Resources for Missing Persons

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day. Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends. Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.

Missing Person Case Updates with Photos

Kim Sue Leggett







Leggett, date, approximate 1984; Suspect sketches
Date Missing 10/09/1984
Missing From
Mercedes, Texas
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
White
Date of Birth 12/27/1962 (59)
Age 21 years old
Height and Weight 5'6, 110 pounds
Associated Vehicle(s) White car (possibly a sports car)
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Leggett has a scar on her chin. Her ears are pierced.
Details of Disappearance Leggett was last seen standing outside Ross Cotton Gin, her place of employment in Mercedes, Texas, on October 9, 1984. The establishment is owned by her father-in-law, and Leggett worked there as a secretary.
At 4:30 p.m., a customer came to the business with a load of produce and Leggett helped him weigh it. Shortly afterwards, she was seen talking to two males. They were standing next to Leggett's car and another white car, possibly a sports car.
When the customer came by with another load at 5:00 p.m., Leggett was gone. Sketches of the two men Leggett was talking too are posted with this summary.
At 4:45 p.m. that same day, Leggett's parents received two phone calls saying she had been kidnapped and the abductor(s) wanted a ransom. They thought it was a joke at first. They tried to call the gin to see if Leggett was there, but got no answer. Her father then drove to the gin and found her car parked there with her purse and keys inside.
Leggett was in college studying to be an X-ray technician, and her books were found open on the desk in the office, with a pencil to mark her place. There was also a calculator turned on. Leggett herself was gone, however. She has never been heard from again.
A ransom note was mailed to her family after her disappearance, demanding $250,000. The letter appeared to be in Leggett's handwriting, but the envelope was in another person's writing.
Leggett's stepfather, Lefty Gardner, was a pilot and a member of the Confederate Air Force (now called theCommemorative Air Force) at the time of her abduction. Some theorize that Gardner refused to smuggle contraband into Mexico and Leggett was abduction in retaliation for his refusal, but there is little evidence to support any theory.
Leggett's husband was also looked at as a possible suspect. He cooperated fully with the investigation and maintains his innocence in her . He obtained a divorce from Leggett after her abduction.
Foul play is suspected in Leggett's . She left behind her husband and one-year-old son. Authorities believe Leggett was the victim of a homicide. No suspects have been named in her disappearance; it remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
Mercedes Police Department
956-565-3102
Other
California Attorney General's Office
Texas Department of Public Safety
KRGV NewsChannel 5
The Del Rio News-Herald
Unsolved in the News

Missing Person Photos

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 unknown. 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 to 5 percent 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. A number of organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and images 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.

Resources for Missing Persons

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day. Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends. Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.

Missing Person Case Updates with Photos