On September 18, 1984, 12-year-old Sharon Baldeagle, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, vanished after running away from her home in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. Along with a 15-year-old friend, Sharon was hitchhiking near Casper, Wyoming, when they accepted a ride from a truck driver named Royal Russell Long. Long took the two girls to his residence in Evansville, Wyoming. The situation turned terrifying when Long, at gunpoint, tied up both girls. Sharon's friend managed to escape and immediately sought help. However, by the time law enforcement arrived at Long's home, both he and Sharon were gone.
A week-long search for the missing girl and her abductor ensued, ending with Long's arrest in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Disappointingly, Sharon was not with him. When questioned, Long denied knowing her whereabouts. He concocted a story, claiming he had driven Sharon to Cheyenne, Wyoming, and arranged for another truck driver to take her to Dallas, Texas.
Authorities could find no evidence to support his claims. Long's account of the events leading to the abduction also differed significantly from the surviving girl's testimony.
In a plea deal, Royal Russell Long pleaded guilty to two counts of kidnapping. He was sentenced to two life terms in prison for his crimes. Despite being the prime suspect in Sharon's disappearance and a person of interest in several other cases of missing women and girls in Wyoming and Oklahoma, Long never provided any further information about what happened to Sharon. He died of a heart attack in prison in 1993, taking any secrets he held about Sharon's fate with him. The case remains a painful and unresolved tragedy, highlighting the vulnerability of Indigenous women and girls who are disproportionately affected by violence and abduction. Sharon Baldeagle has never been found, and her family continues to hope for answers.Last Seen: Sep 18, 1984
