Christie Marie Cales, 40, vanished from Blue Island, Illinois, on March 11, 1998. She was last seen about 4:30 p.m. near the 2300 block of West 119th Street carrying a Bible and her purse. Reports differ on whether she was walking to a friend’s house or to church, but she never arrived at either place and has not been seen or heard from since.

Christie’s life before she disappeared included profound losses and ongoing struggles. She had lost two children, battled alcohol abuse and depression with multiple hospitalizations, and lived in a troubled marriage marked by domestic violence and substance abuse. Family members say she sometimes left home for weeks, but never for this long. She is described as a white female, 5 feet 4 inches tall, 140 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, and has tattoos: the name Sean on her left breast and a multi-colored dove with an olive branch on her hip.

Family members have long suspected the live-in boyfriend at the time; the family notes he told others Christie left for church but left her purse behind. Investigators pursued leads including a possible sighting in Adams County, Illinois, and the possibility she traveled to Mississippi, but the case remains open and unsolved. If anyone knew Christie, saw her on March 11, 1998, or has information that could help, please come forward.