On a balmy day in March 1957, William and Margaret Patterson, a wealthy couple from El Paso, Texas, disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a growing photography business, a cat, and a string of unanswered questions.
Decades later, their disappearance remains one of the most puzzling and unsolved mysteries in American history.
“This is a unique case because of the circumstances in which it occurred,” said Sergeant James Belknap of the El Paso Sheriff’s Office.
“The Pattersons disappeared, and it was unclear at the time whether they had committed a crime or simply decided to leave El Paso.”
Quiet life in El Paso
William Durrell Patterson, known as Bill, was a successful entrepreneur, owner of Patterson Photo Supply, a growing photography company.
“Then, [William Patterson] was very wealthy in the community. His businesses were doing well, his wife was a homemaker and they traveled a lot,” Belknap said.
His wife, Margaret, was equally well-respected in the community, often described as a reserved but kind woman. The Pattersons lived a comfortable life in a modest but well-kept home on Piedmont Drive, enjoying the fruits of their tough work and dedication.
According to friends and acquaintances, there was little to suggest that the Pattersons were anything other than your typical, contented couple. They had no children and maintained a relatively peaceful social life, preferring to keep to themselves. But beneath this surface normality seemed to lie something darker.
Sudden disappearance
On the evening of March 5, 1957, the Pattersons attended a party at the home of Cecil Ward, a business associate. They appeared to be in good spirits, showing no signs of anxiety or impending trouble.
The next morning, their neighbor, Mrs. Mary McDonald, noticed that the couple's car, a 1956 Cadillac, was missing. She paid it no mind at the time, assuming they had gone on a trip.
As days turned into weeks, concerns grew. The couple’s cat was found hungry and unattended, and their business remained closed. Friends and colleagues began to worry.
Tom Hanley, an employee at Patterson Photo Supply, was one of the first to raise the alarm. “It was unusual for them to just walk away without saying anything, especially for a company,” Hanley recalled in an interview.
El Paso police were soon called to investigate. No signs of a struggle were found at the Patterson home. Personal belongings, including Margaret’s costly jewelry and William’s camera equipment, were untouched.
The only sign of their sudden departure was a note left for their housekeeper asking her to look after matters in their absence—a note that seemed strangely indifferent, considering the circumstances.
“Because nobody knows what happened to them, and these rumors and theories, like everything else, grow and grow,” Belknap said.
Theories and speculations
Initial investigations yielded few clues. Police discovered the pair had withdrawn a significant amount of money from their bank accounts shortly before they disappeared, leading some to speculate they had left voluntarily. But as time passed, darker theories emerged.
One prevailing theory suggested that the Pattersons had run afoul of criminal elements. El Paso, on the Mexican border, was a known hotspot for smuggling and organized crime.
Some have speculated that William Patterson, a shrewd businessman, may have been involved in illegal activities or owed money to the wrong people.
Another theory was that the couple were victims of foul play. Friends and acquaintances reported seeing strangers hanging around Patterson’s residence in the weeks before they went missing.
One witness, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed to have seen a man in a dim suit entering the Pattersons' home on the night they disappeared.
Then there was the curious case of the Cadillac. A few months after the Pattersons disappeared, the car was found abandoned in a parking lot near Dallas, Texas. Despite extensive forensic examination, no evidence was uncovered that could shed airy on the couple’s fate.
Belknap said these theories don't necessarily make the investigation more complex, but the age of the case presents some challenges.
“Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who are deceased, they would be in their 80s and 90s at this point,” Belknap said. “That complicates any possible leads that could have been provided that haven’t been investigated yet.”
Searching for answers
As the years passed, the case grew colder. But it never completely disappeared from public memory. In the 1980s, renewed interest in the case led to the creation of a task force dedicated to reexamining the evidence.
Sergeant Jim Clark, a veteran detective, has taken charge of the fresh investigation. “This case has haunted this department for decades,” Clark said at a news conference. “We owe it to the Pattersons and their relatives to find out what really happened.”
The task force uncovered previously overlooked details. For example, an associate of William’s revealed information about a secret business trip to Mexico that William had mentioned shortly before his disappearance.
This discovery further complicated the case, suggesting the couple may have left the country voluntarily only to meet their misfortune.
Despite intense efforts, the fate of William and Margaret Patterson remains unresolved.
CBS4 he spoke with Belknap in 2017 regarding Patterson, and the department said it had no fresh leads but was still investigating.
“These types of cases, like homicides, are going to stay open indefinitely,” Belknap said. “Like any other major crimes investigator, you do your best and either you continue to investigate or you get to the point where you can eliminate it as a possibility.”
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