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

Wendy L. Aughe



Aughe, date, approximate 1987; Darren Dee O'Neall
Date Missing 04/25/1987
Missing From
Bellingham, Washington
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
White
Date of Birth 02/15/1958 (64)
Age 29 years old
Height and Weight 5'6, 105 pounds
Associated Vehicle(s) Red 1972 Ford Torino with a black vinyl top (accounted for)
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Aughe has a tattoo on her right forearm. Her ears are pierced.
Details of Disappearance Aughe was last seen leaving La Paloma Restaurant in Bellingham, Washington during the early morning hours of April 25, 1987. She was driving her 1972 Ford Torino, which was painted red with a black vinyl top. She was accompanied by the restaurant's bartender, a drifter who called himself Mike Johnson.
Johnson's real name is Darren Dee O'Neall. A photograph of O'Neall is posted with this summary. Aughe has never been heard from again. Her car was found abandoned in Eugene, Oregon on May 2. O'Neall's fingerprints were inside. When authorities searched Aughe's apartment after her disappearance, they found signs of a struggle, including pools of blood, semen stains and bloodsoaked bedsheets and linen.
An all-points bulletin was issued for O'Neall. He had worked for the La Paloma Restaurant for only two days before he disappeared after emptying the cash register and stealing liquor. The United States Customs authorities reported photographing him driving across the border into Canada in Aughe's car. He was apparently alone in the vehicle at the time.
O'Neill was charged with the murder of another young woman, Robin Smith, who disappeared four weeks before Aughe did. Her body was found in May 1987. O'Neill was not arrested until September 1987. He pleaded guilty to Smith's murder in 1989 and was sentenced to life in prison. He was also convicted of second-degree auto theft for for stealing Aughe's car and for an unrelated kidnapping and rape. He is still incarcerated.
Aughe was a beauty school student and the mother of two young children in 1987. It's uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning. She has never been located and O'Neill hasn't been charged in her disappearance because of a lack of evidence, but foul play is suspected in her due to the circumstances involved.
Investigating Agency
Bellingham Police Department
360-676-6920
Other
The Doe Network
The Crime Library
The Seattle Times
Washington State Missing Persons Information
Lawyers Update

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