Account
Jan 28, 2026
Jan 28, 2026
Adriana
M. Bejarano
15
15
5'3 inches
125 lbs
Hispanic
Female
In the small town of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, a day off from school on November 28, 1988, marked the beginning of an enduring mystery in the life of 15-year-old Adriana M. Bejarano. That morning, the freshman at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic High School shared a few moments with her mother in their home on North Charles Street before her mother left for work around 6:15 a.m. Adriana, known to her friends and family as "Age," then went back to bed. It was the last time her mother would ever see her. When her stepfather came home later that afternoon, he noticed the living room curtains were still drawn, which was unusual as Adriana typically opened them first thing in the morning. Assuming she was out on an errand, he didn't immediately worry. However, as the hours turned into evening and Adriana's mother returned home to an empty house, a sense of unease grew into alarm. By 9:33 p.m., they officially reported their daughter missing to the Ephrata police. Investigators found no signs of a struggle or forced entry at the family's residence. Inside Adriana's room, a few clues painted a confusing picture. Her purse and money from her bank account were left behind, yet her backpack and a change of clothes were gone. Books from her backpack were found on the floor of her bedroom. Friends of the bright and bubbly teenager said she had not seemed troubled or mentioned any plans to run away. Initially, authorities considered the possibility that she had left on her own, perhaps with an older man she knew. However, as the weeks went by with no word from her, the investigation took a more somber turn, with police beginning to suspect she had been murdered. Decades have passed since Adriana Bejarano vanished, and her case remains one of the few cold cases in the small town. Law enforcement has indicated they have a person of interest, a man who no longer resides in the area, but have never publicly identified him due to a lack of sufficient evidence to press charges. Adriana's parents, however, have expressed their belief that this individual was not involved and have held onto the hope that their daughter might still be alive. The case has seen renewed efforts in recent years, with detectives revisiting the evidence using modern forensic tools, hoping that DNA technology might finally shed light on what happened to the young girl who disappeared on that November day. The official investigation into Adriana's disappearance remains open, a lingering question in the hearts of her loved ones and the community, representing a case that has transitioned from a missing person report to a suspected homicide investigation that has spanned nearly four decades.
Nov 28, 1988
Ephrata
Pennsylvania
Ephrata
Ephrata Police Departmen
717-738-9265
06/01/2026
