Missing
Cindy Marie Lesko
Cindy, approximately 1994
Date and time person was reported missing : 10/23/1994
Missing location (approx) :
St. Clair Shores, Michigan
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Female
Ethnicity :
White
Age at the time of disappearance: 30 years old
Height / Weight : 5'5, 175 - 185 pounds
Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A black leather jacket with fringe, a black t-shirt, blue jeans and mid-thigh boots with leather fringe.
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Cindy's maiden name is Kellogg.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Cindy married Albert Lesko III in 1986 in Detroit, Michigan, and they had a son and daughter together. The couple's relationship was very troubled and Cindy filed two domestic violence reports against Albert in 1989 and 1992. She didn't pursue criminal charges against him either time, however.
Cindy tipped off investigators regarding six pounds of marijuana Albert was concealing in the family's St. Clair Shores home in 1994. She was severely beaten by Albert shortly afterwards and he was convicted of domestic abuse.
Cindy filed for divorce after the incident took place and was awarded temporary custody of the couple's children, along with possession of the family home. She would also be able to testify as a witness against Albert at his trial for drug offenses later in 1994 after the divorce was finalized. She would no longer be restricted by spousal immunity claims on the part of Albert's defense attorneys.
Cindy was speaking to a relative on the phone from her St. Clair Shores residence on October 23, 1994 at approximately 10:00 p.m. She was concerned because her children were late in returning home from a trip to Comins, Michigan with Albert. Authorities believe Cindy and Albert argued after he arrived later in the evening with the children.
A witness stated that she saw the couple fighting in the front yard of Cindy's residence on Evergreen that night. Cindy reportedly called for help, but law enforcement was not summoned. Investigators theorize that Albert strangled Cindy at the house and then placed her body inside his pickup truck.
She may have been buried somewhere along Interstate 75 in Michigan or near the couple's cabin in Oscoda County. Extensive searches have not produced any evidence as to Cindy's location and she has never been seen again. Albert kept their children home from school the day after her disappearance.
Cindy was reported as a missing person on October 24, after she failed to arrive as scheduled for her nursing school classes. Her vehicle was discovered abandoned at 7 Mile Road and Van Dyke Street in Detroit, Michigan on October 26, three days after she was last seen. Albert admitted that he parked the car at the location out of spite after an argument with his wife.
There was no tEthnicity : of Cindy at the scene. Her purse was there but her wallet was missing, as was a handgun she normally carried. She failed to appear at a divorce settlement conference the same day her car was discovered; as a result, Albert was granted full custody of their children and reclaimed their residence on Evergreen.
Albert was charged with Cindy's homicide in 2001. Her body has never been found, but authorities believed they had compiled enough evidence against Albert to merit a trial. He testified in his own defense, maintaining that he had not killed Cindy and that their domestic disputes were her fault.
One of Albert's friends also testified, stating Albert told him he wanted to "get rid of" Cindy prior to her disappearance. His children stood by him, however; they said they believed Cindy left of her own volition and is still alive. They both testified that at the time Albert was supposedly killing their mother, they were asleep in the cab of his truck and heard no commotion.
A jury acquitted Albert of the charges in December 2001; they did not believe the evidence proved Cindy was deceased. Albert maintains his innocence in Cindy's disappearance, which remains unsolved.
Other information and links : ncy
St. Clair Shores Police Department
586-445-5300
September 2021 updates and sources
The Detroit Free Press
The Detroit News
WDIV TV-4
Court TV
The Doe Network
A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe.
By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends.
Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.
October 12, 2004. July 15, 2012; middle name, height, weight and Description, clothing, jewerly and more : added, Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : updated.
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