Linda Bowdre

• Missing Since 02/14/1988
• Missing From Springfield Township, Ohio
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race White
• Date of Birth 07/12/1948 (76)
• Age 39 years old
• Height and Weight 5'4, 140 pounds
• Associated Vehicle(s) Gold 1988 Acura Legend (accounted for)
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Light brown hair, green eyes. Linda's ears are pierced, and she wears contact lenses. Her maiden name is McCurdy.

Details of Disappearance

Linda resided in the 10100 block of Hamilton Avenue in the New Burlington area of Springfield Township, Ohio in 1998. She was employed as an executive at AT&T in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was last seen on February 14, 1988.

She had breakfast at a restaurant that morning with Larry Bowdre, her husband of eighteen years, then they returned home. Larry stated he left home at 3:30 p.m. to take care of personal business and when he returned 45 minutes later, his wife was missing. She was reported missing after she failed to arrive for work the day after her disappearance. An extensive search of the area produced no clues as to Linda's whereabouts.

She left behind her pets, her gold 1988 Acura Legend, her antique jewelry and all her clothing. Her purse disappeared with her, but about a week later it was found in a mailbox at a post office on Dalton Street in Cincinnati. Inside were her credit cards and other personal items.

At the time of her disappearance, Linda had been having an affair with a married coworker and she had scheduled an appointment with a divorce lawyer. Larry was aware of the affair and that Linda planned to leave him as soon as her boyfriend got a divorce.

He gave police a printout of a letter he had written to Linda's boyfriend's wife, asking her to help him convince Linda to change her mind about leaving him; he wrote that he loved her very much and had forgiven her infidelity. It's unclear whether Larry actually sent this letter to Linda's boyfriend's wife. He had, however, sent an letter to Linda's boyfriend threatening to throw a jar of burning gasoline through his bedroom window if he didn't end the affair.

When authorities first interviewed Larry at the couple's home after Linda's disappearance, they noted there was a strong smell of chlorine bleach and several windows were open. They later confiscated two kitchen cupboards with possible bloodstains on them, and a muddy shovel. Larry has been uncooperative in the investigation and hired an attorney after being questioned by police. He maintains his innocence in Linda's case, and suggested she had simply "run off" with her boyfriend.

In 1989, Linda's mother, Joan McCurdy, sued Larry over Linda's disappearance. The complaint stated Larry had caused McCurdy "severe emotional distress" when he failed to notify her that Linda was missing; she didn't find out until the police contacted her several days after Linda was last seen. McCurdy also demanded that Larry return $10,000 worth of antique furniture she had lent Linda. She said she had repeatedly asked for the return of the items and Larry had ignored her. The outcome of the lawsuit is unknown.

Linda grew up in Michigan and is a 1970 graduate of Michigan State University. She met Larry in college; he was a teaching assistant in one of her classes. They initially lived in Lansing, Michigan, until Linda's job transferred her to Cincinnati in 2016. She was the primary breadwinner in the family. They both enjoyed gardening together and had a large garden at their home.

Authorities have suspected that foul play was involved in her case since the beginning of the investigation; her disappearance is classified as a homicide. It remains unsolved.