Doris McIntosh

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Panola County Sheriffs Office Tx (TX)

Missing From:

Carthage, Texas

Summary:

Doris Elaine Mims McIntosh, a 78-year-old white female, disappeared on July 24-25, 2009 from Panola County, Texas after leaving a hospital visit. Her vehicle was found abandoned four days later at a remote drilling site. Despite extensive search efforts involving over 200 volunteers, her whereabouts remain unknown and the case is unsolved.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

On the night of July 24, 2009, McIntosh was driving home after visiting her husband in the hospital in Carthage. She was last seen by family members as they left ETMC in Carthage around 10:30 Friday night. McIntosh got into her gold Ford expedition to drive home. The last recorded time someone spoke to Doris McIntosh was July 24, 2009, when she stopped at a residence asking for directions back home after a visit to the hospital to see her husband. At 1:00 a.m. she stopped at a home in Del Ray, Texas to ask for directions. She spent half an hour there and got the directions, then left. However, she turned the wrong way and the homeowner called the police, as he thought McIntosh was confused and disoriented and needed help. The police never were able to make contact with her. She has never been heard from again. It was not until four days later, on July 29, that someone reported seeing an abandoned vehicle near an oil and gas drilling site in a remote area. The vehicle came back as McIntosh's. The vehicle appeared to be stuck in the mud off a County Road 173 located several miles away from her home. It was unlocked and the seat was pushed up to the wheel as though to fit her height, but the heater was on and the keys and purse were gone.

Additional Details:

Investigators found surveillance video from a Carthage gas station which shows her pulling up to the pump several times before aligning her SUV. The video proceeds to show her paying for the fuel and driving away and did not give an indication that she was distressed. Sheriff Lake said the car was checked for evidence and a huge search mission began. More than 200 volunteers and professionals tracked through miles of fields and forests using helicopters, radars and dive teams. Each day the search was widened, but not one clue was found. Sheriff Lake said they've gone back and researched the area many times over the years along with bringing in different kinds of experts including animal trackers. It was a rainy night when McIntosh went missing. McIntosh may have been confused at the time of her disappearance and could have been suffering from an undiagnosed form of dementia. As late as within the last couple of months, we've received tips from time to time that we follow up on, but unfortunately nothing has turned up any additional information that would lead us to discover Mrs. McIntosh. Doris McIntosh grew up in the Carthage area and her granddaughter describes her as a caring, Godly woman.

Case Last Updated:

Apr 24, 2026