Overview

Last Seen: May 14, 1964
Location: Ojai, Ventura County, California
Age: 49
Classification: Missing Person
NamUs: MP120622
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Case: 2-741
Doe Network: 4746DFCA

Main Circumstances: Schrader disappeared after work and did not return to her home in the 200 block of El Camino Drive. Three children were expecting her at home, and her failure to return was reportedly out of character. Her family could identify no apparent reason for her to voluntarily leave. No confirmed trace of her has been publicly reported since May 14, 1964.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Vera Schrader Missing Person Case: Ojai Woman Vanished After Work in 1964

Vera Schrader was 49 years old when she disappeared from Ojai, California, on May 14, 1964. More than six decades later, her disappearance remains unresolved, and she is still listed as a missing person by the California Department of Justice.

Brief Case Summary

Last Seen: May 14, 1964
Location: Ojai, Ventura County, California
Age: 49
Classification: Missing Person
NamUs: MP120622
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Case: 2-741
Doe Network: 4746DFCA

Main Circumstances: Schrader disappeared after work and did not return to her home in the 200 block of El Camino Drive. Three children were expecting her at home, and her failure to return was reportedly out of character. Her family could identify no apparent reason for her to voluntarily leave. No confirmed trace of her has been publicly reported since May 14, 1964.

Who Was Vera Schrader?

Vera Schrader was a 49-year-old mother living in Ojai, a community in Ventura County, California. Official records describe her as a white woman, approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing about 135 pounds. She had brown hair and gray eyes.

The California Department of Justice lists her date of birth as November 14, 1914. She had a scar on her abdomen, and other missing-person records state that she wore dentures. The state record notes that dental X-rays were not available.

When Schrader disappeared, she was reportedly wearing a tan sweater and blue dress.

The Disappearance of Vera Schrader

On Thursday, May 14, 1964, Vera Schrader went missing in Ojai. The publicly available account of her disappearance is remarkably brief considering how long the case has remained open.

Schrader did not return home after work. The Charley Project places her residence in the 200 block of El Camino Drive in Ojai. A later Websleuths researcher cited a May 21, 1964 Ventura County Star article, “Missing Woman Search Continues,” as giving the more specific address of 226 El Camino Drive.

Three children were expecting Schrader to be home when they returned from school. Her absence was described as uncharacteristic. According to the case information subsequently published through missing-person resources, her children and ex-husband could not think of a reason she would have intentionally left.

She was never heard from again.

A Disappearance With Few Publicly Known Clues

One of the most striking aspects of Vera Schrader’s disappearance is how little information has entered the public record.

Available official information does not publicly identify a confirmed suspect, establish that a crime occurred, or explain what happened to Schrader after she left work. Her case therefore should not be described as a confirmed murder or homicide.

The California Department of Justice continues to identify Schrader as a missing person and gives May 14, 1964, as her date of last contact.

There is likewise no publicly confirmed evidence in the sources reviewed establishing that Schrader deliberately abandoned her family. The circumstances reported by her family instead emphasized how unusual it was for her not to be there when her children returned home.

Renewed Attention Six Decades Later

Although Schrader disappeared in 1964, her case received a noticeable increase in online attention around the 60th anniversary of her disappearance.

A Websleuths discussion dedicated to Schrader was created on April 28, 2024, using information from NamUs. The thread identified her as NamUs case MP120622 and reproduced the basic circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

The Charley Project also updated Schrader’s profile on April 30, 2024, adding or revising information concerning her date of birth and distinguishing characteristics.

The Doe Network subsequently added Schrader to its database as case 4746DFCA in 2024.

Missing People in America created a case page on April 29, 2024. That record was subsequently updated on March 16, 2025.

These developments appear to represent renewed documentation and public awareness of the decades-old case rather than the announcement of a newly discovered piece of physical evidence.

Later Research Into the 1964 Disappearance

Public researchers have continued examining historical records connected with Schrader.

In April 2025, a Websleuths contributor cited a contemporary Ventura County Star story titled “Missing Woman Search Continues,” published May 21, 1964. According to that research, the newspaper listed Schrader’s residence as 226 El Camino Drive.

Additional discussion appeared in the thread during 2025 and 2026, including research into older newspaper material and Schrader’s residence. These posts can be useful leads for historical research, but information or theories posted by forum users should not be treated as established investigative findings unless independently verified.

One Missing People in America commenter has suggested searching the nearby Lake Casitas area. That is a member of the public’s theory, not a publicly documented law-enforcement conclusion or confirmed investigative development.

Latest Publicly Available Investigation Information

As of August 2026, the most significant fact is that Vera Schrader remains publicly listed as missing.

The California Department of Justice continues to maintain an active missing-person listing for her and identifies the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office as the reporting agency. The state listing provides case number 2-741.

CaseTrace also currently lists Schrader among Ojai missing-person cases and connects its listing to NamUs case 120622.

The most recent public activity located during research consists largely of continuing database listings, historical research and awareness efforts. I found no reliable public announcement that Schrader has been located, that remains have been identified as hers, that an arrest has been made, or that authorities have formally reclassified the disappearance as a homicide.

That distinction matters: after more than 62 years, the central question remains the same as it was in 1964 — what happened to Vera Schrader after she failed to return home from work?

Identifying Information

At the time of her disappearance, Schrader was approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighed 135 pounds. She had brown hair, gray eyes and an abdominal scar. Missing-person resources also report that she wore dentures.

She was last reported wearing a tan sweater and blue dress.

Anyone possessing credible information about Vera Schrader’s disappearance should provide it directly to law enforcement rather than attempting to investigate individuals independently.

Why Vera Schrader’s Case Still Matters

Vera Schrader’s disappearance is one of California’s exceptionally long-running unresolved missing-person cases. The passage of more than six decades has inevitably complicated the search for answers: memories fade, records may disappear, witnesses die, and locations change.

Yet modern missing-person databases have given Schrader’s case visibility that did not exist for most of the decades following her disappearance.

Her photograph, physical description, identifying information and case numbers can now be circulated nationally. The renewed attention beginning around 2024 has also brought researchers back to contemporary newspaper archives and other historical records that may help reconstruct the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

For Vera Schrader’s surviving family, however, the fundamental mystery remains unresolved. She left behind children who expected their mother to come home from work on May 14, 1964.

She never did.