PA PA - Michele Reidenbach, 16, Zelienople, 22 Sept 1981
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Reidenbach, born on Dec. 29, 1964, was 16 when she disappeared. At the time, she was 5 feet, 2 inches tall and 110 pounds, with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. Reidenbach, who wears glasses, was last seen wearing blue jeans, a wine colored V-neck sweater, and a gold necklace with a "knot" pendant.
The afternoon of Sept. 22, 1981, Reidenbach left her job at a store on South Main Street in Zelienople, Butler County, to buy cold medicine. She bought the medicine, and was last seen talking to someone in a red car in the parking lot of the Super Duper Market, which was across the street from her job on South Main Street.
Reidenbach's mother called borough police after Reidenbach didn't come home after work.
Help find them: 13 cold cases of people who went missing in Pa. - lehighvalleylive.com
The afternoon of Sept. 22, 1981, Reidenbach left her job at a store on South Main Street in Zelienople, Butler County, to buy cold medicine. She bought the medicine, and was last seen talking to someone in a red car in the parking lot of the Super Duper Market, which was across the street from her job on South Main Street.
Reidenbach's mother called borough police after Reidenbach didn't come home after work.
Help find them: 13 cold cases of people who went missing in Pa. - lehighvalleylive.com
theshadow45
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Michele has been missing for 38 years today.
She had a boyfriend named Roger. he has been question several times and an officer visits him periodically over the years to see if his story changes
theshadow45
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Michele has been missing for 39 years today.
Left: Reidenbach, circa 1981; Right: Age-progression at age 46 (circa 2010)
Michele Reidenbach
Missing since September 22, 1981 from Evans City, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Vital Statistics
- Date Of Birth: December 29, 1964
- Age at Time of Disappearance: 16 years old
- Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'2; 110 pounds
- Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Brown hair; blue eyes.
- Clothing: Last seen wearing blue jeans; a wine-colored, v-necked sweater and a gold necklace with a "knot" pendant.
- Dentals: Available
- DNA: Available
Reidenbach was last seen at her after-school job in Evans City, Pennsylvania on September 22, 1981. She had an after-school job addressing envelopes and writing advertisements for the owners of Mel Den, an appliance store at 240 S. Main St. in Zelienople.
She left her job at 4 to walk to a pharmacy located a half-block away, to buy some cold medicine. She then intended to return to the store. The clerk told police that Reidenbach bought cold medicine and left the store. Michele was last seen at a supermarket parking lot on South Main Street in Zelienople. It was the last confirmed sighting of the girl.
She was a senior at Seneca Valley High School at the time of her disappearance.
She wasn't having troubles at home and was very attached to her family. She was devoted to an older sister who was paralyzed and in the hospital.
Police found Reidenbach's purse and school books at Mel Den. She was a chain smoker who was never without her cigarettes. She had more than $100 tucked in a drawer at home, money saved for a class ring, that she would probably have taken if she had run away. She had her senior photos taken that afternoon.
Investigators
If you have any information concerning Reidenbach's whereabouts, please contact:
Pennsylvania State Police - Butler
724-284-8100
or
Zelienople Police Department
724-452-3003
Agency Case Number: D1-220475
NCMEC #: NCMC601875
NCIC Number: M814253755
Source Information:
The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children
NamUs
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pennsylvania State Police
Post Gazette 9/22/06
The Doe Network: Case File 305DFPA
theshadow45
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Bumping for Michele, today is her birthday.
chaddylex
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I just listened to Keystone Cold Cases Podcast this morning. The second half of the podcast they talk about Penny Doe who was found in 1990 in Clarion County PA in 1990. They speculated that maybe this could be Michele - that she could have been held captive and then her body been dumped there. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) - Where the Jane Doe was found is a little over an hour from where Michele went missing from.
Oddly enough, Penn Doe and Michele have not been ruled out to be one another. This surprises me - unless NamUs just never added the rule out to their exclusion lists... What do you think?
One discrepancy is the height - Penny Doe is listed as being an estimated 4'10 and Michele is listed as being 5'4
Oddly enough, Penn Doe and Michele have not been ruled out to be one another. This surprises me - unless NamUs just never added the rule out to their exclusion lists... What do you think?
One discrepancy is the height - Penny Doe is listed as being an estimated 4'10 and Michele is listed as being 5'4
LE looked at this back in 2010. I have emails between LE for Michele, PSP for Penny Doe and myself specifically about this possible match.
My own thoughts?
Hair color is off. News accounts from back in the day (attached) describe Michele as having blond or dark blond hair. The pic of Michele that's always used reminds me of Tracy Byrd's. Tracy had blond/strawberry blond hair but there's still pics out there where her hair looks much darker.
I don't know why NamUs has 4'11" for Penny Doe instead of a range. News articles say 5'1"-5'2".
Dentals are available for both. Penny's perfect teeth and the extra/baby tooth would make this a very easy rule out.
