Overview

• Full Name: Margaret Jane Chauncy
• Also Known As: Margaret Latimer; surname also appears as Chauncey in some records
• Date of Birth: July 2, 1963
• Age When Missing: 24
• Last Seen: October 20, 1987, approximately 11:15 p.m.
• Location: Texarkana, Bowie County, Texas
• Occupation: Nurse at St. Michael Hospital in Texarkana, Arkansas
• Classification: Endangered missing person; possible foul play
• Investigating Agency: Texarkana Texas Police Department
• Current Status: Open and unsolved
• Missing Vehicle: Red 1983 Pontiac Fiero, Arkansas license plate MXB670
• Texas DPS Reference: M9010003

Margaret’s disappearance attracted renewed attention in February 2024 when volunteer search specialists worked with local authorities to examine waterways around Texarkana. Although a submerged vehicle was recovered during those efforts, investigators established that it was not Margaret’s missing Pontiac. Her disappearance remains an active mystery, with authorities continuing to seek information from the public.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Case Summary

Margaret Jane Chauncy was a 24-year-old nurse and mother of two who disappeared from Texarkana, Texas, on October 20, 1987. She was last seen around 11:15 p.m. driving a red Pontiac Fiero. Nearly four decades later, neither Margaret nor her vehicle has been located, and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain unresolved.

• Full Name: Margaret Jane Chauncy
• Also Known As: Margaret Latimer; surname also appears as Chauncey in some records
• Date of Birth: July 2, 1963
• Age When Missing: 24
• Last Seen: October 20, 1987, approximately 11:15 p.m.
• Location: Texarkana, Bowie County, Texas
• Occupation: Nurse at St. Michael Hospital in Texarkana, Arkansas
• Classification: Endangered missing person; possible foul play
• Investigating Agency: Texarkana Texas Police Department
• Current Status: Open and unsolved
• Missing Vehicle: Red 1983 Pontiac Fiero, Arkansas license plate MXB670
• Texas DPS Reference: M9010003

Margaret’s disappearance attracted renewed attention in February 2024 when volunteer search specialists worked with local authorities to examine waterways around Texarkana. Although a submerged vehicle was recovered during those efforts, investigators established that it was not Margaret’s missing Pontiac. Her disappearance remains an active mystery, with authorities continuing to seek information from the public.

Background and Circumstances of the Disappearance

A Young Nurse and Mother

Margaret Jane Chauncy was born on July 2, 1963. At the time of her disappearance, she was 24 years old, worked as a nurse at St. Michael Hospital, and was the mother of two children. Her workplace was located in Texarkana, Arkansas, while her disappearance was investigated across the state line in Texarkana, Texas.

Public missing-person records describe Margaret as approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 125 pounds, with blonde hair and hazel eyes. Her ears were pierced, and her four upper front teeth had dental bridgework. These distinguishing characteristics remain important because they may assist investigators in identifying her or comparing unidentified remains.

At the time she disappeared, Margaret was reportedly wearing a blue-and-white striped blouse with matching lower garments, described in case records as either a skirt or pants. She also wore a long gold chain necklace holding two small children’s gold rings and a gold watch engraved with the name “Carolyn Sewell” on the back.

These personal belongings, particularly the engraved watch and distinctive necklace, could provide identifying information if recovered. No publicly verified recovery of those items has been reported.

The Night of October 20, 1987

On Tuesday, October 20, 1987, Margaret finished her shift at St. Michael Hospital. She was last seen at approximately 11:15 p.m., driving her red 1983 Pontiac Fiero with Arkansas license plate MXB670.

According to published investigative accounts, a coworker followed Margaret toward her residence. During their encounter, Margaret expressed concern that a large White man driving a black automobile had been following her.

This reported encounter is one of the most significant details in the case. However, publicly available information does not establish the identity of the man, whether he was actually following Margaret, or whether he had any involvement in her disappearance.

