The Strange Disappearance of Three Women That Vanished One Night
It was evident from the beginning that whatever happened was fast. There were no signs of a struggle; everything someone might take with them was still there.
On June 6th, 1992, two friends, Suzanne Streeter and Stacy McCall, had just graduated from high school. They celebrated by going to a friend's party. When it became clear that sleep would not happen, they decided to go home, arranging to meet their friends the next day. They left the party at 2 am and headed for Suzanne's home.
They were never seen again. Of course, two teenage girls going missing is not unheard of. What makes this case particularly interesting, though, is they did not disappear on their own; Suzanne's mother, Sherrill Levitt, also disappeared with them.
It was evident from the beginning that whatever happened was fast. There were no signs of a struggle; everything someone might take with them was still there—purses, clothes, cars, cigarettes, even the family dog.
The Events of the Disappearance
On 6th June 1992, Suzanne and Stacy graduated from Kickapoo High School. They planned a trip to Branson's White Water Park with friends to celebrate the occasion. Initially, they were going to stay in a hotel; they then opted to stay at a friend's house. Suzanne's mother Sherrill was at home; she had a quiet evening phoning a friend at 2315 to chat and then went to bed with a good book. A book was found open on the other side of the bed; covers thrown back.
The party started to get a little out of hand; police were called for noise pollution. This prompted the two girls to return to Suzanne's house, East Dolmer Street, Springfield. The two friends drove their separate cars back to the house, arriving at approximately 0215 on the 7th.
The following day, the two friends who were going to the waterpark with the girls came to the house. Both Janelle Kirby and Mike Hensen commented that they found the house unlocked. They went inside but could find no trace of the three women. They listened to the answerphone messages to see if this would provide a clue to where the occupants were. Strangely while they were there, they received an obscene phone call. The two friends stopped to clear some broken glass up from the porch light as they left the property.
Stacy's mother was eager to talk to her daughter; she had phoned her several times but received no reply. So she decided to drive to Sherrill's house to see if the girls had stayed there. She found the door unlocked, all the women's personal items, including cars, and instantly thought something was wrong. She called the police and reported the trio missing.
When the police arrived, they discovered a house that had nothing disturbed except for the evidence of a broken porch light. Sherrill's personal belongings were untouched; the television was turned on. The three beds had been slept in. The personal items were all lined up in the hall; their clothes had been folded in their rooms. The family's Yorkshire Terrier, Cinnamon, was still inside the house and appeared to be anxious.
Witnesses
The case was not without its clues. Several people came forward and reported sightings of the three. A woman matching Suzanne's description was observed driving an older, green Dodge van on the 7th. She appeared to be terrified of the man with her; he was overheard saying, 'do not do anything stupid.' Several other witnesses saw a van matching this description, no one saw the unidentified man, but a blond female was observed behind the wheel on one occasion.
A waitress who knew the women stated she saw them in a local diner on the 7th between 0100 and 0300. She noted that Suzanne appeared drunk and the other two were trying to calm her.
Screams were also heard near Green County, Missouri, these were never identified. Unfortunately, none of these witnesses provided much help in locating the women.
Suspects
Suzanne's brother was one of the first suspects in the disappearance. Sherrill's son from a previous marriage was an alcoholic; he was questioned extensively as a possible suspect. The police asked him to sit for a polygraph which he passed. He was not the only man known to the women that were questioned; police interviewed one of Suzanne's boyfriends.
A composite sketch of an unidentified transient was circulated that police wanted to speak to. He had been observed close to the house when the three disappeared. He was never found.
The most convincing suspect was Robert Craig Cox, a convicted kidnapper. This lead came to the surface in 1996. He had worked in a garage with Stacy's father and lived in the area at the time of the disappearance. He told authorities that he knew all three were dead; however, without conclusive evidence, it was hard to see if he made these claims to manipulate law enforcement or because he knew something.
The Unsolved Case
There were many problems with several aspects of the case, which has not helped the women to be found. It is estimated that over twenty people had walked through the crime scene, before Stacey's mum called the police. The glass cleared from the porch could have provided valuable evidence had it not been thrown away.
Some officers stated that the former police chief impeded the investigation to the point it was not possible to solve. In a further error, a man called America's Most Wanted when the case was covered; the authorities believed he had valuable information. Unfortunately, the call was accidentally disconnected and despite the authorities asking him to phone back, he never did.
One possible scenario that many think may be true is that the perpetrator removed the family dog from the garden and took him to the front door with the story that he had been found on the street. Then, removing the porch light before ringing the bell, so the area was dark, he got the women to open the door to retrieve their dog before abducting them.
Both Sherrill and Suzanne were legally declared dead in 1997 by Sherrill's sister Debra Schwartz.
Stacy was eighteen when she was abducted; her parents have never given up hope of her being located. They have established an extensive reward for those who can provide the Springfield Police with information about the disappearance.
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