CAMDEN – A mother still hopes to learn the fate of her daughter who vanished more than seven years ago.
Lois Lorraine Rodriguez went missing on May 31, 2012. She was reportedly last seen working a weekend shift at Dover International Speedway and never returned home afterward, Delaware State Police spokesman Sgt. Richard Bratz said.
On Feb. 13, police issued a news release detailing the case, including a 2012 photo of Ms. Rodriguez.
“In conversations with her mother, we decided to initiate another release to see if anyone had any information,” Sgt. Bratz said. “We also wanted to try to extend the scope of the news release to areas we know she frequented – Maryland and Pennsylvania.”
According to the news release, “Since Lois was reported missing, she has not attempted to contact family or friends and their concerns for her welfare continue to remain.”
At the time of her disappearance, Ms. Rodriguez “worked for an outside parking company who traveled the NASCAR circuit, working the spectator parking for NASCAR events around the country,” Sgt. Bratz said.
Ms. Rodriguez would turn 60 on Feb. 23, police said. She was 52 years old at the time of her disappearance.
Police said Ms. Rodriguez could be declared legally deceased as of May 2019.
Mr. Rodriguez is listed online with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System at namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/25893. According to the report, Ms. Rodriguez’ mother went to Troop 3 to report her missing on Aug. 9, 2012.
Ms. Rodriguez was described in the NamUs file as 5 feet, 6 inches tall, 130 pounds with strawberry blond hair and blue eyes. She had a tiger cub tattoo on her right shoulder, a rose tattoo on her left forearm and a scar on her cheek.
Ms. Rodriguez lived in Camden when she vanished, residing at a home on Fox Hole Road. She had been living with her boyfriend before voluntarily leaving, authorities said.
When Ms. Rodriguez was reported missing in 2012, police issued a press release.
Ms. Rodriguez is the ninth most recent listed NamUs case in Delaware among 60 missing persons. The oldest involves a Georgetown resident reported missing on Dec. 30, 1937.
There are active Felton-related missing persons cases from 2010 and 1979, Wyoming in 2007 and Houston in 1988.
According to NamUs spokeswoman B.J. Spamer, 36 Delaware missing persons cases have been resolved out of more than 20,000 nationally and “75 percent of reported cases end up with someone found alive.”
Delaware has 30 unidentified person cases in the NamUs database, the most recent a believed to be a 2- to 5-year-old girl found in Smyrna in September 2019. The cases stretch back to 1964.
Long-term cases
Generally speaking, as long-term disappearances continue, opportunities to chase clues lessen, according to police.
“There is no evidence/paper trail,” Sgt. Bratz said. “Phones, financials, there is nothing readily usable to try to trace movement, transactions, etc.”
The flow of tips was limited in search for Ms. Rodriguez and Sgt. Bratz said “The majority of information obtained during the investigation was through proactive means.”
According to her mother, police said, Ms. Rodriguez participated in online chat rooms and had acquaintances in the Aberdeen, Maryland area. She was reportedly known to leave for long periods of time to meet people.
“Investigators revisit the case periodically throughout the year,” Sgt. Bratz said.
“Exhaustive interviews, search warrants, subpoenas, and press releases have not gotten us any closer to finding out her whereabouts in the time since her disappearance.”
Police described the case as active and ongoing. Anyone who recognizes Mr. Rodriguez or has information on her whereabouts is asked to contact Troop 3 Major Crimes Unit Detective Blomquist at 698-8426. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or online at delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.