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Missing Person — Endangered

The Disappearance of Donna Cupido

● Still Missing Foul Play Suspected Iuka, Mississippi 20+ Years Unsolved
Missing Person
Donna Teresa Cupido
Age at Disappearance
44
Last Seen
October 21, 2004
Location
Iuka, Mississippi
Origin
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Vehicle Found
Silver 2001 Kia Sportage
Suspect Identified
No — One Failed Polygraph
Case Status
Open — No Arrests
Donna Cupido — Missing Since October 21, 2004
NameDonna Teresa Cupido
Date of BirthNovember 19, 1959
Age Missing44
FromCalgary, Alberta, Canada
Height / Weight5'9" / 135 lbs
Hair / EyesLight Brown / Green
MarksButterfly tattoo, right shoulder; 3" scar, left knee; three piercings each ear
Last Seen WearingFlannel button-up shirt and slacks
VehicleSilver 2001 Kia Sportage, 2-door
Missing Person

Donna Teresa Cupido

Donna Teresa Cupido was born on November 19, 1959, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In 1980 she married Brian Cupido in Calgary. In 1998 the couple relocated to Iuka, Mississippi, a small town of fewer than 3,000 people in Tishomingo County, after Brian secured a management position in the area. The couple had three children together.

Donna was known in the Iuka community as warm and generous. She worked periodically as a teacher's assistant and volunteered at both the Salvation Army Thrift Store and the Mission Thrift Store. She enjoyed yard work and was described by neighbors and families throughout the town as a devoted mother who was deeply connected to the community she had built there.

On the morning of October 21, 2004, Donna drove her daughter to Tishomingo County High School on the 700 block of Highway 72 and told her she would be back that afternoon to pick her up. She was never seen again. Her daughter reported that Donna was behaving normally that morning and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Donna Cupido
Donna Cupido
01
Background

What We Know

On the morning of October 21, 2004, Donna Cupido drove her daughter to Tishomingo County High School on Highway 72 in Iuka, Mississippi. She told her daughter she would return to pick her up when school let out. When the school day ended, Donna did not come. Her family was unable to reach her and reported her missing to the Tishomingo County Sheriff's Office that evening.

Two days later, on October 23, 2004, Donna's vehicle, a silver two-door 2001 Kia Sportage, was located in the parking lot of the Apostolic Church on Highway 72 East in Iuka, approximately five miles from the high school. Investigators stated that the vehicle appeared to have been deliberately parked; someone had pulled in, locked the car, and walked away. No evidence of a struggle or crime was found inside. An unopened carton of cigarettes was found on the seat, which Donna's husband Brian noted was inconsistent with her leaving voluntarily.

Approximately two months after her disappearance, fishermen recovered parts of Donna's wallet from Bear Creek. No further physical evidence has been publicly reported. A possible sighting placed Donna with an unidentified male at the Wooden Nickel Restaurant in Cherokee, Alabama, approximately 12 miles from where her vehicle was found. The circumstances of that sighting have not been publicly confirmed.

Donna's family has consistently maintained that leaving without warning was entirely out of character for her. As of November 2025, Donna Cupido remains classified as endangered missing. Her case remains open and unsolved after more than 20 years.

02
Case Timeline

How It Unfolded

1998
Cupido Family Relocates to Iuka, Mississippi
+

Donna and Brian Cupido leave Calgary, Alberta, Canada and settle in Iuka, Mississippi after Brian secures a management position in the area. The family has three children. The couple's marriage becomes strained in the years that follow.

Morning, October 21, 2004
Donna Drops Her Daughter at School, Last Known Contact with Family
+

Donna drives her daughter to Tishomingo County High School on the 700 block of Highway 72 in Iuka. Her daughter later reports that Donna was acting normally and promised to return that afternoon to pick her up. This is the last confirmed sighting of Donna by family.

Afternoon, October 21, 2004
Donna Fails to Return, Family Reports Her Missing
+

When school lets out, Donna does not return to pick up her daughter. The family is unable to reach her by phone. That evening, Donna's family reports her missing to the Tishomingo County Sheriff's Office.

October 23, 2004
Donna's Vehicle Found Abandoned Behind Apostolic Church
+

Two days after her disappearance, investigators locate Donna's silver 2001 Kia Sportage in the parking lot of the Apostolic Church on Highway 72 East, approximately five miles from the high school. The vehicle is locked with no evidence of a struggle inside. An unopened carton of cigarettes is found on the seat. Investigators conclude that someone deliberately parked the vehicle, exited, locked it, and walked away.

