Belinda Vanlith, 17, was house-sitting on Little Eagle Lake in Wright County, Minnesota when she vanished on the morning of June 15, 1974. The last known contact was about 8:00 a.m. that Saturday; she was expected home later that day for her sister’s graduation party. When the homeowner returned that evening Belinda was gone and her clothing and purse remained at the house. Phone service to the residence had reportedly been down that day and searches of the nearby woods produced no sign of her.

Investigators found no obvious signs of struggle or forced entry, and friends and family considered a runaway unlikely given her close family ties and plans. Over the years the case turned to the possibility of foul play and eventually went cold. A man who lived about 100 yards from where Belinda was last seen, Timothy Joseph Crosby, has been identified as a person of interest; he had contact with her the day before and was later arrested in 1974 for kidnapping and rape of another woman. He has not been charged in Belinda’s disappearance and a 2002 tip about an alleged confession by a distant cousin did not resolve the case.

Belinda’s disappearance remains unsolved and her family continues to seek answers. If anyone knew Belinda, remembers that day on Little Eagle Lake, or has information that could help, please come forward.