In the spring of 1981, a 21-year-old woman named Darlene Ellen Conklin vanished from the home she shared with her boyfriend in Monsey, New York. The exact date of her disappearance is uncertain, with reports varying, though she was last seen sometime in April of that year. At the time, Darlene was described as a Caucasian female with long brown hair, green eyes, standing at 5'8' and weighing between 100 and 120 pounds.
She had distinctive tattoos: the word 'LOVE' on one hand and the name 'TERRY' on the other, which may have been altered to 'HATE' or could have appeared as 'JERRY'. She was last seen wearing blue jeans and may have had scars on her wrists. Her boyfriend, Stephen Szanyi, told authorities that Darlene would sometimes leave for periods of time on her own. However, her mother grew worried when she didn't hear from her, as Darlene was known to keep in regular contact with her family. This uncharacteristic silence prompted her mother to file a missing person's report later that year.
For years, Darlene's case saw little progress. A significant development did not occur until nearly three decades later, in 2010, when the Ramapo Police Department received a credible tip that led them to reopen the investigation, now classifying it as an 'unknown-death investigation'. The tip came from an individual who claimed an acquaintance had confessed to killing a woman in Monsey back in 1981 and disposing of her body. Around this time, investigators also learned of a peculiar event that had occurred shortly after Darlene's disappearance. Officers from an unidentified police agency had visited Whalen's Moving and Storage in Mount Kisco, New York, where Darlene's boyfriend had been an employee. These officers had a Polaroid photograph of a deceased woman who had been found wrapped in a moving blanket from the company. Employees who were shown the photo recalled that the woman was Caucasian with light brown hair and some felt the image resembled Darlene, though their descriptions varied.
The identity of the police agency that possessed the photograph and the whereabouts of the photo itself remain a mystery, hampering the investigation significantly. Investigators believe the woman in the photograph may have been Darlene. Authorities have interviewed her boyfriend, Stephen Szanyi, on multiple occasions, but he has maintained that Darlene left on her own accord. Darlene's family remembers her as someone who enjoyed life and liked to have fun, often spending time with friends at a waterfront area in Haverstraw near the U.S. Gypsum Plant. The investigation into Darlene Conklin's disappearance remains open. Authorities continue to seek information about the unidentified police agency and the Polaroid photo, believing it could be the key to finally understanding what happened to the young woman who vanished so long ago.Last Seen: Apr 19, 1981
