Vernette Lorraine Wester, 38, vanished from Tempe, Arizona on November 21, 1985. Recently divorced and raising five children, she had been taking classes and was planning for Thanksgiving when she was last seen at her ex-husband Bruce Wester’s home while running errands. After that sighting she never contacted family again.

Five days later her white 1979 Chevrolet Chevette was found abandoned three blocks from the ex-husband’s house. Gifts and an errand list were inside, but her purse, keys and identification were missing. A pillow she used to prop herself while driving had been moved from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat, a detail investigators noted as suggesting someone else may have driven the car. Vernette’s marriage to Bruce had been described as abusive; she reportedly told her children she feared him.

Foul play was suspected from the start. Bruce Wester was long considered a person of interest and was reportedly uncooperative; a 2010 search warrant at his home did not produce charges. Vernette was declared legally dead in 1992; her ex-husband died in 2016. Does anyone who knew Vernette or lived in Tempe in 1985 have information that could help clarify what happened?