In the summer of 1987, the life of a young mother named Brenda Sue Bottoms was irrevocably altered when she vanished from her hometown of Auburn, Illinois. At 22 years old, Brenda was living with her mother and her young son. On the evening of June 29, 1987, she and a female friend left her residence on North 5th Street to walk to a nearby tavern. It was a seemingly ordinary night that would end in decades of unanswered questions for her family and community. Brenda was last seen wearing white shorts with red trim and a red and white blouse. Her disappearance left a void in the lives of those who knew her, particularly her son, who was left without his mother.
After leaving the tavern, as Brenda and her friend were walking home, they encountered two men. The group then went to an apartment complex, also located in the 200 block of North 5th Street, to talk.
The last time anyone reported seeing Brenda, she was getting into a brown car that was noticeably damaged with dents on the passenger side. Witnesses reported that Brenda appeared to know the at least two male occupants of the vehicle and entered it voluntarily. After that moment, Brenda Bottoms was never seen or heard from again. While she had been known to leave home for a day or two in the past, she had always returned.
The investigation into Brenda's disappearance was handled by the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office. One of the most significant leads came from a witness who saw her get into the brown car with the two men that night. This witness was interviewed multiple times by law enforcement. Over the years, authorities have identified multiple persons of interest in connection with her case, but no suspects have ever been officially named. The case grew cold, but investigators have continued to pursue leads. In 2025, the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office conducted a series of new interviews with individuals connected to the case. This renewed effort led investigators to believe that there may be additional individuals who saw Brenda just before she went missing and who may hold crucial information. The case of Brenda Bottoms remains an open and haunting mystery, a story of a young woman who went out for a night and never came home, leaving her family, including her young son, searching for answers.Last Seen: Jun 29, 1987
