The disappearance of 67 year old Ruth Dorsey has perplexed her family, friends and Lee County, Alabama law enforcement for half a century. In the summer of 1974 investigators launched what would become one of the most extensive searches to date in the east central part of the state. Ruth’s disappearance remains one of Alabama’s most baffling mysteries.

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Episode Sources

The Charley Project: Ruth Purcell Murphree Dorsey
Encyclopedia of Alabama: Opelika
Opelika-Auburn News: Dorsey Family Needs Closure After 30 Years, April 16, 2006
Opelika-Auburn News: Only Spooky May Know What Happened, Aug 17, 1975
Opelika-Auburn News: Ruth Dorsey Still Missing After Seven Years, Aug 16, 1981
Opelika-Auburn News: E.S. (Pete) Dorsey, Lee Cattleman Dies at Home, June 22, 1965
Opelika-Auburn News: Opelika Missing After Car Found, Aug 19, 1974
Opelika-Auburn News: Helicopter Used to Search Area for Mrs. Dorsey, Aug 27, 1974
Opelika-Auburn News: Aerial Search for Proves Fruitless In Search for Missing Opelikan
Opelika-Auburn News: Ruth Dorsey’s Disappearance, Aug 21, 1977
Opelika-Auburn News: After 3 Month Search, Dorsey Case Unsolved, Dec 3, 1974
Opelika-Auburn News: Reward Up to $1400, Aug. 30, 1974
RootsWeb: Dorsey Ancestry

Episode Music

Not Forgotten by Dan Lebowitz. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Episode 142 The Mysterious Disappearance of Ruth Dorsey 27:59 Share

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Episode 142 The Mysterious Disappearance of Ruth Dorsey