Name: Mary Shotwell Little
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: October 14, 1965
Location Last Seen: Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia
Date of Birth: January 14, 1940
Age: 25 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 120 lbs.
Hair Color: Light brown
Eye Color: Hazel-green
Nickname/Alias: Mary Wallace Shotwell
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Glasses; discoloration on left arm
Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Unknown
Clothing: White London Fog raincoat; olive green sheath dress printed with white flowers; flats
Jewelry: Platinum wedding ring; solitaire engagement ring; yellow gold "University of North Carolina" woman's class ring; scarab bracelet
Additional Personal Items: Set of keys; John Romain handbag; glasses
Little was employed as a secretary at the C&S Bank and had been married to a bank examiner for six weeks at the time of her disappearance. Her husband was out of town on bank business, but he was due back the next day, and they planned to see friends the following evening.
Little purchased groceries and then shared dinner at the Piccadilly Cafeteria with a bank coworker; she was never seen again. The coworker who had dined with Little alerted their supervisor about Little's absence from work the following morning and recalled that Little had mentioned the area where she was parked. With that information, the boss phoned security at Lenox Square, asking them to look for a 1965 metallic pearl gray Mercury Comet . Security soon notified them that no such car could be found.
Little's husband was notified of her disappearance and he headed home. Her boss drove to Lenox Square for his own search of the parking lot. He located her car in the parking area. Police found a fine coat of red dust on the exterior of the car, as if it had been on a dirt road. They also found blood in several places. Also found in the car, carefully rolled together and placed between the seats, was a set of women's undergarments, a girdle, slip, and panties that had tiny drops of blood on them. On the floorboard lay a black bra and a section of stocking that had been cut neatly. Tests indicated the blood probably was Little's. The undergarments definitely were hers and had been worn recently. The car was also littered with dozens of other items, including Coke bottles, a package of Kent cigarettes (Little's brand) and four bags of groceries.
One of her friends told investigators that Little had expressed fear of being home alone and of being alone in her car several days before she disappeared. Authorities also learned that Little had received roses from an unidentified "secret admirer" shortly before she vanished. The flowers were traced to a florist near Little's home, but police were unable to identify the purchaser. Coworkers remembered that Little was disturbed by phone calls she received at work. She never discussed the conversations with anyone.
A key piece of evidence was discovered one month after Little's disappearance. Investigators learned that Little's gasoline credit card had been used in North Carolina. A gas station in Charlotte showed Little's card had been used in the early morning of October 15, just a few hours after she was last seen at Lenox Square. The card was used again several hours later in Raleigh with what appeared to be Little's signature.
The gas station attendant in Charlotte recalled a woman with a cut on her head, trying to hide her face, traveling in the company of a man who seemed to be giving her orders. In Raleigh, the attendant told of a "bloody woman," with blood even on her legs, traveling with two men. No further leads were found about her disappearance and Little has never been found.
Agency Name: Atlanta Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Criminal Investigation Police Sgt Cheree Herbert
Agency Phone Number: 404-853-3434
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: AT79-159
NamUs Case Number: 559
NamUs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Mar. 20, 2004
Added: Prior to 2011; Last Updated: 02/29/2024 - By: hb
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information is from the time of disappearance.
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