Elizabeth Elder

Elizabeth Ann (born Elder), who went by Lisa Roberts after her adoption, was born in Oregon in 1959 and grew up as a junior at Roseburg High School. Adopted as a small child, Lisa kept the first and middle names her birth mother requested and was known within her family and community as a young woman with promise during her school years. In late July 1977, after a disagreement at home, she left Roseburg. Her father reported her missing on July 25, 1977, and the family held on to hope.

For decades Lisa’s name was not known to investigators; she was one of the many young people who vanished from daily life and whose absence left unanswered questions for those who loved her. Snohomish County investigators preserved evidence and pursued leads across the years, and Lisa’s story continued to matter to the detectives who kept her file active. In June 2020, after advances in DNA sequencing and investigative genetic genealogy, investigators were finally able to confirm her identity and return her name to her family — a long-awaited recognition of her personhood and place among relatives.

The public record about Lisa centers on the facts that could be verified by official sources: she was born in Oregon in 1959, was adopted and renamed Elizabeth Ann Roberts (going by Lisa), was reported missing July 25, 1977, and died August 9, 1977. Those verified details are the anchor for remembrance: she was more than an unresolved file — she was a daughter whose identity was recovered and whose memory was restored to family members after 43 years. This life story is written with respect for the limited public details about her private life; what remains clear is that Lisa was a real young woman with family ties and a life interrupted far too soon. Her identification in 2020 returned a name and allowed a measure of closure for those who loved her.