List Series: Disappearances from Hospitals/Facilities

A list of cases in which a person vanished while or after receiving treatment at a hospital or facility. All of these cases remain unsolved today.

5. Lori Dee Wilson

Lori Dee Wilson vanished from a rehabilitation facility in Juneau, Alaska on March 24th, 2016. The 30 year-old woman was receiving inpatient treatment for her drug addiction at the time of her disappearance. Lori Dee had struggled with drug addiction for years, and had finally decided to get clean after she was informed that she needed throat dilation surgery. She was scheduled to have the procedure done in August of 2016, however her doctor told her that she needed to be sober in order for the surgery to happen. As a result, Lori Dee's family helped her check into Rainforest Recovery Center in Juneau, Alaska, located hours away from her home in Dillingham. Her first few first weeks at the treatment center appeared to be going well. According to her sister, Lori Dee was making progress. In fact, the two spoke on the phone the day Lori Dee was last seen, and her sister said that Lori Dee seemed very optimistic. However, just hours later, Lori Dee snuck out of the treatment center through a ground floor window. She has never been seen or heard from again.

Years have passed, and no trace of Lori Dee has been found. Police could not find any evidence that a crime was committed--especially because she left the facility voluntarily. However, it is uncharacteristic for Lori Dee to be out-of-touch with her loved ones for this long and her family members are worried for her safety. Her case remains unsolved today. [read more]

4. Brandi Shontay Brown

23 year-old Brandi Shontay Brown has been missing since September 2016. A few days before vanishing, Brandi got into a car accident and had to spend a few days at Sinai Grace Hospital located in Detroit, Michigan. The exact date of her release from the hospital is unknown, but Brandi was last seen the day she was discharged and has never been seen or heard from again.

The last known sighting of Brandi occurred shortly after she was discharged from Sinai Grace. She was seen on Seven Mile Rd & Forrer St, located on the west side of Detroit—about two miles away from the hospital. The circumstances around how Brandi actually left the hospital are unclear. It’s possible that she walked to the last place she was seen, or she could have taken a cab or been picked up by a friend. This information is not available, and there are unfortunately very few details available about Brandi’s case overall. Still, Brandi's family members do not believe she would voluntarily abandon her daughter and they also do not believe she is missing on her own accord. Brandi's case remains unsolved today. [read more]

3. Tereina Jones

Tereina Caitlin Jones was 21 years-old when she vanished on September 8th, 2017. She was last seen after leaving a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. Tereina never returned home and was never seen or heard from again. It is unclear why Tereina was at the hospital that day, and unfortunately very few details were made available about her disappearance.

In August 2018, remains were found in desert area near 11th Street and Alameda Road. It took months for the remains to be identified, but in April 2019 they were positively identified as that of Tereina Jones. Investigators have not released a cause of death at this time, but they do believe that foul play was involved. Tereina's case remains unsolved today. [read more]

2. Stevencia Barlatier

Stevencia Barlatier (21) was eight months pregnant when she vanished without a trace on November 26th, 2017. She was last seen at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, Florida. She has never been seen or heard from again. At first, Stevencia’s family members were not worried, as it was not uncommon for her to drop out of sight for days at a time. However, Stevencia was due to give birth in December 2017. When her family had still not heard from her by December 31st, they reported her missing.

After years of silence in her case, it was revealed in 2019 that Stevencia's body was found in a remote area over 50 miles away from where she was last seen. Her death is being investigated as a homicide but no suspects have been publicly named at this time. [read more]

1. Jeanette 'Jenny' Herum

29 year-old Jeanette “Jenny” Herum gave birth to a baby boy at the Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center in Santa Cruz, California on November 22nd, 2012. Just a few hours after the birth, Jenny walked out of the hospital without her newborn baby and never returned. There is no known explanation as to why Jenny left the hospital, and she was never heard from again after that.

It is unclear if anybody was at the hospital with Jenny when she gave birth. Despite the fact that Jenny vanished under seemingly suspicious circumstances, her family did not report her missing until 2014—two years after she was last seen. Her family said that they were initially not concerned when Jenny first came up missing; she had disappeared for stretches at a time in the past and they were used to going a long period of time without hearing from her. When Jenny was finally reported missing, authorities classified her as voluntarily missing. News about Jenny’s disappearance was not distributed to the media until 2015.

Months later, in early 2016, a couple taking a walk spotted human remains and notified the Santa Cruz sheriff’s office. In March 2017, the remains were identified as those of Jeanette Herum. Authorities are calling Jenny’s death suspicious, and it is still being investigated. The case remains unsolved today. [read more]

The Disappearance of Joshua Wright

Joshua Lee Wright vanished in Cincinnati, Ohio on February 2nd, 2018. He was last seen in the area of Moosewood Avenue and Bowling Green. Joshua never returned to his mother’s home and has never been seen or heard from again. He was reported missing four days later, on February 6th, 2018.

