Paul Rüthling, a herpetologist living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Together they had two daughters, but they would later divorce. At the time of her disappearance, Ruthling ran the Aztec Studio Shop on the 20 block of east Main Street of Scottsdale, Arizona and lived with one of her daughters. Paul lived elsewhere in the city.
Disappearance[]
Ruthling went to work at the Aztec Studio Shop on May 15, 1967. At 10:00 PM, she called her adult daughter and told her that she was on her way home. She never returned home. The next day, one of her daughters found her mother's vehicle was found abandoned in a shopping center parking lot at 20 South Old Scottsdale Road. Her purse and keys were still inside. When searched, the gallery was locked with money in the cash register, suggesting no robbery had occurred that night.
Aftermath[]
In 1969, Ruthling was declared incompetent to handle her affairs. Afterwards, her family sold the Aztec Studio Shop to Rita Neal, who rebranded the gallery as Territorial Indian Arts & Antiques which remains in operation as of 2019.
Characteristics[]
- Italian descent.
- Long brown hair often worn in a bun.
- Brown eyes.
- Pierced ears.
Exclusions[]
- Tucson Jane Doe (1965)
- Virginia Beach Jane Doe (1976)
Gallery[]
Sources[]
- Maria Ruthling at the Doe Network
- Maria Ruthling at NamUs
- Maria Ruthling at the Charley Project
- Maria Ruthling at Uncovered
- Scottsdale Progress