A Popular Teacher Vanishes

It's a question that's been haunting residents of the small town of Belmont, California: How could a woman -- their friend and neighbor -- disappear into thin air? Yet that's just what happened to Nancy MacDuckston.

She's the last person they ever thought would wind up in the middle of a mystery. As one concerned friend puts it, "She's not the kind of person who would disappear without a reason." But police have yet to discover that reason, or find any sign of Nancy, since the day she vanished, August 11, 2003.

There was no sign of trouble in her personal life. She and her husband Bruce were happily married for 31 years, and have two grown children and a grandchild. Colleagues at the nursery school where Nancy was a teacher say she loved her job, and loved the young children she spent her days with. Her pre-schoolers called her "Teacher Nancy," a title her friends say she was proud of.

A Day Trip To The Ocean Becomes A Family's Nightmare

On August 11, 2003, Nancy decided to take a well-deserved day off from school. That morning, she drove to the oceanside town of Davenport, about 90 miles from her home. The clifftop views of the Pacific Ocean are breathtakingly beautiful in that area, one of Nancy's favorite spots to meditate and read. Bruce MacDuckston says that such day trips were not unusual for his wife. She would take them, he says, "to rejuvenate her soul, her mind, her batteries."

But when Nancy didn't return home as usual, Bruce became worried and called the police. Investigators quicklly made some disturbing discoveries. 

Nancy's tan Mazda minivan was found on the side of Highway 1, at at a bluffs area overlooking the ocean.  A chair and bright pink sun hat were found outside the van. Locked inside the vehicle was Nancy's wallet, containing $84 in cash and her credit card. The keys to the minivan have never been found.

When police brought in tracking dogs, they picked up Nancy's scent on a path leading to the edge of a cliff that stands above shark-infested waters. The area is a well-known place for suicides, but investigators say they can't tell from the dog's discovery whether Nancy was walking toward the cliff -- or away from it. Nancy's family and friends say there was nothing to indicate that Nancy was contemplating ending her own life. In fact, shortly Nancy disappeared, her friends were startled when they received cheerful postcards that Nancy had mailed from her oceanside retreat before she vanished, promising to see them in a few days.

A Mysterious Stranger

Police investigating this case have discovered a mystery within the mystery. They've learned that on the day she disappeared, August 11th, 2003, Nancy MacDuckston spent several hours at an oceanside establishment called "The New Davenport Cash Store and Restaurant."  An employee at the store remembers seeing Nancy buy several items, including honey, lotion, and some toys. Then she had dinner. But she wasn't alone. 

Witnesses say she dined with a man, who police have not been able to identify. The stranger is described as a Polynesian male, in his 30s or 40s with salt-and-pepper hair, about 5'6", and approximately 150 lbs. The witnesses say that Nancy and the man seemed to know each other, and laughed together during the meal. They left the restaurant at approximately 5:30 p.m. Witnesses have helped police make a sketch of the mysterious man, and detectives hope that if they can locate him, he'll have information that can lead to Nancy.

Right now, there's no evidence to indicate that the mysterious stranger had anything to do with Nancy MacDuckston's disappearance, and no evidence to indicate that she committed suicide. So what happened to her? The police in her hometown of Belmont, and her family, will not give up their search until that question is answered.

Associated Persons:

Unknown Companion of Nancy MacDuckston
Wanted for Questioning
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