Shortly After Disappearance
Possible Sighting at the Wooden Nickel Restaurant in Cherokee, Alabama
+

Investigators report a possible sighting of Donna with an unidentified male at the Wooden Nickel Restaurant in Cherokee, Alabama, approximately 12 miles from where her vehicle was found. The identity of the individual and the circumstances of the sighting have not been publicly confirmed.

December 2004
Parts of Donna's Wallet Recovered from Bear Creek
+

Approximately two months after Donna's disappearance, fishermen discover parts of her wallet in Bear Creek. This is the last piece of physical evidence associated with Donna's case to be publicly reported.

2004, Ongoing
Polygraph Testing, One Individual Fails and Retains Counsel
+

Investigators polygraph a total of seven individuals. Six are excluded. One individual known to Donna fails the polygraph, retains legal counsel, and refuses further testing. That person has never been publicly named. Brian Cupido passes his polygraph. The man Brian believed was involved in an extramarital affair with Donna at the time of her disappearance also passes.

2004 to Present
Twenty Years, No Answers
+

As of November 2025, Donna Cupido remains classified as endangered missing. The case is listed as open by the Tishomingo County Sheriff's Office. No arrest has ever been made. Brian and the couple's children have since relocated to Allen, Texas. Brian has said publicly that he believes someone knows what happened to Donna and that whoever is responsible knows who they are.

03
Investigation

The Investigation

The Tishomingo County Sheriff's Office and the Iuka Police Department have investigated Donna Cupido's disappearance since October 21, 2004. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has also been involved. When Donna's vehicle was recovered two days after her disappearance, investigators found no evidence of a crime inside. Police Chief Randy Stringer of the Iuka Police Department later acknowledged publicly that very little evidence was collected from the vehicle at the time of its discovery.

A total of seven individuals were polygraphed during the investigation. Six were excluded. One individual known to Donna and present in the area at the time of her disappearance failed the polygraph examination. That person subsequently retained legal counsel and refused all further testing. The individual has never been publicly identified. Chief Stringer stated that without physical evidence, no charges could be brought on the basis of a failed polygraph alone.

Brian Cupido passed his polygraph examination. The man Brian believed was involved in an extramarital affair with Donna at the time of her disappearance also passed. Investigators noted a possible sighting of Donna with an unidentified male at the Wooden Nickel Restaurant in Cherokee, Alabama, approximately 12 miles from where her vehicle was found. Parts of Donna's wallet were recovered from Bear Creek approximately two months after she vanished. No further physical evidence has been publicly reported.

Chief Stringer stated that the case ran cold after investigators exhausted the available leads. Brian Cupido has said publicly that he believes the investigation did not go far enough and that his wife's case has not received the attention it deserves. As of November 2025, Donna remains classified as endangered missing. The case is listed as open by the Tishomingo County Sheriff's Office. No arrest has ever been made and no suspect has been publicly named.

04
Help Bring Donna Home

If You Have Information

Donna Cupido has been missing for more than 20 years. She was last seen in Iuka, Mississippi on the morning of October 21, 2004. Her vehicle was found locked and abandoned five miles from the school where she dropped her daughter off that morning. Parts of her wallet were recovered from Bear Creek two months later. She has not been seen or heard from since. Her family believes she met with foul play. If you have any information about Donna's disappearance, no matter how small or how long ago, investigators want to hear from you. All tips can be reported anonymously.

Tishomingo County Sheriff's Office
(662) 423-7000
Reference: Donna Cupido — Missing October 21, 2004
Mississippi Bureau of Investigation
(662) 534-4755
Reference: Donna Cupido — Iuka, Mississippi
In Memoriam

She Is Not Forgotten

Donna Cupido was 44 years old. She had moved her family from Canada to a small town in Mississippi, volunteered at thrift stores, worked as a teacher's assistant, and loved doing yard work. On a Thursday morning she drove her daughter to school and said she would be back that afternoon. She was not.

More than 20 years have passed. Her husband and children moved away but have not moved on. Brian has said publicly that he knows someone did something to her, and that whoever it was knows exactly who they are. Her daughter Michelle said it is hard to even look at her pictures. Her daughter Jocelyn said she misses Iuka and she misses seeing all the things her mother did for people there.

Someone knows what happened to Donna Cupido. Her family has been waiting more than two decades for that person to come forward. She is not forgotten.

"I hope your mind just rots away buddy because I know you've done something and you know who you are."
Brian Cupido, Donna's husband
Sources
Action News 5 (WMCA) | Daily Corinthian | Darkhorse Press | MissingSippi | The Charley Project | Disappeared Blog | International Missing Persons Wiki | Mississippi Repository for Missing and Unidentified Persons | Websleuths | NamUs
Donna Cupido — Missing Since 2004
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