Her mother found the front door unlocked (it had been locked and chained the night before) and a living room window open wider than usual, with a piece of red thread in it. A garden bench was moved from the backyard to the window, and a faint footprint – possibly from a child’s or small man’s Keds shoe – was found outside. A similar footprint was found near a basement window.

There were no signs of a struggle, and Ann Marie’s siblings were unharmed. The family dog had barked during the night, but they thought it was because of a storm. Neighbors had seen someone looking into their windows days before.

Police investigated, but couldn’t find Ann Marie. A man made a false ransom threat, and a teenage neighbor failed a lie detector test (but passed a second one). The case went cold.

Years later, Ted Bundy, a serial killer who lived nearby, became a suspect. Although Bundy denied involvement, and was only 14 at the time, some believe Ann Marie may have been his first victim because he knew her and his crimes weren’t discovered until much later.

Ann Marie was a bright, talented girl who walked to school alone. Despite extensive searches and many leads, her case remains unsolved. Her parents adopted another daughter later, and her siblings are still alive today.