Shelley Sikes, 19, left Gaido’s Seafood Restaurant in Galveston just before midnight on May 24, 1986, intending to drive back to her family’s home in Texas City for the summer. Her car was found early the next morning abandoned and stuck in mud on an Interstate 45 access road near the Galveston Causeway; the vehicle’s window was shattered and blood was found inside, prompting immediate concern about foul play.

Several months after her disappearance, two men, John Robert King and Gerald Peter Zwarst, were arrested and convicted for kidnapping Shelley. King later gave a statement saying he and Zwarst had abducted her and claimed they buried her alive; investigators also pursued leads derived from a map Zwarst drew while under hypnosis. Despite searches based on those leads, Shelley’s body has not been recovered and the case remains open.

Anyone who knew Shelley, saw her the night of May 24, 1986, or has information about locations searched or the defendants’ statements is asked to come forward with tips.