32 Years Later, Questions Remain in Disappearance of Joplin Woman

JOPLIN, Mo. — Today marks 32 years since 35-year-old Grace Weber disappeared from the Joplin area, and on the anniversary of her disappearance, authorities are once again asking the public to come forward with any information that could help explain what happened to her.

Weber disappeared on Oct. 7, 1994. Her vehicle was later found at Twin Bridges State Park near Miami, Oklahoma. More than three decades later, her disappearance remains a cold case, with investigators still searching for answers about what happened to her.

Jasper County Sheriff Randee Kaiser said the sheriff's office has not formally reopened the case, but officials periodically bring Weber's disappearance back to the public's attention, particularly around the anniversary of her disappearance.

"We just basically periodically like to bring the case back to light," Kaiser said. "It is a cold case. We still, to this day, don't know what happened."

Kaiser said investigators are hoping renewed attention could prompt someone who has information, even information they may have considered insignificant, to contact authorities.

"Even if it's something that seems irrelevant, maybe somebody saw her two days or a week before she disappeared at a restaurant," Kaiser said. "It may seem irrelevant to them, but it might have some relevancy to us."

Car found in Oklahoma

Weber's vehicle was discovered at Twin Bridges State Park near Miami, Oklahoma.

According to the investigative report reviewed by Kaiser, there was no clear indication of foul play and nothing suspicious was found inside the vehicle.

Her keys and purse were reportedly still inside.

"The detective's report says that there's really no indication of foul play," Kaiser said. "There was nothing found in the car that was suspicious or anything like that."

The circumstances surrounding how the vehicle ended up at the park remain unknown.

Kaiser said investigators have considered multiple possibilities, including whether Weber traveled to the area voluntarily to meet someone or whether something happened to her elsewhere and her vehicle was subsequently taken there.

"We just don't know the answers to that," Kaiser said.

Kaiser clarified that the vehicle was not found immediately next to the water. It was parked in a parking lot at the state park, which is located near the lake.

A death certificate raises more questions

Five years after Weber disappeared, a Texas judge signed a death certificate stating that she had drowned in the Rio Grande.

However, Kaiser said law enforcement at the time had questions about the circumstances surrounding that conclusion.

According to Kaiser, two witnesses testified before a Texas judge that they had seen Weber and said she drowned in the Rio Grande. But investigators questioned the validity of those accounts.

"There were some questions that the law enforcement had at that time about the circumstances behind why she was reported to have drowned in the Rio Grande River," Kaiser said.

Kaiser said the witnesses were not initially known to be involved in the case and, according to his understanding, did not have an established relationship with Weber.

"Yet they're testifying that she drowned in the Rio Grande," Kaiser said. "So, like I said, law enforcement was kind of concerned at the time that there may not be some validity to that story."

The death certificate established a legal determination that Weber was deceased, but questions surrounding what happened to her have remained.

"We don't know," Kaiser said. "That's one of the big parts of this mystery 'What happened in that time frame'."

Could old evidence provide new answers?

With modern forensic technology now available, the sheriff's office is also looking at whether any evidence collected during the original investigation could potentially be examined again.

Kaiser cautioned that there may not be much physical evidence available because Weber's disappearance did not initially provide investigators with a large amount of forensic evidence.

"We're obviously looking to see if there's any forensic evidence that was collected at that time that we may be able to take another look at," Kaiser said, adding that investigators could examine evidence with today's technology.

The original investigation, Kaiser said, involved extensive follow-up work.

After reviewing the case file, he said detectives conducted dozens of interviews and contacted numerous people who might have had information about Weber.

"I think the detectives that worked on this case did a good job," Kaiser said. "They were very thorough."

Some of the people involved in the original investigation are now deceased, meaning investigators would not be able to return to them for additional interviews. However, Kaiser said other witnesses could potentially be re-interviewed if doing so could provide useful information.

Authorities say they haven't given up

Kaiser said the age of a case does not necessarily determine whether investigators continue pursuing it.

"If it's an open case, we're always going to be working on it, even if it's 10, 20, 30 years," Kaiser said.

Although investigators may not have anything to pursue when there are no new leads, Kaiser said that does not mean the case is considered closed.

"We don't give up on them," he said. "We like to always have the mindset that we're going to keep actively pursuing any lead that might come up."

That could include information that seems minor or unrelated at first.

Kaiser said a person may remember seeing Weber days or even a week before her disappearance and assume the information is not important. Investigators, however, may be able to determine whether that memory fits into the larger timeline.

"Even if they think it might not be relevant, just go ahead and reach out and let us know so that we can just have that information," Kaiser said.

More than three decades have passed since Weber disappeared, but investigators continue to seek answers about what happened to her.

Anyone with information about Weber, her disappearance, her whereabouts in the days leading up to Oct. 7, 1994, or the circumstances surrounding her vehicle being found in Oklahoma is encouraged to contact the Jasper County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office can be reached at 417-358-8177. Tips can also be submitted through the Jasper County Sheriff's Office website.

Kaiser said even information that may seem insignificant could potentially help investigators piece together what happened to Weber.

"Just let us know what that is," Kaiser said. "It may seem irrelevant to them, but it might have some relevancy to us."