Woman Missing 24 Yrs May be Tied to Fairfield Man, OH
Police say missing woman may be tied to Fairfield man NORWOOD — For nearly 24 years, Phyllis Maue, a Norwood mother, has been considered a missing person. But now Norwood police are saying foul play is possible and they may begin digging in several places, looking for her body. At the center of the investigation, police say, is a former Fairfield man, Ray Phillips, who died in a car accident two years ago. Maue disappeared in June 1982, leaving behind her husband, Greg Maue, their then-11-year-old son Gregory Paul, a paycheck she never picked up and all her clothes. She left a goodbye letter that holds curious clues, police say. “She would never have left him behind, she would have taken him with her if she was going to leave,” said Greg Maue. “She was 12 when her mother passed away, she knew what it was like not to have a mother. I don’t see her ever willingly leaving him to not have a mother.” But Maue’s marriage was on the rocks. Her husband had received a nude photo of her in the mail and friends told police she was having an affair with Phillips. Maue told friends that she wanted to end the affair, and that she was going to meet Phillips on June 25, 1982, to break it off. In statements to police, her friends said Phyllis Maue was afraid of Phillips’ violent temper. One friend told police that they saw Maue get into Phillips’ van about 2 p.m. on June 25, 1982. That was the last time she was seen alive, police say. Then the letter arrived, a letter from Maue to her husband, saying “I am going to New York with the guy I met a few months ago. I think I love him. Take care of Gregory Paul, I love him so much.” A handwriting expert determined that Maue did indeed write the letter, but under stress. And the expert said that Maue did not address the letter and that Phillips likely did. Phillips denied seeing Maue the week she vanished. And police never charged him with any crime. Phillips’ family did not want to be interviewed for this story, saying only that they believe he was innocent and wasn’t involved. But Norwood police say they have new reason to believe that Maue may be buried somewhere nearby and they have reopened the case. They say they hope that someone too afraid to come forward years ago now will give them new information. WKRC Local12 Reporter Deborah Dixon reports on crime. If you have information about this case, call CrimeStoppers at (513) 352-3040. You may remain anonymous. http://www.journal-news.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/02/02/HJN020306CHANNEL12STORY.html