Erica Fraysure was 17 and a senior at Bracken County High School when she was last seen in Brooksville, Kentucky, between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. on October 21, 1997. She was driving a black 1988 Pontiac Bonneville and never returned to her Germantown home. Erica worked part-time at a local pizza place and planned to study accounting at Northern Kentucky University; those who knew her described her as a good student with a steady boyfriend and no history of running away.

The next day her car was found unlocked in a field off Fronks Lane, about a mile from where she was last seen. Purse, wallet, checkbook, and money remained inside; the car keys were missing at first and later found discarded under leaves across the road. There were no obvious signs of struggle in the vehicle. An acquaintance, 20-year-old Shane Simcox, said Erica dropped him off around 9:00 p.m. and became a person of interest; he denied involvement and refused a lie detector test, and no charges were filed.

Law enforcement has continued to review the open investigation and followed numerous tips without producing conclusive evidence.