Full Name: Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold

Alternative Name:

Case Status: Missing

Record ID#: 0164

*The names “Jane Doe”  and “John Doe” are English names used when the person’s true name is not known. If used above, the name refers to a person of unknown identity.

Date of Birth*: July 1, 1885
Birthplace:
Age at the Time: 25
Age Group: 20s
Biological Sex: Female
Hair: Dark Brunette styled in a Pompadour
Eyes: Blue, Gray
Skin Complexion:
Shoe Size:
Ethnicity: Caucasian or White
Nationality:
Languages Spoken:

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Physical Build:

Height:

Weight

Distinguishing Marks:

• Pierced Ears

Medical Condition:
Physical Abnormality:
Dental Condition:
Scars & Other Marks:
Piercings: Ear
Tattoos:

Other Descriptors:

Clothing

• A custom-made blue serge coat suit, hip-length, fitted at the waist, with a straight-cut skirt
• White lace jabot (an ornamental frill or ruffle on the front of a shirt or blouse)
• Low black shoes
• Silk stockings
• Tan gloves

Possessions:

Hat

• A black velvet hat, lined in pale Alice blue and trimmed with two blue fabric roses

Jewelry:

• A gold ring composed of two twisted gold bands
• Simple drop earrings made of Lapis Lazuli, plainly set

Hair accessories:

• Imitation tortoiseshell comb worn in the hair
• Dark brown, deeply carved decorative barrette
• Long, very dark blue Lapis Lazuli hat comb

Other accessories:

• Large black fox fur muff with white-tipped fur
• Black cloth handbag containing approximately $20–$30 and several personal cards
• Chocolates she had just purchased
• A copy of An Engaged Girl’s Sketches by Emily Calvin Blake she had just purchased

Date of the Disappearance*: December 12, 1910

Description: On the crisp morning of December 12, 1910, twenty-five-year-old Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold—born into a wealthy Manhattan family—told her mother she intended to go shopping alone for an evening gown. Dressed in a blue tailored suit with a black velvet hat and carrying a black fox muff with white tips, she left their home at 108 East 79th Street around 11:00am – 11:30 am, carrying $20–30 in cash along with cards and papers.

Independent and well-off, Dorothy had her own bank account as well as accounts at several upscale stores. It is unclear where all she intended to stop along her route. She initially began walking west along Fifth Avenue, where she was seen by several acquaintances, none of whom noticed her behaving unusually.

Dorothy first stopped at the Park & Tilford candy store on Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, where she bought chocolates, appearing calm and collected.

Between 1:00 and 2:00 PM, Dorothy was observed heading toward a bookstore at Fifth Avenue and 27th Street. There, she purchased a book, An Engaged Girl’s Sketches by Emily Calvin Blake.

A friend, Gladys King, recalled briefly speaking with her during this time, with Dorothy mentioning plans to walk through Central Park before meeting her mother for lunch at the Waldorf-Astoria. However, this purported route puzzled investigators, since Central Park lies well north of the Waldorf-Astoria, which was located near 33rd Street, making such a detour highly unusual.

This was the last confirmed sighting of Dorothy Arnold. When she failed to return home for dinner, her family became alarmed but initially kept the matter private to avoid scandal. They called friends and acquaintances, only to learn that no one had seen her since she left the bookstore. They quietly launched investigations through family attorney and close friend John S. Keith, who had often escorted Dorothy to social events. Keith and the family hired the Pinkerton Detective Agency, spending thousands of dollars on discreet inquiries. For weeks, Keith and Pinkerton agents scoured hospitals, morgues, and jails in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, seeking any sign of Dorothy—but to no avail. Inside Dorothy’s room, they found burned papers—likely unsuccessful manuscripts—and some travel brochures, but no clues to her whereabouts.

Six weeks later, Dorothy’s father publicly appealed for information, offering a $1,000 reward and distributing her description nationwide. Numerous unconfirmed sightings and false ransom letters surfaced, but no verified leads emerged. Speculation ranged from a secret elopement and voluntary disappearance to suicide or foul play.

Dorothy’s disappearance remained a baffling mystery, compounded by the knowledge of a secret relationship she had maintained with George Griscom Jr., a man her family disapproved of. Griscom was in Italy at the time and claimed ignorance of her whereabouts. Yet, he possessed a letter Dorothy had sent him expressing profound despair after a recent rejection of her magazine story, writing, “All that I can see ahead is a long road with no turning.” This letter led some to speculate that Dorothy may have taken her own life, though no evidence ever supported this theory. Evidence later showed she had pawned jewelry to finance a visit to him, a fact her family disapproved of. Griscom himself spent considerable sums searching for her, underscoring his concern.

Years later, a startling allegation surfaced. A Rhode Island convict claimed that he had been paid $150 to dig Dorothy’s grave in the basement of a house near West Point. Although he did not know who hired him, he described the man as bearing a strong resemblance to Griscom. The convict further asserted that Dorothy had died following a botched abortion and was secretly buried there. Police investigations of basements in the area failed to uncover any remains, and the claim remained unproven.

Despite extensive efforts by family, detectives, and law enforcement, Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold’s fate remains an enduring enigma. Whether she chose to disappear, fell victim to foul play, or met a tragic end hidden from the public eye, no definitive answers have ever emerged. The mystery surrounding her disappearance continues to captivate those fascinated by unsolved cases over a century later.

Multiple Victims?: No

Rumored or Actual Sightings:

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Date the Body was Recovered:

Description: Unknown

Time of Death:

Cause of Death:

Recovered Remains (if partial):

Suspected Homicide?:

Multiple Victims?: No

DNA Tested (No Match):

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Description:

License Plate:

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