The next day, May 25th, her copper-colored Volvo was found abandoned several miles from her apartment, near the C&O Canal. Her wallet and keys were missing. Initially, it was a missing person case, but in 2001, it became a presumed homicide investigation because of evidence suggesting foul play.

A neighbor heard a woman sobbing loudly from Alison’s apartment around 3-4 am on May 24th. Police also have a sketch of a man seen near her apartment building in the months before her disappearance. He was possibly Hispanic, around 5’4″, and drove a white car. Neighbors saw Alison with this man, holding hands and kissing.

In 2018, Fernando Asturizaga became a person of interest. He was a Spanish teacher at Alison’s daughter Hannah’s school and had babysat for Alison and her ex-husband. He had a disturbing relationship with Hannah, starting when she was ten years old. Alison had written him a letter and reported her concerns to the school about his inappropriate behavior with Hannah. Hannah later revealed Asturizaga abused her, and he was convicted and sentenced to 168 years in prison. After Alison disappeared, Asturizaga’s reaction was odd – he seemed unconcerned and even told Hannah, “I thought things would be easier for us now that she is gone.”

Investigators believe Alison was murdered in her apartment, and her body was disposed of. They believe the killer tried to clean up blood. A man fitting Asturizaga’s description was seen running near Alison’s car the morning after she disappeared. While Asturizaga is a person of interest and the timeline strongly suggests his involvement, there isn’t enough evidence to charge him with Alison’s murder. The case remains unsolved.