Circumstances don't work for me. Michele disappeared 9 years prior to Penny being found. Nothing in her life pointed to her leaving voluntarily and I just don't think she was held for 9 years. Yes, I know it's happened. I just don't buy it here. JMO
25 Nov 1981, Page 31 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at Newspapers.com
23 Mar 1989, Page 38 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at Newspapers.com
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chaddylex
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Yeah - I figured they already looked into this in the past, that was just the first I have ever heard of anyone mentioning the comparison.
My daughter goes to Edinboro University - we pass the Evans City exit on Rt 79 when we go up and visit. We also were in Clarion a few weeks ago (my daughter plays softball and they they played Clarion) - I also thought she could have been possibly dumped by a truck driver since I80 goes right thru there so Penny doe could be from anywhere.
theshadow45
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Michele has been missing for 40 years today.
theshadow45
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Bumping, today is Michele’s birthday.
chaddylex
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Michele's NamUs profile was updated yesterday. (not sure what, but she has 16 rule outs, 18 listed but the Los CA one is listed 3 times)
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
UP4219 08/21/1984 Los Angeles CA
UP15630 07/03/1984 Cuyahoga OH
UP8419 01/16/2001 Isle of Wight VA
UP7477 08/24/1982 Frederick MD
UP1567 06/01/1987 Knox TN
UP6629 02/03/1991 Frederick VA
UP1567 06/01/1987 Knox TN
UP12683 06/06/2014 Newport News VA
UP6661 02/03/1991 Stafford VA
UP6642 08/07/1986 Chesterfield VA
UP6796 11/18/1985 Alleghany VA
UP8493 12/06/1993 Fairfax VA
UP1513 07/15/1982 Warren NJ
UP2680 03/31/1982 Monroe MI
UP8427 07/17/1982 Washoe NV
UP2202 01/24/1988 Bucks PA
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
UP4219 08/21/1984 Los Angeles CA
UP15630 07/03/1984 Cuyahoga OH
UP8419 01/16/2001 Isle of Wight VA
UP7477 08/24/1982 Frederick MD
UP1567 06/01/1987 Knox TN
UP6629 02/03/1991 Frederick VA
UP1567 06/01/1987 Knox TN
UP12683 06/06/2014 Newport News VA
UP6661 02/03/1991 Stafford VA
UP6642 08/07/1986 Chesterfield VA
UP6796 11/18/1985 Alleghany VA
UP8493 12/06/1993 Fairfax VA
UP1513 07/15/1982 Warren NJ
UP2680 03/31/1982 Monroe MI
UP8427 07/17/1982 Washoe NV
UP2202 01/24/1988 Bucks PA
chaddylex
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Keystone Cold Cases Podcast released an episode about Michele's disappearance.
kccpod.podbean.com
My husband and I were listening to the podcast in the car and they mentioned this thread here in Websleuths, then mentioned my user name "chaddylex" as talking about the comparison between Michele and Penny Doe. My husbands just looked at me and shook his head. He thinks I am crazy spending time looking up missing people and the unidentified.... it's been a hobby of mine for 20+ years!
Episode 72: Michele ”Shelly” Reidenbach - Missing (1981)
Her senior year had just begun, and even though she wasn’t feeling well, a teenaged Michele Reidenbach was primped for her senior photo appointment. After having her photo taken, Michele went to her after-school job. During this work shift, she left her jo...
kccpod.podbean.com
My husband and I were listening to the podcast in the car and they mentioned this thread here in Websleuths, then mentioned my user name "chaddylex" as talking about the comparison between Michele and Penny Doe. My husbands just looked at me and shook his head. He thinks I am crazy spending time looking up missing people and the unidentified.... it's been a hobby of mine for 20+ years!
theshadow45
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Michele has been missing for 41 years today.
theshadow45
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Bumping, today is Michele’s birthday.
Michele Reidenbach, age 16
Missing since 22 September 1981
LINK:
42 Years Missing...
Michele Reidenbach, age 16, went missing 22 September 1981
LINK:
medium.com
Michele Reidenbach, age 16, went missing 22 September 1981
LINK:
Vanished: What Happened to Michele Reidenbach?
The mysterious disappearance of a popular teenager still haunts a small town four decades later.
medium.com
imstilla.grandma
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Reidenbach was officially reported missing to borough police at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, 1981, by her mother. She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a wine colored V-neck sweater and gold necklace with a knot pendant.
Cazy said there’s no indication that Reidenbach ran away.
“It did not appear she planned on leaving, as many of her personal items were not disturbed or missing,” she said.
Previous reports indicate that her schoolbooks and purse were left behind in Mel-Den’s.
Today, Reidenbach would be 58 years old. Since her disappearance, her parents and her boyfriend at the time of her disappearance have died.
www.butlereagle.com
Cazy said there’s no indication that Reidenbach ran away.
“It did not appear she planned on leaving, as many of her personal items were not disturbed or missing,” she said.
Previous reports indicate that her schoolbooks and purse were left behind in Mel-Den’s.
Today, Reidenbach would be 58 years old. Since her disappearance, her parents and her boyfriend at the time of her disappearance have died.
Case of missing Harmony teenager still being investigated 42 years later
On Sept. 22, 1981, a teenage girl took a break from her after-school job in Zelienople to pick up cold medicine, and was never seen again. Exactly 42 years later, state police are still investigating...