Eva Gerline DeBrul Vanished From Family Home in Catawba South Carolina

On June 29, 1977, 15‑year‑old Eva Gerline DeBruhl vanished from her family’s home in the rural community of Catawba (York County), South Carolina. Witnesses last saw her around 11 a.m., mowing the lawn and wearing a pink floral‑print sweater with light‑blue floral‑print shorts. Shortly after, she went inside to pour herself a glass of iced tea—but her glass and the full pot of tea remained untouched when her mother awoke around noon. The television was still tuned to her favorite Christian program, her flip‑flops lay abandoned in the grass, and Eva was gone without a trace.

Early Life and Personality

Eva was born on May 25, 1962, and grew up in a close‑knit, devoutly Christian household. Described by friends and family as shy but deeply faithful, she sang in her church choir at Providence Baptist Church and had just completed junior high at Castle Heights School. Known for her gentle nature and strong sense of responsibility, she earned pocket money babysitting for neighbors and was preparing to start her freshman year at Rock Hill High School that fall.

The Fateful Morning

According to officials, Eva rose early on that summer morning to cut her family’s grass before her father left for work and her mother—who worked overnight shifts at a local mill—slept. Clad in her floral‑print outfit and eyeglasses, she mowed the front yard until shortly after 11 a.m., when her father stepped into the driveway to leave for his shift. Eva told him she had been “called in” for her father’s job (a misunderstanding of his departure) before heading inside to cool off with iced tea—her last known action .

Initial Evidence at the Scene

When Eva’s mother awoke around noon, she discovered a half‑filled bathtub, the television set still playing the PTL Club, and an untouched glass of tea on the kitchen counter. Outside, Eva’s rubber flip‑flops lay where she’d set them down. Nearby, a Coca‑Cola bottle manufactured in Georgia—never tested for fingerprints—was found in the yard. Further complicating matters, Eva’s grandmother reported seeing a late‑model blue‑and‑white (some accounts say green‑and‑white) Jeep‑style vehicle pull up to the house. An unidentified Caucasian man in green clothing knocked on the screen door twice, then drove off; he returned about ten minutes later, again knocking, before departing and disappearing down the road .

Foul Play and Investigation Launch

From the outset, law enforcement treated Eva’s case as a potential abduction due to the lack of struggle signs coupled with the bizarre scene inside the house. The York County Sheriff’s Department opened an intensive investigation, classifying Eva as an endangered missing person and suspecting foul play. Despite early canvassing of nearby homes, aerial searches, door‑to‑door questioning, and alerts to state and federal agencies, no solid leads emerged .

The Henry Lee Lucas Confession

In the late 1980s, convicted serial killer Henry Lee Lucas falsely claimed responsibility for nearly 100 unsolved murders, including Eva’s disappearance. Lucas asserted he abducted and killed a “young girl” near Charlotte on a hot summer day, but his confessions have been widely discredited due to inconsistencies in timelines, locations, and physical descriptions. Investigators ultimately dismissed his claim as unreliable, though the episode injected fresh—but ultimately fruitless—attention into the case .

Age‑Progressed Images and Renewed Appeals

Over the decades, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and other agencies released age‑progressed renderings of Eva to assist identification efforts. The 2011 progression depicted her circa age 49; a more recent issuance portrays her as she might appear at 54 years old. These images have circulated internationally and were featured on billboards, social‑media campaigns, and true‑crime forums, yet no verified sightings have been reported .

Media Coverage and Milestone Anniversaries

Local and national news outlets have periodically revisited Eva’s case on milestone anniversaries. In July 2017, The Washington Times published a retrospective noting that 40 years after her disappearance, Eva remained missing and her family’s hope undimmed. That same month, a column by Andrew Dys in the Rock Hill Herald marked the 40th anniversary, chronicling the scant leads and Eva’s enduring absence from a home once filled with optimism and routine prayers for her safe return.

Family’s Unwavering Vigil

After her father’s death in 1997—he quit his job to devote himself full‑time to the search—Eva’s mother and two sisters have continued regular gatherings on June 29. Each year, they pray, share memories, and update reward notices, refusing to let Eva’s name fade from public consciousness. In 2007, the family held a 30‑year remembrance, inviting neighbors and volunteers to honor Eva’s spirit and renew appeals for information, underscoring that every clue, no matter how small, could be pivotal.

Community and Volunteer Efforts

Beyond official channels, grassroots groups—such as local divided‑together search parties and online communities on Reddit and Websleuths—have organized searches of overgrown fields, wooded areas, and old roadways in and around Catawba. Some contributors have compiled property maps, historical land‑use records, and first‑hand accounts from residents, but none of these amateur investigations have uncovered forensic evidence or living witnesses who recall Eva’s presence on that day.

Current Status and Ongoing Appeals

Today, crime stoppers and detective units still treat Eva’s disappearance as an active, unsolved case. York County Crimestoppers continues to offer a reward for credible information; investigators maintain that someone—perhaps now in their 60s—remembers something crucial. Anyone with knowledge is urged to contact the York County Sheriff’s Office at (803) 628‑3059 or submit tips anonymously via 1‑877‑509‑4321. Technological advances in DNA analysis and digital record‑retrieval offer renewed hope that cold leads can be reexamined under modern forensic standards.

Conclusion

The disappearance of Eva Gerline DeBruhl remains one of South Carolina’s most haunting cold cases. A seemingly ordinary summer chore ended in an enduring mystery that has spanned generations. Though decades have passed and witnesses age, Eva’s family and law enforcement refuse to close the door on her story. It stands as a solemn reminder that even a whisper of new information can reshape a long‑forgotten timeline—and that, one day, a small spark of memory might finally lead to answers.