WI WI - Sara Bushland, 15, Spooner, 3 April 1996

[Blue Girl1991]

Hello everyone. With the 25th anniversary of the disappearance of Sara Bushland coming up in a few weeks, we're making the book about her case available for download, FREE! Simply follow the link below to the post with the PDF download. I am the author of Searching For Sara Bushland - you have my express permission to share the book and/or copy any parts of you would like to!

Searching For Sara Bushland

I read the book almost 3 years ago. Excellent book with so many details and very touching pictures.

 

[mlhenn]

Sara Anne Bushland – The Charley Project

Last updated June 30, 2021; details of disappearance updated.

Details of Disappearance
Sara was last seen after exiting her school bus at the end of the driveway of her family's residence at 4:00 p.m. on April 3, 1996 in rural Spooner, Wisconsin. She was at the foot of her driveway, about 100 yards from her house. One of Sara's stepbrother's was home at the time, by her mother and stepfather were both out.

There was a dark-colored pickup truck driving behind the bus, and when she got out it pulled up next to her. Some of the others on the bus thought the vehicle belonged to Sara's 21-year-old boyfriend. From Sara's body language, the witnesses realized she knew the truck's driver. Some of them saw her speaking to the driver, while others claim she actually got into the truck. The truck backed out of the driveway and started off in the direction of the nearby town of Trego.

At 4:37 p.m., Sara's stepbrother called his father and mentioned Sara wasn't still home yet, but nobody was concerned at the time because they thought she was at a friend's house. She disappeared on the last day of school before spring break, and the first day she was not grounded; she had been grounded for several weeks and hadn't been allowed to leave the house except to go to school and school-related activities.

When Sara still wasn't home by 6:20 p.m., her mother went back home and started calling her friends. None of them had seen her since they left school. By 8:00 p.m. her mother was driving around the local area looking for her. Sara has never been heard from again. Both authorities and her mother and stepfather initially thought she had run away, but now they are unsure what caused her disappearance. She didn't take any clothing or money with her, and she had no history of running away from home, and her father and older sister never believed she ran away.

Sara's parents divorced when she was a toddler and her parents had joint custody of her and her older sister during their early childhoods. Both girls went with their father when he moved to Colorado in 1990. In 1994, after Sara was caught shoplifting and her father grounded her, she decided to move back to Wisconsin to live with her mother, stepfather and two older stepbrothers. She became friends with a new group of people older than herself after she moved to Wisconsin, and began dating the 21-year-old man. Her parents were unhappy about this and told her she wasn't allowed to date until she was older, but Sara continued to see the man anyway.

Sara and her boyfriend did have lunch together on the day of her disappearance and he drove her back to school for her afternoon classes. He said this was the last time he saw her. Sara's family believes she was harmed by someone she knew, as they don't think she would have gotten into a stranger's vehicle. It's worth noting that there was some tension and allegations of sexual abuse between Sara and her stepbrothers around the time of her disappearance, and Sara was thinking of moving back in with her father and sister.

There's speculation that Crystal Soulier's death may be connected to Sara's disappearance. Soulier, who was eighteen years old, disappeared from Cable, Wisconsin in October 1996. Five months later her body was found in Rock County, Wisconsin, but it wasn't identified until 2002. Her murder remains unsolved.

Soulier and Sara were both blonde young women in the same age group. They knew each other and they also had at least 19 mutual friends, all of them young men in their twenties. Both Soulier and Sara attended parties held by these men, and Sara's school friends were unaware of this. None of the men have been named as suspects in Sara's disappearance or Soulier's murder, which is also unsolved.

Sara was a sophomore at Spooner High School in 1996. Investigators believe she's probably no longer alive, but haven't named any suspects in her case. Both her mother and her stepfather died in 2017.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Green lights show the way home for missing people - Central Wisconsin News

 

[chaddylex]

New Age Progressed Photo of Sara to 39 years

 

[GuyfromCanada]

APR 3

Sara has been missing for 27 years.

Search continues 27 years after Wisconsin teen went missing

The last time anyone is known to have seen Sara Bushland, she was getting off the school bus at her home on County Highway E in Spooner, 27 years ago.

www.wqow.com

 

[PommyMommy]

APR 3, 2023

Sheriff’s Office: 27 years since the disappearance of Sara Bushland

“April 3, 2023 marks 27 years since the disappearance of Sara Bushland," a Facebook post states.

www.weau.com

It has been 27 years since the disappearance of Sara Bushland, according to a social post via the Washburn County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=602634078558569&id=100064359473188

 

[PommyMommy]

Sara Bushland missing 27 years​

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 25, 2023

National Missing Children's Day: Search still on for Sara Bushland

Thursday is National Missing Children's Day, and from our area, there is a Spooner teen who still has not been reunited with her family 27 years later.

www.wqow.com

She would be 42 years old today.

