On Sunday afternoon, December 18, 2011, 23-year-old Phoenix Coldon left her family home in Spanish Lake, Missouri, at about 2:20 p.m. and drove away in a black 1998 Chevrolet Blazer. A few hours later the SUV was found abandoned at an intersection in East St. Louis, Illinois, about a 25-minute drive from her home. Reports differ on the condition of the vehicle when located; some accounts said it was running with the driver’s side door open, while others state it was parked normally. Her glasses and purse were inside.

Phoenix’s family described her as responsible, deeply religious, a talented musician and a regional fencing champion who had been homeschooled much of her life.

The circumstances leave two main possibilities: that Phoenix deliberately left to start a new life, or that she came to harm after her vehicle was abandoned. Very few credible leads have developed since 2011. If anyone knew Phoenix, her movements that day, or has information about the Blazer found in East St. Louis, please share what is known.