Shelley Sikes, 19, vanished on May 24, 1986, while driving home from her job at Gaido’s restaurant on the Galveston Seawall. Her car was found the next day on Interstate 45 near Dickinson, but she herself was never located and was ultimately presumed dead after extensive investigation failed to recover a body.

Two men, John Robert King and Gerald Zwarst, were convicted in connection with her disappearance. King was driving Zwarst’s car when he ran Sikes off the road, which led to her abduction. In a 1987 phone call to El Paso police, King confessed that he and Zwarst had kidnapped and murdered Sikes, but because no body was recovered both men were charged with aggravated kidnapping rather than murder. Plea deals offering reduced charges in exchange for the location of Sikes’ remains were made, but neither man provided a valid location.

In 1988 both men received life sentences for aggravated kidnapping. King died in prison in October 2015; Zwarst has been repeatedly denied parole, with authorities saying he remains a danger to society. Sikes’ family continues to oppose his release. Does anyone have verified information about Shelley’s last movements on May 24, 1986, or knowledge of searches along the Interstate 45 and Dickinson areas?