Anyone with information is still encouraged to contact the Washburn County Sheriff's Office at (715) 468-2720 or by email at tipline@co.washburn.wi.us

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=295410911935249

 

[Quoththeraven]

28 years.

Authorities still searching for Spooner teen last seen getting off school bus 28 years ago

Wednesday marks 28 years since Spooner teen Sara Bushland went missing.

www.waow.com

 

[Teamir]

Edited to simplify theory.
What catches my attention from all the many posts and links and stories listed above, is that she was dating a 21 yr old boyfriend Travis Lane, and some of the people on the bus thought it was his truck following the bus that turned into her driveway.

I’m going with Occam's razor on this one. 'the simplest answer is most often correct,'

 

[Quoththeraven]

Edited to simplify theory.
What catches my attention from all the many posts and links and stories listed above, is that she was dating a 21 yr old boyfriend Travis Lane, and some of the people on the bus thought it was his truck following the bus that turned into her driveway.

I’m going with Occam's razor on this one. 'the simplest answer is most often correct,'

What was 21 year old Travis J. Lane doing dating a 15 year old minor? Especially since her father didn't want her seeing him. If that 'unidentified' truck driver never came forward to explain his presence there that day, that would make him a suspect, IMO.

 

[Keiri]

Just wanted to let you know I sent this to the detective and got a response saying they would discuss it at their upcoming team meeting:

I am just a normal member of the public and have no connection to this case. However, I read that Sara Bushland's boyfriend was TJL (I used the full name in the letter) of Spooner and that he may have been the guy in the truck following Sara.
There's a paternity case involving a TJL in SPOONER, Wisconsin. A July 1975 DOB TJL. (NOT the November 1975 TJL of Manitowoc who is deceased)

(link to paternity case)

This child graduated in 2014 from high school and the case file saying 1996, both indicate this child was born in 1996. Sara disappears in 1996. Did this guy get another woman pregnant at the time Sara went missing?

The mother of the child is BT (full name in email) of Hayward, Wisconsin. She might know something? Or be able to shed some light on what happened?

 

[Teamir]

Just wanted to let you know I sent this to the detective and got a response saying they would discuss it at their upcoming team meeting:

I am just a normal member of the public and have no connection to this case. However, I read that Sara Bushland's boyfriend was TJL (I used the full name in the letter) of Spooner and that he may have been the guy in the truck following Sara.
There's a paternity case involving a TJL in SPOONER, Wisconsin. A July 1975 DOB TJL. (NOT the November 1975 TJL of Manitowoc who is deceased)

(link to paternity case)

This child graduated in 2014 from high school and the case file saying 1996, both indicate this child was born in 1996. Sara disappears in 1996. Did this guy get another woman pregnant at the time Sara went missing?

The mother of the child is BT (full name in email) of Hayward, Wisconsin. She might know something? Or be able to shed some light on what happened?

Excellent idea

 

[Keiri]

Time to get some action on these old cases.

 

[Keiri]

No current NaMus on here listed, so here we go: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Exclusions: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) the rest are solved or Virginia.

Here's the Doe Network link: 1618DFWI - Sara Anne Bushland
$5000 reward: Have you seen this child? Sara Anne Bushland

 

[Rush4087]

Qualifier: I have only read the thread, and not the online book or any other info, so this may not be the most informed opinion (but nevertheless it is: just my opinion).

To me, there are only two real possibilities here (which appear to me to have higher probability/odds than some others, including the one involving competing groups of young men): one involves TJL (certainly quite possible, esp. given the possible dark colored truck sighting), and one involves the only person who was home when Sara got off the bus, the stepbrother.

Just curious, but how old was that stepbrother at the time? Was there a family owned car at the house when Sara got off the bus?

I’d be interested to know why LE and the family are so sure Sara never made it inside the house. I assume the bus drove off. Who was left to witness whether she made it into the house or not?

I may have missed it, but why did Sara’s mother bring an atty with her to report her missing? And, I think I read that, after reporting Sarah missing (over 48 hrs after she actually disappeared, for, whatever reason) the mother seemed somewhat unaffected as the investigation / search began and then continued.

