Bridgett Pendell-Williamson was 22 when she was last seen in Santa Cruz, California, on January 12, 1996. Her lifestyle included years following the Grateful Dead and heavy substance use, particularly heroin and cocaine, and she lived transiently across California, Kansas, Oregon, and Vermont.

She was known to frequent San Francisco, staying in weekly-rented hotel rooms and reportedly working as a prostitute in the Mission and Tenderloin districts. Family last had confirmed contact in December 1996. The last known sighting came in April 1997, when she was arrested in San Francisco; she failed to appear for a court date and has not been traced since. There are unconfirmed reports she may have used the alias The Crier or continued living on the streets, and investigators have considered the possibility she remained homeless or entered a methadone program.

Anyone who knew Bridgett, her movements, or the communities she stayed in is asked to share information that might help locate her.