Police later indicated that they believed Margaret was heading home that night but apparently did not make it there. The precise circumstances of her final movements remain uncertain. There is no publicly verified account establishing where or how she disappeared.

Reported Missing on October 22

Margaret failed to appear for two scheduled hospital shifts. On October 22, 1987, a coworker reported her missing.

Investigators examined her residence and reportedly found no signs of a disturbance. They did notice that her nursing uniform was absent from the laundry basket. The significance of that observation has never been publicly established.

Margaret’s Pontiac Fiero was also missing. The disappearance of both Margaret and her vehicle became a central investigative concern. Despite searches and decades of publicity, the red sports car has not been conclusively recovered.

Investigation History and Evidence

The Initial Police Investigation

The Texarkana Texas Police Department investigated Margaret’s disappearance in the weeks following her missing-person report. Police pursued available leads, but the investigation did not establish her whereabouts or produce a publicly confirmed explanation for what happened.

Authorities have considered the possibility of foul play. The Texas Department of Public Safety continues to classify her case as endangered, with foul play possible. That classification reflects investigative concern rather than a legal determination that Margaret was murdered.

Personal Relationships Examined

Published case summaries indicate that Margaret had been involved in a relationship with a married man. Investigative accounts state that the man’s wife learned of the relationship and damaged Margaret’s vehicle by scratching its exterior.

Authorities have reportedly considered whether Margaret’s former husband, the married man, or the man’s wife could have been connected to her disappearance. These are investigative possibilities, not findings of guilt.

No verified public information reviewed for this article establishes that any of these individuals committed a crime against Margaret. No criminal charge or conviction connected to her disappearance was identified in the reviewed sources. The identities of individuals discussed in investigative summaries are therefore not presented as established perpetrators.

The Missing Red Pontiac Fiero

Margaret’s vehicle remains one of the most important potential pieces of physical evidence. Texas missing-person records identify it as a red 1983 Pontiac Fiero bearing Arkansas license plate MXB670.

The vehicle could potentially help investigators reconstruct her movements, identify a location connected to her disappearance, or recover evidence. However, no publicly confirmed discovery of Margaret’s Pontiac has been reported.

Some historical reporting has described the car as a 1984 model, but the Texas Department of Public Safety and established missing-person records identify it as a 1983 Pontiac Fiero. The state listing provides the most consistent vehicle description for public identification purposes.

Renewed Searches of Texarkana Waterways

In early February 2024, Margaret’s case received renewed investigative attention when volunteer search specialists associated with Rapid Compassion Collective came to Texarkana after a request for assistance from local police.

The volunteers focused on bodies of water where a missing automobile might have entered or remained submerged. Their efforts included searching Bringle Lake and examining other waterways around the Texarkana area.

On February 5, 2024, volunteers recovered a submerged automobile from a private lake in Texarkana. The discovery initially attracted attention because the search was connected to Margaret’s missing vehicle.

Investigators and search volunteers determined that the recovered automobile was unrelated to Margaret’s disappearance. The vehicle had reportedly been stolen in 1999, approximately twelve years after she vanished. Personal belongings inside helped establish its separate history.

Although the recovery did not solve Margaret’s case, it demonstrated that submerged vehicles could remain undiscovered in local waterways for many years. It also brought renewed public attention to her disappearance.

Physical and Forensic Evidence

Public case information identifies Margaret’s dental characteristics as potentially useful for comparison with unidentified remains. Investigative information associated with the FBI’s missing-person resources indicates that dental information is available for comparison.

However, the reviewed public records do not establish that forensic DNA testing or investigative genetic genealogy has produced a breakthrough in Margaret’s case. No confirmed identification of remains, forensic match, or recovered evidence linking a particular individual to her disappearance was located.

The absence of publicly disclosed forensic results does not necessarily mean that investigators have no additional evidence. It means that such findings cannot responsibly be reported as established facts without official confirmation.

Theories and Unresolved Questions

Was Margaret Being Followed?

