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

Michele Reidenbach



Michele, date, approximate 1981; Age-progression at age 51 (date, approximate 2015)
Date Missing 10/06/1981
Missing From
Zelienople, Pennsylvania
Missing Classification Non-Family Abduction
Sex Female
Race
White
Date of Birth 12/29/1964 (57)
Age 16 years old
Height and Weight 5'0 - 5'4, 110 - 120 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A wine-colored v-neck sweater, blue jeans and a gold necklace with a knot pendant.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Dark blonde hair, blue eyes. Some agencies spell Michele's name "Michelle." Her nickname is Shelly. She was a chain smoker in 1981. Michele wears eyeglasses.
Details of Disappearance Michele attended her classes at Seneca Valley High School on October 6, 1981, had her senior class picture taken, and went to Zelienople, Pennsylvania afterwards. She had an after-school job at an appliance store, Mel Den's, in the 200 block of south Main Street. She usually worked there with a classmate, but her co-worker was sick and did not report to work.
At 4:30 p.m., Michele left the store and walked approximately one block to a pharmacy to buy cold medicine, as she was feeling sick. It was established that she did arrive in the store and purchased the medicine.
Her boss was the last person known to have seen her; she was standing in the parking lot of the Super Duper supermarket on south Main Street, talking to someone who was sitting in a red car. She never went back to her job and has never been heard from again. She left her purse, schoolbooks, and cigarettes behind at Mel Den's when she vanished.
Michele's disappearance was discovered at 4:55 p.m. when her mother came to Mel Den to see her. One of Michele's six older siblings had suffered a stroke several months before and was paralyzed and in the hospital at the time and her mother wanted to know if Michele wished to visit her. She ended up going to the hospital without her.
Michele's brother later came to the store as usual to drive her home, but he never saw her. Her mother called police later that evening after Michele did not arrive home.
Investigators do not believe Michele ran away. She left all her belongings behind, including $100 she was saving for a class ring, and was not having any personal problems at the time of her disappearance. Her family describes her as a streetwise person who would not be likely to go anywhere with a stranger; they believe she was abducted by someone she knew and trusted.
Police questioned several people in Michele's disappearance, including her boyfriend, who has passed a polygraph and was ruled out as a suspect in her . Michele's family has also been ruled out as suspects in the investigation. She is described as a responsible teenager who was devoted to her hospitalized older sister. Her remains unsolved.
Some agencies state that Michele vanished from Evans City, Pennsylvania.
Investigating Agency
Zelienople Police Department
412-452-6320
Other
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
WPXI
NewsLibrary
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Doe Network
NamUs
Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers

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