Overview

• Full name: Irene E. Van Buren
• Age at disappearance: 75
• Date of disappearance: October 10, 1978, according to The Charley Project; the narrative describes her last sighting more generally as mid-October
• Last known location: Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida
• Date of birth: May 23, 1903
• Classification: Endangered missing
• Investigating agency: Fort Lauderdale Police Department
• Current publicly documented status: Unsolved
• Associated vehicle: Gold and black 1968 Plymouth Fury, Florida license plate 10-3799
• Key circumstances: Van Buren disappeared during a change in housing arrangements. Her vehicle could not be located, and checks totaling $13,000 written against her account were subsequently determined to contain forged signatures.

Important identification note: The documented name is Irene E. Van Buren, rather than simply Irene Buren. The full name is used throughout this article to accurately identify the missing woman.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Irene E. Van Buren: The Unsolved 1978 Disappearance of a 75-Year-Old Woman in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

In October 1978, 75-year-old Irene E. Van Buren disappeared from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, leaving behind questions involving her missing automobile, suspicious financial transactions, and a sudden change in her living arrangements. Decades later, her whereabouts remain unknown in the publicly available case information.

Van Buren had been caring for her sister-in-law when the home where they lived was sold. She was preparing to find another residence, but sometime around that transition, she vanished. Investigators later learned that thousands of dollars had been withdrawn through forged checks, while her automobile also could not be located.

Although foul play is suspected, no publicly documented evidence establishes that Van Buren was murdered. Her disappearance remains an unresolved missing-person case. (The Charley Project)

Case Summary

• Full name: Irene E. Van Buren
• Age at disappearance: 75
• Date of disappearance: October 10, 1978, according to The Charley Project; the narrative describes her last sighting more generally as mid-October
• Last known location: Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida
• Date of birth: May 23, 1903
• Classification: Endangered missing
• Investigating agency: Fort Lauderdale Police Department
• Current publicly documented status: Unsolved
• Associated vehicle: Gold and black 1968 Plymouth Fury, Florida license plate 10-3799
• Key circumstances: Van Buren disappeared during a change in housing arrangements. Her vehicle could not be located, and checks totaling $13,000 written against her account were subsequently determined to contain forged signatures.

Important identification note: The documented name is Irene E. Van Buren, rather than simply Irene Buren. The full name is used throughout this article to accurately identify the missing woman. (Case profile)

Irene Van Buren’s Background and Life Before Her Disappearance

Irene E. Van Buren was born on May 23, 1903. At the time of her disappearance in 1978, she was 75 years old and living in Fort Lauderdale, a city in Broward County on Florida’s southeastern coast.

Before she vanished, Van Buren lived in the 1400 block of Southwest 30th Street with her sister-in-law. According to the available case history, Van Buren was caring for her sister-in-law, who had significant health limitations.

The arrangement changed in October 1978 when the property was sold. Her sister-in-law moved in with another relative, while Van Buren planned to locate a different place to live.

This transition is an important part of the disappearance timeline. It places Van Buren at a moment when her established living arrangements were ending and she was preparing to relocate.

However, publicly available accounts do not establish whether she secured another residence, made specific moving arrangements, or had plans to leave the Fort Lauderdale area.

Physical Description

At the time she disappeared, Van Buren was described as a white woman approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds. She had gray hair and gray eyes.

One distinguishing medical characteristic was that she had undergone a mastectomy, with one breast surgically removed.

These identifying details remain relevant to historical missing-person records and any potential comparison with unidentified remains. (The Charley Project)

The October 1978 Disappearance in Fort Lauderdale

The Charley Project records October 10, 1978, as Van Buren’s missing-since date, although its narrative states that she was last seen sometime in mid-October.

The publicly available account does not provide a verified exact time of her last sighting or identify a confirmed final witness.

What is known is that Van Buren disappeared around the time her living situation was changing. She was no longer expected to remain at the Southwest 30th Street residence and had intended to find somewhere else to live.

Her disappearance was not immediately reported to police.

According to the documented case history, several months passed before neighbors contacted law enforcement because they had not heard from her for an unusually long period.

That delay created a potentially important investigative difficulty. By the time authorities were alerted, considerable time had passed since Van Buren was last known to be in the area.

The public record does not establish precisely what investigative steps were taken immediately after the missing-person report.

The Missing Plymouth Fury

One of the most distinctive details in Van Buren’s case involves her automobile.

She owned a gold and black 1968 Plymouth Fury bearing Florida license plate 10-3799.

According to The Charley Project, Van Buren apparently did not leave in the automobile. Nevertheless, investigators could not locate the vehicle after her disappearance.

The missing car raises several unresolved questions. It is unknown from the available public information whether someone else drove the vehicle, whether it was transferred or concealed, or whether its disappearance was directly connected to what happened to Van Buren.

There is no verified public account establishing that the Plymouth Fury was subsequently recovered.

The vehicle’s description and historical license plate remain important identifying information. (Disappearance details)

Investigation History and Financial Evidence

The $13,000 in Forged Checks

The most significant publicly documented financial evidence involves checks written against Van Buren’s bank account during the weeks surrounding her disappearance.

Between September 21 and October 15, 1978, checks totaling approximately $13,000 were written against her account.

According to the case profile, Van Buren’s signatures on those checks were subsequently determined to be forged.

This establishes that fraudulent financial activity occurred around the period in which she vanished.

