WEST POINT, Va. (WVEC) -- West Point Police have a suspect in the cold case of Elsie Mae Roane.
Roane was just 16 years old when she disappeared from the small town on May 20, 1957. West Point Police Chief Bobby Mawyer says they have recently interviewed a suspect multiple times.
Mawyer wasn't able to release the name of the suspect because of the ongoing investigation, but says the suspect is a male, and around the same age as Roane.
Roane was last seen walking with two suitcases late at night in downtown West Point. After that, she was never seen or heard from again. Originally, many people believed she had left on her own and would come back. The case went cold and her whereabouts have been a mystery for 58 years. Roane was an only child and lived with her adoptive father. Her adoptive mother had died two years prior to her disappearance.
To date, this is the only missing persons cold case in West Point. In 2012, Mawyer and his investigators took another look at the case. After a number of interviews during their investigation they were able to name a suspect.
"All of the things that we checked, all of the angles we searched, and the research we did in the investigation we were unable to prove that she did not leave on her own free will," said Mawyer.
Mawyer says he hopes to close this case and bring closure to the entire community.
"We may never have the right evidence to prosecute and at this point I'm not concerned with that. My focus right now is to find Elsie Mae and her child and give them a proper burial," Mawyer told 13News Now.
Mawyer says even with a suspect named, police are still looking for help from the community. If you know anything about the disappearance or whereabouts of Elsie Mae Roane, call West Point Police at 804-843-2800.
