Overview of Carol Blades
Carol Blades was a shy young woman living in Nixa, MO in 1969.
Laura was a 1967 graduate of Nixa High School. She married her husband, Larry Blades, in June of 1968 and at the time of her disappearance, the couple was going through the process of adopting children, which Carol was looking forward to. Carol had attended a school for beauticians after graduating from high school and worked at a garment company in Republic, MO for a short period of time.
Carol was often described as a shy girl who was rather naive and didn’t usually make friends very easily. She enjoyed sewing and reading, specifically novels with romantic themes. Carol also loved being a housewife so much, she would often complain about not having enough housework. She was also a member of the Bible Baptist Church of Republic, MO at the time of her death.
Carol vanished while doing laundry in Nixa, MO.
On December 15, 1969, Carol traveled from her home in Nixa, MO to Springfield, MO to start buying Christmas presents. After returning home, she set up the Christmas tree and left to go do laundry at a local laundromat. She planned to return home by 5:00 pm to wake her husband, Larry, for his shift at work. Unfortunately, this is the last time Carol was seen, though we know that she did make it to the laundromat.
At the Blades home, while Larry sleeps, the phone rang once at 3:45 pm. Larry was reportedly woken up by the ring, but he was unable to answer it in time. He noticed that Carol and their car were gone, but he went back to sleep. At 6:45 pm, the phone rang again, waking Larry. When he answered, he spoke with one of his friends, but also realized that Carol still was not home and that he had missed the time he was supposed to be woken up. Once the call with his friend ended, he called Carol’s cousin, Sue, to ask her if she could go check on Carol at the laundromat.
The search for Carol began instantly.
When Sue went to check on Carol, she found their car, but no Carol, though she did note her laundry was still in the washing machine. By 8:00 pm, the sheriff arrived at Carol’s car and the search began in the area surrounding the laundromat. Skid marks were noted in the gravel where Carol’s car was parked, and a black puddle in the area reveals an oil leak. Oil also covered the firewall of the car. There was also mud on the windshield and there were new scratches on both sides of the car. Additionally, the antenna on the back of the car had been bent and torn away from the car’s body for an unknown reason.
Three days later, Carol’s car keys were found in a small field, approximately 100 feet east from where the car was parked. The search for Carol was officially called off by the sheriff on December 22, 1969.
Carol’s body was found more than a year later, on Christmas day.
On December 25, 1970, Carol’s body was discovered approximately 20 miles south of Nixa, MO and approximately 2 miles west of Ponce De Leon, MO by a farmer. Her body was lying against a fallen cedar log on the uphill, southern side of the field lying with her chest facing upwards. Her skull was resting on top of a bleached-out fur coat, several of her bones are also scattered about in the field. Carol’s wedding and engagement rings were found approximately 20 feet away from where her body had been found.
"The leg bones were still in the slacks, but a lot of the bones had been scattered about, down the hill and to one side of where the body was resting" - The farmer who found her skeletal remains.
A potential sighting of the suspect is reported and a new person of interest is brought to light.
According to the Springfield News-Leader, on the day of Carol’s disappearance, December 15, 1969, three people in a car witnessed Carol’s car as it pulled off northbound Highway 160 onto the shoulder of the road. They added that a man, believed to be Carol’s killer, exited the car from the passengers’ side and ran across a nearby field in a southeast direction. When he realized that he was being watched by the three witnesses, he reportedly raised his coat to hide his face as he ran into a grove of trees. While running, a tree limb reportedly hit him in the face, causing his coat to fall below his face. The witnesses described him as being a white man who was 5’9” or 5’10” tall and weighing around 150-160 lbs with a dark complexion and black hair that was combed back. They also described his coat as being corduroy and possibly lined with fleece.
In February of 1972, authorities are made aware of a man in Davenport, IA who allegedly had information about Carol’s murder. Upon visiting the man and administering a polygraph examination, the sheriff and others determined that his claims of knowing the individual who killed Carol were false. He was cleared shortly after. Finally, in December of 1977, authorities arrested and questioned a man in connection to Carol’s murder. His name is never publicly released and he was not charged with her murder.
Where the case stands today.
Today, it has been nearly 53 years since Carol vanished and nearly 52 years since her body was found. Authorities consider Carol’s case to be cold, though they continue to follow any leads they receive. Unfortunately, information that has been reported since Carol’s murder in 1969 has been inconsistent, leading to confusing reports and information. If you have any information regarding Carol's case, please contact the Christian County Sheriff's Office at (417) 582-5330.
