The disappearance of Beverly Potts

As a parent, one of my worst fears is to outlive one of my sons. When they were younger, I worried about them constantly. The world is a dangerous place. Another fear is to have a loved one disappear without a trace. It’s nothing I can even imagine. With that being said, I wonder how Robert and Elizabeth Potts felt in 1951 after someone abducted their daughter Beverly.

Robert and Elizabeth had two daughters. Anita was the oldest and Beverly Rose Potts was the youngest. She was born on April 15, 1941, in Cleveland, Ohio. She lived in the 11300 block of Linnet Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio and was supposed to start the fifth grade in 1951.

On August 24, 1951, Beverly and her friend Patsy had plans to attend the Showagon at nearby Halloran Park. It was a production for children. The girls were riding their bikes on that day. They decided it would be easier to navigate through the crowd on foot than on a bicycle. They returned to their homes and parked their bikes. Afterward, they arrived at Halloran Park around 8:30 p.m.

Beverly’s parents had given her permission to stay and watch the entire program. However, Patsy had to be home before dark. When it got dark, Patsy went home alone. When she left, Beverly was still watching the show.

After Beverly didn’t arrive home by 10 p.m., her parents became worried. Beverly was a responsible child. She wouldn’t stay out after the show ended. Her parents contacted the police immediately. They began investigating and speaking to witnesses. A friend of Beverly’s saw her leaving and headed toward home after the show ended around 9:30 p.m.

Based on the direction she walked, it would have only taken her minutes to arrive home. Another witness claimed to have seen Beverly standing near a car speaking to two young men inside the car. But no one witnessed Beverly get into the car.

Who abducted the shy child?

The police launched a full-scale search to find Beverly. They canvassed nearby neighborhoods, knocked on doors, and searched the area by car and plane. They received thousands of tips and spent many hours trying to locate the missing child. They ruled out the family after concluding that Beverly came from a loving home. Police believed someone had abducted her by car or by forcing her into their home.

Although Beverly was cautious and fearful of strangers, someone could have gained her trust by offering her a babysitting job. And since she avoided strangers, someone she knew could have abducted her. The police and family never gave up searching for her. The police had several suspects, but nothing conclusive. In 1980, two police detectives said they had received a tip leading to a man who claimed he abducted Beverly. He had once lived near Halloran Park. However, the prosecutor didn’t charge him with any involvement in Beverly’s disappearance.

Elizabeth Potts passed away in March 1956. Her husband Robert followed in February 1970. Beverly’s parents never recovered from the loss of their daughter. Beverly’s sister Anita continued trying to find out what happened to her younger sister until she passed away in August 2006. Unfortunately, the entire family never found out what happened to Beverly.

Today, her disappearance remains one of Cleveland’s most baffling missing person cases. No one has ever recovered Beverly’s remains or offered any information about what happened to Beverly.

It’s unlikely she left on her own accord. Is it possible she’s still alive today? If so, she would be 79. Anyone with information about this case can contact the Cleveland, Ohio PD at 216-621-1234.