Lori Lee Layman, a 53-year-old woman, was leading a life that often took her between the states of Colorado, Idaho, and Washington. In the spring of 2015, she had recently returned to Colorado Springs, Colorado. A graduate of Mitchell High School in the area, Lori was a mother to two sons from a marriage that had ended years prior. Her life, however, had taken a difficult turn, and she was known to be living a high-risk lifestyle that included involvement with drugs and working as an escort. Despite these challenges, she maintained a connection with her family, particularly her father, with whom she would speak on the phone every few weeks. She was physically last seen on April 22, 2015, at the America's Best Value Inn & Suites on Garden of the Gods Road in Colorado Springs. The last time her family ever heard from her was during a phone call with her father on April 30, 2015. After that conversation, her voice, and any trace of her whereabouts, vanished.
The days following her last contact with her father stretched into weeks with no word, which was uncharacteristic of her, despite her transient lifestyle. Concern grew, and an investigation into her disappearance began. A crucial piece of information emerged when her cell phone's last signal was 'pinged' on May 11, 2015, to an area near North Nevada Avenue in Colorado Springs. A significant breakthrough in the case came a month after she went missing, when her vehicle, a gold 2002 Kia Spectra, was found abandoned. The car was located at the Pebble Creek Apartments in the southern part of Colorado Springs, a place where she reportedly knew no one. The discovery was alarming because Lori had been living out of her car, yet the vehicle had been completely emptied. The most disturbing piece of evidence found within the car was the presence of her blood, which was confirmed through DNA testing, leading the El Paso County Sheriff's Office to suspect foul play was involved in her disappearance.
Lori's life was complex; she had attended cosmetology school and was a daughter and a mother, but she also navigated a world that put her at considerable risk. Her family, consisting of her father and two sons, was small, as her mother and two siblings had passed away. Her father had offered her a place to live upon her return to Colorado, but she had declined. The circumstances of her disappearance remain a painful mystery. Despite her lifestyle, friends and family have stated that it was not in her character to break contact, especially with her father. The investigation into what happened to Lori Lee Layman is ongoing, but her case has grown cold. The official classification for her case is that of an endangered missing person, with foul play strongly suspected.
Last Seen: Apr 29, 2015
