Missing Person

Barbara Rushton

Barbara Kettell Rushton, 45, disappeared after leaving her Vestavia Hills home on Aug. 29, 1984, to play cards with friends. Her car also remains missing, and NamUs lists the Jefferson County case as open and unresolved.

Incident date: August 29, 1984
Location: Vestavia Hills, Jefferson County
Independent sources: 2

The record

Barbara Kettell Rushton was 45 when she disappeared after leaving her Vestavia Hills home on Aug. 29, 1984, according to an open U.S. Department of Justice NamUs record. Neither Rushton nor the white 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit she was driving has been found 1.

NamUs says Rushton left her home on Old Forest Road to play cards with friends. Her husband saw her drive away, and her friends called a short time later to report that she had not arrived. Her husband then contacted police, prompting a search for Rushton and the vehicle 1.

Authorities interviewed Rushton’s relatives, friends and co-workers and conducted ground and aerial searches over the following days and weeks. According to NamUs, she had resigned from her job, and co-workers told investigators that they had seen Rushton and her husband arguing the day before she vanished. Her daughter told investigators that Rushton had seemed unusually distressed before leaving, describing her as upset, crying and displaying a blank stare 1.

Investigators flagged Rushton’s Social Security number, but NamUs says it was never used again. Her credit cards also showed no subsequent use, and about $4,000 remained untouched in her bank account 1.

Rushton had type 1 diabetes and did not have insulin with her when she left home. NamUs records that some people believed she might have wandered away while experiencing diabetic amnesia, but the record does not establish what happened to her 1.

Rushton was eventually declared dead. Her NamUs case, MP2686, nevertheless remains open and unresolved, with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department listed as the primary investigating agency 1.

Timeline

August 28, 1984Confirmed
Co-workers later told investigators they had seen Rushton and her husband arguing the day before she disappeared.
August 29, 1984Confirmed
Rushton left her Vestavia Hills home to play cards with friends. She did not arrive, and her husband contacted police.
Days and weeks after Aug. 29, 1984Confirmed
Authorities conducted ground and aerial searches and interviewed Rushton’s relatives, friends and co-workers.
After the disappearanceConfirmed
Investigators flagged Rushton’s Social Security number. NamUs says it and her credit cards were never used again, while about $4,000 remained in her bank account.
Date unspecifiedConfirmed
Rushton was declared dead.
Current status in supplied NamUs recordConfirmed
Case MP2686 is open and unresolved; neither Rushton nor her vehicle has been found.

Documented claims

Barbara Kettell Rushton was 45 when she disappeared after leaving her Vestavia Hills home on Aug. 29, 1984.
Confirmed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Single-source claim.
Rushton left her home on Old Forest Road to play cards with friends, driving a white 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit.
Confirmed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Single-source claim.
Rushton’s husband watched her drive away, and her friends called shortly afterward to say she had not arrived.
Confirmed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Single-source claim.
Her husband contacted police, and authorities launched a search for Rushton and her car.
Confirmed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Single-source claim.
Neither Rushton nor her vehicle has been found.
Confirmed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Single-source claim.
Authorities interviewed relatives, friends and co-workers and conducted ground and aerial searches in the days and weeks after Rushton disappeared.
Confirmed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Single-source claim.
Rushton had resigned from her job.
Confirmed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Single-source claim.
Co-workers told investigators they had seen Rushton and her husband arguing the day before she disappeared.
Confirmed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Single-source claim.
Rushton’s daughter told investigators that Rushton was not behaving normally before leaving, had a blank stare, and was upset and crying.
Confirmed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Single-source claim.
After investigators flagged Rushton’s Social Security number, it was never used again; her credit cards were not used, and about $4,000 in her bank account remained untouched.
Confirmed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Single-source claim.
Rushton had type 1 diabetes and did not have insulin with her when she left home.
Confirmed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Single-source claim.
NamUs records that some people believed Rushton might have wandered away while experiencing diabetic amnesia; what happened to her remains unknown.
Confirmed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Single-source claim.
Rushton was eventually declared dead.
Confirmed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Single-source claim.
NamUs case MP2686 remains open and unresolved, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department is the primary investigating agency.
Confirmed
Source: U.S. Department of Justice NamUs · Single-source claim.

Sources

NamUs Missing Person Case MP2686 — Barbara Kettell Rushton — U.S. Department of Justice NamUsOpen
Where are they now? Missing people — AL.comOpen