In the 1980s, Dorothy Jane Scott was an attractive 32-year-old mother who lived with her aunt and 4-year-old son. Dorothy was known as a quiet woman without enemies. Her father Jacob said she focused on raising her son and rarely dated. She loved her family and lived a peaceful life.

But her peaceful life would end in tragedy.

Marc Hoover

Dorothy began receiving phone calls from an unidentified man. He threatened to get her alone and cut her into pieces. For several months, the calls continued. The stranger said he was watching her and knew her routine. He even placed a dead rose on her windshield.

The calls continued until May 28, 1980. On this day, Dorothy and co-worker Pam Head, took co-worker Conrad Bostron to the emergency room for medical treatment. Dorothy had agreed to drive her co-workers to the hospital. Afterward, Dorothy went into the parking lot to retrieve her car. She never returned. Her two co-workers walked to the garage to find Dorothy.

Head and Bostron saw Dorothy’s car speed away from the hospital. They couldn’t see the driver. Even more disturbing, Dorothy never arrived to pick up her son. Her parents, Jacob and Vera Scott, called authorities to report their daughter missing. Her car was found shortly after she vanished. Someone had burned out her car and abandoned it.

Authorities found no sign of Dorothy.

Days later, Vera received a call from an unidentified man who claimed to have taken her. To assist in finding the missing woman, the local paper printed a story about Dorothy’s disappearance. Pat Riley, a managing editor for the paper received a call from a man claiming he had killed Dorothy. The caller also revealed details not released by authorities. Most likely, he killed the young mother as he claimed.

For four years, the caller continued calling Vera and Jacob. He tormented them by saying he had killed their daughter. During other calls he claimed she was still alive. Police tried tracing the calls without success; the stranger never stayed on the phone long enough for authorities to identify him.

The mystery ended on August 6, 1984. After four years, a worker found Dorothy’s remains. The coroner couldn’t determine how she died. After the discovery, Jacob and Vera received one final phone call from the assumed killer. He simply asked:

“Is Dorothy home?”

Jacob and Vera never received any answers about their daughter’s death. Both died before learning the killer’s identity. Today, this case remains unsolved. I read on a crime blog that her son has investigated his mother’s death. Apparently, there was a potential suspect, but not enough evidence for an arrest. If this individual did kill Dorothy, he won’t face justice in any courthouse because he died of cancer in 2014.

We have all heard the saying that parents aren’t supposed to bury their children. Sadly, we know our children are susceptible to illnesses, car accidents or other tragedies beyond our control. But it’s worse for parents who lose their children to violence. It’s one thing to lose your child to an illness, but losing them to violence is worse because someone else chose to end your child’s life.

We have seen distraught parents who have lost their children to violence on television. They are often calling for justice. They may even ask the killer to turn himself in or for someone to name the killer. Most viewers hope the parents will live to see justice for their child. Unfortunately, parents like Jacob and Vera Scott often die without any answers. Even if we never find out who killed Dorothy Scott, we can find comfort in knowing she is reunited with her parents somewhere with no pain.

Marc is a grandparent and longtime resident of Clermont County. Visit his author page at http://www.lifewithgrandpa.com. He also wrote Just Bite Me: A Guide to Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Walking Nightmares, which is available on Amazon.com.