Maria Florence Anjiras

1 AP
Left: Anjiras, circa 1976;
Right: Age progression to age 47 (circa 2008)

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Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

  • Missing Since: February 12, 1976 from Norwalk, Connecticut
  • Classification: Endangered Missing
  • Date of Birth: August 10, 1961
  • Age: 14 years old
  • Height and Weight: 5'6, 120 pounds
  • Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair, blue eyes. Anjiras's nickname is Mia.
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    Details of Disappearance

    Anjiras was last seen at her home on Milwood Road in Norwalk, Connecticut on February 12, 1976. She was supposed to go to a vocal lesson in the afternoon, then babysit a neighbor's child that evening. Her father saw her at 2:15 p.m., while he was leaving for work. njiras did not go to her lesson or her babysitting job. After her disappearance, her blue English Racer bicycle. The bicycle was found abandoned near St. Mary's Lane approximately one mile from her residence. There was no sign of her at the scene and she never returned home.

    Anjiras's parents stated she was behaving normally on the day of her disappearance. She had threatened to run away two weeks before, but her father talked her out of it. She reportedly took some money, pajamas, a pair of jeans and several sweaters from her home when she went missing, indicating she left of her own accord. There were several reported sightings of her around Norwalk in the days and weeks after her disappearance; many of the witnesses were people who knew her.

    In August 1976, a fifteen-year-old classmate saw Anjiras at a bar on Westport Avenue and told her she should go home. Anjiras started crying and said, "I know." She was accompanied by a man who was a member of the Charter Oaks Motorcycle Club. Police identified the biker and traced him to the town of Bethel, Connecticut. When they showed photos of Anjiras to the Bethel Police on August 27, officers recognized her as a girl they'd seen at a party at the Charter Oaks clubhouse on August 13. The Bethel police directed the Norwalk police to the South End Pub in Danbury, Connecticut, a well-known hangout for Charter Oaks bikers. The bartender there said he knew Anjiras, but she wasn't at the bar at the time and he didn't know her whereabouts. Investigators staked out the bar for a few days, but never saw Anjiras. The case went cold again.

    Anjiras apparently ran away when she left her home in 1976, but it would be highly unusual for her to not contact her family for so long, and there is suspicion that she was a crime victim. There is no hard evidence that foul play was involved in her disappearance, however.

    Anjiras was a freshman at Norwalk High School in 1976. Her friends described her as an artistically talented teenager who took ballet lessons and drama classes. Her parents have died, but her brother and sister are still alive and hope she may be found. Her case remains unsolved.

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    Investigating Agency
    If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
    Norwalk Police Department
    203-854-3000

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    Source Information
    The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children
    NewsLibrary
    The Hour

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    Updated 5 times since October 12, 2004.

    Last updated December 16, 2009; details of disappearance updated.

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