Help Bring Roxanne Home

Roxanne "Roxy" Paltauf was born on January 3, 1988, and raised in the Austin area. She was the oldest of four children and shared an especially close bond with her mother, Elizabeth Harris. The two spoke several times a day, every day. Roxanne was known for her creativity, kindness, and determination to build a better future for herself.

After leaving high school, Roxanne enrolled in a GED and job training program, where she excelled. She worked at a local flower shop and dreamed of one day owning one of her own. She had recently taken on a second job and was close to earning her GED. Friends and family remember her as caring and generous — someone who loved children, bought thoughtful gifts for others, and always made people feel important.

At 16 years old, Roxanne began a relationship with Louis Walls, who falsely claimed to be 19 when he was actually 28. According to friends and family, the relationship quickly became abusive. In 2005, Roxanne suffered serious injuries that required surgery, and those close to her believed Walls was responsible. By the summer of 2006, Roxanne was trying to leave the relationship behind for good.

On July 7, 2006, Roxanne was last seen with Walls at the Budget Inn near Interstate 35 and Rundberg Lane in Austin, Texas. Walls claimed Roxanne walked away after an argument and disappeared on her own. Her family strongly disputes that account. Roxanne left behind her purse, phone, wallet, jewelry, and money — belongings she was known to carry everywhere. She never contacted her family again.

In the days following her disappearance, Walls continued using Roxanne's cell phone, making hundreds of calls from it before eventually returning some of her belongings. Six days later, Roxanne's Texas ID was discovered in another man's wallet at a nearby motel, raising more unanswered questions.

Phone records from that night have raised even more questions. During the time Walls claimed the two were inside the motel room arguing, Roxanne's phone showed roaming activity. At the time, roaming charges typically meant a phone was connecting to a different cell tower network outside of its normal coverage area. To Roxanne's family and supporters, those records suggest the phone may have been traveling away from the motel during the very timeframe Walls said they were together in the room — casting further doubt on his version of events.

In 2008, a former girlfriend of Walls told police he admitted to killing Roxanne during an argument. Although Walls was later convicted of making a terroristic threat related to those statements, no one has ever been charged in Roxanne's disappearance.

Over the years, Roxanne's case has been featured in news reports, podcasts, documentaries, and national television programs. Despite continued attention and ongoing efforts by her family, Roxanne remains missing. Her loved ones continue searching for answers and remain committed to keeping her story alive.