Biggest Missing Persons Case From Each State

1. Alabama: The vanished teen

Image Source: ABC News

Natalee Holloway disappeared during a high school graduation trip in Aruba, captivating the world with her mysterious vanishing. Despite extensive media coverage and countless searches, her fate remains unknown, leaving her family and the world longing for closure.

2. California: Unexplained beach vanishings

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Since the 1970s, a series of perplexing cases known as the "Beach Vanishings" have plagued California's picturesque coastline. Numerous individuals have disappeared without a trace, leaving investigators puzzled and communities on edge. Despite exhaustive efforts to unravel the cases, the truth remains elusive, shrouding California's scenic shores in an eerie aura of unsolved enigmas.

3. Georgia: The girl scouts

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The nation was left in shock when three young Girl Scouts simply vanished during their stay at Camp Scott in Oklahoma. The search for the missing girls gripped the nation, but tragically, their bodies were discovered, bringing Georgia and the entire country to its knees. The shocking nature of their deaths left a lasting impact, reminding us of the vulnerabilities and the darkness that can lurk even in the most innocent of settings.

4. Idaho: Still missing

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Joleen Mastro, 17 years old at the time of her disappearance, was described as being 100 pounds and 5 feet 5 inches tall on all the missing person flyers. The report also mentions that she has a tattoo on her right forearm and was last spotted on July 22, 2017. The Boise Police Department still thinks she might be in the neighborhood but couldn't find her to this date.

5. Alaska: A homicide case

Image Source: Disappeared Blog

On the evening of October 11, 2014, Jael Tiara Hamblen and her roommate Kendra Vincent Estrada went out to dinner. After Kendra went to bed, Jael decided to head out again. She sent a text message to a male friend that night around 1:40 in the morning. Just over two hours later, she would send her final text message. Her purse was discovered five months later, hidden in the snow near Anchorage. Her case is being looked into as a homicide.

6. Colorado: The enigma of Dorothy Forstein

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Dorothy Forstein went missing while hiking in the majestic Rocky Mountain National Park. Her disappearance sent shockwaves through Colorado, initiating one of the state's most enduring mysteries. Decades have passed, yet the circumstances surrounding Dorothy's vanishing continue to baffle investigators.

7. Hawaii: Peter Boy

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The disappearance of Peter Kema Jr., affectionately known as "Peter Boy," made waves in the whole US. Eventually, his parents were convicted of his manslaughter, but the mystery surrounding his case persists. Despite extensive investigations, Peter Boy's body has never been found, leaving a haunting void and numerous unanswered questions that continue to haunt those seeking justice and closure for his untimely vanishing.

8. Illinois: The tragic case of Stacy Peterson

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Stacy Peterson's disappearance in 2007 shocked Illinois residents as suspicion fell upon her police officer husband. Her case shed light on the alarming realities of domestic violence and abuse, exposing the dark underbelly that often hides behind closed doors. Unfortunately, Stacy's vanishing continues to haunt the state.

9. Indiana: Vanished into thin air

Image Source: Reddit

Diamond Bynum and little King Walker vanished into thin air in 2015. Bynum was 21 years old at the time and had serious medical conditions that affected her mental capabilities. Her nephew was only 2 years old. Years after King Walker and his aunt Diamond vanished while visiting a relative's home in Gary, Indiana, law enforcement has subsequently made available a new age-progressed photograph of the boy.

10. Maryland: The mysterious case of Robyn Gardner

Image Source: People

Robyn Gardner mysteriously disappeared in 2011 while vacationing in Aruba with a newly acquainted man, challenging the very foundations of trust. The ensuing investigation unveiled a complex web of deceit and raised unsettling questions about her vanishing.

11. Arizona: Three missing kids

Image Source: Fox

Ages 8, 5, and 3 years old, respectively, Barbara, Saleen, and Legend Demetro were last seen on May 2023 near Broadway and Country Club Drive. They were thought to be taken by their uncle Tony Hallam, who does not have custody of the kids. Fortunately, the children were discovered safe and sound outside of the state. Authorities in Mesa claimed that the group may have been traveling to Fort Worth, Texas, although it is unknown exactly where the children were found.

12. Missouri: Special needs child disappeared

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In March 2005, Bianca Noel Piper, then 13 years old, vanished from Foley, Missouri, without a trace. She is thought to have been taken captive. Due to her severe bipolar condition and ADHD during her early youth, Piper needed to take medication every day. She was a student at Winfield Middle School in the eighth grade when she vanished.

