Eloise Worledge disappearance

Eloise Worledge (October 8, 1967 – probably January 12, 1976) is a missing person, who as an eight year old girl was abducted from her home in Beaumaris, Australia in the early hours of 12 January, 1976.

Abduction

Her brother raised the alarm about her disappearance when he noticed she was not in her room at 7.30am. He later told police he heard "robbers" who kidnapped his sister, but was too scared to say anything at the time because he thought they would take him too. There was no sign of a struggle. Investigations also revealed no signs of forced entry. Police believed that Eloise was lured from her bed by someone whom she knew and trusted and simply left the house via the front door, which had been left unlocked. Another possibility not discounted was that Worledge may have been abducted by a prowler known to be in the area at the time.

A dark green car speeding down Scott Street at 2am was reported by a neighbour. Bark from a tree outside her window was found on her bedroom floor. A small hole had been cut in the flyscreen in her window, but forensic tests revealed it had been cut from the inside. Police believed it was too small to have been used by the abductor, because scientific evidence found it unlikely that Eloise was taken through her open bedroom window. Both parents were initially treated as suspects.

Investigation

Despite one of the biggest searches in Victoria's history and a $10,000 reward posted in 1976 that remains unclaimed, no trace of her has ever been found. Homicide cold case detectives also reinvestigated the case in 2001, to no avail.

References

* [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/07/04/1057179154768.html Who Stole Eloise?]
* [http://www.mako.org.au/eloiseworledge1.html Missing Persons- Eloise Worledge]