AUSTIN -- Austin police are asking for the public's help in finding a missing woman. Mary McFadyen, 80, went missing last year. Now detectives have identified a person of interest in the case. Friends who know and love McFadyen have been praying for her return.
She's a sweet woman, a kind and gentle soul. We all miss her very much, said her best friend, William Lurcott from Florida.
Police may finally have a break in the case. They recently met with a man who was dating her.
McFadyen was last seen at her home in Northwest Austin in February of 2011. The last person to see her was Garry Dolbow of Fresno, California.
In April detectives found her car abandoned a couple blocks away. Now her former boyfriend, Dolbow, is at the center of an Austin police investigation.
We don't actually know she's met with foul play, but it is a strong suspicion at this point, Sgt. Hector Reveles of the Austin Police Department said.
Detectives say Dolbow is a businessman who travels a great deal.
Since her disappearance, he's spoken to police several times by phone. He recently came to Austin on his own to talk to police. During questioning, he said he would need a lawyer to discuss details of her whereabouts.
A close friend of the missing woman is hoping that after a year of waiting, police have some leads.
I hope so, but if she's alive, she's not the kind of person that would just leave her apartment and not be in contact with her friends, said Lurcott.
Friends say McFadyen authored a popular book in Germany. Perhaps she's best known for her service as a spiritual teacher.
Since her disappearance, friends have sought information online.
She was the kind of person you could always count on, Lurcott said.
APD urges anyone with information about Mary s current whereabouts or the circumstances under which she disappeared to call the Austin Police Department s homicide tip line at (512) 477-3588.