13. Massachusetts: The missing case of a Hollywood starlet

Image Source: Entertainment Weekly

Jean Spangler, a promising actress, suddenly disappeared without a trace, sending Hollywood and Massachusetts into shock. Decades later, her case still remains unsolved, and the mystery surrounding her vanishing continues to captivate the public's imagination, forever etching her name into the annals of unsolved Hollywood mysteries.

14. Nebraska: Kid vanished into thin air

Image Source: Nebraska Public Media

The unexplained disappearance of little Ryan Larsen in May of 2021 from his school gripped the whole state. Extensive searches and a relentless effort were launched to bring him home, but his whereabouts remain unknown, leaving his family and the community with a lingering sense of loss and unanswered questions.

15. Iowa: The unresolved disappearance of Johnny Gosch

Image Source: KRCG

Johnny Gosch's disappearance while delivering newspapers in West Des Moines shook the nation. The case garnered widespread attention, spotlighting the alarming issue of child abductions. Johnny's vanishing sparked important discussions about child safety, leaving a lasting impact on communities nationwide. His story serves as a somber reminder of the need to protect and advocate for the well-being of our children.

16. Arkansas: Not a homicide

Image Source: ABC News

Ebby Steppach was reported missing in Little Rock in 2015, and her family still offers a prize of $50,000 for any bit of information it can get on her. Steppach, who was 18 at the time, was last seen in the state's capital on October 24. Additional clues in the disappearance are being investigated, according to the lead investigator with the Little Rock Police Department, who added that the case is being looked into as a mission person rather than a homicide.

17. Michigan: A really perplexing disappearance

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Paige Renkoski vanished while on her way home from a conference in Michigan, leaving her family and the entire state haunted by her disappearance. With her case still open, the search for answers persists as her loved ones yearn for closure and the truth behind her vanishing.

18. Nevada: Patrick Carnes' missing person case

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Patrick Carnes vanished in 1977 while traveling through Nevada, leaving behind a baffling mystery. Decades have passed, and his case remains unsolved, driving his family to tirelessly search for answers and closure in the shadow of his unexplained disappearance.

19. New Jersey: Mark Himebaugh case

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Mark Himebaugh's disappearance at the young age of 11 rocked the community near his New Jersey home. The unresolved case lingers, tormenting his family and the community with a sense of anguish as they remain committed to finding the answers and bringing him back home.

20. Kansas: The strange vanishing of Randy Leach

Image Source: NBC News

Randy Leach, a young graduate, mysteriously disappeared on the night of his high school graduation party. Despite exhaustive investigations and the passage of time, the circumstances surrounding his vanishing continue to puzzle both his loved ones and the community, leaving an unresolved mystery that still haunts Kansas.

21. Connecticut: College student's missing case

Image Source: Reddit

In 2004, Maura Murray vanished after a car accident in rural New Hampshire near the Connecticut border. The circumstances of her disappearance have left investigators and armchair detectives alike scratching their heads as the enigma of the student's vanishing continues to defy explanation. Her case remains an enduring and puzzling mystery, leaving her loved ones desperate for answers.

22. Montana: Deorr Kunz Jr.'s disappearance

Image Source: East Idaho News

The disappearance of two-year-old Deorr Kunz Jr. during a camping trip with his family in Idaho in 2015 made it to the news in all states. Years have passed, yet the haunting mystery surrounding his vanishing remains, leaving his loved ones and the public desperate for answers and resolution.

23. Louisiana: The case of the Cajun musician

Image Source: Reddit

The disappearance of renowned accordionist Nathan Abshire shocked the Louisiana music scene to the core. His vanishing remains a haunting mystery that reverberates through the bayous, leaving devoted fans and family yearning for answers and closure to this day.

24. Minnesota: Jacob Wetterling's disappearance

Image Source: The Washington Post

The abduction of Jacob Wetterling while riding his bike home in rural Minnesota thunderstruck the whole nation of the United States. Decades of unanswered questions finally found resolution when a confession revealed the truth, bringing long-awaited answers and closure to his case.

