CO CO- Elizabeth Miller, 14, Disappeared while jogging in park, Idaho Springs, 16 August 1983 *New Initiative*

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July 1 2022

''What happened to Elizabeth Miller?​

Over 40 years ago, on Aug. 16, 1983, Elizabeth Miller was jogging at a park in Idaho Springs when she disappeared. She hasn’t been seen since then.''

''To this day, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said no physical evidence or remains have been found.

On the day of her disappearance, Miller was wearing white jogging shorts, a blue t-shirt, and white running shoes.''

''The photo on the left shows Miller when she was 14-years-old. The photo on the right was age-progressed to she might look like at 41-years-old.
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If you have any information about Miller’s disappearance, please contact the CBI at 303-239-4244.''
 
rbbm.
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  • ''Missing Since08/16/1983
  • Missing FromIdaho Springs, Colorado
  • ClassificationNon-Family Abduction
  • SexFemale
  • RaceWhite
  • Date of Birth07/27/1969 (52)
  • Age14 years old
  • Height and Weight5'3 - 5'4, 105 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry DescriptionWhite jogging shorts, a faded blue t-shirt and sneakers.
  • Associated Vehicle(s)Small red 1975 or 1976 pickup truck with a white camper shell and out-of-state license plates
  • Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian female. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Some agencies give Elizabeth's eye color as green or hazel. She has a mole over her right eyebrow. Her nickname is Beth.''

''Details of Disappearance​

Elizabeth was last seen jogging at 10:00 a.m. on August 16, 1983 in her hometown of Idaho Springs, Colorado. She was last seen in a park near her family's residence.

Investigators believe that a male seen in the park at the same time as Elizabeth may have been seen speaking to her. The man was driving a small red 1975 or 1976 pickup truck with a white camper shell and out-of-state license plates. It has not been established if the man has any connection to Elizabeth's disappearance, but police are interested in identifying him and questioning him.

Elizabeth's sister says a man in a pickup truck had flirted with Elizabeth a few days before she vanished. The truck was red with a white camper shell, out-of-state license plates and blue or black lettering and a a brown stripe on the sides. The man was fair-skinned and about 175 pounds, with light brown collar-length hair parted on the side. He wore prescription eyeglasses with blue-tinted photo-grade lenses and had a generally neat appearance. He said his name was Claude. He became angry after Elizabeth refused to have a conversation with him.

Elizabeth disappeared shortly thereafter and has not been seen again
. She did not have any cash or personal belongings with her on the day she vanished. She normally left a note for her parents if she was going away for any length of time; she did not do so on the day of her disappearance.

Elizabeth was a basketball player in 1983 and she jogged regularly to stay in shape. She is one of seven children and was a freshman at Clear Creek Secondary School. At the time of her disappearance, she baby-sat to earn spending money; her baby-sitting earnings were left behind at her house when she vanished.

An unidentified Ohio man has been under investigation for several years in Elizabeth's case. Authorities believe he may have been involved in Elizabeth's presumed abduction, but he has never been charged. In 1995, a serial killer from Mississippi claimed that he had killed Elizabeth, but police did not find his story credible.

Another suspect, a New Mexico man named Edward Apodaca, is deceased; he was murdered by his wife and mother-in-law in 1990. Two independent witnesses reported they'd seen Apodcada talking to Elizabeth three days before her disappearance, while they were sitting in a red or rust-colored pickup truck with a camper shell and New Mexico license plates. A license plate with some matching numbers was later found on Apodaca's property.

Apodaca's former girlfriend claimed she had helped him bury Elizabeth in the mountains near Idaho Springs. Three cadaver dogs indicated the presence of human remains in the place the girlfriend indicated, but police excavations turned up no evidence. Elizabeth's family believes, however, that Apodaca was in a fact involved in Elizabeth's case.

In 1995, a woman police picked up in Tampa, Florida claimed to be Elizabeth. Elizabeth's parents flew to Florida to meet the woman, but she turned out to be someone else. Possible evidence relating to Elizabeth's case was found in Empire, Colorado in 1994. Some bone fragments, a piece of fabric similar to canvas, and a single blonde hair was found buried near Interstate 70.

The bone fragments have never been identified; police do not even know if they are human. The fabric was very degraded and appeared to have been buried for a long time. In 2004, the police sent the hair to the FBI to test for mitochondrial DNA. They hope to conclusively link the hair to Elizabeth's case.''


Elizabeth's family had her declared legally deceased in 1994. A grand jury investigated her disappearance in 2007, but the jury disbanded in November of that year without any indictments being handed down. Her case remains open and unsolved.''
 
There's a possibility that she may have fallen victim to killer Alan Lee Phillips.

See video below

According to the video above, he matches the physical description and had the same vehicle type/color of an individual seen talking to and following Beth around just before she disappeared. He also lived in the same general area around the time.

