Darleta Kay Hurt
Physical Description:
Height: 5’5”–5’7”
Weight: Approximately 130 pounds
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Blue or Hazel
Distinguishing Features: Scar on her nose, pierced ears, breast implants
Dark blue wool dress with maroon and blue stripes
Wide blue belt
Black three-quarter-length coat
Suntan hosiery
Black high-heeled shoes
Silver earrings
Gray pocketbook
Darleta Kay Hurt was 48 years old when she went missing from St. Albans, West Virginia, on December 10, 1986. That afternoon, she left her son’s home to return to her own apartment on Kanawha Terrace. Darleta was never seen again.
Two days later, her shoes and eyeglasses were found scattered outside her apartment building, raising immediate concerns. At the time of her disappearance, Darleta was going through a difficult divorce from her estranged husband, Robert Lee Hurt, a former West Virginia State Trooper. She had reported to police that he had made threats against her, and she vanished just five days before they were scheduled to appear in court to finalize their divorce settlement.
In July 1987, Robert died by suicide. He had been a suspect not only in Darleta’s disappearance but also in the shooting of a state trooper. Following his death, authorities searched his property for any sign of Darleta but found no trace of her.
Despite the passage of time, Darleta’s case remains open, and investigators continue to suspect foul play. Her loved ones are still waiting for answers that have never come.
What You Can Do
If you know anything about what happened to Darleta Kay Hurt or where she might be, please contact the St. Albans Police Department at 304-727-2251.
She is listed in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) under case number MP33127.
Darleta’s case is still open, and even the smallest detail could help bring long-overdue answers to the people who have carried her memory for so many years.