Fort Worth Missing Trio
Three young women—Rachel Trlica (17), Renee Wilson (14), and Julie Ann Moseley (9)—went Christmas shopping at a Fort Worth mall and never returned. Their car was found at the mall. A strange letter supposedly from Rachel was mailed days later. None were ever found.
On December 23, 1974, two days before Christmas, 17-year-old Rachel Trlica, 14-year-old Renee Wilson, and 9-year-old Julie Ann Moseley left for the Seminary South Shopping Center in Fort Worth, Texas to finish their Christmas shopping. Rachel drove her husband Tommy Trlica's car, a green Oldsmobile. They were expected back within a few hours. They never returned.
The car was found in the shopping center parking lot, but there was no sign of the three girls. Their Christmas purchases were not in the car. A massive search and investigation found no evidence of what happened to them at the busy mall two days before Christmas.
Several days after the disappearance, a letter was mailed to Rachel's husband Tommy, supposedly written by Rachel. It read: 'I know I'm going to catch it, but we had to get away. We are going to Houston. See you in about a week.' The letter was postmarked from Fort Worth. Rachel's family disputed that she had written it, and handwriting analysis was inconclusive.
Tommy Trlica was investigated but never charged. Other theories included a planned runaway, abduction by a stranger, and involvement by someone known to the girls. In 2014, a Fort Worth resident found bones during construction, leading to speculation they were connected to the case, but the remains were determined to be animal bones. The Fort Worth Missing Trio case remains one of Texas's most enduring unsolved mysteries.
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- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)
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