Elizabeth Theresa Bishop

Bishop, circa 1981; Henry Lee Lucas, circa 1979

  • Missing Since 10/02/1981
  • Missing From Abilene, Texas
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Female
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 08/11/1961 (62)
  • Age 20 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'6 - 5'7, 110 - 125 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description Blue jeans and a white or beige blouse with multicolored stripes. Carrying a large dark brown purse.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Auburn/brown hair, blue/hazel eyes. Bishop's nickname is Terri.

Details of Disappearance

Bishop was last seen talking to some unknown men at or near Diamond Jim's, a nightclub on Butternut Street in Abilene, Texas, on October 2, 1981. She has never been heard from again. Authorities regarded Henry Lee Lucas as a possible suspect in Bishop's case. A photo of Lucas is posted with this case summary. Investigators interviewed him at least ten times, but Lucas consistently denied involvement in Bishop's disappearance.

Lucas was convicted of the 1979 murder of an unidentified female in Texas and sentenced to death. The state's former governor, George W. Bush, commuted his sentence to life imprisonment prior to his scheduled 1999 execution. He later died in prison.

Lucas claimed to have killed approximately 600 people, but he confessed to many crimes he did not commit and the exact number of his victims is unknown. He is also considered a possible suspect in the disappearances of Eva DeBruhl and Cheryl Scherer, and he confessed to involvement in the unsolved disappearances of Janet Callies and a married couple, John and Faye Whatley.

Bishop's case remains unsolved.

Updated 4 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated October 24, 2021; details of disappearance updated.