Every now and then, I uncover a case buried deep in the archives with circumstances that prove truth is stranger than fiction.

This story is one of them.

When a prominent Bridgeport, Connecticut woman failed to show up for lunch with a friend,

it led to a devastating discovery in her overflowing home

that had become sort of a treasure trove of local history.

The investigation stalled until months later, when some of the woman's treasures started

showing up around town.

With a suspect identified, the case was nearly closed until the accused killer quite

literally slipped through the investigator's hands in one of the most bizarre escapes I've ever

encountered. I'm Kylie Lowe, and this is the case of Elizabeth Sterling-Seeley on Darkdowne

East.

Elizabeth Sterling Seeley did not miss appointments.

At 77 years old, her days followed familiar rhythms. She was routine,

punctual, orderly. She kept her commitments. So when September 5th, 1974 came and went without word

from her, the absence registered immediately with her friend Marjorie Morris.

According to reporting by Richard P. On Deck for The Connecticut Post,

Elizabeth was expected to have lunch with Marjorie that day.

Elizabeth didn't drive, which meant Marjorie always picked her up when they had plans, so on that afternoon, Marjorie pulled up outside one of Elizabeth's properties

in Greenfield Hills and Fairfield, Connecticut, right on schedule. When Elizabeth didn't appear,

Marjorie checked the house and realized her friend wasn't home. There was no sign of her at all.

Puzzled but not yet alarmed, Marjorie drove to Elizabeth's other property at 63 Brooklawn Avenue in Bridgeport,

which was just about four blocks from her own home. When she arrived, she noticed the porch light was on.

...