For some reason I get Amy Sue Pagnac vibes here (though nobody knows what really happened in her disappearance either). I guess I’ve become too suspicious of stepfathers and stepbrothers and stepmothers based on a few other cases I’ve read about here on WS

Whether she made it into the house or not is key, I think. Imo it changes (by a lot) the possible scenarios that might explain Sara’s disappearance.

All just my opinion

 

[Quoththeraven]

Qualifier: I have only read the thread, and not the online book or any other info, so this may not be the most informed opinion (but nevertheless it is: just my opinion).

To me, there are only two real possibilities here (which appear to me to have higher probability/odds than some others, including the one involving competing groups of young men): one involves TJL (certainly quite possible, esp. given the possible dark colored truck sighting), and one involves the only person who was home when Sara got off the bus, the stepbrother.

Just curious, but how old was that stepbrother at the time? Was there a family owned car at the house when Sara got off the bus?

I’d be interested to know why LE and the family are so sure Sara never made it inside the house. I assume the bus drove off. Who was left to witness whether she made it into the house or not?

I may have missed it, but why did Sara’s mother bring an atty with her to report her missing? And, I think I read that, after reporting Sarah missing (over 48 hrs after she actually disappeared, for, whatever reason) the mother seemed somewhat unaffected as the investigation / search began and then continued.

For some reason I get Amy Sue Pagnac vibes here (though nobody knows what really happened in her disappearance either). I guess I’ve become too suspicious of stepfathers and stepbrothers and stepmothers based on a few other cases I’ve read about here on WS

Whether she made it into the house or not is key, I think. Imo it changes (by a lot) the possible scenarios that might explain Sara’s disappearance.

All just my opinion

Sara Bushland still missing from Wisconsin after stepping off school bus 23 years ago

Sara Bushland stepped off her school bus on April 3, 1996 in Spooner, Wisconsin, headed up her driveway, and was never seen again. The Washburn County Sheriff’s Office is investigating her case.

www.nbcnews.com

Around 4:00 p.m., four students saw Sara get off the bus at her usual stop.

According to phone records, at 4:37 p.m. that spring day, Sara’s stepbrother David called his father to tell him that Sara hadn’t come home from school.

We can assume that Sara's 20 year old stepbrother, David J Lambert was the only one home according to NBC News. Their driveway at W8420 County Hwy E, Spooner, WI 54801 was about 600 feet. It takes about 2.27 minutes to walk 600 feet at a speed of 3 mph. That leaves about 34.73 minutes that Sara may have been in the house.


Source: Google Maps.

Excerpt from: Find Sara Bushland

Add another 15 minutes to the above scenario if Sarah got off the bus at 3:45 pm instead of 4:00 pm.

Lambert Driveway, approx. 3:45 p.m. = Sara got off the bus at the end of her driveway. Some witnesses reported seeing a pickup truck following the bus, and that Sara approached the truck after it pulled into the Lambert driveway. Descriptions of the truck vary.
4:37 p.m. – David Lambert called Jim Lambert at the Becker’s home in Stillwater. It is believed that he was calling to report that Sara had failed to return home from school. Jim had been upset with Sara for disobeying his orders not to see Travis, so it is apparent that Jim placed David in charge during his absence.

According to Sara's sister, Lesley, Jim Lambert pulls a gun on his children and points it at them. Why?...

Somewhere Sara Part 1​

 

[Keiri]

Sara Bushland still missing from Wisconsin after stepping off school bus 23 years ago

Sara Bushland stepped off her school bus on April 3, 1996 in Spooner, Wisconsin, headed up her driveway, and was never seen again. The Washburn County Sheriff’s Office is investigating her case.

www.nbcnews.com

We can assume that Sara's 20 year old stepbrother, David J Lambert was the only one home according to NBC News. Their driveway at W8420 County Hwy E, Spooner, WI 54801 was about 600 feet. It takes about 2.27 minutes to walk 600 feet at a speed of 3 mph. That leaves about 34.73 minutes that Sara may have been in the house.

View attachment 537062
Source: Google Maps.

Excerpt from: Find Sara Bushland

Add another 15 minutes to the above scenario if Sarah got off the bus at 3:45 pm instead of 4:00 pm.

According to Sara's sister, Lesley, Jim Lambert pulls a gun on his children and points it at them. Why?...

Somewhere Sara Part 1​

Everything you say makes sense except what would his motive be? if you know his dob we can check court records to see if he’s been in trouble since then, perhaps mentally ill or a baddie. I still think boyfriend having a baby on the way and Sara on the side is a strong motive and reason to re interview him.