Catherine Runte, 28, was last seen after an argument with her husband, Robert Runte, at their Spinnakers Cove home in Palatine, Illinois, the night of May 22, 1979. According to Robert’s account, the argument turned physical and Catherine left the house on foot about 12:30 a.m. carrying only her purse, a small amount of cash, and her credit cards; he said he stopped her from taking the couple’s car. She did not contact family as she normally would, her credit cards were never used again, and Robert did not report her missing until three days later.

Eight months before her disappearance two armed intruders had broken into Catherine’s Palatine home, handcuffing her in the basement and stealing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry; those suspects were never caught and it is unclear if that break-in is connected to her later disappearance. Family and coworkers remembered Catherine as happy and optimistic and disputed claims that she had mental health problems. Robert later divorced her for desertion, moved to Florida, and was convicted on an unrelated conspiracy charge involving stolen goods; he has been described as a person of interest but has never been charged in Catherine’s disappearance. Authorities consider it unlikely Catherine is still alive, and the case remains open and unsolved.