Margaret’s reported concern about a man driving a black car remains an important unresolved detail. Her statement suggests that she believed someone might have been following her shortly before she vanished.

Investigators have not publicly established whether the unidentified driver was connected to the disappearance. It is also unknown whether the black automobile was ever identified or whether its driver was located and interviewed.

Could Her Disappearance Have Involved Someone She Knew?

The investigation has reportedly examined Margaret’s personal relationships, including tensions surrounding her involvement with a married man. These circumstances may have provided investigators with possible lines of inquiry, but they do not independently prove that anyone harmed her.

The publicly available evidence does not establish a motive, identify a perpetrator, or explain what happened after Margaret’s final reported sighting.

Could the Missing Car Be Underwater?

The continued absence of Margaret’s Pontiac has led search volunteers to examine lakes and other bodies of water. A vehicle entering water, whether accidentally or through criminal circumstances, is one possibility that investigators and searchers have considered.

However, there is no publicly confirmed evidence that Margaret drove into a body of water or that her vehicle is submerged. The unsuccessful searches cannot establish where the vehicle went, and the discovery of an unrelated automobile in 2024 does not prove an underwater explanation for her disappearance.

Other Unverified Accounts

Historical investigative information also mentions an unconfirmed rumor that Margaret may have traveled to Mexico. No reliable public evidence reviewed for this article substantiates that account. It should not be treated as a verified sighting or an established explanation for her disappearance.

The central unanswered questions remain where Margaret went after leaving work, what happened to her Pontiac Fiero, whether the reported black vehicle had any significance, and whether someone with knowledge of the events has withheld information.

Latest Publicly Available Investigative Updates

February 2024: Police Seek New Leads

On February 5, 2024, regional news organizations reported that Texarkana police were again seeking information about Margaret’s disappearance. The renewed appeal coincided with underwater searches conducted by volunteer specialists.

Police emphasized that even seemingly minor information could prove useful in a case that had remained unresolved for decades. The recovery of an unrelated stolen vehicle during the searches did not change Margaret’s missing-person status.

April 2024: Missing-Person Profile Updated

The Charley Project records an April 10, 2024, update to Margaret’s public case profile, including additional photographs and revisions to the disappearance details. This was a public information update, not a confirmed investigative breakthrough.

2026: Case Continues to Be Listed as Open

A public case listing associated with the Texarkana Police Department identifies Margaret’s disappearance as open and carries a September 13, 2026, record update. That listing also recounts the 2024 search activity and the original circumstances of her disappearance.

The record update does not establish that investigators discovered new evidence, identified a suspect, recovered Margaret’s vehicle, or resolved the case in 2026.

As of November 8, 2026, no publicly confirmed recent investigative breakthrough, arrest, criminal charge, recovery of Margaret’s remains, or identification of her missing Pontiac was located in the reviewed sources. The case continues to be publicly documented as unresolved.

Conclusion and Public Appeal for Information

Margaret Jane Chauncy was just 24 years old when she disappeared from Texarkana on October 20, 1987. She was a working nurse and the mother of two children, with a life and family that extended far beyond the circumstances of her disappearance.

For decades, investigators have faced the same fundamental mysteries: what happened to Margaret after she was last seen, why her red Pontiac Fiero vanished with her, and whether another person was responsible.

The renewed searches in 2024 demonstrated that her case has not been forgotten. Although those efforts did not locate Margaret, they brought additional attention to an investigation that may still benefit from information held by people who lived in or visited the Texarkana area in October 1987.

Anyone who remembers Margaret’s movements, recognizes the description of her missing vehicle, has information about the reported black car, or possesses other relevant details is encouraged to contact the Texarkana Texas Police Department at 903-798-3116. Information may also be provided to the Texas Department of Public Safety Missing Persons Clearinghouse at 800-346-3243.

Even a detail that once seemed unimportant could help investigators reconstruct the final hours before Margaret disappeared. Her family and the wider community deserve reliable answers, and any credible information should be shared with law enforcement rather than treated as speculation online.