Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken was just a toddler when 12-year-old Dee Scofield disappeared from a local department store. When he was a teenager, he remembers his parents bringing up the missing little girl from his hometown. Later, as a dad, it would cause him to lie awake at night, worrying about his own daughter. And down the line, as a new detective, it would continue to haunt him when he began investigating the case for himself. And today… even as a Chief of the entire department… he won’t rest until he knows what happened to Dee Scofield.
Courtesy of Crime Stoppers of Marion County
Episode Info
If you have any information about the disappearance of Dorothy “Dee” Scofield in 1976, please call Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken at 352-369-7000, or email mbalken@ocalapd.gov.
To apply for a Cold Case Playing Card grant through Season of Justice, please visit www.seasonofjustice.org.
Photo of the department store/parking lot from where Dee went missing, J.M. Fields Department Store. Courtesy: Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken, photo originally from the Ocala Star-Banner
Dorothy “Dee” Scofield. Courtesy: Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken
Headshot of Dee Scofield. Courtesy: Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken
The original news release for a missing Dorothy Scofield. Courtesy: Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken
Dorothy “Dee” Scofield’s missing person’s poster. Note: Her first name is spelled incorrectly on the poster. Courtesy: Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken
Dee compared to her age progression to age 19. Courtesy: Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken
Dorothy’s most recent age-progression render to age 46. Courtesy: Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken and NCMEC
Aubrey Adams (left), the suspect sketch, and Ronnie Karr (right). Courtesy: Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken
Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken holding a photo of Dee from her case files. Photo taken by audiochuck staff
Episode Source Material
Original reporting by Madison Cavalchire