The Disappearance of Mary Opitz [Part 1 & 2]
Episode 161 & 162
Mary Opitz
Part 1
It was a chilly Friday night, by Florida standards, when seventeen year old Mary Opitz took a trip to the Edison Mall with her mother and brother. Less than an hour later she would mysteriously vanish from the parking lot, leaving no trace behind. Investigators at the time believed she had runaway, and would soon return.
One month later, when eighteen year old Mary Hare vanished from the same parking lot, and nearly the same parking space, it became clear that something more sinister was at play. The vital hours lost in the early days of Mary Opitz's disappearance may have been just the space the assailant needed to strike again.
Part 2
In this week's conclusion we pick up with investigators turning their attention towards known killers who were active in Florida during the time that Mary Opitz vanished. After a brutal and violent spree ending with his death, Christopher Wilder becomes a prime focus for police and the possibility of his involvement is weighed.
Forty years later, questions remain without answers. Are the disappearance of Mary Opitz and the murder of Mary Hare directly linked, or could there have been two separate but similar crimes committed from out of the same parking lot. In Part 2 we delve into all of the theories surrounding these cases and how one may tie into the other.
Sources:
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Mary Opitz - Florida Missing Person Directory
Mary Opitz – The Resource Center For Cold Case Missing Children’s Cases
Tips needed for girl who went missing 40 years ago in Fort Myers
Mary Opitz | International Missing Persons Wiki | Fandom
SWFL Crime Stoppers asks for tips near 40th anniversary of teenager's disappearance
Mary Opitz missing person case - enhanced photo and additional details posted June 2021
1500 College Pkwy, Fort Myers, FL 33907 to Edison Mall - Google Maps
William Anthony Opitz Jr. (1936-1970) - Find A Grave Memorial
Florida Cold case Missing persons cases – Solved and unsolved
Serial killer Christopher Wilder dies by suicide - HISTORY
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Mary Opitz – The Charley Project
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Edison Mall to Richman's Hidden Garden - Google Maps
Elusive 'Beauty Queen Killer' Led Double Life as a Florida Playboy - A&E