Janice Matney, 39, was last seen at about 11:00 p.m. on March 3, 2002, at her home in the 200 block of State Street in Ottawa, Illinois. At the time she disappeared she was wearing a white t-shirt, a white sweatshirt, a green and white jacket, yellow sweatpants with blue pants layered over them, and brown hiking boots. She had a scar on her lip and normally carried identification from California.

Originally from Sacramento, California, Janice had moved around before settling in Ottawa. She was a mother to a son and a daughter, described by family as generous and energetic, and had a history of depression, illegal drug use, and disability. Her live-in boyfriend saw her the night she vanished; he reported her missing several days later and died of natural causes in 2004. He was a registered sex offender but was never officially named a suspect. Investigators followed multiple tips over the years, checked unidentified bodies in other states, and conducted polygraphs; a DNA sample from Janice’s daughter is on file with the Ottawa Police Department.

Janice Matney’s disappearance remains the only unsolved missing person case in Ottawa. If anyone knew Janice, her habits, or saw someone matching her description around March 2002, please come forward with information.