Twelve-year-old Kimberly Alice King vanished the night of September 15, 1979, after sneaking out of a sleepover at a friend’s house in Warren, Michigan. Around 11:00 p.m. she called her older sister Konnie from a payphone, saying she had left the sleepover and agreed to return, but never made it back. The exact payphone location is unclear; Kimberly said it was a short walk away, yet a witness later placed someone matching her description at a payphone several miles from her grandparents’ home.

Investigators at first treated the case as a possible runaway because an older sister had run away in the past, but Kimberly had no history of running and the inquiry shifted to suspected foul play. The case was classified as a non-family abduction and numerous leads were pursued, including a tip that she may have gone to Grand Rapids. Authorities have examined links to convicted offenders: David Norberg was considered a suspect for years, and more recently Arthur Ream became a person of interest. A 2018 excavation at a property where Ream had buried another victim turned up no human remains; Ream later died in prison in 2024.

Kimberly’s surviving sisters remain without answers and hope for closure. If anyone knew Kimberly, where she spent her time that night, or saw her after the payphone call, please come forward with information.