Debra Asbury age progression by Diana Trepkov
New age-progression for Debra Asbury, missing since 1994
In addition to the many tensions and difficulties that everyone is facing right now, thousands of families have the added stress of not knowing what happened to someone they love – and not being able to go out looking for them.
“There are so many people going through that right now,” explained CUE founder Monica Caison. “In-person searches are difficult and going out in search teams is almost impossible while we’re trying to maintain our physical distance. But we at CUE remain committed to these families and to helping them find answers whenever we can, however we can.”
In the case of Debra Jean Asbury, that has meant working with a renowned forensic artist to develop an image showing how the Davidson County woman would likely look now, close to 26 years after she was reported missing.
According to law enforcement reports, on Sept. 26, 1994, Ms. Asbury set food out to defrost on the kitchen counter of her Westside Drive home in Lexington. The young mother of four told her sister she was going to meet her boyfriend at a nearby convenience store, and at about 8 a.m., she set out on foot and headed toward the store — without her purse, keys or identification. Ms. Asbury, whom police say had been involved in domestic disputes with both her boyfriend and her ex-husband at different times, never returned home. She would now be 53 years old.
“The longer someone has been missing, the more important age-progression becomes,” Mrs. Caison said. “Hair and clothing styles change, age does its thing, weight fluctuates, et cetera, so it takes an expert to do age-progression in a way that captures the person’s spirit.”
Ms. Asbury’s age-progression was developed by well-respected Canadian forensic artist Diana Trepkov (www.forensicsbydiana.com), the author of Faceless, Voiceless: From Search to Closure, A Forensic Artist’s Inspirational Approach to the Missing and Unidentified. Ms. Trepkov has appeared on CNN and presented her work at an FBI conference.
“Law enforcement is stretched thin everywhere, and unfortunately, that can prevent developments in missing persons cases,” Mrs. Caison said. “We are hopeful that Diana’s insightful artwork will lead us to information about Debra Asbury’s whereabouts.”
If anyone has information concerning Ms. Asbury, please call the Lexington Police Department at (336) 243-3312 or the CUE Center’s 24-hour hotline: (910) 232-1687.