MUS-2026-0006
Archive card
MUS-2026-0006
Homicide
- Incident
- April 10, 1998
- Indexed
- Oct 1, 2026, by MuseUnsolved
- Agency
- Pasco County Sheriff's Office
- Location
- Hudson/Odessa FL
Public record. Index entry.
Index entry. Case details compiled from public reporting; our researchers have not verified this file yet.
Summary
What happened, as the record shows.
Diane Louise Augat, 40, vanished on April 10, 1998, from her sister's home in Odessa, Florida, near Hudson in Pasco County. In the days after she disappeared, a series of disturbing events followed: on April 13, an answering-machine message captured a woman sounding like Diane saying 'Help me,' with scuffling in the background; on April 15 or 16, the severed tip of a right middle finger with coral-red nail polish was found on the roadside of US 19 near New York Avenue in Hudson and matched to Diane by fingerprint; about two weeks later, a bag of her neatly folded clothing turned up in the outdoor freezer of the convenience store where her sister worked; and in 2000, her brother found a zip-lock bag labeled 'Diane' containing eyeliner, Taboo perfume, pink lipstick, and toothpaste on the counter of a random Circle K. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office, case number 98-15054, has said the case has to include the possibility of foul play. No charges have ever been filed and no body has been found. She is listed in NamUs as MP 10727.
Timeline
What the record establishes.
- April 10, 1998
Diane Augat, 40, vanishes from her sister's home in the Odessa/Hudson area of Florida.
- April 13, 1998
Diane's sister finds an answering-machine message that sounds like Diane crying for help, with scuffling in the background.
- April 15 to 16, 1998
A severed right middle fingertip with coral-red nail polish is found on US 19 near New York Avenue. Fingerprint analysis confirms it is Diane's.
- Late April 1998
About two weeks later, a bag of folded clothing is found in the outdoor freezer of her sister's convenience store.
- 2000
Diane's brother finds a zip-lock bag labeled 'Diane' sitting on a random Circle K counter.
- April 10, 2025
The Missing podcast releases episode 512 on Diane's case.
Key people
The people in the file.
40, of the Hudson/Odessa area, Florida. Vanished April 10, 1998. Diagnosed bipolar in the late 1980s; coverage describes some 32 involuntary hospitalizations between 1990 and 1998. NamUs MP 10727.
Her mother Mildred Young spoke extensively to the press in 1998. No privacy or takedown requests are on record.
Case number 98-15054. Detective Mark Celeste was listed at (727) 847-5878; confirm the current assignee before publishing contact details.
Investigating agency
Where tips go.
This case is with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, case number 98-15054. If you know something, say something to them.
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