Lacey Buenfil, a 25-year-old mother of three, was last seen alive on the morning of December 27, 2011, in Altoona, Florida. Surveillance footage captured her alongside an acquaintance, Terry McDowell, at the Citgo gas station located at the intersection of State Road 19 and County Road 42.
Disappearance in the Ocala National Forest
Later that afternoon, around 3:00 PM, investigators believe the pair drove into the Ocala National Forest, where McDowell’s black pickup truck became bogged down in the mud on Railroad Grade Road, just south of Forest Road 14. According to statements McDowell gave investigators before his death, Buenfil decided to head south on foot to find help. She never returned and has not been seen or heard from since.
Buenfil, who would be 39 years old today, is described as being between 5 feet and 5 feet 1 inch tall, weighing approximately 90 pounds. She has brown hair and hazel eyes. Her ears and tongue are pierced, and she has visible scars on both her abdomen and her right thigh. On the day she disappeared, she was wearing a pink T-shirt, blue jeans, and potentially sandals.
Law enforcement officials are investigating her disappearance under case number 110188373 and the national database NamUs number MP13822. Her family, including her three daughters, continues to search for answers.
Anyone with information regarding Buenfil’s whereabouts, or who may have been in the area of Railroad Grade Road on the afternoon of December 27, 2011, is urged to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Team at 352-343-9529 or via email at [email protected]. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to CrimeLine at 800-423-8477.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
