Elisabeth Ann Huster was nine years old when she was last seen on August 31, 1996, at a wedding in the Cedar Mill area of Portland, Oregon. Her parents were in the middle of a contentious divorce; her older brother went to live with their father while Elisabeth remained with her mother, Karen Huster. Concerns grew when Elisabeth was not enrolled for fifth grade and her father could not contact her, prompting a missing-person report on December 23, 1996. Neighbors later said Karen held a September garage sale that included many of Elisabeth’s toys and clothes.

Karen Huster was arrested in February 1997 for custodial interference, convicted and served two years, but would not say where her daughter was. Cellmates later alleged Karen confessed to killing Elisabeth, and an Oregon grand jury indicted Karen for murder in April 2000. Karen fled, and in November 2000 she was found in a Canoga Park, California apartment where police discovered the dismembered remains of her male roommate. After extradition to Oregon, prosecutors said Karen admitted shooting Elisabeth, dismembering her and disposing of the remains in the Pacific Ocean from a boat; Elisabeth’s remains have never been recovered.

Are there readers who remember Elisabeth or who have any information about her whereabouts in late summer 1996?