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Lyrian Barry, 22: Young Mother Goes Missing From Mississippi in 1960

The 22-year-old mother wanted to start a better life & vanished.

Erika Marie's avatar
Erika Marie
Sep 10, 2025
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Lyrian Barry missing

No one has determined what happened to Lyrian Barry for over six decades. Back in 2018, The Columbus & Starkville Dispatch sat down with the missing 22-year-old's relatives to discuss the puzzling case that has gone unsolved, and they offered that they've come to some conclusion as to what they believe, as a family, happened to the young mother all those years ago.

Lyrian Barry graduated from R. E. Hunt High School in the small town of Columbus, Mississippi, in 1956 and was described as "quiet" and "serious." Columbus is said to be one of those Southern communities where everyone knows everyone else's business, so when someone goes missing, it's a conversation from one side of town to the other.

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Lyrian Meets A Man & Gives Birth

Lyrian came from a close, large family with two parents and eight children—four boys and four girls. After graduating from high school, she met Eulice "Eddie" Stallings, a young man from New Orleans. Betsy Hurt said her sister Lyrian even moved down to The Big Easy to be with him, but it didn't take long before things went south. Soon, Lyrian was back in Columbus with her family, but this time, she had a baby with her, a daughter named Gloria.

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