See The Charley Project for the descriptions and an article on killer Alan Lee Phillips is here
 
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Two independent witnesses reported they'd seen Apodcada talking to Elizabeth three days before her disappearance, while they were sitting in a red or rust-colored pickup truck with a camper shell

I wonder if this means they saw Apodcada and Elizabeth talking with each other in the truck, or that the witnesses themselves saw Apodcada talking with Elizabeth from the truck?

I know it is a dumb question, but if I asked it someone else must have thought it over the years.
 
I wonder if this means they saw Apodcada and Elizabeth talking with each other in the truck, or that the witnesses themselves saw Apodcada talking with Elizabeth from the truck?

I know it is a dumb question, but if I asked it someone else must have thought it over the years.

rbbm.
''Investigators believe that a male seen in the park at the same time as Elizabeth may have been seen speaking to her. The man was driving a small red 1975 or 1976 pickup truck with a white camper shell and out-of-state license plates. It has not been established if the man has any connection to Elizabeth's disappearance, but police are interested in identifying him and questioning him.

Elizabeth's sister says a man in a pickup truck had flirted with Elizabeth a few days before she vanished. The truck was red with a white camper shell, out-of-state license plates and blue or black lettering and a a brown stripe on the sides. The man was fair-skinned and about 175 pounds, with light brown collar-length hair parted on the side. He wore prescription eyeglasses with blue-tinted photo-grade lenses and had a generally neat appearance. He said his name was Claude. He became angry after Elizabeth refused to have a conversation with him.''


''Another suspect, a New Mexico man named Edward Apodaca, is deceased; he was murdered by his wife and mother-in-law in 1990. Two independent witnesses reported they'd seen Apodcada talking to Elizabeth three days before her disappearance, while they were sitting in a red or rust-colored pickup truck with a camper shell and New Mexico license plates. A license plate with some matching numbers was later found on Apodaca's property.''
 

''Cold case: A 1983 9NEWS report about the disappearance of 14-year-old Beth Miller''​

''Feb 22, 2023
Beth Miller, 14, went for a jog in the Idaho Springs area in August 1983 but never returned. She's presumed dead but her body has never been found. All these years later, her sister remains hopeful that she will one day find out what happened to her sister. The case inspired Beth's sister to become an investigator.''
 
Missing for 40 years...
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Elizabeth Ann Miller, age 14​

Missing since 16 August 1983 from Idaho Springs, CO
 
2023
In the summer of 1983, Beth Miller was a 14-year-old girl on a mission.
"She had been accepted into a varsity basketball program and she wanted to be in shape," said Lynn McLaughlin, Beth's sister.
According to her family, Beth left their home in Idaho Springs every day that summer to go jogging. And, every day, she returned home. Except for the day she didn't. That day was Aug. 16, 1983.''
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Elizabeth Ann Miller​

Case Details​

Case Type: Homicide
Height: 5' 4"
Case Status: OPEN
Weight: 105 lbs
Aliases: Beth Miller
Identifying Marks: Mole right eyebrow
Incident Date: 08/16/1983
Occupation:
Agency: Idaho Springs Police Department
City: Idaho Springs
Date of Birth: 07/27/1969
County: Clear Creek
Date of Death: Unknown
Agency Case #: 0885-83
Age: 14
Judicial District: 6th Judicial District
Gender: Female
Year Solved:
Race: Caucasian
NamUs Case #: 6405
Eyes: Blue
NCMEC Case #: 603363
Hair: Blond/Strawberry

About this Case:​

14 year old Beth Miller was last seen on Tuesday, August 16, 1983, in the town of Idaho Springs, Clear Creek County, Colorado. She was wearing white jogging shorts, blue t-shirt, and white running shoes. To date, no physical evidence or remains have ever been found. (Second picture is age-progressed to age 41) Anyone with information regarding this case, is asked to please contact the Idaho Springs Police Department.

If you have any information about this case, please contact:​

Idaho Springs Police Department
Idaho Springs
Colorado''
 
Beth was my mom’s Cousin. I was listening to a podcast about the Morgan Nick case and had chills when they described the truck as it sounded exactly like the one Beth may have been taken in. I reached out to the Idaho Springs Undersheriff to inquire about it but haven’t heard back. I know the truck that took Morgan was recently found and tested for Morgan’s DNA (I believe they found fabric threads. Though I can’t remember exactly) Anyway I wonder if they could test the truck for Beth’s DNA as well. Or maybe that is too far fetched?
 
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Beth was my mom’s Cousin. I was listening to a podcast about the Morgan Nick case and had chills when they described the truck as it sounded exactly like the one Beth may have been taken in. I reached out to the Idaho Springs Undersheriff to inquire about it but haven’t heard back. I know the truck that took Morgan was recently found and tested for Morgan’s DNA (I believe they found fabric threads. Though I can’t remember exactly) Anyway I wonder if they could test the truck for Beth’s DNA as well. Or maybe that is too far fetched?

welcome to WS - sorry it's in such sad circumstances
good question about the DNA
I hope they can test it
 

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