Alice Dorton. PROVIDED

It’s been more than seven years since the last time anyone saw Alice Bell Dorton. She seemingly disappeared without a trace, never to be seen or heard from again. With the Christmas holiday just over a week away, there is only one thing her daughter is asking for — answers.

“Birthdays tend to sting, but holidays hammer you. I miss my mother so very dearly,” said Holly Stevenson, Alice’s daughter. “I’d give anything to hear her laugh, listen to one of her drawn out voice messages or feel her gentle embrace.”

Alice was last seen on July 1, 2017 when she left a home on Gifford Avenue in Lehigh Acres. In the days, weeks, and now years since her disappearance, no one has seen or heard from Alice. Detectives believe she may have met with foul play, however her body was never found.

Alice was a transient, with no fixed address, however she did have ties to a former boyfriend who was a person of interest in her case. That man, however, passed away last year, and no charges were ever filed against him in relation to her disappearance. A tip was received in 2022 from individuals who believe they spotted someone they thought was Alice in Collier County on several different instances. That information, however, also didn’t lead to Alice.

Despite the time that’s passed, detectives are hopeful that someone will finally come forward to share what they know about what happened to Alice, regardless of the final outcome.

Alice Dorton. PROVIDED

“It’s hard not going mad trying to find her — getting caught up in any crumb of evidence left to explore as the shallow well of information dries,” Stevenson said. “I have nightmares of possible outcomes, so overwhelming they make me physically ill. I just wish we had answers. Someone knows something.”

If you have any information on the disappearance of Alice Dorton, Crime Stoppers is here 24/7 to take your anonymous tip at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477), online at SouthwestFloridaCrimestoppers.com or on the P3 Tips app. A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for any information that leads to her whereabouts or an arrest related to her case.

Alice Dorton. PROVIDED