Mary Jacqueline Levitz, who went by her middle name Jacqueline or the nickname "Jacquie," disappeared from Vicksburg, Mississippi, on November 18, 1995. She was 62 years old. Jacqueline had recently moved from Palm Beach, Florida, to Vicksburg after the death of her husband, Ralph Levitz, co-founder of the Levitz Furniture chain. She purchased a home overlooking the Mississippi River and was in the middle of an extensive renovation while living inside the mostly empty house. 

On the afternoon of November 18, Jacqueline was seen at a local store purchasing wallpaper for her home. After leaving the store, she was never seen again. When family members were unable to reach her by telephone over the next two days, a relative went to check on her house on November 20. He found the front door unlocked and Jacqueline's cream-colored Jaguar still parked in the driveway. Inside the home were signs of a violent struggle. Blood matching Jacqueline's blood type was found on the bedroom carpet, and her mattress had been turned over after becoming heavily soaked with blood. Several of her press-on fingernails were scattered across the bedroom floor, and damage inside the room indicated that a struggle had occurred. 

Investigators noted that although Jacqueline's purse and makeup bag were missing, expensive jewelry valued at approximately $500,000 remained locked inside a safe, along with valuable fur coats and other personal belongings. This led investigators to believe robbery was not the primary motive. Tire tracks were reportedly found in the yard near the front of the house, suggesting a vehicle may have backed up to the residence. Neighbors also reported hearing a vehicle leaving the area around the time Jacqueline disappeared. 

Authorities immediately suspected foul play. Extensive searches of nearby wooded areas and the Mississippi River failed to locate Jacqueline or her remains. Her family initially offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, which was later increased to $100,000. Despite years of investigation by local authorities and the FBI, no arrests have ever been made. 

Over the years, investigators explored numerous theories. One widely discussed possibility involved convicted murderers Kenneth and Sante Kimes, who were later convicted in the 1998 murder of wealthy New York widow Irene Silverman. The similarities between the two cases—including wealthy older women disappearing from their homes with little evidence left behind—prompted investigators to examine whether the Kimeses could have been involved. However, no evidence has ever linked them directly to Jacqueline's disappearance, and neither was charged in connection with her case. 

Jacqueline was legally declared deceased in 2000, but her body has never been found, and the case remains an unsolved presumed homicide. More than three decades later, investigators continue to seek information that could identify the person or persons responsible for her disappearance.

Anyone with information about the disappearance of Mary Jacqueline "Jacquie" Levitz is urged to contact the Vicksburg Police Department at (601) 636-2511, the Warren County Sheriff's Office at (601) 636-1761, or the FBI Jackson Field Office at (601) 948-5000. (charleyproject.org)