On the evening of July 16, 2002, 47-year-old Marilyn Brinson was last seen at her Kansas City, Missouri, home. Her husband, John L. Brinson, told authorities he saw her go to bed that night; the next morning she was gone. Her employer reported she never showed for work and Marilyn’s wedding ring was found on a dresser at home.

Later that day her green 1995 Ford Taurus was found abandoned in the middle of a street. Investigators reported large amounts of Marilyn’s blood spattered and pooled on the dashboard, passenger seat, floorboards and in her apartment complex parking lot; the volume of blood loss indicated she could not have survived without immediate medical attention. The car had been set on fire. Less than a month later, on August 14, 2002, John Brinson was charged after his handprint was found in Marilyn’s blood in the trunk. Prosecutors described marital conflict and an affair as a possible motive and alleged Marilyn was injured, bled to death and her body disposed of, possibly near the Missouri River.

John Brinson was convicted of first-degree murder at a 2006 retrial and sentenced to life without parole; he died in prison in 2017. Marilyn’s body has never been found. Does anyone have information about Marilyn’s last known movements or about the area near the Missouri River where investigators focused their search?