Crystal Kipper, 18, was last seen around 2:20 a.m. on February 24, 1997, after running out of gas on the southbound shoulder of Interstate 29 near State Route 371 in Platte County while driving back to Kansas City from St. Joseph. A truck driver later reported seeing a distraught young woman matching her description trying to flag down traffic and another vehicle backing up on an exit ramp toward her car. Her abandoned Ford Probe was found the next morning with hazard lights blinking, a low battery, and an empty fuel tank.

Months later, personal items belonging to Crystal — identification, a pay stub, car keys and the clothing she was last seen wearing — were found in the Kansas City home of convicted sex offender John E. Williams. DNA testing confirmed the clothes were Crystal’s, and investigators said their condition suggested homicide. Williams told police he had accidentally struck and killed her on I-29 and disposed of the body, but investigators doubted that account; his windshield had been repaired the day after her disappearance and they described the damage as more consistent with a struggle.

Crystal’s body has never been recovered and the case remains unsolved. Does anyone who lived near I-29 or Platte County in February 1997 recall unusual activity, a vehicle, or anyone offering to help a stranded woman that night?