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Debra Mackey, 20: Last Seen At NYE Party With Her Family In 1982

Debra Mackey, 20: Last Seen At NYE Party With Her Family In 1982

She got into a vehicle and was never seen again.

Erika Marie's avatar
Erika Marie
Aug 30, 2025
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Debra Mackey, 20: Last Seen At NYE Party With Her Family In 1982
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Debra Mackey Terrell Missing Texas

In 2016, the Lubbock Police Department in Texas officially reopened this case. Lt. Ray Mendoza suggested that investigators were unsure whether Debra Mackey had walked away from her life and changed her name. Still, with over three decades having passed since she went missing, authorities concluded that they believe she "met with foul play."

Our Black Girls is an independent, reader-supported publication. If you believe in amplifying the stories of missing Black women and girls, please consider making a direct gift through PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee, or by subscribing here.

The early morning hours of January 1, 1982, would be the last time anyone would see Debra Mackey. The 20-year-old was visiting her family at her mother's home to ring in the new year, but it was around 2:00 a.m. when Debra was spotted getting into a brown vehicle with an unidentified person. Years ago, Debra's cousin, Mary McDade, sat down with reporters as she relived those last moments.

"That's a part of my life that will never go away, until we find out whatever, ever happened to her," said Mary at the time. "Never saw her again, never knew what happened to her... We remember, she came and she had on a brown coat. She came in and something crazy happened. She left and we never saw her again. It's killing us, each and every day a little bit by little bit, it's taking some parts of us."

"Still hold onto that same little memory," Mary added. "There's no way in the world that she would've left and never came back."

A Family Holds Our Hope For Resolution

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