Shortly after his family reported him missing, Joshua’s family started receiving grim messages from anonymous callers. One of the anonymous callers told the family that Joshua was deceased, and his body would be found once his truck was located. However, his truck was located the day after he was reported missing–and there was no sign of a body anywhere. 

The truck was located at an abandoned home in South Fairmont. The street where it was found is primarily made up of abandoned houses, making it difficult for investigators to track down any witnesses who might have seen someone park the car. Additionally, investigators did not find any footprints, shell casings, or any other evidence of a struggle near the car.

Joshua’s family members continued to receive anonymous calls telling them that Joshua was dead. According to Joshua’s niece, the anonymous callers told them that Joshua’s body would never be found and that they should stop looking. These phone calls have never been traced. Investigators believe that foul play is responsible for Joshua’s disappearance as well. In fact, detectives have stated that the investigation has led them to believe that Joshua was kidnapped and murdered.

The Cincinnati Police are investigating Joshua's case. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact authorities at 513-352-6943.
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Sources:
Charley Project
Fox 19
Local 12

The Disappearance of Rachel Mellon Skemp

Rachel Mellon Skemp was only 13 years old when she disappeared from her family’s Bolingbrook, Illinois home on January 31st, 1996. On that day, Rachel stayed home from school because she had a sore throat. She was kept company by her unemployed stepfather, Vince Mellon. 

According to Vince, he and Rachel played video games together during the early afternoon before Rachel decided to take a nap. Vince then decided to take their family dog for a walk in subzero temperatures. He left the door unlocked while he was gone. The dog apparently escaped from his leash during the walk, which caused Vince to be gone longer than he intended to be. When he finally did return home, he reportedly did not check on Rachel.

Around 3:15pm, Rachel’s half-sister returned home from school and realized Rachel was not in her room. Around 5pm, Rachel’s mother returned home from work and learned from her daughter that Rachel, who was too sick to go to school that day, wasn’t home. Bolingbrook police were called around 6:00pm, but since Rachel ran away once before the previous summer, they did not begin investigating until the following morning. It was then that the police officers discovered that Rachel’s blanket and pillows were missing from her bed. However, those were the only items missing. 

Despite the fact that temperatures were far below freezing at the time of Rachel’s disappearance, her winter coat and corresponding winter gear were still inside the house. Police also located Rachel’s diary, which had an entry where she had written about how her step father Vince, the man who had been a parent to her since was a toddler, had kissed her on the mouth and touched her inappropriately. Other than these findings, police did not find any evidence of a crime scene or any information on Rachel’s whereabouts.

Vince has been a long time suspect in Rachel’s disappearance. He had scratches on his body after her disappearance which he blamed on injuries he got while repairing his car. He also has a long record for domestic violence and he has failed lie detector tests in connection with Rachel’s disappearance. Four years after she vanished, in January of 2000, a grand jury convened. Vince repeatedly plead the fifth during his questioning. Ultimately, no indictments were handed down.

Rachel remains missing today. Sometime after 1996, her family left Illinois and moved to Tennessee—which is where they were living when the grand jury began to investigate. Ironically, the police officer who was involved in arranging the grand jury was Drew Peterson, who later went on to be convicted of murder himself. (you can read about his cases here.) There are now other detectives in charge of Rachel’s case. If you have any information about her disappearance/whereabouts, please contact the Bolingbrook police department at (630) 226-8600.

The Disappearance of Elaine Park

20 year-old Elaine Park disappeared on January 28th, 2017. 

On the night prior to her disappearance, Elaine slept at her ex-boyfriend’s home in Calabasas, CA. On the morning of her disappearance, Elaine’s ex-boyfriend said that she had abruptly woken up that morning and appeared to be in “some sort of panic.” Surveillance footage shows her leaving her ex-boyfriend’s home at 6:05am. Elaine has not been seen or heard from since.

On February 2nd, Elaine’s car was found on Pacific Coast Highway, just south of Corral Canyon Road in Malibu. The doors were unlocked, the keys were in the ignition and her backpack, phone, computer and cash were inside the car. There were no signs of a struggle at the scene, however, there was no sign of Elaine either–and her whereabouts are still unknown. 

Police say that Elaine’s ex-boyfriend and his family have been cooperative in the investigation and that there is currently no reason to suspect that they are involved in her disappearance.

There is currently a $500,000 reward for any information about Elaine and her disappearance. If you have any information, please visit here.

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Lists including this case:

[Disappeared in Distress]

[Unsolved Mysteries with Surveillance Footage Vol. II]

The Disappearance of Jessica Garino

Jessica Lynn Garino disappeared at the age of 21 on January 23rd, 2012. She was last seen at her home Goldsboro, North Carolina. Jessica had moved to Goldsboro from Unicoi, Tennessee in December 2011. According to her family members, Jessica moved to North Carolina to get clean and have a fresh start.

