Family seeks help finding loved one

The niece of a Pennsylvania woman who disappeared almost 30 years ago says her loved one may be dead in California - or be living in Yuma.

Nellie Florence Cornman Flickinger was last seen in Erie, Pa., in 1979. She was 30 at the time of her disappearance.

Flickinger's family believes she may have fled to Yuma, where she was known to have worked at restaurant many years ago. But the family's investigation has also turned up buried remains, which will soon undergo DNA testing in California.

Joni Lapeyrouse, Flickinger's niece, said that family recently relaunched their search for the woman because the five children she abandoned are now adults who have questions.

"We just want to know if she's all right," Lapeyrouse told The Sun. "If she wants to be left alone, that's fine. We'll leave it at that. At this point the family just wants to know if she's OK or not."

The niece admitted that help from law enforcement has been scarce due to the fact that Flickinger most likely disappeared of her own free will. No foul play is suspected.

The family discovered a possible match between Flickinger and buried remains in California through The Doe Network. The organization publicizes the descriptions of unidentified bodies in hopes of connecting with families or law enforcement agencies.

Lapeyrouse said that although she still wants to reach out to Yuma, her gut reaction is that the body in Colusa County, Calif., is her aunt. The niece pointed out that both women have screws and a plate in the right leg, plus the hair color, age and height seem to be a match.

Flickinger is described as having brown hair and brown eyes, and was 5 foot 3 inches and 130 pounds when she disappeared.

People with information about Flickinger can reach Lapeyrouse at 1-850-602-2743.