25. Delaware: Jennifer Lyanna's case

Image Source: NBC News

Delaware State Police handled an initial missing person complaint for the victim, Jennifer Leyanna, on November 1, 2020. According to the person who filed the report, Leyanna was last heard from or seen in the Hartly region on October 9, 2020. Detectives spent much time following up after conducting thorough interviews with witnesses and gathering information regarding Lyanna's situation, and later, Leonard "Buddy" Church, 41, of Henderson, MD, was identified as the culprit behind her disappearance.

26. Wisconsin: Jayme Closs' disappearance after her parents' death

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Jayme Closs, a 13-year-old girl from Wisconsin, went missing after her parents were found murdered in their home in 2018. The case shocked the community and drew national attention. For 88 days, Jayme remained missing until she escaped from her captor and found help.

27. Kentucky: Another missing college student

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In 2013, Brookelyn Farthing vanished after attending a party in Madison County, leaving her family and friends in anguish. In spite of the tireless efforts of her family and law enforcement, the whereabouts of Brookelyn remain a haunting question mark.

28. Mississippi: Three civil rights activists go missing

Image Source: NEH

The disappearance of civil rights activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner in Mississippi disturbed everyone who heard about it. Their tragic ebbing shed a powerful light on the struggles for equality during the civil rights movement.

29. Maine: The baffling disappearance of Ayla Reynolds

Image Source: Reddit

The year 2011 marked the heart-wrenching disappearance of Ayla Reynolds, sparking one of the most extensive investigations in the history of Maine. Even after relentless efforts of law enforcement, the fate of Ayla remains cloaked in uncertainty, leaving a mother and the community in sorrow and aching for the truth.

30. Florida: Tara Calico's case

Image Source: All That's Interesting

During her regular bike ride, Tara Calico vanished without a trace. Years later, the discovery of a haunting photograph, seemingly depicting Tara in distress, added another chilling layer of mystery to this already perplexing case. The photograph's origin and significance remain elusive, intensifying the enigma surrounding Tara's disappearance and fueling the determination to uncover the truth.

31. New Hampshire: Maura Murray

image source: wikipedia.org

Maura Murray disappeared on the evening of February 9th, 2004, and was actually involved in a car crash before she went missing - and the case remains unsolved. The crash happened on Route 112 in New Hampshire, but the 21-year-old nursing student was never seen again.

32. New Mexico: Anthonette Cayedito

image source: nbcnews.com

It was over 30 years ago when little girl Anthonette Cayedito disappeared - and she remains missing to this day. Law enforcement truly believe she's now dead based on how long it's been, but the case does remain open as a missing person's case. She went missing from her home in New Mexico.

33. New York: Kelly Morrissey

image source: newyorkpost.com

16 year old Kelly Morrissey was living with her mother, stepfather, siblings and her step-siblings at the time of her disappearance. She was last seen at a friend's house, which she left around 10 in the morning, but was never seen again. The police don't believe she willingly ran away, as all her belongings and last pay check had been left behind.

34. North Carolina: Alan and Terry Westerfield

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Brothers Alan and Terry Westerfield, 6 and 11 years old respectively, went missing after they had visited a movie theater together in North Carolina. When their stepfather went to pick them up from the theater at the time the movie was supposed to finish, they were nowhere to be found.

35. North Dakota: Barbara Louise Cotton

image source: findbarbcotton.com

On the evening of April 11th, back in 1981, 15-year-old Barbara Louise Cotton went missing in North Dakota. She'd been having dinner with her boyfriend when he offered to walk her home, but she was happy to walk home alone. Her boyfriend watched her as far as Recreation Park, where she turned into, and then she was never seen again.

36. Ohio: Brian Shaffer

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American medical student Brian Shaffer was studying at Ohio university, with his future ahead of him. He went out with some friends for a celebratory drink in March 2006, but after they later got separated, friends just presumed he'd gone home. Security footage saw Brian speaking to two women around 2am before going back into the bar - but then he was never seen again.

37. Oklahoma: Aubrey Dameron

image source: thevanishedpodcast.com

Aubrey had actually recently moved back to Oklahoma near the time she went missing. It was on the morning of March 19th, 2019 - at around half three in the morning - that the 25-year-old left her mother's house, and that was the last time anyone knew where she was.

38. Oregon: Marvin Alvin Clark

image source: wikipedia.org

Marvin Clark's missing person's case is actually the oldest in the whole of the United States. He went missing in 1926, when he was supposed to meet with his daughter in Portland, but he never made it to her. While there was a few suggestions of sightings, and a John Doe body (that turned out not to be Clark), he remains missing to this day.

