Anna Frances Leatherwood
Full name: Anna Frances Leatherwood
Also known as: Frances or "Frannie"
Age: 45
Missing since: May 20, 1966
Last known location: Sevierville, Tennessee
Case status: Missing; presumed homicide
https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP13801
Anna Frances Leatherwood, who was commonly known by her middle name, Frances, disappeared from Sevierville, Tennessee, on May 20, 1966. She had a long history of leaving her husband, Rockford Berlin "Berlin" Leatherwood, because of domestic abuse, but each time he persuaded her to return home. On the day she vanished, Berlin picked Frances up from a cousin's residence and brought her back to their home. When they arrived, family members noticed she was limping and had a badly bruised, swollen leg.
Their children left the house later that evening, expecting to see their mother again the following day. According to Berlin, he planned to take Frances to a doctor's appointment the next morning. He later claimed that after parking at the medical office and waiting inside, he realized she had never entered the building. Frances was never seen again. Her purse was left behind, and there has never been any evidence that she left voluntarily.
Berlin's actions in the days and years that followed drew the attention of investigators. Within a week of Frances's disappearance, he had sold many of her belongings and burned the rest. Six months later, he filed for divorce and placed the family home on the market. Seven years after she vanished, he successfully petitioned to have Frances declared legally dead and collected the proceeds from her life insurance policy.
Authorities believe Frances was likely murdered, and investigators have publicly stated they suspect her husband was responsible. However, her body has never been found, and no one has ever been charged in connection with her disappearance. Berlin died in 1989, and the case remains unsolved.
