
The person at the center of this case
Elizabeth Ann Lande
Justice for Elizabeth Ann Lande โ the trail went cold in 1971, but the truth hasn't.
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Bobby Nauss, member of Warlocks Motorcycle Club - convicted of murder but details of events between departure and body discovery remain unclear
Friend of Nauss who allegedly helped dispose of the body and later cooperated with authorities - what additional details might this witness provide?
Gold-colored Toronado used for departure - was this vehicle ever recovered and forensically examined?
Elizabeth Ann Lande, a 21-year-old woman, disappeared from Philadelphia on December 12, 1971, after leaving her home in a gold-colored Toronado with her boyfriend Bobby Nauss. Her body was found hanging in a garage two days later, and Nauss was convicted of her murder in 1977, but her remains have never been located despite search efforts in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. The case remains significant as an unsolved recovery effort, with questions persisting about the exact burial location and whether additional evidence might surface.
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Beyond the top three above โ each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
Why has the exact burial location in the Pine Barrens never been found despite multiple search attempts and witness cooperation?
What happened between 1:50 am departure and the discovery of her body in the garage - was there a second location involved?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
NamUs case MP2508. Missing person: Elizabeth Ann Lande.
Last known contact: 1971-12-12 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. Circumstances: On the evening of Saturday, December 11, 1971, with her parents out of town on a week-long cruise, Liz Lande and two of her girlfriends spent the evening talking and watching television.
At around midnight, Liz received a phone call from her boyfriend, Bobby Nauss, a member of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club. Nauss asked Liz to spend the weekend with him.
Concerned about the late hour and Nauss's reputation, Liz's friends tried to talk her out of going - to no avail. The friends left - they never saw Liz alive again.
At about 1:50 am, a neighbor who lived across the street from the Lande residence heard a noise outside. When he looked out of his bedroom window, he saw Liz walk out of the front door to her house, to the sidewalk and get into a waiting gold-colored Toronado.
In the early morning hours of Monday, December 13th, Elizabeth Lande was seen hanging from the rafters in a garage behind the the apartment house of one of Nauss' friends. It was this friend who helped Nauss dispose of Liz's body, allegedly in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.
On July 12, 1977, almost six years after Liz disappeared, the same friend - turned witness - attempted to lead Law Enforcement to the location in the Pine Barrens where he said he had helped Nauss bury Liz's body. The location was near Williamstown, NJ, about 16 miles southeast of Philadelphia.
The previously heavily wooded area was now occupied by housing subdivisions. The witness tried several times to pinpoint the burial site, and the officers dug up each location, but failed to locate Liz's remains.
On December 9, 1977 Robert Nauss was convicted for the murder of Elizabeth Lande. Her body has never been found.
Demographics: 21 years, Female, White / Caucasian. Physical description: 4 ft 2 in, 110 lbs, hair: Blond/Strawberry, eyes: Green.
Clothing and accessories: Accessories: long brown coat with black fake-fur trim Brown suede pocketbook; Clothing: bell-bottom jeans; Footwear: platform shoes.. Investigating agency: Philadelphia Police Department - 24th District (East Division) | NOT PROVIDED.
Bobby Nauss called Liz asking her to spend the weekend with him
Neighbor saw Liz leave her home and get into a gold-colored Toronado
Elizabeth Lande found hanging from rafters in a garage behind an apartment house
Witness attempted to lead law enforcement to burial site in Pine Barrens near Williamstown, NJ, approximately 16 miles southeast of Philadelphia
Robert Nauss convicted of the murder of Elizabeth Lande
Any information, no matter how small, could be crucial to solving this case.
Any information, no matter how small, could be crucial to solving this case.