It's been more than seven years since the last time anyone saw a Lehigh Acres woman after she seemingly disappeared without a trace, never to be seen or heard from again.
With the Christmas holiday just over a week away, there is only one thing Alice Bell Dorton's daughter is asking for — answers.
"Birthdays tend to sting, but holidays hammer you. I miss my mother so very dearly," said Holly Stevenson, Alice's daughter. "I'd give anything to hear her laugh, listen to one of her drawn-out voice messages or feel her gentle embrace."
Alice was last seen on July 1, 2017, when she left a home on Gifford Avenue in Lehigh Acres.
In the days, weeks and now years since her disappearance, no one has seen or heard from her.
Detectives believe she may have met with foul play, however her body was never discovered.
Alice was a transient, with no fixed address, however she did have ties with a former boyfriend who was a person of interest in the case.
That man reportedly passed away in 2023, and no charges were ever filed against him in relation to her disappearance.
SWFL Crime Stoppers said they received a tip in 2022 from individuals who believe they spotted who they thought was Alice in Collier County on several different instances.
The information ultimately did not lead to Alice's discovery.
Despite the time that has passed, detectives are hopeful that someone will finally come forward to share what they know about what happened to Alice.
"It's hard not going mad trying to find her — getting caught up in any crumb of evidence left to explore as the shallow well of information dries," Stevenson said. "I have nightmares of possible outcomes, so overwhelming they make me physically ill. I just wish we had answers. Someone knows something."
If you have any information on the disappearance of Alice Dorton, Crime Stoppers is available 24/7 to take your anonymous tip at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477).
SWFL Crime Stoppers said they are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for any information that leads to her whereabouts or an arrest related to her case.
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