In the early morning hours of October 16, 1990, a 27-year-old mother named Kelly Diane Sims vanished from the streets of Kelso, Washington. A friend had dropped her off at the corner of Allen and South Pacific, a spot just two blocks from the Rendezvous Tavern where she planned to play a few games of pool. Her intention was to unwind for a bit before heading to the babysitter's to pick up her one-year-old son and return home. Kelly, a resident of the 800 block of south 5th Avenue, would never arrive at the tavern, and her three children would be left without their mother. She was last seen wearing a white pullover sweater and jeans.
The evening that preceded her disappearance began with a darts tournament at a local bar called Tim's Tavern, where Kelly was accompanied by her boyfriend. At some point during the night, a heated discussion escalated into an argument, leading the couple to go their separate ways, with her boyfriend heading home.
Trying to salvage the evening, Kelly then went on her own to another establishment, the Brass Rail, where she met up with some friends. After a while, she and the group left together in a car. They drove north to drop someone off before heading back toward Kelso. As they returned to town, Kelly decided she wasn't quite ready to go home and asked the driver to let her out near the Rendezvous Tavern so she could shoot some pool. The driver dropped her off at the intersection of Allen Street and Pacific Avenue, a very short walk from her destination, but she was never seen again.
When Kelly failed to return, her mother grew worried and reported her 27-year-old daughter missing to the Kelso Police Department on October 17, 1990. Investigators began by retracing her last known steps, confirming with witnesses that she had been at both Tim's Tavern and the Brass Rail. However, employees and patrons at the Rendezvous Tavern stated that Kelly never made it inside that night. Despite the passage of time, her case has grown cold, leaving behind a painful void and many unanswered questions for her family and friends. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance, but the specific details of what happened in the two blocks between where she was dropped off and her destination remain a mystery. The case of Kelly Diane Sims is an enduring tragedy, a story of a young mother who vanished without a trace, leaving a community haunted by her absence.Last Seen: Oct 16, 1990
