Missing Since: 1974-05-30 Location: Moundsville, West Virginia
Price was last seen at approximately 8:45 p.m. on May 30, 1974, when she left her apartment on 4th Street for her place of employment, the Flamingo Club in Benwood, West Virginia. She was driving her boyfriend’s green four-door early 1970s model AMC Gremlin. Price never arrived at work and has never been heard from again. The vehicle was found the next morning along State Route 2 at 12th Street in McMechen, West Virginia, just north of Moundsville, West Virginia. Price’s wallet and purse were inside the car, and her makeup was spread out over the front seat. Route 2 is the major north/south route along the Ohio River between Moundsville and Wheeling, West Virginia. Price’s disappearance went unreported for three days, and the 1974 police investigation was cursory; officers never looked at her car, for example. The case was reopened in 2009. An anonymous informant told police that Price was shot to death with a small-caliber handgun and buried beneath a telephone pole. This story has not been confirmed, however. At the time of her disappearance, Price was going through a contentious divorce and custody battle for her two young children, but her ex-husband was investigated thoroughly and authorities couldn’t find any evidence to link him to her disappearance. She was born in New Jersey, and moved to West Virginia after her father died when she was four. Since 1974 she hasn’t held a job or been arrested. Her loved ones describe her as an outgoing, family-oriented woman who would never had abandoned her children. Foul play is suspected in Price’s disappearance. Her case remains unsolved. Investigating Agency West Virginia State Police Moundsville Station 304-329-1101 Source Information West Virginia State Police MySpace Page for Annita Maria Price Project Jason The Doe Network WTRF Unsolved in the News Updated 5 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated January 30, 2010; details of disappearance updated.