However, the publicly available information does not identify who forged the signatures, who received the money, or whether investigators established a direct connection between the fraudulent checks and her disappearance.

It is also important that the check-writing period began before the reported missing-since date and continued afterward. The exact dates of individual checks have not been publicly established in the reviewed source.

Another $20,000 Taken From a Neighbor’s Account

The financial circumstances became more concerning because Van Buren was not the only person whose money was reportedly taken.

Around the same period, approximately $20,000 was taken from the bank account of a close friend and neighbor.

The neighbor’s identity has not been publicly disclosed in the available case account.

Together, the two reported amounts total approximately $33,000.

The timing of these financial losses makes them relevant to the disappearance, but it does not establish that the same individual was responsible for both transactions.

Nor does the available public record establish whether the neighbor was threatened, deceived, or otherwise directly involved in the circumstances surrounding Van Buren’s disappearance.

The publicly documented facts support concern about financial exploitation, but they do not identify a perpetrator or establish a motive for homicide. (Financial evidence)

Suspected Foul Play

The Charley Project explicitly states that foul play is suspected in Van Buren’s disappearance.

The circumstances include the forged checks, missing automobile, unexplained absence, and delayed missing-person report.

However, suspicion of foul play is not equivalent to a confirmed homicide.

The reviewed sources do not document a recovered body, a medical examiner’s homicide determination, an officially named murder suspect, or criminal charges directly tied to her disappearance.

Van Buren should therefore continue to be described as an endangered missing person unless reliable official information establishes a different classification.

Theories and Unresolved Questions

Several possible explanations emerge from the known circumstances. These are investigative questions and interpretations, not established findings.

Could Financial Exploitation Be Connected to the Disappearance?

The forged checks are among the strongest documented indications that something was wrong around the time Van Buren vanished.

One possibility is that someone with access to her personal or financial information exploited her financially.

Whether that person also had any involvement in her disappearance is unknown.

No verified public source identifies a suspect or establishes that the fraudulent transactions were part of a violent crime.

What Happened to the Missing Automobile?

The disappearance of the Plymouth Fury remains another significant mystery.

If Van Buren did not leave in the car, its absence raises questions about who had access to it and where it went.

The car might have provided evidence concerning her movements or the actions of another person, but there is no verified public information establishing its ultimate fate.

Did the Change in Housing Make Van Buren Vulnerable?

Van Buren was preparing to find a new residence after the home where she had been living was sold.

This change may have complicated efforts to determine her whereabouts, particularly because she was not reported missing immediately.

However, there is no documented evidence proving that the sale of the house or the relocation itself caused her disappearance.

Why Was the Missing-Person Report Delayed?

Neighbors eventually contacted police after months without hearing from Van Buren.

The public record does not explain why an earlier report was not made, who last had confirmed contact with her, or whether anyone believed she had moved away voluntarily.

Those gaps are important, but they should not be treated as evidence of wrongdoing by any particular individual.

Latest Publicly Available Investigative Updates (2026)

As of October 18, 2026, no publicly confirmed recent investigative breakthroughs were located concerning Irene E. Van Buren’s disappearance.

The most substantial publicly accessible case account identified during this research is her profile maintained by The Charley Project. That profile records its most recent substantive update as January 14, 2019, when her middle initial was added and details concerning her disappearance were revised.

That update was a revision to a missing-person profile, not an announced investigative breakthrough.

DNA Testing and Forensic Developments

No publicly verified announcement was located confirming that investigators have used forensic genetic genealogy to identify a suspect in Van Buren’s disappearance.

Similarly, no confirmed public announcement was located documenting a new DNA match, recovery of her remains, or forensic identification resolving the case.

A Websleuths discussion concerning unidentified remains in Collier County, Florida, mentions Van Buren as having been excluded from consideration in that separate identification investigation. This is community-reported information rather than an independently verified official investigative update concerning her case. The Collier County remains were subsequently identified as belonging to another woman. (Websleuths discussion)

Arrests, Suspects, and Cold-Case Reviews

No publicly confirmed arrests, criminal charges, or officially named suspects were located in connection with Van Buren’s disappearance.

There was also no verified recent public announcement of a renewed search, dedicated cold-case review, or recovery of her missing Plymouth Fury.

These findings do not establish that investigators have stopped working on the case. Law enforcement may possess information that has not been publicly released.

Missing-Person Records

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains a statewide public missing-person search system. Its own guidance cautions that entries should not be treated as definitive confirmation that an investigation remains active without verification from the reporting agency.

The Florida Missing Persons Search provides a way to seek current state-record information.

A case-specific official record from that system was not independently retrieved during this research.

Conclusion: A Fort Lauderdale Disappearance Still Without Answers

Nearly 48 years after Irene E. Van Buren disappeared, the known circumstances remain deeply troubling.

She was a 75-year-old woman preparing for a change in residence. Around the time she vanished, fraudulent checks were written against her bank account, a substantial amount of money was also taken from a neighbor’s account, and her automobile could not be found.

Despite those unusual circumstances, the public record has not established who was responsible for the financial activity or what ultimately happened to Van Buren.

Her case is a reminder that missing older adults deserve sustained attention, even when decades have passed.

Anyone with information about Irene E. Van Buren, her movements in September or October 1978, the forged checks, or the missing 1968 Plymouth Fury is encouraged to contact the Fort Lauderdale Police Department at 954-828-5700.

Even information that seemed unimportant at the time could help investigators reconstruct events surrounding her disappearance.