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The Mystery of the Trunk Lady Unlocked: Florida Police Identify Missing Mom From 1969
In 1969, two children stumbled upon a gruesome discovery behind the Oyster Bar in St. Petersburg, Florida. They found a steamer trunk containing a woman’s body strangled with a bolo tie, wearing only a pajama top.
For decades, the mystery of the “Trunk Lady” remained unsolved, with no leads or clues as to her identity or killer. It wasn’t until 53 years later that the case finally saw some progress. Sylvia June Atherton, a remarried mother of five from Chicago, was identified as the woman found in the trunk.
Atherton had disappeared when she was 41, and her family had no idea what had happened to her until recently. The breakthrough in the case was made possible through advances in DNA testing and genealogical sleuthing.
Atherton was described as a caring and hardworking mother who loved her children. She lived in Tucson, Arizona, with her five children until she left for Chicago in 1965 with her second husband, Stuart Brown, and three of the children.
Brown died in Las Vegas in 1999 without ever reporting his wife’s absence, and he did not list her on a bankruptcy filing before his death. Police believe that the steamer trunk belonged to the couple, and still, many unanswered questions exist.
The news of Atherton’s identification and the progress in the case has brought both closure and renewed hope for her family. However, two children still left for Chicago with Atherton, little Kimberly, and 20-year-old Donna Lindhurst, who hasn’t been located and may have additional information regarding the case.
The Trunk Lady’s story is tragic, but it also highlights the power of modern technology and the persistence of law enforcement in solving cold cases. The hope is that with the identification of Atherton and the renewed attention to the case, justice will ultimately be served, and her killer will be brought to justice.
Originally published at https://www.newsbreak.com.
