Ruth Louise Martin, a 51-year-old real estate agent from Lincoln, Illinois, vanished on the morning of June 2, 1976. Her husband last saw her at home between 6:00 and 6:30 a.m.; she was due at work at 9:00 a.m. but never arrived. A witness later reported seeing her car on U.S. 66 about 9:15 a.m., and the vehicle was found two days later in the Holiday Inn parking lot in Bloomington with a flat tire.

Investigators found a large amount of Type A blood in the trunk that matched Martin’s blood type, and additional Type A bloodstains and a .22 caliber bullet were discovered on the garage floor at her home. There were no signs of forced entry. Martin had been scheduled to testify as a minor witness in a shoplifting case against Russell Smrekar, who became a prime suspect in her disappearance and in other related cases.

Reports state Smrekar later confessed, saying he buried her under Interstate 55 while it was under construction but could not give a precise location. Her remains have not been recovered. Does anyone have information about Martin’s last known movements or the area around I-55 construction in 1976?