Account
Oct 08, 2009
Aug 17, 2022
Michele
Reidenbach
59
16
64 inches
110 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
In the small town of Evans City, Pennsylvania, the autumn of 1981 brought with it a profound and lasting mystery with the disappearance of 16-year-old Michele Reidenbach. On September 22nd of that year, the Seneca Valley High School senior attended her classes, even having her senior picture taken, before heading to her after-school job. Michele, known affectionately as Shelly, worked at Mel-Den's, an appliance store in the nearby town of Zelienople. Feeling unwell with a cold, she informed her employer that she was stepping out to purchase medicine from a pharmacy just a short walk away. It was a routine errand on a seemingly ordinary day, but it would be the last time she was seen by those who knew her. The events that followed Michele's departure from her workplace are pieced together from witness accounts. It was confirmed that she did indeed reach the pharmacy, purchased the cold medicine, and left the store. The last confirmed sighting of Michele was in the parking lot of a Super Duper supermarket, which was adjacent to her place of employment. One witness reported seeing her talking to someone in a red car. As the afternoon wore on, concern for Michele grew. Her mother stopped by the appliance store to see if she wanted to visit her older sister, who was hospitalized and paralyzed after a stroke, but Michele wasn't there. Later, her brother arrived to give her a ride home, but she never appeared. Her purse and schoolbooks were found left behind at her job, a detail that immediately troubled her family and investigators. From the outset, those close to Michele vehemently dismissed the idea that she had run away. She was described as a responsible teenager who was deeply devoted to her family, especially her ailing sister. She had over $100 saved at home for a class ring, money she would have likely taken if she had planned to leave. The investigation that ensued explored various avenues, with police questioning her boyfriend, who passed a polygraph test and was ultimately cleared as a suspect. Her family was also ruled out. Despite the passage of decades and the tireless efforts of law enforcement, including the Pennsylvania State Police, Michele's case has grown cold, with few leads emerging over the years. The passage of time has seen the heartbreaking deaths of her parents and the boyfriend she had at the time of her disappearance, all without knowing what happened to their beloved Michele. The case of Michele Reidenbach remains an open and haunting investigation, a testament to a young life interrupted and a family left with unanswered questions. The official investigation continues, with authorities still open to any information that might finally shed light on what happened to the 16-year-old girl who vanished on a fall afternoon.
Sep 22, 1981
Evans
Pennsylvania
Butler County
No
25982
Pennsylvania State Police
Butler
Pennsylvania
Butler County
16001
Troop D, Butler Station, Pennsylvania
7242848100
State
Law Enforcement
D1-220475
Pennsylvania State Police
7080
Brown
Blue
Blue
