Overview

Last Seen: August 1, 1975
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida
Age: 18
Nickname: “Bunny”
Status: Endangered missing; authorities have investigated the disappearance as a possible homicide.
Vehicle: Greenish-gray 1966 Nash Rambler, never recovered.

Teresa Lyn “Bunny” Fittin disappeared after leaving her Fort Lauderdale residence in August 1975. Her wallet surfaced at a local library ten days later, but Teresa and the Rambler she was driving have never been found. Decades later, investigators, missing-person organizations and volunteer sonar searchers continue looking for answers.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Teresa Lyn Fittin Disappearance:
The 1975 Fort Lauderdale Cold Case

Very Brief Case Summary

Last Seen: August 1, 1975
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida
Age: 18
Nickname: “Bunny”
Status: Endangered missing; authorities have investigated the disappearance as a possible homicide.
Vehicle: Greenish-gray 1966 Nash Rambler, never recovered.

Teresa Lyn “Bunny” Fittin disappeared after leaving her Fort Lauderdale residence in August 1975. Her wallet surfaced at a local library ten days later, but Teresa and the Rambler she was driving have never been found. Decades later, investigators, missing-person organizations and volunteer sonar searchers continue looking for answers.

Teresa Lyn Fittin Vanished From Fort Lauderdale in 1975

Teresa Lyn Fittin was 18 years old when she disappeared from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on August 1, 1975. Known to family and friends as “Bunny,” Teresa was approximately 5 feet 1 inch tall, weighed about 107 to 110 pounds, and had blonde hair and blue eyes. Current Florida Department of Law Enforcement records continue to list her as missing.

At the time, Teresa was living at an apartment on Davie Boulevard. According to accounts of the investigation, Teresa and her boyfriend had argued. Teresa reportedly said she was going outside to her car to calm down and then drove away. She was never seen by her family again.

The vehicle is one of the most important pieces of the mystery. Teresa was driving a greenish-gray Nash Rambler, generally identified as a 1966 model, although some historical sources describe it as a 1964 or 1966 Rambler. The vehicle disappeared with Teresa and has never been recovered.

The Wallet Found Ten Days Later

Teresa apparently left much of her property behind. Accounts compiled from the investigation state that her belongings remained at home, including approximately $300 left on her dresser. There was also reportedly no subsequent activity involving her bank accounts.

Then, on August 11, 1975—ten days after Teresa disappeared—her wallet was found at a Fort Lauderdale library. Historical reporting identifies the location as the Riverland Branch Library on Davie Boulevard. Despite the discovery, the wallet apparently provided investigators with no breakthrough explaining where Teresa had gone or what had happened to her.

The Rambler remained missing as well. The fact that both Teresa and the vehicle vanished has remained a major element of the case for more than five decades.

Was Teresa Pregnant?

One often-repeated detail in Teresa’s case involves a possible pregnancy, but it should not be treated as confirmed.

Teresa’s boyfriend reportedly told investigators that she was pregnant when she disappeared. Teresa’s family, however, did not know of a pregnancy, and her mother has said she believes Teresa would have told her. Different historical sources have also given conflicting descriptions of how far along Teresa supposedly was.

Because of those discrepancies, the most accurate description is that Teresa may have been pregnant, but the available public information does not establish the pregnancy as a verified fact.

Questions About the Exact Last Sighting

The official missing date remains August 1, 1975. However, a later account from Teresa’s mother noted that a neighbor remembered seeing Teresa the following day, dressed nicely and pulling out of the driveway in her Rambler.

That recollection creates an unresolved question about Teresa’s precise final movements. It does not change the official missing date maintained by law enforcement and national missing-person records, which remains August 1, 1975.

Investigators Considered the Possibility of Foul Play

Teresa’s disappearance has long been considered suspicious. The Charley Project reports that authorities suspect foul play and have investigated the case as a possible homicide.

There is nevertheless no publicly established cause or manner of death because Teresa has never been located. No one should be described as responsible for Teresa’s disappearance without evidence establishing that conclusion.

Several theories have surfaced over the decades, ranging from an accident involving one of South Florida’s waterways to criminal involvement. Teresa’s mother has publicly discussed some possibilities herself, but none has been established as the explanation for her daughter’s disappearance.

NCMEC Joined the Search

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children became involved in Teresa’s case after Fort Lauderdale police requested assistance in 2007.

NCMEC reports that it produced age-progressed images, searched databases and public records for traces of Teresa or her vehicle, assisted with biometric analysis, and sent consultants to Fort Lauderdale in 2016 for an on-site case review.

An age progression shows how Teresa might have appeared at approximately 51 years old. Her NCMEC case remains active, and the organization continues to ask anyone with information to contact authorities.

Sonar Search Brings New Attention to the Missing Rambler

One of the most significant recent developments came in 2025, when Sunshine State Sonar, a volunteer organization that searches bodies of water for submerged vehicles and missing people, took an interest in Teresa’s case.

In May 2025, the Miami New Times reported that the group planned to search waterways around Fort Lauderdale, beginning near Davie Boulevard and expanding outward. The group’s reasoning centered heavily on Teresa’s missing Rambler and the numerous canals and bodies of water throughout South Florida.

The effort was particularly significant because a vehicle disappearing along with its driver leaves open the possibility of a submerged-car accident that may have gone undetected for decades.

Latest Investigation Information

By July 31, 2025, NCMEC reported that Sunshine State Sonar was helping search Florida waterways for Teresa’s vehicle. The organization noted that the sonar group had recovered numerous vehicles during its work—but not Teresa’s Rambler.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement continued to publicly list Teresa as missing in 2026, identifying Fort Lauderdale Police as the agency to contact with information. NCMEC also continues to maintain Teresa’s missing-person case.

As of September 2026, there is no credible publicly available announcement showing that Teresa, her remains, or her Rambler have been recovered. The case therefore remains unresolved.

More Than 50 Years Without Answers

Teresa’s disappearance has now remained unresolved for more than half a century.

Her mother, Jocelia Travisano, has continued seeking answers decades after her daughter vanished. Speaking to NCMEC for the 50th anniversary of Teresa’s disappearance, she described the pain of not knowing whether Teresa died in an accident, became the victim of a crime, or somehow survived.

For investigators, the missing Rambler remains particularly significant. Locating it could provide evidence capable of answering questions that have persisted since 1975.

Teresa would now be 69 years old. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and National Center for Missing & Exploited Children continue to circulate her case and ask anyone with information to contact authorities.