Thurlow McFarland Buchanan

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Fort Worth Police Department (TX)

Missing From:

Fort Worth, Texas

Summary:

Thurlow Buchanan was seen by his mother leaving their house on a Thursday evening to get some keys and has not been seen by family again. They discovered Thurlow was last seen leaving a friend’s house in Fort Worth, TX on the following Saturday and his vehicle was later found in Houston, TX. Thurlow did have a girlfriend in Houston but she stated she didn't see him and Thurlow did not let his family know he would be going out of town like he normally did.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

Unbeknownst to the family, Thurlow's Nissan truck was found abandoned in Houston at a bus station and issued traffic citations. It was later towed and family did not know the truck had been recovered until they received a notice in December 1987 about it going to auction. There was no apparent indication of foul play with the truck and the location of the recovered truck was a few miles from the University of Houston campus where his girlfriend attended school. At the time, Thurlow lived at home with his mother in a tight-knit family where they considered Thurlow to be a reliable part of the family. Thurlow was attending plumbing school and wouldn't leave town without notifying his mother or sister. He was attending classes on Tuesdays and Thursday evenings at a plumbing school in Fort Worth.

Additional Details:

In 1986, a female was pregnant with his son. Thurlow had a scar on his forehead between his eyes where he was hit with a bat.

Case Last Updated:

May 15, 2026