- Joined
- Aug 18, 2018
- Messages
- 9,841
- Reaction score
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Identifiers
Dentals: Available; Bridge in the anterior maxillaFingerprints: Available
DNA: Available
Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Black t-shirt; blue jeans; black leather jacket with fringe; mid-thigh boots with leather fringeJewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
Circumstances of Disappearance
Cindy Lesko was last seen in her St. Clair Shores home on October 23, 1994. Her husband, Albert Lesko, came to their St. Clair Shores home to drop off the children after a weekend visit. When they arrived at the Leskos' house that Sunday night, Albert got out of his truck and went to the door while the children waited in the car. He encountered Cindy and, between 5 and 20 minutes later, returned to the truck. Rather than leave the kids with their mother, he got back in the truck and drove with the children back to his parents' house almost four hours away. He was the last person to report ever seeing or hearing from Cindy Lesko. Albert has maintained that he arrived at the house to find his wife irate at his being late. He says she told him to take the kids back with him and get them ready for school the next day himself. According to him, Cindy was alive and well when he left. The Lesko children say they were asleep on and off during the ride home from northern Michigan back home, including the time they were waiting in the driveway.Albert drove Cindy's car several miles away to a Detroit neighborhood, where it was discovered on a side street near Van Dyke Avenue and Seven Mile Road three days later. Cindy's purse, pocketbook, and handgun were found inside, but her wallet was missing. Albert admitted to police that he drove the car there out of spite because of their pending divorce; the couple was scheduled for a pretrial divorce hearing three days before Cindy disappeared.
On the night of her disappearance, Cindy was on the phone with a friend at about 10:30 p.m. before Albert arrived. Cindy hung up the phone when she said she heard his truck pull up in the driveway. When the friend could not reach Cindy the next day, she became increasingly worried; she eventually called police and filed a missing person's report. According to another friend, Cindy had planned to take a nursing exam with her on the morning of October 24, but never showed up.
Police went to Cindy's home on the night of October 24, to conduct a welfare check rather than investigate a possible crime. They found nothing amiss, but said it appeared that Cindy had left suddenly. They returned to the home with a search warrant on October 25 but did not find any forensic evidence.
- Missing Since 10/23/1994
- Missing From St. Clair Shores, Michigan
- Classification Endangered Missing
- Sex Female
- Race White
- Age 30 years old
- Height and Weight 5'5, 175 - 185 pounds
- Clothing/Jewelry Description A black leather jacket with fringe, a black t-shirt, blue jeans and mid-thigh boots with leather fringe.
- Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Cindy's maiden name is Kellogg.
Details of Disappearance
Cindy married Albert Lesko III in 1986 in Detroit, Michigan, and they had a son and daughter together. The couple's relationship was very troubled and Cindy filed two domestic violence reports against Albert in 1989 and 1992. She didn't pursue criminal charges against him either time, however.Cindy tipped off investigators regarding six pounds of marijuana Albert was concealing in the family's St. Clair Shores home in 1994. She was severely beaten by Albert shortly afterwards and he was convicted of domestic abuse.
Cindy filed for divorce after the incident took place and was awarded temporary custody of the couple's children, along with possession of the family home. She would also be able to testify as a witness against Albert at his trial for drug offenses later in 1994 after the divorce was finalized. She would no longer be restricted by spousal immunity claims on the part of Albert's defense attorneys.
Cindy was speaking to a relative on the phone from her St. Clair Shores residence on October 23, 1994 at approximately 10:00 p.m. She was concerned because her children were late in returning home from a trip to Comins, Michigan with Albert. Authorities believe Cindy and Albert argued after he arrived later in the evening with the children.
A witness stated that she saw the couple fighting in the front yard of Cindy's residence on Evergreen that night. Cindy reportedly called for help, but law enforcement was not summoned. Investigators theorize that Albert strangled Cindy at the house and then placed her body inside his pickup truck.
She may have been buried somewhere along Interstate 75 in Michigan or near the couple's cabin in Oscoda County. Extensive searches have not produced any evidence as to Cindy's location and she has never been seen again. Albert kept their children home from school the day after her disappearance.
Cindy was reported as a missing person on October 24, after she failed to arrive as scheduled for her nursing school classes. Her vehicle was discovered abandoned at 7 Mile Road and Van Dyke Street in Detroit, Michigan on October 26, three days after she was last seen. Albert admitted that he parked the car at the location out of spite after an argument with his wife.
There was no trace of Cindy at the scene. Her purse was there but her wallet was missing, as was a handgun she normally carried. She failed to appear at a divorce settlement conference the same day her car was discovered; as a result, Albert was granted full custody of their children and reclaimed their residence on Evergreen.
Albert was charged with Cindy's homicide in 2001. Her body has never been found, but authorities believed they had compiled enough evidence against Albert to merit a trial. He testified in his own defense, maintaining that he had not killed Cindy and that their domestic disputes were her fault.
One of Albert's friends also testified, stating Albert told him he wanted to "get rid of" Cindy prior to her disappearance. His children stood by him, however; they said they believed Cindy left of her own volition and is still alive. They both testified that at the time Albert was supposedly killing their mother, they were asleep in the cab of his truck and heard no commotion.
A jury acquitted Albert of the charges in December 2001; they did not believe the evidence proved Cindy was deceased. Albert maintains his innocence in Cindy's disappearance, which remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
- St. Clair Shores Police Department 586-445-5300
