Overview

Last Seen: June 10, 1975
Location: Port Orange, Florida
Age: 12
Status: Missing; presumed homicide victim
Investigating Agency: Port Orange Police Department

Susan Basile disappeared after getting off her school bus in Port Orange, Florida, on June 10, 1975. She was reportedly walking toward home when she vanished. A witness account described Susan being forced into a distinctive dark blue Chevrolet van by two men, while convicted serial killer Gerald Eugene Stano later gave investigators a substantially different account, claiming he personally picked Susan up and strangled her. Her remains have never been recovered.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Susan Basile Disappearance: 12-Year-Old Vanished in Port Orange, Florida in 1975

Brief Case Summary

Last Seen: June 10, 1975
Location: Port Orange, Florida
Age: 12
Status: Missing; presumed homicide victim
Investigating Agency: Port Orange Police Department

Susan Basile disappeared after getting off her school bus in Port Orange, Florida, on June 10, 1975. She was reportedly walking toward home when she vanished. A witness account described Susan being forced into a distinctive dark blue Chevrolet van by two men, while convicted serial killer Gerald Eugene Stano later gave investigators a substantially different account, claiming he personally picked Susan up and strangled her. Her remains have never been recovered.

The Disappearance of Susan Basile

Twelve-year-old Susan Basile was last seen on June 10, 1975, in Port Orange, Florida. Susan had gotten off her school bus and was making her way home. She normally walked with a friend, but on this particular day she was reportedly alone. She never arrived home and has never been seen again.

At the time of her disappearance, Susan was approximately 5 feet tall and weighed about 90 pounds. She had brown hair and brown eyes. She was reportedly wearing a white blouse, blue bell-bottom jeans and white sneakers and was carrying a suede shoulder purse.

A Witness Reported a Possible Abduction

One of the most significant early accounts came from a witness who reportedly saw Susan being forced into a dark blue Chevrolet van by two men. The van was described as having orange curtains and the word “Aries” written on its side. One man was estimated to be about 22 years old and the other approximately 30.

That account became particularly important because it differs significantly from what investigators would hear seven years later from convicted serial killer Gerald Eugene Stano.

Gerald Stano Confesses to Susan Basile’s Murder

In 1982, Gerald Stano confessed to killing Susan. Stano was already linked to numerous murders of women and girls and ultimately confessed to dozens of killings, although questions have long surrounded the accuracy of some of his statements.

According to the account attributed to Stano, he encountered Susan after she got off her school bus and offered her a ride to the Starlite Skate Center on South Nova Road, a location they reportedly both patronized. Stano claimed Susan entered his vehicle and that he later strangled her.

Stano reportedly told authorities that he left Susan’s body in a wooded area and covered her remains with palm fronds. Investigators were eventually taken to the location Stano identified, but the area had already been developed or built over. No remains were recovered.

Two Accounts Leave Unanswered Questions

A continuing complication in Susan Basile’s disappearance is the difference between the reported eyewitness account and Stano’s confession.

The witness account described two men forcibly taking Susan into a distinctive dark blue van, while Stano described personally approaching Susan and convincing her to accept a ride. Available public records do not establish how investigators reconciled those competing versions.

Because Susan’s body has never been recovered, physical evidence that might conclusively establish what happened to her has remained unavailable publicly.

Why Investigators Took Stano’s Confession Seriously

Stano’s confession was not made in isolation. During extensive questioning in 1982, he provided authorities with information about numerous killings. Contemporary reporting stated that investigators considered multiple cases cleared as a result of information he provided and that Stano directed police to locations where he said victims had been left.

Susan’s case reportedly stood apart even among his confessions. Contemporary reporting quoted investigators as saying Susan was the victim about whom Stano showed remorse. He told investigators that he had choked the 12-year-old to death.

Stano was nevertheless never charged with Susan Basile’s killing.

Susan’s Family Spent Years Without Answers

For approximately seven years after Susan disappeared, her family had no explanation for what had happened to her.

Susan’s brother Michael Basile later spoke publicly about the effect her disappearance and the subsequent Stano confession had on the family. Historical reporting reproduced in missing-person forums describes the family’s experience of Susan seemingly vanishing without a trace until investigators learned of Stano’s claimed involvement.

Stano was ultimately executed in Florida’s electric chair on March 23, 1998, but his execution was for the murder of 17-year-old Cathy Lee Scharf, not Susan’s disappearance.

Susan Basile Remains Missing

Despite Stano’s confession, Susan’s remains have never been recovered.

The Doe Network continues to list Susan among Florida’s missing persons as case 2547DFFL, and its records show that her case information was updated in November 2022.

Susan has also been identified in public case references as NamUs Missing Person #14030.

Latest Publicly Available Investigation Information

As of September 2026, publicly accessible records reviewed for this article do not show that Susan Basile’s remains have been recovered or that anyone was subsequently prosecuted for her disappearance or presumed murder.

The most recent identifiable database activity found during this review is a November 2022 Doe Network update to Susan’s case information. The Doe Network continues to include Susan in its active Florida missing-person index.

The Port Orange Police Department remains the relevant local law-enforcement agency. Its current directory lists the Detective Division at 386-506-5880, the main Police Department number at 386-506-5800, and Police Records at 386-506-5801.

Susan’s case therefore remains unresolved in the most fundamental sense: investigators have an alleged confession and a suspected killer, but Susan herself has never been found.

What Happened to Susan Basile?

The available evidence leaves several major questions unanswered.

Was the witness who reported seeing Susan forced into the blue “Aries” van describing the actual abduction? Was Gerald Stano’s confession accurate? If Stano did kill Susan, can the location where he said he left her remains ever be identified closely enough to permit another search?

More than five decades after Susan Basile disappeared in Port Orange, the most important piece of the case remains missing: Susan herself.

Anyone with information concerning Susan’s disappearance should contact the Port Orange Police Department or its Detective Division.