The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is still investigating Samantha Fiddler’s mystery 2016 disappearance and is appealing to the public for help. Fiddler, a 29-year-old wannabe wrestler, disappeared on November 19, 2016, in Bartow, Florida.
Fiddler, originally from Alberta, Canada, relocated to Florida in March 2016 to pursue a wrestling and entertainment career. She visited numerous Florida counties, including Polk, Orange, Miami-Dade, Brevard, Broward, Osceola, and Seminole.
FDLE Tampa Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell said, “Eight years have passed, and we’re still as committed to finding answers as ever. She left three children and her parents behind in Canada, and they deserve to know the truth. We are asking anyone who knew her and might have helpful information to contact us.”
The last sighting of Fiddler, also known as Lucy Morningstar, Samantha Steele, or Samantha Lloyd, occurred at 3:30 a.m. on November 19, 2016. A failure-to-appear warrant led to her arrest, but the processing quickly led to her release. Witnesses report that she and others left the facility, but no one has seen or heard from her since.
Fiddler’s online activity, particularly her frequent use of Facebook, abruptly ended on the same day. Given her active social media presence and habit of communicating with family and friends, her quiet seemed odd.
Concerned by Fiddler’s disappearance, her family hired a private detective in Jacksonville, Florida. The Bartow Police Department formally requested FDLE assistance in 2018, following two years of little progress. Since 2020, FDLE agents have conducted several interviews with people in Florida and Canada, looking for tips that could shed light on Fiddler’s case.
Investigators have highlighted the case’s most devastating aspects: Fiddler was a caring mother who prioritized her children. Her Facebook messages show her profound love and drive to offer a better future for children. Friends and acquaintances characterized her as cheerful, enthusiastic, and full of life, with the ability to light up any place she entered.
Fiddler has distinguishing traits that could aid in her identification: a scar on her mouth and various tattoos, including one on her foot and another on her rear shoulder. Her family and detectives are especially concerned about the lack of activity in her life since her disappearance. She has not opened any new bank accounts, reactivated her social media profile, or contacted anyone she is close to.
FDLE is requesting anybody who knows Fiddler’s location or the circumstances surrounding her disappearance to come forward, even if their connection with her was brief.
“We’re asking the public and Samantha’s friends and acquaintances to help us find her. She’s out there and she needs to be reunited with her family,” said Brutnell.
