Stephanie C. Gibson

Gibson, circa 1995; Sketch of Gibson as she appeared in 1995 by Wesley Neville

  • Missing Since 07/08/1995
  • Missing From Peoria, Illinois
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Female
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 01/25/1947 (77)
  • Age 48 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'2 - 5'6, 197 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A tight-fitting black blouse with diamond-shaped designs, black spandex pants, black sneakers and earrings.
  • Medical Conditions Gibson is mentally disabled.
  • Associated Vehicle(s) Light blue four-door 1979 Dodge Dart with license plates numbered MMJ 296
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Graying brown hair, green eyes. Gibson has a tattoo of a broken heart on her upper left arm. Her ears are pierced.

Details of Disappearance

Gibson was last seen departing Memories, a bar in the 800 block of Main Street in Peoria, Illinois, at approximately 2:30 a.m. July 8, 1995. She was accompanied by Arlie Ray Davis at the time of her disappearance. They rode away in his car, a light blue four-door 1979 Dodge Dart with license plates numbered MMJ 296.

Davis claimed that he and Gibson visited Kingston Mines in Illinois afterwards, but no evidence was discovered to support his statement. Gibson has never been heard from again. She resided in the 600 block of Voris Street in 1995.

Davis was convicted of the murder of another Illinois woman in the late 1990s and was sentenced to death. Prostitutes working in the Peoria area reported that Davis enjoyed strangling and beating them in the early 1990s. Investigators said that he suffered from a sexual dysfunction and felt inferior towards women.

Gibson is one of several missing women from the Peoria area; others include Loretta Tinkham and Cheryl Murray. Another woman named Sheryl Murwin vanished from Peoria in 1994; her skull was found in 2001 and identified in 2003.

Authorities do not know if the cases are related, but it is possible that the women came into contact with Davis. He died after suffering a heart attack on death row in October 2002.

Davis consistently maintained his innocence in the disappearances. Several unidentified female bodies have been located in the Peoria area in recent years, but the victims are not believed to be related to the missing women's cases.

Investigating Agency

  • Illinois State Police 309-692-2100

Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004. Last updated October 27, 2005; details of disappearance updated.