What Happened To Lora Lee Michel -Missing After Prison Release Update
Lora Lee Michel, a prominent American former child actor who grew up in Schulenburg, vanished in 1963.
In 1950, Michel was involved in one of the most prominent custody fights between her biological and adopted parents, causing quite a sensation in Hollywood.
Lora's original mother, Lena Smith Brunson, surrendered her and two other younger siblings for adoption when she was five years old. Lora was adopted by Otto and Lorraine Michel of Schulenburg, Texas.
Then, unsurprisingly, Michel was involved in a contentious court fight with her family and vanished from public view. Michel was reportedly imprisoned in a federal women's jail in West Virginia on a specific date.
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Where Is Lora Lee Michel Now?
Lora Lee Michel's family has been wondering where she has been since she went missing. A small-town girl, Lora, with enormous Hollywood hopes, became engulfed in the celebrity whirlwind.
Lora was involved in a highly publicized child custody battle in court, which became infamous in the Hollywood industry.
Michel was eventually arrested, and her name has since vanished, leaving people to wonder what happened to her once she grew up. After acting in films such as "Tokyo Joe," Michel was called the "new Shirley Temple." People are still curious about her whereabouts and how her life has developed since her early celebrity.
A child actress in the 1940s, Lora Lee Michel at 7 was billed as a “sensation” with “the greatest appeal since Shirley Temple.” But following a scandalous custody trial and a stint in federal prison, she vanished from the public eye.
— Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times published a story by Stacy Perman headlined "What happened to erstwhile child star Lora Lee Michel?" in May 2022. According to the story, Lora's sister Barbara Wright Isaacs is still looking for her brother after 55 years, believing "...she's either dead or doesn't want to be discovered."
Stacy eventually uncovered documents maintained by Lora's second husband, Joe Wendel Owen, indicating that Lora died of cancer in 1979.
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Why Was Lora Lee Michel In Jail/Prison: Charges
Lora Lee Michel and her husband, Frank Scott, were arrested in El Paso, Texas, in December 1962 and accused in federal court of driving a stolen automobile across state lines.
According to press sources, Lora and Frank stole a 1957 Mercury display model in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and drove it to Houston.
Lora and Frank then took a six-month tour across the southern and eastern United States after taking Lora's ex-husband's automobile, a Ford convertible, and using three credit cards discovered in the glove compartment to rack up $3,700 in expenses.
Frank was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison, while Lora was sentenced to 13 months in the Federal Women's Institution in Alderson, West Virginia. Lora vanished after her discharge.
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