Disappearance of Eloise Worledge

Abduction

Eloise Anne Worledge (8 October 1967 – 12 January 1976) was an 8-year-old girl who was abducted from her home in Beaumaris, Victoria, Australia, on 12 January 1976.

No one has ever been arrested in the case, which has gone cold.

Investigation

Eloise's four-year-old brother raised the alarm when he noticed she was not in her room at 7:30 a.m. He later told police that he had heard "robbers" who had kidnapped his sister — but was too scared to say anything because he thought they would take him too. There was no sign of a struggle. He described hearing crackling noises that Police believe to be consistent with steps on the sea-grass floor covering of Eloise's bedroom.

Police believed that Eloise was lured from her bed by someone whom she knew and trusted and had simply left the house via the front door, which had been left unlocked. Another possibility was that she may have been abducted by a prowler known to be in the area at the time.

A dark green car speeding down Scott Street at 2 a.m. was reported by a neighbour. Another neighbour reported seeing a green Holden stationwagon she did not recognize parked near the Worledge's house. Around midnight, Ann Same, another neighbour, reported having seen a young man walking down the fenceline of the Worledge home, making her feel uneasy so that she crossed the street in avoidance. Around the same time, Molly Salts, a neighbour from further down the street, saw a young man jump the fence into the Worledge property after running in front of her car and across the street. At 2 a.m., Daphne Owen-Smith heard a child's cry and a car door slam; Ann Same reported also hearing this at the same time.