However, one of Jessica's roommates in North Carolina was a heroin dealer. Additionally, she was dating a 52-year-old man named Carson Cameron, who was a known drug user as well. Despite this, Jessica's family believed she had every intention of getting clean, as she was committed to her outpatient treatment program. 

On the day she vanished, Jessica was seen at the drug rehabilitation center. Jessica also spoke to her sister on the phone that day, and she promised that she would call her again in a week after she got paid. Unfortunately, Jessica never got back in touch with her family. 

After weeks of not hearing from her, Jessica’s family reported her missing in Tennessee. The Tennessee authorities lead the case to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations. Those authorities interviewed Jessica’s boyfriend Carson, and her roommates as well.

Carson told investigators that Jessica abruptly left in the middle of the night and never returned. Jessica’s roommates, on the other hand, told a very different story. They told investigators that both Carson and Jessica were both gone for a few days, but Carson eventually returned alone.

A month after Jessica vanished, records revealed that her food stamp card was used in South Carolina. Her family members do not believe it was Jessica herself who used the card. Other than that, investigators have received very few leads about Jessica’s case. Carson Cameron has stopped cooperating with investigators. He has since been arrested on other unrelated charges, but still refused to speak about Jessica even while in police custody. 

Jessica remains missing today and both North Carolina and Tennessee authorities are investigation her case. If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please contact the Wayne County, North Carolina Sheriff’s Office at 919-580-4065 and/or the Erwin, Tennessee Police Department at 423-330-4604.

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Sources:
The Anti Predator Project
Charley Project
WCYB

The Disappearance of Dulce Alavez

Dulce Alavez vanished from a playground in Bridgeton, New Jersey on September 16th, 2019. The 5 year-old little girl was spending the day with her mother and siblings. In the image below, Dulce is seen inside a local ice cream shop. Her mother bought Dulce and her siblings ice cream before stopping by the park where she was last seen. 

Once at the park, Dulce and her 3 year-old brother went to play on the swings while their mother waited in the car with their 8 year-old sister. A short time later, the 3 year-old boy returned to the car in tears, saying that he could not find Dulce. After briefly searching the park, their mother called 911 to report Dulce missing. 

Police then issued an Amber Alert, and asked local residences to be on the lookout for a man who they thought might have taken Dulce away in a van. However, police later announced that the man was just somebody they wished to interview. In October 2019, a sketch was released of the man, who was reportedly seen at the park with two children under the age of 5 around the same time Dulce vanished.

Many searches have been conducted in the park and in the surrounding areas, but unfortunately no trace of Dulce has been found. In January 2019, police announced that they have made "significant progress" in the investigation, but did not elaborate any further. Dulce still remains missing today, and there is a $75,000 reward in place for information that could lead to her return.

If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit at 609-882-2000, ext. 2554, or the Bridgeton police at 856-451-0033. 

The Disappearance & Death of Harley Dilly

Harley Dilly has been missing since December 20th, 2019. The 14 year-old boy vanished after leaving his family's Port Clinton, Ohio home to walk to school. The surveillance image on the right was captured between 6am and 7am on the morning of Harley's disappearance. This is the last known sighting of Harley. He never arrived at school and has not been seen or heard from again. 

The search for Harley has been widespread. Law enforcement agencies have reportedly searched approximately 150 acres surrounding the area where Harley was last seen. The searches included canine search & rescue teams and helicopters, but unfortunately no significant clues were found. However, investigators did state that they did not find any evidence that Harley was abducted. Investigators also initially stated that they were treating Harley's disappearance as a runaway, but they are still concerned for his safety. 

At this time, there has been very little information shared about why investigators think Harley might have run away. Harley's mother reportedly told police that Harley asked if he could stay home from school that morning because he was not feeling well, but she denied his request. Still, it is unclear if that would prompt Harley to not return home.

Since his disappearance, Harley's family members have made numerous public pleas for Harley's safe return. An official statement from the family appealed to Harley directly by stating, "Harley if you hear/read this, please come home we miss you, your family misses you. You are not in trouble. We love you." 

There is a $7000 reward being offered for information that could lead to Harley's safe return. If you have any information, please contact the Port Clinton Police Department at (419)-734-312.

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UPDATE (1/14/20): Harley's body has been found.

Police stated that they searched a vacant house in Port Clinton, where they found his jacket and glasses on the second floor. From there, police searched the chimney, where they found Harley's body. It is believed that Harley got trapped into the chimney on accident, however police have not stated why they think he entered the chimney. The investigation is ongoing. 

Rest in peace, Harley.