Name: Florence Helen Okpealuk
Nickname: Flo, Baby Florry
Age: 33 years old
Last seen: August 31, 2020
Location: Nome, Alaska
Status: Still Missing
Case Information
33-year-old Florence Okpealuk was last seen in Nome, Alaska on August 31, 2020. She disappeared that afternoon after leaving a tent on West Beach near the Nome Port.
Background
Florence Helen Okpealuk was born on August 26, 19870, in Alaska. She is the second youngest of seven siblings.
Florence is an Alaska Native of the Iñupiat people and grew up in Wales, a small village about a hundred miles northwest of Nome, Alaska. She attended Teller High School and University of Alaska Fairbanks.
In 2013, a pregnant Florence moved to Nome with hopes of providing better healthcare and schooling for her daughter. She worked as a Patient Financial Services representative at the Norton Sound Health Corporation.
At the time of her disappearance, Florence was living with her boyfriend in an apartment in Nome, Alaska. She was reportedly struggling with alcohol and was urged by her family to get help.
Florence shared custody of her six-year-old daughter with the child’s father. She was very close to her daughter and enjoyed passing on Native Alaska traditions to her.
Disappearance
On August 29, 2020, Florence Okpealuk had an argument with her sister over her alcohol use.
On August 31, 2020, Florence was last seen coming out of a tent on West Beach in Nome, Alaska at 4:00 pm.
Florence Okpealuk never returned home that day and has never been heard from again. Her jacket and shoes were found outside the tent.
At 6:15 pm, her family filed a missing person’s report with the Nome Police Department when they couldn’t contact her.
Investigation
According to a bartender in Nome, Florence Okpealuk left a bar on Front Street and headed for West Beach to continue partying with a gold miner. The area, less than two miles outside of Nome, was a known location for gold miners to camp during the summer.
On August 30, 2020, a pickup truck was captured on security camera between 7:00 and 10:00 am near the Nome port, a day before Florence was reported missing.
On September 13, 2020, authorities announced that the driver and vehicle were located, but did not share other details to protect the investigation. The driver, whose name has not been made public, was not listed as a suspect.
Whereabouts
Foul play is suspected in Florence Okpealuk’s disappearance. The investigation is currently active and ongoing.
The circumstances of Florence’s disappearance remain unclear and her case is currently classified as missing. Her case remains unsolved.
Appearance
Physical Description:
American Indian/Alaska Native female born on August 26, 1987. Florence has black hair, brown eyes, stands 5’2 tall and weighs 142 pounds.
Distinctive Physical Features:
Florence wears prescription glasses. She has no scars, marks or tattoos.
Clothing and accessories:
Florence left a jacket and shoes outside of the tent she was last seen leaving. It is unknown what she was wearing when she went missing.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Florence Helen Okpealuk please contact the Nome Police Department at (907) 443-5262.
Resources & Further Information
Florence Helen Okpealuk #MP73491 – National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
FBI Joins Search for Florence Okpealuk – Federal Bureau of Investigation – Anchorage
Florence Okpealuk August 31, 2021 – Find Flo – Facebook
Flo Okpealuk – Facebook
News & Media Links
Missing Nome woman is “loving” and “stubborn,” friends say – Alaska Public 09/2020
Nome police locate truck related to investigation into woman’s disappearance – Alaska Public 09/2020
Police continue search for missing Nome woman last seen in August – KTOO 11/2020
Two years later, women still searching for missing sister Florence Okpealuk in Nome, Alaska – NBC News 10/2022
Videos & Flyers
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