Nahida and her husband, Fahmi “Sam” Khatib, were in a bitter divorce. Fahmi claimed Nahida abandoned their son, but police suspected foul play. Nahida was a loving mother who wouldn’t leave her son, and she had told neighbors she feared her husband, who had a criminal record (including arrests for receiving stolen goods and staging a burglary). She also suspected Fahmi was hiding his wealth during the divorce.

A suspicious car belonging to a relative of Fahmi’s was seen near her house the day she disappeared. Nahida’s sister confirmed she wouldn’t have opened the door to strangers. Fahmi was later investigated for other crimes, including food stamp fraud and possessing illegal guns. He moved to Texas after Nahida’s disappearance and died in 2001. He remains the main suspect in her case.

In 2008, a woman’s skull was found in the river near Nahida’s house. While the age and characteristics matched Nahida, DNA tests ruled it out. Nahida was declared legally dead in 1984, and her disappearance remains a mystery.