Name: Catherine B. Romer
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: April 8, 1980
Location Last Seen: Brunswick, Glynn County, Georgia
Date of Birth: July 20, 1902
Age: 77 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 145 lbs.
Hair Color: Blonde, Bleached
Eye Color: Unknown
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown
Dentals: Not Available
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Not Available
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
Catherine Romer and her husband Charles disappeared shortly after checking into the Holiday Inn located along I-95 and U.S. 341 in Brunswick, Georgia. The couple was traveling from their winter home in Miami, Florida to their home in Scarsdale, New York; in their custom black 2-door 1978 Lincoln Continental with New York license plate "CRR-CBR." The car has never been located. The couple checked into the hotel on Tuesday, April 8, 1980 at 3:51 p.m. They took their belongings to their room. Around 5 p.m. that evening an officer with the Georgia Highway Patrol recalled seeing the couple's car south of Brunswick parked near a group of restaurants. On Friday, April 11th, hotel management notified police that the couple's room had not appeared occupied since they had initially checked in. While searching the room, investigators noted that the last complete entry of Charles' diary was April 7th and that it indicated that the couple planned to be back in New York on April 10th. Mr. Romer was described as "extremely meticulous and unlikely to have deviated from his plan." Her family reported that she had with her jewelry worth between $60,000 and $80,000
A massive search was conducted of back roads and swamps. Helicopters and divers were used but no clues as to the whereabouts of the couple or their car was ever found. Investigators checked restaurants and service stations along 120 miles of interstate between the Florida state line and Savannah. Charles' sons hired a private investigator to facilitate the search. Two theories were formed. One was that the couple was victims of robbery and foul play. The other was that they ran off the road into the swamp, which is quick sand in some areas. Some men fishing near Jekyll Island reported seeing a couple matching the Romers' description. Investigators doubt that it was the Romers due to the timeframe of the sighting.
Charles Romer's sons made annual trips to Georgia to keep the case active. A diver from the initial search continues to search for the Romers and their car. Catherine was declared legally dead in 1985.
Agency Name: Glynn County Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Captain Marissa Tindale
Agency Phone Number: 912-554-7802
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 80-04-01449
NamUs Case Number: 73872
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
The New York Times (4/20/80; 4/19/81; 10/9/85)
Florida Times Union (12/28/03)
Great Southern Mysteries by E. Randall Floyd
Namus
Added: Prior to 2011; Last Updated: 08-13-2022 - By: Admin
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information is from the time of disappearance.
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