Phyllis Maue - Missing Since 1982

Missing Person's Name: Phyllis Maue

Middle initial: A.

Last contact: June 25th, 1982 (Friday); reportedly at about 2 PM

Age when she disappeared: 29

Sex: Female

Height in inches: 64 which in 5'4"

Weight in pounds (lbs): 120

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian

Hair color: Red/Auburn, long and shoulder-lengthed

Eye Color: Brown and can be wearing glasses

Scar or distinctive characteristic: Caesarian scar on abdomen

Family: Gregory Paul (son), Greg Maue (husband)

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased or details added): Phyllis Maue was last seen getting into a light brown Chevrolet Van, one block from her residence. She had a possible destination of New York. She was last seen wearing a red pullover shirt, blue jeans, and gym shoes. These could be cross-referenced to Jane Does on NamUs.

Link to government source: https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/115557?nav

Commentary and Research

By: Shane Lambert

Phyllis Maue was last seen on June 25th, 1982, which was a Friday. According to NamUs she was last seen entering a Chevrolet Van and may have been heading to New York. However, most of the focus on this individual had to do with more local areas where she was last seen. I think searching in New York will likely prove fruitless.

This is a case where I was able to find some journalism on the missing person. Her last known location was in Norwood, Ohio, a suburb or small city to the northeast of Cincinnati, Ohio. A friend last saw her at 2 PM on June 25th, 1982.

The first article on her disappearance that I was able to find appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer on Wednesday, March 23rd, 1983 titled "Police Ask Help in Finding Woman Missing Since June."

From this article we learn she was married to Greg Maue, she had a ten-year-old son, and that there was a letter from Cincinnati pertaining to this case. This letter, which was postmarked to that city, claimed that she was heading to New York City -- which was probably not true, in my opinion.

There were some marital problems in her life as the article above mentions a possible divorce. Another thing that stood out with this case is the letter. What does it mean when someone sends a letter saying that she is going to a far-away city but then is never heard from again?

Before speculating on that, let's stick to known facts. There was a classified advertisement for this missing person that appeared in 2006. This advertisement claims that she was last in the presence of Samual Ray Phillips (July 1st, 2006; Cincinnati Enquirer), who died in 2004 in a car accident. I think the proper spelling of this person's name was Samuel Ray Phillips, with the "e" in his first name instead of an "a." I found a gravemarker on Findagravel.com for a Fairfield man of this name who died in 2004.

By my research, Samual is spelled wrong in this classified ad. Should be Samuel.

Samuel Ray Phillips

Born: November 7th, 1928

Death: January 24th, 2004

Gravemarker suggests a marriage to "Rose M." born in 1934 (possible Rosemary Brown).

Ancestry: This individual is on Ancestry

There was a second piece of journalism on Phyllis Maue in February 2006. Deborah Dixon of The Journal News headlined "Police say missing woman may be tied to Fairfield man." In this article, Ray Phillips is mentioned. It is also stated that police were planning some digs to search for her body. Other important details from this piece of journalism:

• Phyllis left an uncashed paycheque behind;
• Her husband received a nude photo of her in the mail that suggested an extramarital affair with Ray Phillips;
• Reportedly, Maue was going to end the affair on June 25th, 1982.

One interesting fact is that a handwriting expert looked at the letter from Phyllis Maue. He concluded that she did write the letter. However, the handwriting expert also stated that the letter writer was under stress as she wrote. You have to wonder if an expert of this sort could discern a trembling hand from handwriting.

Has Phyllis Maue Been Found?

In my opinion, the totality of the scene suggests that a murder took place. The letter was used as a diversion. I think someone forced her to write it, believing that ostensibly placing her in New York City would explain what was going to be a prolonged...or permanent...absence.