EARLY LIFE:
Carla Corley was calved connected December 31, 1965, to Nelda Corley Leopold. A sweet, intelligence and giving young woman, she was highly adjacent to her older sister, who’d moved retired of the family’s residence by the clip Carla had entered her teenage years.
At the clip of her disappearance, the 14-year-old was preparing to participate the seventh grade, thing her loved ones accidental she was looking guardant to.
DISAPPEARANCE:
Approximately 1 period earlier Carla went missing, successful July 1980, the teen was abducted by a radical of men, who took her to Lake Purdy and sexually assaulted her. It was lone aft 3 hours that they yet fto her go, with the household not reporting the transgression to police.
This wasn’t the lone clip the men went aft the 14-year-old. About a week earlier her disappearance, they returned to the family’s flat successful Birmingham, Alabama’s Eastwood nationalist lodging project, connected Airport Highway, but they weren’t capable to participate the residence.
On the evening of August 12, 1980, Carla and her parent spent clip together. They washed dishes and watched television, with Nelda going to furniture earlier her daughter. When she awoke astatine 4:30 AM the adjacent morning, Nelda recovered the surviving country successful disarray. Chairs had been pushed distant from the table, determination was a soda vessel turned implicit and the flat doors were wide open, with Carla’s loop lying connected the crushed conscionable extracurricular the beforehand door. The 14-year-old’s caller tan sandals were recovered lying by the couch, wherever she’d near them the nighttime before.
Worryingly, determination was nary motion of Carla.
SEARCH:
Almost immediately, Carla’s household knew she hadn’t tally away. She’d near each of her belongings behind, on with what wealth she had and the medicine she took to negociate seizures.
Over the years, tips person poured successful regarding the case, but nary person led constabulary to immoderate persons of involvement oregon suspects. There was 1 fishy who claimed to cognize what happened, but helium rapidly recanted his story.
Investigators didn’t larn of the rape Carla had suffered until 18 years aft she went missing, and it’s chartless if the men progressive successful that transgression are liable for her disappearance.
Based connected tips they received from the public, respective excavations were conducted successful narration to the case, with the latest occurring successful 2005. One specified hunt took spot successful 1998, erstwhile a psychic claimed that grounds connected to Carla’s disappearance was buried by a tiny water adjacent Palmerdale, Alabama, but thing of involvement was unearthed.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has released an age-progression representation of what Carla mightiness look similar astatine 55 years old. Her DNA has been compared against galore Jane Does, with nary matches made.
Since her girl went missing, Nelda has received calls from radical attempting to currency successful connected her daughter’s disappearance. Carla’s sister has besides been warned that she could beryllium killed if she keeps looking for her, but this hasn’t stopped her from continuing her search.
It’s the family’s content that Carla was sexually assaulted and murdered soon aft her disappearance. As such, they’ve had her legally declared dead.
DETAILS:
Carla Rebecca Corley went missing from Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, connected the nighttime of August 12, 1980. She was 14 years aged and was past seen wearing a navy bluish blouse with a “Peter Pan” collar and 3 achromatic buttons; bluish corduroy pants; and a metallic turquoise ring. She whitethorn person besides been carrying a brownish knit purse.
At the clip of her disappearance, Carla stood betwixt 5’1″ and 5’3″, weighed 120-130 pounds, and had brownish hairsbreadth and hazel eyes. As aforementioned, she suffered from epileptic seizures that required medicine to support nether control. The information was the effect of flimsy encephalon damage.
Carla had a noticeable scar connected her close knee.
CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
Currently, the lawsuit is considered a non-family abduction, meaning foul play is suspected. Carla’s dentals and DNA are disposable for comparison, should her remains beryllium found.
Anyone with accusation regarding the lawsuit is asked to interaction the Birmingham Police Department astatine either (205) 328-9311 oregon (205) 933-4189.
Image Credit: NCMEC