In the quiet suburbs of Leumeah, Sydney, a 16-year-old girl left her family home one afternoon in 1987.
Sadly, she never made it back home and was never seen again.
What followed was a decades-long search filled with heartbreak, dead ends, and unanswered questions.
This is the story of Debbie Marie Ashby, whose disappearance has haunted her family for over 30 years.
Debbie Marie Ashby was born on October 7, 1971.
By all accounts, she was a typical teenager dealing with the usual ups and downs of adolescence.
However, Debbie faced more challenges than the average teenager as some people described her as rebellious.
In the weeks before she disappeared, she had received threats at school and wanted to transfer to a different school.
Eventually, she decided to leave school entirely.
Could this have played a role in her sudden disappearance?
The Day She Disappeared Without a Trace
On October 9, 1987, just two days after her 16th birthday, Debbie Marie Ashby left her family home at 1 p.m..
She told her family she was going to a friend's house.
She took no clothing or personal items, leaving her family puzzled.
A few days after she left, Debbie called her family letting them know she was okay.
After that, there was silence.
Sadly, that phone call would be the last time her family would ever hear from her.
Debbie’s sudden departure from her home immediately raised concerns.
Her family couldn’t understand why she would leave so abruptly, especially without any of her belongings.
Did she run away, or did something more sinister happen?
Debbie's rebellious nature, along with the threats she had faced at school, increased the family's worry.
At first, it looked like she had run away.
But as days turned into weeks and then months, hope started to fade.
The lack of any communication or sightings made her family panic.
Several rumors and unconfirmed reports about Debbie’s whereabouts circulated.
However, none of these rumours led to any clear answers.
As a result, a missing person report was filed by her family.
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| Debbie Ashby age progression photos |
The Search for Debbie: Dead Ends and Disturbing Theories
The police launched an investigation into Debbie’s disappearance, but it quickly turned cold.
With no substantial leads, her family took matters into their own hands.
Mary Ashby, Debbie’s mother, created a large display board with pictures of her daughter.
She also traveled across various towns and shopping centers in New South Wales pleading for any information.
One potential lead came from Nowra in the mid-1990s.
Mary was told her daughter had been living in the Shoalhaven area and had two children named Dylan and Rhiannon.
Excited at the prospect of finding her daughter, Mary followed the lead.
Sadly it quickly fell apart as this lead wasn't concrete.
The children were never located, and police found no evidence to confirm the story.
Other theories emerged over the years.
Some claimed that Debbie had died of a drug overdose, while others speculated that she had fallen victim to foul play.
Infact, Debbie’s family even received death threats shortly after her disappearance.
This only added to their mounting fears that something terrible had happened.
Despite the numerous tips and theories, police were unable to verify any of them.
Debbie’s case remained an open mystery, with no clear indication of what had happened to her.
Cold Case and Renewed Efforts: The Coroner’s Inquest
In 2007, two decades after Debbie’s disappearance, a coroner’s inquest was held to review the case.
Deputy State Coroner Carl Milovanovich ruled that Debbie had most likely died on or after the day she disappeared.
He emphasized how unusual it was for a 16-year-old to vanish without a trace.
He said, "Sixteen-year-olds just don't disappear off the face of the Earth. Something has happened to her."
The inquest brought renewed attention to the case.
A $100,000 reward was offered for any information leading to an arrest or conviction in connection with Debbie’s death.
Police released computer-generated images of what Debbie might have looked like at ages 18, 25, and 30, in the hope of sparking new leads.
Unfortunately, despite these efforts, the case remained unsolved.
For Debbie’s family, the pain of her disappearance has never faded.
Mary Ashby, who has lost both her parents and her husband in recent years, continues to seek closure.
"I’ve had no closure, and no peace. I’m not comfortable within myself not knowing what happened to Debbie" she said in a 2016 interview.
Despite the long years of uncertainty, Mary still holds on to a glimmer of hope that one day she will find out what happened to her daughter.
She believes someone out there knows the truth.
She has repeatedly urged anyone with information to come forward, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.
Although decades have passed, Debbie Ashby’s case remains open, and police continue to investigate any new leads.
The $100,000 reward is still available for anyone with information that could lead to an arrest and conviction.
For now, the Ashby family waits, hoping that one day, someone will come forward and help bring Debbie’s case to a close.
You can contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or report anonymously online if you have any information regarding Debbie Marie Ashby's disappearance.
Every piece of information, no matter how small, could be the key to solving this mystery and bringing peace to a family that has suffered for far too long.
In another puzzling case, a 15-year-old disappeared from her home after she was grounded for smoking.
Click here for more about this case and see if you can assist.
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