Patricia Elayne Action

Action, circa 1978

  • Missing Since 05/26/1978
  • Missing From Clearwater, Florida
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Female
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 01/04/1953 (71)
  • Age 25 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'4, 96 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A beige jumpsuit with pink, green and yellow stripes. Carrying a light brown shoulder purse with three compartments.
  • Medical Conditions Action has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and is supposed to take medication.
  • Associated Vehicle(s) White two-door 1969 Chevrolet Malibu (accounted for)
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, blue eyes. Action has a scar on her abdomen. Her nicknames are Patsy and Patty, and she may use her married name, Woodyard. Her blood is type O.

Details of Disappearance

Action was last seen leaving the Ramada Inn Lounge on U. S. 19 north and State Route 60 in Clearwater at 11:30 p.m. on May 26, 1978.

She had moved in with her parents six weeks before her disappearance, after she filed for divorce and was forced to drop out of Stetson University due to an illness. She had recently taken a job at the Kapok Tree Inn. She had just gotten her paycheck and had gone out to the Ramada Inn Lounge that night after work to celebrate with friends.

After about half an hour in the lounge, during which time she had half a drink, Action said she was going to the bathroom and would return in a few minutes. She took her purse with her. The employees didn't notice anything amiss at the time. Action never returned to her friends, never came home and has never been heard from again.

Her parents stated they did not attempt to control her life, but she was always good about keeping them informed where she was and what she was doing. Her parents reported her missing the day after she was last seen.

Four days after Action's disappearance, her car, a white two-door 1969 Chevrolet Malibu, turned up abandoned on U.S. 19 in Tarpon Springs, Florida. She had been raised in that city and graduated from Tarpon Springs High School. Her purse was not inside the vehicle when it was found.

A substantial amount of type O blood was splattered inside the vehicle, on the front seat, floorboard and keys. There was enough blood to indicate someone had sustained a severe, possibly fatal, injury. Authorities couldn't determine whether it was Action's blood, although it was her type. Her shoes were also inside the car, but there was no indication of her whereabouts at the scene.

Action is considered to be missing under suspicious circumstances and foul play is suspected in her case, which remains unsolved.

Updated 6 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated November 30, 2019; picture added.