In the spring of 1993, Andrea Lynn Hayslette was a 29-year-old mother of two, a dedicated wife, and a promising student at Coastal Carolina University, where she consistently earned straight A's. She lived with her husband of four years, Larry, and their two young children in an apartment at Deer Track Villas in Surfside Beach, South Carolina. On April 24, 1993, she was last seen at her apartment and then seemingly vanished without a trace.
On the day she disappeared, Andrea's mother was on a trip to Disney World with Andrea's son. Her mother's repeated attempts to reach her by phone went unanswered, sparking the first inklings of concern. When Andrea's mother returned, she discovered that no one had seen Andrea in days. Andrea's husband had not reported her missing and seemed unconcerned about her whereabouts. It was Andrea's mother who filed the official missing persons report with the Horry County Police Department four days after she was last seen.
The scene Andrea left behind was perplexing and pointed away from a voluntary departure. Her Chevrolet pickup truck and Dodge van were both left at the apartment complex. Inside her home, she had left behind all of her clothing, jewelry, and her ATM card. She never picked up her last paycheck from her part-time job, and her bank and credit cards were never used again. As a diligent student on the verge of completing her bachelor's degree in communications, it was highly uncharacteristic that she missed her final exams. While most of her belongings were accounted for, a few personal items were missing, including her purse, a suitcase, her toothbrush, and some other personal effects, though none of her clothing was gone. This combination of left-behind essentials and missing personal items created a confusing picture for investigators and her worried family.
The investigation soon focused on Andrea's husband, Larry, who had a history of domestic violence against her. In 1990, he had been convicted of domestic violence after an incident where he attacked Andrea in the shower. Friends and family reported that he could become violent when under the influence of alcohol. Disturbing statements from the couple's two-year-old daughter added a chilling layer to the case; she told her grandparents that 'Daddy hurt Mommy,' and 'Daddy threw Mommy in the bushes.' Based on these statements, investigators came to believe the child may have witnessed a violent altercation. About six weeks after his wife's disappearance, Larry moved with the children to West Virginia. Andrea's parents were eventually awarded permanent custody of their grandchildren and later adopted them. In 1995, Larry was convicted of forgery for signing Andrea's name to sell her truck. While incarcerated for that crime, he was charged with her murder in 1996, but the charge was dropped a year later due to a lack of evidence, as Andrea's body has never been found. The case of Andrea Hayslette remains an open and unsolved investigation, a heart-wrenching story of a young mother who disappeared, leaving behind a family to grapple with unanswered questions and the enduring pain of not knowing what happened. Foul play is strongly suspected in her disappearance.Last Seen: Apr 24, 1993