39. Pennsylvania: Marjorie West

image source: wikipedia.org

Marjorie went missing in 1938, at 4 years old. On the day of her disappearance, she'd attended church with her parents and two older siblings, before heading out for a celebratory picnic. Her sister, 11-year-old Dorothea, was supposed to be watching her, but went to speak to her mother. When she went back, Marjorie was gone - never to be seen again.

40. Rhode Island: Charles Alper

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Charles Alper was about a mile off the coast of Rhode Island, northeast of Galilee, Narragansett, when he went missing. He was actually out fishing when he tragically fell overboard, and was then declared lost at sea. The incident happened in 2011 when he was 28 years old.

41. South Carolina: Shelton Sanders

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Shelton Sanders was a 25-year-old student of South Carolina university, before he went missing in 2001. On the evening of June 19th, he let his parents know he'd be home a little later because he was planning a bachelor party with some friends. He'd visited a couple of hotels to find out about prices, before allegedly going to his friend Mark's home. This was where he was last seen. To make it more suspicious, a neighbor reported gunshots from the house, but Mark said it was a car backfiring. Shelton was never found.

42. South Dakota: Larissa Lone Hill

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Larissa Lone Hill is actually one of quite a few missing persons cases in the state of South Dakota. Larissa went missing back in 2016, after life on a reservation as an indigenous woman. She had been dropped off for a party in Rapid City, but was later reported missing.

43. Tennessee: Dennis Lloyd Martin

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Dennis Lloyd Martin was only 6 years old when he went missing back in 1969. He disappeared in the state's Great Smoky Mountains National Park, leading to a huge investigation and search of the park, to no avail. He'd been out with his family for a trip and decided to surprise the adults by hiding behind a bush - but he never came back out.

44. Texas: Virginia Carpenter

image source: wikipedia.org

Mary Virginia Carpenter - also known as Jimmie - went missing in the summer of 1948, at the age of 21. She was last seen at around 9.30 in the evening by a cab driver, after traveling to Texas State College for Women to enroll there. The driver reported he saw her talking to some young men in a car, but he drove off while they were still talking. She was never seen again, while it's claimed the nightwatchman saw her get into the car.

45. Utah: Susan Marie Powell

image source: abcnews.com

Mother and wife Susan Powell went missing in 2009, and on the day of her disappearance, she'd attended church with her family and was later visited by a neighbor at home. The neighbor would be the last person to see Susan outside of her family. Her husband, Joshua, was the main suspect after he claimed he took the family on a camping trip without Susan, for her to be missing when he returned. To make it more tragic, Joshua later killed their two sons before killing himself, while Susan remains missing - believed to have possibly been murdered by Joshua and his brother, Michael.

46. Vermont: Brianna Maitland

image source: cbsnews.com

Brianna Maitland disappeared in 2004 when she was 17 years old. On the day of her disappearance, she'd clocked in (and out) of work at the Black Lantern Inn as usual, and left in her vehicle. The next day, her car was found abandoned by police, and Brianna was declared missing.

47. Virginia: Melissa Torgenson

image source: thenewsleader.com

Melissa went missing in July, 2016, in Waynesboro, Virginia, close to the Shenandoah National Park. It was her sister, living in California, who notified the police after she hadn't heard from Melissa in several weeks. One theory is that she may have gotten lost hiking near, or in, the national park.

48. Washington: Logan Schiendelman

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Aged 19 when he first disappeared, Logan has now been missing for over 7 years. On the morning of his disappearance, he'd spoken to his grandmother, but later failed to return home. She'd presumed he'd gone to visit his mother, but reported him missing after that. It turned out his car had been found abandoned, with his possessions inside.

49. West Virginia: Edward Bartram

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Edward Bartram was last seen in Mineral City, West Virginia, before he disappeared. There is little known about his case or his disappearance, but he remains missing to this day. He was reported missing 4 days after he was last seen. Edward was also listed as a 'wanted' person by the authorities for a few charges, but he's been missing for over 13 years.

50. Wyoming: Amy Roe Bechtel

image source: wikipedia.org

Amy went missing in 1997, on a day that she'd told her husband she was going to run a few errands. The last known sighting of her was that afternoon, when she visited a gallery. It's believed she may have gone missing after then traveling to practice a forest course for a 10k run. Early the next morning, her car was discovered.