Susan Basile
Susan, circa 1975; Gerald Stano in 1981
- Missing Since 06/10/1975
- Missing From Port Orange, Florida
- Classification Endangered Missing
- Sex Female
- Race White
- Age 12 years old
- Height and Weight 5'0, 90 pounds
- Clothing/Jewelry Description A white blouse, blue bell-bottom jeans and white sneakers. Carrying a suede shoulder purse.
- Associated Vehicle(s) Dark blue Chevrolet van with orange curtains and the word "Aries" on the side
- Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes.
Details of Disappearance
Susan was last seen in Port Orange, Florida on June 10, 1975. She got off her school bus and was walking on a desert dirt road, heading home. She usually walked home with a friend, but on that day she was alone. She never arrived home and has never been heard from again.
A witness reported seeing her being forced into a dark blue Chevrolet van by two men. One of the abductors was about twenty-two years old and the other was about thirty. The van had orange curtains and the word "Aries" on the side.
The serial killer Gerald Stano confessed to Susan's murder in 1982. A photograph of Stano is posted with this case summary. He confessed to the murders of 41 women in several states and, in many cases, led police to where his victims' bodies were.
Stano stated he picked up Susan on the day of her disappearance and offered her a ride to the Starlite Skate Center, which they both patronized. After she got into his vehicle, he strangled her. Stano led authorities to the place where he says he left her body, but the site had been built over and no remains were located.
Stano pleaded guilty to several murders, but he was not charged in most of the cases he is alleged to have been involved in, including Susan's. He also confessed to causing the death of Gail Joiner, who was never located, but it is unclear whether he was actually involved in that case. Susan is Stano's youngest presumed victim. He was executed in Florida in 1998.
Foul play is suspected in Susan's case due to the circumstances involved.
Investigating Agency
- Port Orange Police Department 386-506-5894
Updated 4 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated January 2, 2019; height, weight and clothing/jewelry description added, distinguishing characteristics updated.