The identification of “Little Miss Lake Panasoffkee” after more than fifty years brought both relief and heartbreak to the family of Maureen L. Minor Rowan, known to loved ones as “Cookie.” In a recent interview, her daughter Ann Patrick spoke openly about what this discovery means for her family and why she is now urgently asking the public for help. Ann is specifically seeking anyone who knew her mother, Maureen, or her estranged husband, Charles Emery Rowan Sr., and who may remember details about their relationship or the events surrounding Maureen’s disappearance in late 1970 or early 1971.
For decades, the young woman found beneath the I-75 bridge in Lake Panasoffkee on February 19, 1971, was simply known as “Little Miss Lake Panasoffkee.” She was discovered in the water by two hitchhikers, strangled with a man’s belt and believed to have been thrown from the bridge. Despite multiple forensic efforts over the years — including dental comparisons, facial reconstruction, and isotopic testing — she was never identified. That changed in 2025 when modern fingerprint technology finally matched prints from the 1971 investigation to an arrest record from 1970. The victim was confirmed to be Maureen “Cookie” Rowan, a 21-year-old mother of two.
In my interview with her daughter, Ann described the emotional shock of learning the truth after so many years of uncertainty. “She was my mother. She was a real person with a family. She wasn’t just a cold case number,” Ann said.
Even with Maureen’s identity confirmed, major questions remain unanswered. Investigators have named Maureen’s estranged husband, Charles Emery Rowan Sr., as a person of interest in the case. He is not officially a suspect, but he has never been ruled out. Maureen and Charles had separated in late 1970. Although Maureen was dead by early 1971, the divorce between them was not formally granted until August of that year. Charles Rowan Sr. died in 2015.
One troubling detail that investigators still cannot explain is why Maureen was never reported missing. There are indications that Charles may have told family members that she had left of her own accord, but to date there is no clear factual record of what he told others or whether anyone questioned her absence.
These gaps are exactly why Ann is seeking help from the public. She believes someone out there may remember something — a friend, neighbor, coworker, fellow church member, or even someone who heard a story that seemed unimportant at the time. Ann emphasized that she is especially looking to hear from people who may have known the couple in Tampa, Jacksonville, Gainesville, or Enigma, Georgia, all places connected to the Rowan family during the relevant period.
“If you knew my mother or Charles, even a little, please reach out,” Ann said. “Any piece of information could help us understand the truth. My siblings and I grew up without answers, and our mother deserves justice.”
Her plea is grounded in both grief and hope. For more than five decades, Maureen’s identity was lost, her life overshadowed by the mystery of her death. Now that her name is known, Ann wants to restore her mother’s humanity and finally uncover the circumstances that led to her killing.
The identification of Maureen “Cookie” Rowan represents an extraordinary achievement in forensic science and a reminder that even the oldest cases can be solved with persistence and modern technology. But identifying the victim is only the first step. Justice requires answers — who Maureen was with, what she was going through, and what happened in her final days.
Law enforcement and the family are urging anyone with information, no matter how small, to come forward. Even memories from long ago, fragments of conversations, or observations from neighbors could help investigators understand Maureen’s life and what may have led to her tragic death.
Ann and her family hope to give Maureen a proper memorial, tell her story accurately, and finally have the closure they have been denied for more than fifty years. They believe someone out there holds a missing piece of the truth.
If you have any information about Maureen “Cookie” Rowan or Charles Emery Rowan Sr., or if you remember anything about their relationship, lifestyle, living situation, or the people they associated with, please contact authorities. Even the smallest detail could make a difference.
If you have any information about Maureen “Cookie” Rowan, Charles Emery Rowan Sr., or the events surrounding her disappearance and death, please contact the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. The dedicated tip line for this case is:
Sumter County Sheriff’s Office
Phone: 352-793-2621
To remain anonymous, you may also use Crimeline: 1-800-423-TIPS (8477)
Even the smallest detail may help investigators move this case forward. The family is pleading with anyone who remembers the Rowans — no matter how faint the memory — to come forward.
