Mary Ann Verdecchia now missing 44 years, Bloomfield, Pennsylvania

Her disappearance sent shockwaves through Pittsburgh at the time. Now years have passed, the surroundings have changed, and the likelihood of a happy ending has steadily diminished. But maybe you lived in the area at the time, or you know someone who did? Memories can easily fade, but hopefully not of something disturbing like witnessing something bad happen to a young girl.
This is Mary Ann Verdecchia's story. It comes to you from a website called The Charley Project, which features the stories of other girls, boys, men, and women who are missing and shouldn't be forgotten. The quality of her photo isn't that great, but it seems to be the best there is. After all, it is over 40 years old.

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: June 7, 1962
from Bloomfield, Pennsylvania
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: August 15, 1951
Age: 10 years old
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Brown eyes.

Details of Disappearance
Verdecchia was last seen on
June 7, 1962 in Bloomfield, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. She completed
a half-day of classes at Immaculate Conception School, went home, and changed
out of her uniform and into street clothes. At 12:30 p.m. she went to Martinique
Apartments on Baum Boulevard in Bloomfield to run errands for a woman who lived
there. The woman sent Verdecchia to the store. She was last seen re-entering the
apartment complex at 2:45 p.m.
Verdecchia has never been heard from again.
She was missed at 6:00 p.m. and her disappearance was reported to the police at
10:30 p.m. after her relatives had searched for her with no result. A few days
after her disappearance, a piece of jewelry believed to have belonged to her was
found at the entrance to the Highland Park Zoo, but a massive search turned up
no other sign of her. Authorities are uncertain if the jewelry is connected to
her disappearance; she could have lost it before she vanished.
In 1991, an
adult man came forward and said that in 1962, when he was nine years old, he
witnessed a Presbyterian minister molest and murder a young girl in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. If the account is true the victim was probably Verdecchia, the
only girl reported missing in the area at that time. The witness's account was
never confirmed and the minister, who maintains his innocence, has not been
charged in connection with Verdecchia's case.
Verdecchia lived with her aunt
at the time of her disappearance. She had moved in with her after her own
parents separated in 1957. Neither parent played a big part in Verdecchia's
life. At first investigators believed Verdecchia's mother had taken her, but she
was located and cleared as a suspect, as was the child's father. Both of
Verdecchia's parents are now deceased, but her aunt still lives in Bloomfield.
Foul play is suspected in Verdecchia's case; her aunt believes she is
deceased and was probably attacked inside the Martinique Apartments. Her
disappearance remains a mystery.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Pittsburgh Police Bureau
412-323-7800

You can read a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article about Mary Ann from 2001 at http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20010722missingreg3p3.asp.
Unfortunately, Mary Ann is not included on the website of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Another website, the Doe Network, has a profile of her that is probably concise enough to be used as a poster. You can see it at http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/1627dfpa.html.
If Mary Ann is still somehow miraculously alive, we unfortunately have no idea what she would look like. She would probably have her own life, maybe even kids or grandkids, but hopefully she would know that she still is loved and remembered by her aunt, if she is still alive, and probably by others as well.