Judith Carole Himes

Himes, circa 1965

  • Missing Since 09/14/1965
  • Missing From Coral Gables, Florida
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Female
  • Race White
  • Age 22 years old
  • Height and Weight Unknown
  • Medical Conditions Himes was pregnant at the time of her disappearance.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Black hair, brown eyes. Himes's nickname is Judy. Some accounts spell her name "Hyams."

Details of Disappearance

Himes was last seen in Coral Gables, Florida on September 14, 1965. The previous month, she had learned she was pregnant. She was unmarried at the time and there was considerable social stigma attached to having an illegitimate child.

On the day of her disappearance, Himes said she was going shopping for a watch, and withdrew $300 from the bank. In fact, she was going to have an abortion. Abortion was illegal in 1965, but it was practiced covertly.

Himes has never been heard from again. Three weeks later, her rental vehicle was found parked in Atlanta, Georgia, 650 miles north of Coral Gables. It had been at that location for at least three days. There were traces of blood in the backseat.

Witnesses stated a man had parked the car and left it there, after removing a duffel bag from the trunk. This man, who appeared to be in his thirties, has never been identified.

The man who ran the abortion clinic Himes planned to use was a Hungarian immigrant who posed as a physician. He was arrested three months after her disappearance and charged with perjury and impersonating a physician, but he jumped bail and may have returned to Hungary afterwards.

An anonymous letter sent to the Coral Gables Police Department said Himes died as the result of a botched abortion and her body was dumped in Biscayne Bay near Miami, Florida. The letter's author has not been identified and the tip hasn't been confirmed, but police found the letter credible.

In the years since Himes disappeared, there have been tips that she is alive and living in Omaha, Nebraska. None of the stories have been confirmed. Himes was employed as a medical technician at the time of her disappearance. Her case was profiled on the television show Unsolved Mysteries decades after her disappearance. It remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency

  • Coral Gables Police Department 305-442-1600

Source Information

Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated May 21, 2011; middle name and two pictures added, distinguishing characteristics updated.