Annita Price, Missing, May 28, 1974 WV.
Project Jason Profile: Name: Annita Price Date of Birth: 03/20/1947 Date Missing: 05/28/1974 Age at time of disappearance: 27 City Missing From: Moundsville State Missing From: West Virginia Gender: Female Race: Caucasian Height: 6ft Weight: 155lbs Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown Complexion: Dark Identifying Characteristics: Annita has burn scars on her entire torso from the neck to upper thighs, and also on her left arm. These scars are severe and were from a childhood accident. Clothing: Yellow shorts, blue shirt Circumstances of Disappearance: Last seen around 8pm heading to her job at the Flamingo Club in Benwood, WV. Driving an early 1970's green AMC Gremlin. The car was found abandoned on Rt. 2. in McMechan, WV. Her purse, makeup and wallet were still in the car. She never arrived at work. Investigative Agency: West Virginia State Police Cold Case Unit Agency Phone: (304) 329-1101 Print a Poster: http://www.projectjason.org/aan/AAN_AnnitaPrice.pdf

The Doe Network: Case File 1788DFWV Annita Maria Price Missing since May 30, 1974 from Moundsville, Marshall County, West Virginia Classification: Missing Vital Statistics Date Of Birth: March 1947 Age at Time of Disappearance: 26 years old Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 6'0"; 155 lbs. Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Brown hair; brown eyes. Marks, Scars: Distinctive burn scars on left arm and torso from severe burns when a child. Circumstances of Disappearance Price was last seen around 8:45 PM when she left to go to work at The Flamingo Club in Benwood, West Virginia on May 30, 1974. She never arrived at work and was never seen again. Her car was found along West Virginia Route 2 at 12th Street in McMechan, just north of Moundsville. Authorities believe her disappearance is connected to foul play in some manner. Investigators If you have any information concerning this case, please contact: West Virginia State Police Sergeant Danny Swiger 304-329-1101 Email at: wvtroopers@wvstatepolice.com http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1788dfwv.html

A 27-Year-Old Mother Disappears Without A Trace Posted Friday, May 29, 2009 ; 04:34 PM Updated Friday, May 29, 2009 ; 05:32 PM Part One of A Special Report...... "Missing: Annita" Story by D.K. Wright Benwood, WV -- It was on this week, 35 years ago, that an Ohio Valley woman disappeared without a trace. She was driving to work and then suddenly she was gone. Her borrowed car was parked along the road, with no one inside. Annita Maria Musto Price was 27. They say she was attractive and enthusiastic. "A boisterous personality," describes her daughter, Madonna Layne of Richmond, VA. "She had a big laugh. You'd hear her before you'd see her." At six feet tall, she was statuesque and unusual. "She had an exuberant personality," says Sgt. Dan Swiger, cold case investigator for the West Virginia State Police. "She was described by some as a fighter." May 30, 1974, this spirited mother of two disappeared. She was on her way to work at the Flamingo Club in Benwood. Her borrowed green Gremlin was found with no one inside. "The car was found parked along Route 2 northbound, north of Moundsville," said Madonna Layne. Police say there was no evidence of a struggle, although some cosmetics--including lipstick and an eyeliner--were lying on the seat of the car. Annita's disappearance was not reported to police for three days. And the original West Virginia State Police file on the case is only a few pages. Madonna Layne is critical of the original police work. "They spent a total of 18 hours investigating her disappearance," she said. "Not even a full day." Thirty-five years later, it's again in the hands of the West Virginia State Police, this time with their cold case investigator. Sgt. Dan Swiger admits the file was scant, but says that's the way things were done then. "In 1974 I think it was a different time," says Sgt. Swiger. "It's easy to Monday morning quarterback." Madonna Layne was five years old when her mother disappeared. Her brother was three. She says her mother was involved in the fight of her life at the time, for the custody of her two children. "Actually, she and my father were separated at the time," Layne says. "They'd been going through a pretty nasty custody battle and she was fighting tooth and nail to keep my brother and I." Layne feels certain she knows what happened to her mother. "She was shot in the head by an individual with a small caliber handgun in the Moundville area and she is buried near or underneath a power pole," Layne says. This amazingly detailed concept is one she has held--very vocally--since childhood. "And I got in a lot of trouble for speaking my mind," she recalls. "I just grew up saying this is what happened. Was this just the fanciful idea of a child? Everyone thought perhaps it was, until four years ago, when an anonymous informant came forward. Layne says investigators talked to the informant and then told her that the informant's version of what happened matched hers, almost word for word. So now this cold case has heated up. The picture that Layne holds in her mind even includes a clear image of the killer. So does she believe she knows who did it? "Absolutely," she answers calmly. "I know who did it. I have no doubts." Does the cold case investigator believe this case is solvable? "With the right piece of the puzzle, I think it is," says Sgt. Swiger. http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=60004

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance # Missing Since: May 30, 1974 from Moundsville, West Virginia # Classification: Endangered Missing # Date Of Birth: March 20, 1947 # Age: 27 years old # Height and Weight: 6'0, 155 pounds # Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair, blue eyes. Price's middle name may be given as "Marie." She sustained severe burns in a childhood accident and has extensive scars across her entire torso from her neck to her upper thighs, as well as on her left arm. The injuries may also be apparent in her bone structure. Price's maiden name is Musto. # Clothing/Jewelry Description: Yellow shorts and a blue shirt. Details of Disappearance Price was last seen at approximately 8:45 p.m. on May 30, 1974, when she left for her place of employment, the Flamingo Club in Benwood, West Virginia. She was driving her boyfriend's green four-door early 1970s model AMC Gremlin. Price never arrived at work and has never been heard from again. The vehicle was found the next morning along State Route 2 at 12th Street in McMechan, West Virginia, just north of Moundsville, West Virginia. Price's wallet, purs and makeup were inside the car. Route 2 is the major north/south route along the Ohio River between Moundsville and Wheeling, West Virginia. At the time of her disappearance, Price was going through a contentious divorce and custody battle for her two children. She was born in New Jersey, and moved to West Virginia after her father died when she was four. Foul play is suspected in Price's disappearance. Her case remains unsolved. Investigating Agency If you have any information concerning this case, please contact: West Virginia State Police Moundsville Station 304-329-1101 Source Information West Virginia State Police MySpace Page for Annita Maria Price Project Jason The Doe Network Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated April 23, 2009; date of birth and distinguishing characteristics updated. http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/price_annita.html