Name: Katherine Dolan Heckel
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: July 15, 1991
Location Last Seen: Mill Hall, Clinton County, Pennsylvania
Date of Birth: Circa 1951
Age: 40 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'3" to 5'6"
Weight: 130-150 lbs.
Hair Color: Dark brown, shoulder-length and curly.
Eye Color: Brown
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: She had her right kidney removed which left a surgical scar on her right flank. Wears contact lenses. Pierced ears.
Dentals: Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Available
Clothing: sleeveless maroon dress with blue and yellow print and possibly tan flats (size 8 1/2 to 10).
Jewelry: Gold engagement ring with one carat diamond, gold wedding with three small diamonds, 1/4 carat diamond earings, and a gold chain necklace.
Additional Personal Items: Blue shoulder bag (8"-12") and a brown wallet.
Katherine Dolan Heckel, known as Kathy, was last seen at noon on Monday, July 15, 1991, as she was leaving her office at the International Paper Company in Lock Haven where she worked as an IP management secretary.
She called her two children just before lunch and told them she planned to run errands and would be eating alone. She drove her car out of the parking lot and never returned. She was reported missing by family members the following day.
Kathy didn't have money or personal belongings with her and her financial accounts were not used. Her car was found on Thursday, July 17, 1991 at 10:30 p.m., near the Lock Haven Hospital, but did not contain any evidence leading to her whereabouts.
The search for Heckel began with police, local firefighters, volunteers, horse-mounted search crews and canine rescue teams scouring the nearby forests and rural areas for weeks looking for clues and evidence.
Kathy was a married mother of two. Her husband, a full-time National Guard member, was away at a 2-week training exercise at the time and is not a suspect in her disappearance.
Shortly after the disappearance, police announced they had a suspect, who was identified as a male coworker whom Kathy had been seeing socially. Police seized his van, which was seen leaving the Hammermill plant about the same time as Kathy. Traces of human blood of the same type as Kathy's were found on carpet in the van, as were a box of .25-caliber ammunition, a hunting knife, a partial roll of duct tape and two athletic bags. A .25-caliber semiautomatic pistol was found in the man's desk at the paper plant. He denies any involvement in her disappearance.
Agency Name: PA State Police
Agency Contact Person: Trooper Curtis Confer
Agency Phone Number: (570)726-6000
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: F04-0440825
NamUs Case Number: 14211
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
Namus
Pennsylvania Missing
Added: 8/11/08; Last Updated: 05-18-2022 - By: Htmlcnvtr
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information is from the time of disappearance.
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